ch precision P1 vs Kondo ge1

gian60

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Apr 17, 2016
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Hello to everybody,

i write from italy and sorry my bad English.

Yesterday i tried with 2 friends in the system of my friend, Bergmann Sindre with Air tight pc3 Pre Viva, mono amp Viva Aurora and Wilson Alexandria
New phono CH Precision P1,one shop borrow to me, vs my Kondo GE1 with mc trans Silvercore mc pro.

The P 1 has 2 input mc in current and you can reduced the gain of 25 db and a mm/mc high input where you can select gain from 35 to 70 db and the impedence from 20 to 100.000 ohm,with step every 2 ohm.There is mono mode and subsonic filter at 10 hz.It is pure class A and dual mono.

Regarding the sound there is no comparison with Kondo.
P1 has image and depth much bigger, much more fast and dynamic,more transparent and Kondo seems with high cut,Bass controlled perfectly,the sound go out from speaker very easily and there is big space between instruments that are perfectly stop in their position.

Mid are natural like tube amp and mid high are very open and fast but sweet.

Kondo is very good on voices and medium,has a relaxed a natural sound and very musical,but this P1 shocked us

Absolutly to try if you can

Regards
Gianluigi
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
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Hi Gianluigi,

Was the Kondo better than the CH in any way? Or was the CH better than the Kondo in every single area?
 

gian60

Well-Known Member
Apr 17, 2016
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The CH was better than Kondo in every single area

Only on the voices Kondo was good,similar to CH
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
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The CH was better than Kondo in every single area

Only on the voices Kondo was good,similar to CH

Thanks...good to know.
 

Jazzhead

VIP/Donor
Aug 26, 2012
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So now we don't have to fantasize about Kondo anymore ;)
 

leyenda

Well-Known Member
Mar 2, 2011
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Hi Gianluigi, did you try the P1 in current mode or voltage mode? Did you compare between the two mode? I suppose given the low R of the pc3, it will work well in current mode? Thanks and enjoy!


Hello to everybody,

i write from italy and sorry my bad English.

Yesterday i tried with 2 friends in the system of my friend, Bergmann Sindre with Air tight pc3 Pre Viva, mono amp Viva Aurora and Wilson Alexandria
New phono CH Precision P1,one shop borrow to me, vs my Kondo GE1 with mc trans Silvercore mc pro.

The P 1 has 2 input mc in current and you can reduced the gain of 25 db and a mm/mc high input where you can select gain from 35 to 70 db and the impedence from 20 to 100.000 ohm,with step every 2 ohm.There is mono mode and subsonic filter at 10 hz.It is pure class A and dual mono.

Regarding the sound there is no comparison with Kondo.
P1 has image and depth much bigger, much more fast and dynamic,more transparent and Kondo seems with high cut,Bass controlled perfectly,the sound go out from speaker very easily and there is big space between instruments that are perfectly stop in their position.

Mid are natural like tube amp and mid high are very open and fast but sweet.

Kondo is very good on voices and medium,has a relaxed a natural sound and very musical,but this P1 shocked us

Absolutly to try if you can

Regards
Gianluigi
 

gian60

Well-Known Member
Apr 17, 2016
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For Jazzhead

Kondo is very good,
I have 2 system,one with Kondo M7 KSL,Phono Kondo GE1 and 2 Souga to biamp
And other is with CH Precision L1 + C1 + X1 + 2 A1 to biamp.

I always had since 1991 Triode tube amp,like be Yamamura,Audiotekne,Audionote,Shindo,Fal,Dyssanayake,Kondo,and i never liked Transistor because for my taste was better triode amp.
But when i tried CH in shop and at home i found new world with natural sound and transparency similar tube but with high much more clean,open but sweet and silken,with controlled bass and very very fast.
My friend told me for them CH is like Formula one.

For leyenda,
We will try in both mode.
In Voltage mode,where you can select the gain from 35 to 70 db,we left at 60 db,and we tried impedence between 90 and 160 ohm,you can select from 20 to 100.000 ohm with step of 2 ohm,and was the right setup and sound very well,but when we put in the current mode sound was better,more free,natural,open and fast.
In current mode you can reduce gain from 25 to 0 and we reduced at 20

Regards
Gianluigi
 

Audiocrack

Well-Known Member
Aug 10, 2012
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For Jazzhead

Kondo is very good,
I have 2 system,one with Kondo M7 KSL,Phono Kondo GE1 and 2 Souga to biamp
And other is with CH Precision L1 + C1 + X1 + 2 A1 to biamp.

I always had since 1991 Triode tube amp,like be Yamamura,Audiotekne,Audionote,Shindo,Fal,Dyssanayake,Kondo,and i never liked Transistor because for my taste was better triode amp.
But when i tried CH in shop and at home i found new world with natural sound and transparency similar tube but with high much more clean,open but sweet and silken,with controlled bass and very very fast.
My friend told me for them CH is like Formula one.

For leyenda,
We will try in both mode.
In Voltage mode,where you can select the gain from 35 to 70 db,we left at 60 db,and we tried impedence between 90 and 160 ohm,you can select from 20 to 100.000 ohm with step of 2 ohm,and was the right setup and sound very well,but when we put in the current mode sound was better,more free,natural,open and fast.
In current mode you can reduce gain from 25 to 0 and we reduced at 20

Regards
Gianluigi

Hi Gianluigi,

I believe there is big price difference between CH Precision phono and the Kondo GE1 phono, or am I wrong on this?

Any moment now a new Kondo phonostage will be launched (maybe at the Munich high end show 2017?) to be partnered with the Kondo G-1000 linestage. Do not know what the retailprice of this new Kondo phonostage is going to be (it will surely be quite expensive), but that unit is from a price petspective maybe a more suitable competitor to the CH Precision phonostage that you listened to.
 

gian60

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Apr 17, 2016
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In Italy Kondo cost a lot because italian distributor has high price
GE1 cost euro 20.000 and P1 cost euro 24.500

GE1 is only MM,so you have to buy a MC transformer,and if you buy new Kondo cost 12.000,while P1 is MM and MC

The new Kondo phono will have a price i think about 50.000 euro,or could be little more,than you have always to add the MC transformer.

I love Kondo and i had in my life 2 Ongaku,Gakuon,Neiro,Neiro Silver,Kageki,Baransu,2 Souga,M7,M7 KSL and M10

But when i tried CH in My home i found better than Kondo because has similar natural mid,but more clean,fast,dynamic,with good bass.
When i listened M7 + GE1 and 2 Souga sound was wonderful,but when i connect CH seems more clean,less dirty,always magical sound.

Then i sold Kondo and i bought M1 mono
 

Audiocrack

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Aug 10, 2012
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In Italy Kondo cost a lot because italian distributor has high price
GE1 cost euro 20.000 and P1 cost euro 24.500

GE1 is only MM,so you have to buy a MC transformer,and if you buy new Kondo cost 12.000,while P1 is MM and MC

The new Kondo phono will have a price i think about 50.000 euro,or could be little more,than you have always to add the MC transformer.

I love Kondo and i had in my life 2 Ongaku,Gakuon,Neiro,Neiro Silver,Kageki,Baransu,2 Souga,M7,M7 KSL and M10

But when i tried CH in My home i found better than Kondo because has similar natural mid,but more clean,fast,dynamic,with good bass.
When i listened M7 + GE1 and 2 Souga sound was wonderful,but when i connect CH seems more clean,less dirty,always magical sound.

Then i sold Kondo and i bought M1 mono

Ok, clear and thanks.
 

Audiocrack

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Aug 10, 2012
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For me the big difference between Kondo amplification and all transistor (pre)amps I have heard so far is that the former sounds so much more unmechanical. But I have not heard the latest state of the art solid state amps such as for example the Tidal La Assoluta amps.
 

morricab

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Apr 25, 2014
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My experience so far with CH precision has been less spectacular than this. Never heard it sound as natural as good triodes.
 

gian60

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Apr 17, 2016
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I tried many times against my Kondo GE1 and we tried at home of one my friend that has mark livens n. 32 with Uesugi phono,top model,i don't remember the model,and we tried also at home of other my friend with his Viva preamp top of the line and Viva phono,so P1 was connected at Viva preamp and in all 3 these test P1 was much better in natural sound,fast with better low,fast and sweet,
with incredible possibility to connect every cartridge in the market.

I had also for more that 15 years all Audiotekne top pre and phono.

Could be some other phono preamp can be better
 

bonzo75

Member Sponsor
Feb 26, 2014
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My experience so far with CH precision has been less spectacular than this. Never heard it sound as natural as good triodes.

Gian and his friends, as well as other CH P guys I have been in touch with, have consistently moved over from a history of triodes and valves
 

Audiocrack

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Aug 10, 2012
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Gian and his friends, as well as other CH P guys I have been in touch with, have consistently moved over from a history of triodes and valves

That is fine of course. But I can fully understand that audiophiles who are fond of high quality (set) triodes, do not like the sound of solid state amplification like CH Precision. Two different worlds I would say.
 
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bonzo75

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That is fine of course. But I can fully understand that audiophiles who are fond of high quality (set) triodes, do not like the sound of solid state amplification like CH Precision. Two different worlds I would say.

Liking is fine, I was responding to words "it does not sound as natural".
 

gian60

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Apr 17, 2016
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I had tube,mainly triodes from 1986 to 2016

I had ARC sp 8,sp 10,d90B,D 79,D250,M300,JADIS, JPP 200,ja 30,ja 80,ja 200, ja 500,Be Yamamura push pull 845 with preamp,all mono with external power supply 8 stack,Audio tekne 8801,8601,9501,
8502,9501,Audio note Ongaku,Gakuon,Neiro,Neiro silver,Kageki,Souga,Baransu,M7,M10,Futterman otl,Hal amp design preamp,Shindo Catherine and Petrus with amp Shinonia and WE 300B,Mactone OTL M8V mono,FAL japan integrated,
Dyssanayake reference amp and preamp,
Radford STA 15,QUAD II,Leak TL 12 plus and TL 10,Mc Intosh 240,mc 30,mc 60, mc 75,

So i listen music with triode for near 30 years and i always found better than transistor amp.

But when i listen CH in my home beginning of 2016 i bought because i found near same natural sound but more clean,more fast and dynamic,with high with extension and bass very controlled

I don't tell CH is much better than tries,but i prefer a little now,even if if you have some tries of i had its a wonderful and magical sound
 

Audiocrack

Well-Known Member
Aug 10, 2012
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I had tube,mainly triodes from 1986 to 2016

I had ARC sp 8,sp 10,d90B,D 79,D250,M300,JADIS, JPP 200,ja 30,ja 80,ja 200, ja 500,Be Yamamura push pull 845 with preamp,all mono with external power supply 8 stack,Audio tekne 8801,8601,9501,
8502,9501,Audio note Ongaku,Gakuon,Neiro,Neiro silver,Kageki,Souga,Baransu,M7,M10,Futterman otl,Hal amp design preamp,Shindo Catherine and Petrus with amp Shinonia and WE 300B,Mactone OTL M8V mono,FAL japan integrated,
Dyssanayake reference amp and preamp,
Radford STA 15,QUAD II,Leak TL 12 plus and TL 10,Mc Intosh 240,mc 30,mc 60, mc 75,

So i listen music with triode for near 30 years and i always found better than transistor amp.

But when i listen CH in my home beginning of 2016 i bought because i found near same natural sound but more clean,more fast and dynamic,with high with extension and bass very controlled

I don't tell CH is much better than tries,but i prefer a little now,even if if you have some tries of i had its a wonderful and magical sound

Fair enough. You apparently experienced a lot with different (pre)amps. So enjoy your CH Precison equipment. It is a fact of life that taste and preferences differ, also in our common hobby. Nobody should have a problem with that.
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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I too have had many tube amps SE. SEP and PP.

CH reminds me of a funny way of the ZYX Airy 3S. The name of the Airy suggested something quite different. It was SOLID not airy. LOL. The CH Precision name makes one assume the sound is all about strict marching discipline when in fact they are very spacious and clear. Very sweet actually. I compare the highs to that of 2a3s, I believe those were the tubes Gian used as well. The ability to tailor. both local feedback from zero on and the ability to adjust gain accordingly was also very useful to me in finding the balance I prefer. I get to "tube roll" with SS in a way. As always set up is key. We all know how easy it is to muck up any system regardless of pedigree. The number of options adds variables that make things a little more difficult but offer rewards that are IMO worth the effort.
 

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