L10 Dual Monaural Twin-Chassis Line Preamplifier

L10 Line-Preamplifier & Power Supply

“Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence.” Leonardo da Vinci

Reviewing the L1 upgrade path, we concluded that, “In the process of moving from one box to four, CH Precision’s L1 preamplifier moves from being among the best preamps money can buy to being one of the best preamps ever made…” The L10 totally eclipses that performance.

HiFi+ 2020 Innovation Award

Product Description

When it comes to musical integrity, nothing says “walk silently – but carry a big stick!” quite like the new L10.

When it comes to high-end electronics, there are fewer top-flight line preamplifiers than any other product category, a fact that reflects just how critical their role is to system performance – and how difficult they are to design. So, when you already build the L1, widely recognised as one of the finest line preamplifiers ever heard, how do you set about improving it?

By keeping the recipe and refining the ingredients – something that’s easily said but which has taken all of our accumulated knowledge and experience to achieve. But achieve it we did. The L1 set a new benchmark. The L10 sets an entirely new standard for musical performance.

Any line-stage needs to be quiet, transparent and stable. It needs to be seen and not heard – at least until you remove it from your system. Then you should hear exactly what it brings to the party! It must anchor the incoming signals and deliver them onwards, propelled from a firm footing that ensures dynamic and musical authority. It must pass the source signals in your system, without limitation or disturbance, leaving no trace of itself on their passage. It must be all powerful but also invisible…

The L10 retains the fully discrete, balanced and complementary design, ultra-short signal paths and heavily regulated and filtered, multi-stage power supplies, wide-bandwidth, high slew-rate and DC coupled topology of the L1. It incorporates the same sophisticated R-2R ladder volume control, sophisticated DC detection and cancellation circuitry and software control. But while the overall topology might seem familiar, the execution takes performance to a completely new level.

  • Signal paths have been further shortened and their routing refined, to reduce induced noise and distortion.
  • Every single discrete component in the signal path has been reassessed and wherever possible upgraded.
  • The external power supply is a dedicated design, specific to and optimized for the L10, with increased regulation and massively increased capacity.
  • Feedback topology can be user selected between local and global settings to suit musical preferences and system requirements.

The result is the most musically sophisticated line preamplifier that money can buy: A lower noise-floor, increased transparency, harmonic layers and textures (especially at low frequencies), wider dynamic range, greater dimensionality and a more natural tonal palette. But what really elevates the performance is the sheer sense of human agency, purpose and drama – from the smallest, poised musical nuance to the most shocking orchestral crescendo, the clarity of the most convoluted solo line to the drive and impact of the most powerful rock band. Irrespective of scale or genre, whether it’s a time to reflect or a time to party, the L10 will breathe life into your music, transport you to the original recording.

Being a CH Precision component, versatility, upgradability (to full four-chassis, true monaural topology) user configurable operation and a full-function control interface come as standard. Exceptional audio and musical performance comes as standard too – except that in this case, that performance is truly extraordinary.

Inputs

4x Balanced XLR
2x Single-ended RCA
2x Single-ended BNC

Input Impedance

Balanced: 94kΩ or 600Ω
Single-ended: 47kΩ or 300Ω

Maximum input level

+26dBu (16VRMS Balanced)
+20dBu (8VRMS Single-ended)

Outputs

2x Balanced XLR
1x Single-ended RCA
1x Single-ended BNC

Maximum output level

+29dBu (22VRMS Balanced)
+23dBu (11VRMS Single-ended)

Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise

Measurement conditions:

    • Volume: 0dB (unity gain)
    • 0dBu in, 1kHz input signal
    • Local or Global feedback
    • 22Hz to 22kHz measurement window

THD+N: < 0.0008%

Output Noise

Measurement conditions:

    • Volume 0dB (unity gain)
    • Local or Global feedback
    • 22Hz to 22kHz measurement window
    • 27Ω input termination

Noise:

    • -112dBu (1.8µVRMS Balanced outputs)
    • -115dBu (1.3µVRMS Single-ended outputs)

Signal to Noise ratio

Signal to Noise ratio: 141 dB

Bandwidth

Measurement conditions:

    • Volume: 0dB (unity gain)
    • 0dBu in

Bandwidth: DC to > 1MHz (-3dB)

Volume control range

+18dB to -100dBu in 0.5dB steps

Preamplifier Global vs Local Feedback Ratio

0% Global Feedback (100% Local)

or

100% Global Feedback (0% Local)

Weight

L10 Power supply unit: 23kg
L10 Preamplifier unit: 20kg

Documents

The First Questions that everybody Asks about the CH Precision 10 Series (PDF)

L10 Specific Downloads

CH-Control App

Meet the CH-Control App – a control application that allows users direct access to every aspect of their CH system’s set up and use via any Android portable device. The software control systems used to set and monitor the operational parameters of each and every CH component offer the perfect opportunity for remote operation via a portable App.

To use the CH-Control App, all you will need is an Android device and to connect your CH components to an Ethernet network. That can be done either through the Ethernet control board fitted as standard to all CH units, or through the network streaming board that can be installed in C1.2, C1.2 Mono or I1 units. We would always recommend using a dedicated tablet and network for your music streaming and system control requirements.

Once your CH system is all hooked up, the App gives you touch screen access to every setting on every CH component, from your listening seat, a huge benefit when it comes to whole system set up or optimization for individual recordings. Either way, the CH-Control App allows you to make easier and more accurate judgements: Total control, quite literally at your fingertips.

The features of every CH product are accessible through the CH-Control App:

  • Built-in UPnP controller to stream dematerialized music, create playlists, etc.
  • Set volume level, select sources, reverse phase, mute, etc.
  • Access to all the advanced set-up parameters in every CH product.
  • Works on a standard Ethernet network.
  • The CH-Control App is available free from the Google Store.

Some of our awards