Howdy folks - after much tribulation often in tube land, sometimes in solid state, i recently acquired a d1, c1 and two a1. To say i am impressed is an understatement: these components are changing my listening experience, and i have had pretty heady stuff over the years (notably Dartzeel 108 and 18, that I remain a fan of).
The incredible clarity, sense of directness, openness, dynamics yet also musicality and sense of limitless potential of the CHP are a game changer to my ears. The awesome build quality and sheer configurability don’t hurt either. I am already a fan, and i am not typically impressed by brands or the flavor of the month.
After some initial experimentation, i have settled with using the a1 in bridge mode (despite my Vivids B1 not being high impedance speakers), that sounds both as spacious as monaural but also more fleshy and vivid (like a single a1 does, but without the space and separation), with zero feedback and -6db of gain to use the c1 in its sweet volume spot. I routinely use USB via Roon served by a Pi Rasberry and NAS, and find it really good (notably when upconverting PCM to DSD in Roon, go figure!), if not the equal of the D1 (connected via CH link with sync i/o boards) that I reserve for more serious listening.
So... my only reservation or sense of trade off when going back to my previous tube system (Lampizator GG and EAR or Air Tight EL34 design amps) is that the CHP timbres sound a touch (and by this i mean slightly) dry, a little less suave and ‘fruity’, notably on acoustic instruments, and groove rythm perhaps sound a little less loose or expressive. I guess the precision comes at some (elevated) cost somewhere. Is this something someone else has experienced?
I have read the various posts, and am already scheming about stretching my budget further to upgrade...although funds are in finite quantity by now. What actual users of the same CHP components would recommend most, notably to procure a little more bloom and rhythmic fluidity (i am beyond satisfied with resolution, transparency, dynamics, ...):
- X1 for the C1?
- L1?
- T1?
- CHP cables?
Based on your actual listening experience, if you had only one upgrade to make, which one would it be and why? I expect that experiences and opinions will vary, so bring it on!
Thank you in advance for sharing your experience with these wonderful electronics.
Steph
PS: i guess i could also consider adding the network board, but I like Roon and its integration seems problematic. Regarding the X1, i am wondering if it pushes further the sound in the direction os space, detail and resolution, vs. adding more palpability, body, sense of ‘real’ instruments, for which I have read praises for the L1 (but adding a linestage feels a little like an overkill when the C1 with an analog board seems to already fit the bill?)
The incredible clarity, sense of directness, openness, dynamics yet also musicality and sense of limitless potential of the CHP are a game changer to my ears. The awesome build quality and sheer configurability don’t hurt either. I am already a fan, and i am not typically impressed by brands or the flavor of the month.
After some initial experimentation, i have settled with using the a1 in bridge mode (despite my Vivids B1 not being high impedance speakers), that sounds both as spacious as monaural but also more fleshy and vivid (like a single a1 does, but without the space and separation), with zero feedback and -6db of gain to use the c1 in its sweet volume spot. I routinely use USB via Roon served by a Pi Rasberry and NAS, and find it really good (notably when upconverting PCM to DSD in Roon, go figure!), if not the equal of the D1 (connected via CH link with sync i/o boards) that I reserve for more serious listening.
So... my only reservation or sense of trade off when going back to my previous tube system (Lampizator GG and EAR or Air Tight EL34 design amps) is that the CHP timbres sound a touch (and by this i mean slightly) dry, a little less suave and ‘fruity’, notably on acoustic instruments, and groove rythm perhaps sound a little less loose or expressive. I guess the precision comes at some (elevated) cost somewhere. Is this something someone else has experienced?
I have read the various posts, and am already scheming about stretching my budget further to upgrade...although funds are in finite quantity by now. What actual users of the same CHP components would recommend most, notably to procure a little more bloom and rhythmic fluidity (i am beyond satisfied with resolution, transparency, dynamics, ...):
- X1 for the C1?
- L1?
- T1?
- CHP cables?
Based on your actual listening experience, if you had only one upgrade to make, which one would it be and why? I expect that experiences and opinions will vary, so bring it on!
Thank you in advance for sharing your experience with these wonderful electronics.
Steph
PS: i guess i could also consider adding the network board, but I like Roon and its integration seems problematic. Regarding the X1, i am wondering if it pushes further the sound in the direction os space, detail and resolution, vs. adding more palpability, body, sense of ‘real’ instruments, for which I have read praises for the L1 (but adding a linestage feels a little like an overkill when the C1 with an analog board seems to already fit the bill?)