Stereophile editor Jim Austin’s eagerly awaited, in-depth review covers not just the performance and technology built into the C1.2 DAC/Controller, but the part it plays at the centre of the CH Precision digital eco-system, surrounded by the D1.5 CD/SACD transport, X1 External Power Supply and T1 Time Reference. How did JA enjoy his time with the CH components?
“This is what this album (Ellington’s Jazz Party in Stereo) sounds like. It’s what the record—the LP—sounds like. I’d probably still put the vinyl on on a celebratory Friday night, but this sounds just as good, or—it pains me to say it— perhaps better. I’m listening at 10am on a Sunday morning, feeling exhilarated, nothing between me and the music. Time to whip up a cocktail? It’s 5 o’clock somewhere.”
“As editor of Stereophile, I suppose I should be an absolute perfectionist, but the fact is, I have limits. Not infrequently, I hear sound that’s totally satisfying, that I could happily, joyously, live with forever. I’m getting that with just the one box, the C1.2.”
“The C1.2, both with and without its external clock and power supply, produced the best sound I’ve heard from a digital source—far better than far cheaper chip DACs that we’ve put in Class A+ on our list of Recommended Components. Which is a problem for Stereophile’s editor: Do we need to create a class A++? The CH Precision C1.2 gives new meaning to “turn it up to 11!
You can read the whole review – including a deep-dive into digital theory and technology – here:
