Switzerland is a country known for many things, such as political neutrality, incredible chocolate, fantastic skiing and, most notably, the finest watches on the planet. We likely should add ultra-premium audio into the list of fantastic things that come from the European nation, as gear from Switzerland is all the rage in the audiophile hobby lately – and for good reason. There have always been Swiss audiophile brands, such as Goldmund and Nagra, but many new players have come to market from Switzerland, be they Stenheim speakers, DartZeel electronics, Weiss digital, and a good number of others. Perhaps the most disruptive force in the market today is CH Precision, makers of world-class electronics. While CH Precision is a relatively new company at only about a decade old, the two founders have roots that date back decades in the high-end audio business with other well-known brands. Make no mistake, in the world of cost-no-object audio, CH Precision has quickly made its mark, not just with consumers, but in terms of audiophile distribution here in the United States. CH Precision is as A-list as Soulution, Constellation, Gryphon, D’Agostino, Boulder, Bricasti, T+A, and a growing number of others making very, very expensive high-performance audio components.
The CH Precision M1.1 amplifier is not your typical two-channel stereo amplifier. It’s much more than that with the ability to run in five different configurations. Obviously, there is the traditional two-channel mode, but also a monoaural mode, a bridged mode and bi-amp modes for both passive and active configurations. The simplest operational mode is two-channel mode. However, you will need to purchase another analog input card, as the M1.1 only includes a single one. CH Precision must assume most of their customers will spring for a pair of M1.1s running in monoaural mode.
The CH Precision M1.1 is a beast of an amplifier, weighing in at 160 pounds, mostly due to the massive 2,200 VA transformer installed inside of the amp. Remember to lift with your legs and not with your back. Also, it’s a good idea to have a couple of friends around when unpacking any audiophile product in this weight class. Once situated, you’ll notice that the CH Precision M1.1 is a beautiful creation of aluminum. Fit and finish standards are more luxury watch than audio component. Styling is clean and understated, yet quite sophisticated. The front panel is dominated by a large display, and the CH Precision trademark curved and raised aesthetic feature running down the left side of the face, with a row of tiny buttons on the right.
While this $57,000 stereo amp is a building block for CH Precision systems, it is one hell of an expensive amplifier by any audiophile standard. In the chase for the best possible sound that money can buy in the audiophile world, how does the CH Precision M1.1 compare with the other big boys? How does it power some of the more tricky but awesome-sounding speakers? That’s what we are here to explore. This is going to be fun…
What Makes the CH Precision M1.1 Amplifier So Special?
- The CH Precision M1.1 is an engineering tour de force. The designers left no stone unturned chasing maximum amplifier performance. Things like a fully symmetrical, pure Class-A input stage that is DC, coupled with no series capacitors in the audio signal path, preserves sonic purity. For the output stage, there is another pure Class-A driver stage for the Class-AB power stage. Proprietary ExactBias circuitry constantly adjusts transistor bias to keep it in the ideal range. A massive 2,200 VA transformer is mounted on a mechanically isolated chassis to eliminate vibration. All three transformers are magnetically and electrostatically shielded to minimize EM interference. 250,000 micro-Farad capacitance is on hand, as well for power reserves and filtering.
- The build quality of the CH Precision M1.1 is second to none. Styling is obviously subjective, but the CH Precision M1.1 checks many boxes for those who like big, brawny audiophile power amplifiers, as I do. The faceplate is clean and stylish without being overdone, and there is no mistaking this amplifier for anything other than CH Precision. The fit and finish is outstanding, with no visible fasteners, with the exception of the rear panel. The aluminum is beautifully machined, and seams are virtually invisible.
- The CH Precision M1.1 is extremely versatile. I love equipment like this that can evolve along with your system, rather than simply being replaced. A well-heeled audiophile can start out with a two-channel amplifier and, as your bank account slowly recovers, you add another M1.1, thus changing them to monoaural mode or bi-amp mode. All of the configurations let the owner experiment and determine what works best for them.
- The CH Precision M1.1 lets you optimize the amplifier to your speakers. Being able to adjust feedback ratio is one of those features that, once you get to play with it, will have you asking why all amplifiers don’t offer this feature. Well, for one, it’s not easy to do and adds cost, but the sense of satisfaction you get when finding the sweet spot for your speakers is priceless. Well, maybe not priceless, just $57,000 for stereo or $110,000 for a mono pair with two input cards.
- The CH Precision M1.1 gives full customization power to the owner. Want your display to be purple? No problem. Want it red? Also, no problem. Want to see the operating temperature at all time? That’s a cake walk for the M1.1. Want to watch sexy VU meters? CH Precision thought of that, too. Want no display at all? That’s easy to do, too. Somebody was really thinking about how a very high-end amp interfaces with your system when designing the CH Precision M1.1.
- The CH Precision M1.1 can be fully networked, provided you have an Android device. The CH Precision app lets you access all of the parameters from your listening spot. What could be better than tweaking the channel gains at half-decibel precision to make sure they match? Maybe adjusting the feedback ratio as well, without getting out of your chair? Most amps just don’t have this level of detail or configuration.
Why Should You Care About the CH Precision M1.1 Amplifier?
If you are considering the CH Precision M1.1 amplifier, you are someone who refuses to compromise when it comes to luxury goods. You are an apex predator who works hard, lives large, and wants the best. But what defines the best when it come to an audiophile amp? Is it specifications that can be measured? Is it the way music flows and the reaction that the listener has to it? Is it exclusivity? Styling? Something else? I suspect most will answer that almost all of these play a part in determining their ideal amplifier. The CH Precision M1.1 certainly belongs in this discussion. Its combination of power and finesse, cutting-edge technologies and understated rugged elegance presses many of my hot buttons. It sounds fantastic and makes me want to listen to more music, deeper cuts, and always rewards me with surprises when I do.
Some Things You Might Not Like About the CH Precision M1.1 Amplifier
- As you might expect, the CH Precision M1.1 amplifier is large and really heavy. If space is limited, then you may want to consider other amplifier options. I think amps like these look best on the floor between the speakers on a dedicated audiophile amp stand. However, your significant other may disagree, as mine does. I was able to fit the CH Precision M1.1 into my Salamander rack, but it was a tight fit and produced much anxiety as I wrestled it in, careful not to scratch it. I highly recommend at least one other friend to help move it, but I’m stubborn and far too distrustful to let any non-audiophiles touch uber-expensive equipment like this.
- The CH Precision M1.1 has turn-on clicks. When I first turned the amplifier on, it went through a startup sequence that involves various clicks from relays within, which was not surprising. However, what did surprise and scare me a bit was that the clicks were audible through my speakers! Immediately, I reached out to CH Precision to ask if this was normal, and they assured me it was and would not damage any speaker drivers. I suspect that the signal path being so devoid of capacitors has a lot to do with this, and the payoff is a really powerful and linear performance.
- CH only offers an Android-only app for amplifier control. I’m an Apple guy, and was surprised that CH Precision doesn’t have an iOS app for the M1.1. To leverage the full potential of the amplifier, I will either have to purchase an Android device or use the buttons on the face of the amplifier. I truly feel a product of this caliber should have an app for Apple users, along with Android.
Listening to the CH Precision M1.1 Stereo Amplifier…
My current system consists of Rockport Avior II speakers, Parasound JC1 mono amps, Mark Levinson No. 326s preamplifier, an Ayre QB-9 DSD Twenty DAC and a Lumin U1 mini streamer. I was very eager to see what changed when I replaced the JC1 amps with the CH Precision M1.1.
Pink Floyd’s all-time classic, Dark Side of the Moon, is always on rotation in my home so what more appropriate song to listen to with the big CH Precision M1.1 than “Money.” Immediately what struck me was the additional depth and detail coming from Roger Waters iconic bass riff. Had I not known better, I would have thought that a subwoofer had been added to the system upon first audition of the CH Precision M1.1. The bass was tight, detailed and carried more weight than I had heard and felt from my system at any previous point. Enter David Gilmour’s guitar riffs coming from a completely separate plane, far in front of the rest of the instruments. I clearly heard extended decay of the notes as they hung around longer than I had heard before. Focusing now on the drumming of Nick Mason, the kicks had the same depth and in-your-chest impact, as I noticed with the bass guitar. Cymbal crashes were more realistic without a hint of fatigue causing aggressiveness. This can also be said for the saxophone solo by Dick Parry. Sometimes horns can be harsh and cause you to reach for the volume control, but there was none of that with the M1.1. I was able to hear more deeply into the instrument from the valves opening and closing to the reed work. That’s not to say the presentation was like looking through a microscope; it wasn’t. The music was organic, integrated and naturally full of detail. The soundstage was rock-solid, with each image holding its place in all three dimensions unlike I have heard before in my system. The differences with the M1.1 were not subtle.
Fleetwood Mac’s album Tusk is packed full of hits, but I always gravitate to “Brown Eyes.” I may be in the minority, but I always prefer Christine McVie’s voice to that of Stevie Nicks. The track is sparse, with minimal drum work acting as a metronome. Kick drums add a heartbeat effect, and each one is fully articulated and can be felt even at moderate levels. The occasional cymbal crash seems to go on and on and on as it slowly decays. McVie’s voice has a delicacy and purity that conveys a melancholy sadness that is achingly beautiful. The M1.1 has a magical sense of projecting the music to the listener so convincingly that you can feel it coming and passing you by and traveling off into space. While I know all sound waves propagate in this way, this was different than I’ve experienced before, and I struggle to articulate it adequately. The music just washes over the listener with the CH M1.1 in the loop.
Switching gears to some live material, I chose REM’s Unplugged 1991/2001 The Complete Sessionsdouble album, which is another favorite of mine due to the quality of the recording. The track “Low”begins with a very cool laid-back bass riff that digs deep, even acoustically. If you want to test your speaker’s low-frequency performance, this is a great choice. The guitar fills, which appear hard left in the soundstage, are absolutely crystalline. I listened to this track several times, getting goose bumps when I heard that guitar. Michael Stipe’s voice gives you all sorts of venue ambiance information, as you can clearly hear reflections and decay. The M1.1 takes you into the audience in an utterly convincing way. One of the notes I wrote during my listening session was that the “soundstage was so dense I could stand up and walk into it and between the band members,” which might be the first time that I’ve ever felt that way about my system.
Will the CH Precision M1.1 Stereo Power Amplifier Hold Its Value?
CH Precision, while a somewhat new name to high-end audio electronics, has quickly established itself as an A-list brand, receiving a host of awards and accolades. Many of the top manufacturers of speakers showcase their latest top-line products using stacks of CH Precision components. There is a reason for this: the CH Precision gear sounds amazing and therefore showcases how good their speakers are. The CH Precision M1.1 is not the type of product you will find in your neighborhood Best Buy, or even at most audiophile stores, assuming you still have one open in your town. CH has a small dealer network by design, as they serve a small clientele who can legitimately afford their products. All this to say that products that are built in low quantities, have high-performance and are lusted after typically hold their value very well. Just look at the selling prices of an original 427 Shelby Cobra, or a Ferrari 250 GTO, or a McLaren F1. That’s not to say that the M1.1 will appreciate like any of those automobiles, but I think there are many people who would jump at the chance to own one for themselves, so in my humble opinion, it will certainly hold value.
What is the Competition for the CH Precision M1.1?
The rarified air where the M1.1 competes is the who’s who of the audiophile game. Names like DarTZeel, Soulution, Dan D’Agostino, and Pass Labs are some of the brands that will surely be included in a discussion with CH Precision. They all build ultra-high-performance amplifiers with eye-watering price tags.
Let’s start with the Pass Labs XS 300 mono amplifiers, which cost $85,000 per pair, and have separate power supplies to produce 300 watts of Class-A power. These come from one of the legends of the industry, Nelson Pass, and are some of the finest amplifiers available at any price, made right here in the United States. The massive two-chassis XS 300 amplifiers make a dramatic statement with their beautiful brushed aluminum and massive blue glowing dial showing bias. If it’s straight up, then it’s still in Class-A mode; if it moves right, it’s transitioned into Class-AB. The XS 300s will drive anything and sound spectacular doing so.
Next up is the Soulution 711 stereo amplifier, another highly-regarded Swiss audiophile product priced at $65,000, producing three hundred watts at four ohms. It is a zero-feedback design, which can also operate in bi-amp or mono modes. Styling is similar to the CH Precision, which is to say, understated but elegant. Every time that I’ve heard Soulution, the sound is clean, detailed and neutral, as you should expect from an amp at the absolute level of performance.
The T+A A 3000 HV at $26,000 (read the review) is an amp that I’ve gotten a chance to listen to recently and, considering its price, it is a bargain compared to the CH Precision M1.1. T+A is from Germany and this is their top-of-the-line amp that features their high-voltage rail technology. This amp has tremendous control over, even the most demanding speakers, without giving one hint of sonic flavor or house sound. You don’t need to spend $57,000 on a power amp to get great performance, but when you do, you get all of the goodies (upgradability, software control etc. …), as I learned with the CH M1.1.
Final Thoughts on the CH Precision M1.1 Amplifier …
The CH Precision M1.1 is an epic amplifier that overflows with technology and software-driven wizardry that does not ever get in the way of the music. I have to admit that I was skeptical of just how much of an improvement I would experience from an amplifier upgrade, albeit a very expensive upgrade. The CH Precision M1.1 elevated my system by not one but several notches.
Imaging was even more rock-solid, with pinpoint precision for all of the instruments and vocals. Location information was only part of the story, as each instrument was also more clearly defined, think laser-etched. The inky black background made them pop into space and hold their position. The soundstage was so well-defined that I felt I could stand up and walk between the performers. Top to bottom across the frequency spectrum, I was impressed with what the M1.1 could do. There is the tired window analogy in the audiophile world, which compares an upgrade to removing a layer of grime from a window. The CH Precision M1.1 went a step further and opened the window. This is a truly amazing audiophile power amplifier.
Ridiculous.