CH Precision D1.5 SACD-CD Player-Transport User Guide
- June 10, 2024
- CH Precision
Table of Contents
CH Precision D1.5 SACD-CD Player-Transport
D1.5 SACD/CD Player/Transport
The D1.5 SACD/CD Player/Transport is a high-end audio device designed to play SACD/CD discs with exceptional sound quality. It comes with accessories like CH composite aluminium/polymer spikes, polymer footer discs, dimpled polymer stacking caps, power cord, remote, and USB stick.
Product Usage Instructions
- Unpacking: Move the D1.5 shipping carton to a suitable, open space and open it. Carefully remove the product and accessories from the packaging. Check if everything is included, and if not, contact your dealer immediately.
- Placement: Place the D1.5 SACD/CD Player/Transport in its final position, ensuring there is sufficient airflow around, above, and below it. If installing the CH Spikes, locate the four footer discs beneath the unit’s feet.
- Power connections: Before attempting any electrical connections, set the power switch at the back of the power supply unit to OFF. Connect the unit to the mains grid using the provided power cord or an audiophile equivalent if preferred. Always connect the power cord before connecting any signal cables.
- Audio connections: Never attempt to make or modify audio connections with your D1.5 SACD/CD Player/Transport powered on. The unit’s back panel switch must be in the OFF position while making audio connections. The mains power cords should be plugged into the wall socket so that the unit is grounded. Refer to the included unit topology diagram before starting.
- Using the D1.5 as a disc transport: If pairing the D1.5 with a CH component equipped with a CH LINK.
- Using the D1.5 as a CD/SACD player: If you have chosen to include the analog output option on your D1.5, connect the Left and Right channel outputs of your new player to a suitable line-level input on your preamplifier or integrated amplifier. The connection can be XLR, RCA, or BNC, but balanced XLR is preferred.
- Operating your D1.5 using the CH Control App:
If you wish to use the free, Android compatible CH Control App, use a Cat 6 Ethernet cable to connect the Ethernet Control socket to the system network. The Control App can be downloaded from the D1.5 product page at www.ch- precision.com or from the GooglePlay App store.
Note: The D1.5 is quite heavy and we strongly recommend that it be moved and placed by two people. Also, check that the voltage selector located on the IEC socket at the back of your unit is displaying the voltage in use at your location before proceeding with the setup.
Thank you for choosing the D1.5 SACD/CD, MQA compatible Player/Transport for your audio system. The D1.5, like all the other products designed by CH Precision, is highly versatile. Unlike many, more conventional disc players, in order to achieve the best results from your unit, it is important to read the user manual that contains all the information needed to set up, configure and use your D1.5. The current user manual is stored on the USB stick included in the accessory pack. The latest version of both the manual and the unit Firmware is also available to download at anytime from www.chprecision.com. This guide will help you get started with your D1.5 SACD/CD Player/ Transport. You will need a box cutter and somebody to help with the lifting. The D1.5 is quite heavy and we strongly recommend that it be moved and placed by two people.
Unpacking
Move the D1.5 shipping carton to a suitable, open space and open it (Careful -it’s heavy and you need to keep the packaging for future use)!
It should contain:
- The D1.5 SACD/CD Player/Transport
- The accessory box
- Four CH composite aluminium/polymer spikes (located in the bottom piece of foam)
- Four CH polymer footer discs
- Four small CH, dimpled polymer stacking caps
- One C15 mains power cord
- A suction cup (located in the top piece of foam) and other tools.
- The small, hand-held remote.
- A CH Precision USB stick
If anything is missing or if the unit presents cosmetic damage due to transportation, please contact your dealer immediately
Placing your unit
(remember – it’s heavy!)
- First check that the voltage selector located on the IEC socket at the back of your unit is displaying the voltage in use at your location. If different, do not continue with this procedure and contact your dealer for assistance.
- If using the integral ground/support spikes:
- Remove the unit’s four Top Covers using the provided suction cup.
- Insert the CH Spikes into the wells and start them in the threads in the base, ensuring you don’t insert them too far, so that the spikes show and might damage the supporting surface.
- Place the D1.5 SACD/CD Player/Transport in its final position, ensuring there is sufficient airflow around, above and below it. If installing the CH Spikes, locate the four footer discs beneath the unit’s feet (You can use an AirWedge or similar lifting bladder to help with this). Now, using the short screwdriver provided, wind the spikes down until they lift the unit clear of the support discs. Ensure that all four spikes are in even contact/show equal resistance when turned and that the unit is precisely level. Replace the top caps.
- If you are stacking CH units you need to replace the top-caps with the small, dimpled stacking caps provided in the accessory pack. The spikes of the upper unit should be retracted when placing that unit and should locate directly into the dimples in the caps when extended. Level the upper unit as described above.
- If your unit is cold due to transportation, let it warm up to room temperature before powering it up.
Power connections
- Before attempting any electrical connections, set the power switch at the back of the power supply unit to OFF (the 0 on the switch should be depressed).
- Connect the unit to the mains grid using the provided power cord or an audiophile equivalent if preferred.
- Always connect the power cord before connecting any signal cables.
- If using the D1.5 with CH Precision X1 External Power supply, refer to the X1 instructions regarding connection, before proceeding any further.
Audio connections
Never attempt to make or modify audio connections with your D1.5 SACD/CD Player/Transport powered on. The unit’s back panel switch must be in the OFF position while making audio connections. The mains power cords should be plugged into the wall socket so that the unit is grounded.
Consult the included unit topology diagram before starting
Using the D1.5 as a disc transport
- If pairing the D1.5 with a CH component equipped with a CH LINK HD input, connect the proprietary CH Link HD cable between the units.
- You can connect the standard digital outputs to both CH and non-CH Precision DACs. The D1.5 is equipped with an AES/EBU balanced 110 Ohm, an RCA S/PDIF 75 Ohm and a TosLink optical output. You can use multiple outputs simultaneously.
- The USB socket on the D1.5’s rear panel is NOT a digital in or output. It is used to update the unit’s firmware when necessary.
- Always ensure that you use properly specified digital interconnects. Standard analog balanced or single-ended audio interconnects will not match the digital impedance standards and can seriously degrade performance.
Using the D1.5 as a CD/SACD player
- If you have chosen to include the analog output option on your D1.5, connect the Left and Right channel outputs of your new player to a suitable line-level input on your preamplifier or integrated amplifier. The connection can be XLR, RCA or BNC, but balanced XLR is preferred.
- Try to keep signal cables away from AC power cords. If they must cross, try to space them and cross at right angles.
Operating your D1.5 using the CH Control App
- If you wish to use the free, Android compatible CH Control App (and we strongly recommend that you do, as this allows direct remote access to the D1.5 SACD/CD Player/Transport’s full functionality) use a Cat 6 Ethernet cable to connect the Ethernet Control socket to the system network. The Control App can be downloaded from the D1.5 product page at www.ch-precision.com or from the GooglePlay App store. Clock priorities and connection
- When using the D1.5 with a DAC or other digital component with a clock output (such as the CH Precision C1, I1 or T1), you can select which device is the system’s clock master (using the Clock
Source menu in each unit).
- Clock connections should be made using 75 Ohm BNC cables.
- Please see the attached system topology diagrams for details of optimum clock connections and menu settings.
Switch on
Once you have made all of the power, audio, clock and network connections, you
can turn on your D1.5. Turn on the rear panel power switch (the I on the
switch should be depressed). The frontpanel LED in the CH logo will
illuminate.
Now, press the D1.5’s central control knob once. The power LED will start to
flash and the main display will indicate that the unit is initializing. Once
fully powered, the display will switch to show the unit status. You are now
ready to operate/configure your D1.5.
Configuring the outputs and display
The D1.5 allows you to configure several aspects of its operation and display.
- Users can select which layer of a hybrid SACD/CD is played.
- Whether CD data is up-sampled internally (MQA to MQB and Red-book CD to 24/88.2, using the sophisticated PEtER spline algorithm) or not.
- SACD output on S/PDIF (DoP, 24/176.4, 24/88.2 or 24/44.1).
- Unused digital outputs can be turned off.
- User can select display color (to reflect the format of the disc being played)
The available options are listed in the main manual. You can set or adjust the parameters using either the CH Control App or the dual-concentric control, however integrating the D1.5 into the system network/Control App may require you to set the correct network settings by using the dual-concentric control and the instructions in the main manual (p19, Section 3.3.5).
Advanced settings
There are a number of advanced/global settings and connections that can be applied to your D1.5. These include:
- The ground jumper/sockets located on the back of the unit.
- Choice of default display settings and power LED status.
- Firmware updates.
- Network remote control of any CH Precision component.
Please see the full manual for information on these important options
From Standby –
Push Central knob to switch on.
In Operational Mode –
Turn outer ring to select a track
Turn center knob to open, close, play, pause and stop.
Push the center knob to navigate through the shortcuts (fast forward / rewind,
phase polarity…). Then turn knob to alter selected function or to enter menu
(Detailled Setup screen)
In Detailed Setup Mode –
Turn center knob to navigate up/down.
Push center knob to select.
Push center knob to save.
Turn outer ring anti-clockwise to exit.
In all modes –
Push center knob and keep pressed to power D1.5 down to standby.
CH PRECISION SÀRL
Z.I. LE TRÉSI 6D • 1028 PRÉVERENGES • SWITZERLAND
+41 (0)21 701 9040 • info@ch-precision.com
www.ch-precision.com