To reduce noise levels within the decoding circuitry, the power supply has been upgraded, including the introduction of discrete local regulators for the DSP and FGPA chips. The control software now switches off all unused processing and signal paths to help eliminate residual and induced noise from those sources. Oh – and the C1.2 is now fully MQA compatible. So the DAC chips might have remained the same, but the algorithm and processing power governing their operation has changed out of all proportion, in terms of both the operation itself and the overall capability. Meanwhile, the operating environment has also been significantly improved in terms of clock performance and power-supply/noise levels.
Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It
In broad terms, there are two ways in which you can extract better performance from a DAC – and they are both to do with eliminating error. Given that any DAC process will induce error, you have a choice between correcting that error (using something like the Wadax feed-forward error correction approach) or you can try and make the DAC work better to start with, improving the process and reducing error mechanisms, like noise, so that the process as a whole generates less error. The CH approach sits firmly in this latter school, with considerable attention paid to the processing and the operation of the DAC chips. The results of their latest advances are, unsurprisingly, easy to hear and appreciate.
But before we get to the question of sonic performance, there are a couple of other, practical considerations to take into account. The first of these is to do with the input options and the order in which they are mounted. The revised internal boards have mandated a change in the installation order of the options/inputs. This doesn’t matter unless you owned a C1, get it upgraded and then wonder why the sockets now appear in a different order. And talking of upgrades, it’s an operation that requires returning the unit to your local dealer/distributor. Of more moment, at least when it comes to the cost of upgrading, are questions surrounding the display, digital and Ethernet inpu cards. The C1.2 is only compatible with the Digital-In HD and Ethernet-HD In cards and the latest 800 x 480 AMOLED display. This is where the status of any current C1 being upgraded comes in. Really early units that haven’t had the original digital input board, Ethernet input or display upgraded already, will need to have that done too.
The other things you get in the upgrade kit (besides a new C1.2 display window and rear panel section with the new serial number) are a set of the new CH composite levelling/grounding spikes – which are a big step up in performance over the previous, steel versions – and a new handy IR remote. The latter is identical to the original, except for the C1.2 designation on its fascia. The end result is a completely updated DAC that is indistinguishable from a brand new C1.2, in physical, parts or performance terms. For owners of existing C1s, that alone makes the upgrade worth undertaking, just in terms of protecting their investment. However, the real benefit comes in terms of the sonic and musical dividend. CH didn’t re-designate the C1.2 because it used (or didn’t use) a different DAC chip. They re-designated it to mark a step change in performance.
Physical Graffiti
Many DACs are (relatively speaking) compact and low on features. That isn’t the C1.2. In fact, the CH hallmark is the unique ability to combine massive versatility with an uncompromising commitment to sound quality. The C1.2 is perhaps the ultimate expression of that philosophy. Despite the clean lines and uncluttered front-panel, there’s so much going on here that the best (if arguably least elegant) way to understand and appreciate it all is as a simple laundry list, starting with the construction and finishing with the various options.
