Chord Super Aray RCA/RCA digital cable upgrade from DC1

As you appear to like high end cables in your system you might find an even bigger improvement with SuperLumina speaker cables. The Super Aray cables are excellent, I use the SA Din-XLR between the 552 and 500, but the speaker cables, when run in, are excellent VFM (relative) if you don't need excessive lengths.

I've yet to compare them with SLs but if you were to consider replacing your NACA5 then you should also try Sarum, particularly as you've got a couple of Sarum cables in the system already. My findings match yours entirely, btw.

Like Steve I use Super ARAY Din-XLRs and have compared them with SL versions (using 552/500 and 552/300).  While the SLs were undoubtedly much better than the standard cables they didn't come close to the Super ARAYs. In fact another forum member who had been auditioning the SLs for a week or so and really liked them (and had been about to place his order) was present at this comparison and ended up ordering a set of Sarums the next day.

Thanks for the tips, gentlemen.  I was thinking of going to the SL or SA speaker cables in the future, as budget allows.  I was in the retail and wholesale hifi industry for many years and listened to after market cables that, by the Norse gods, seemed to follow no path to real improvement, capitalising on small differences in sound rather than improving connection to artistic expression.   I am so happy that I discovered Chord and will likely never own electronics other than Naim (my choice of components is limited by space available, and, of course, budget).  As a retired guy, I am blessed to be able to listen for at least a couple hours per day.

The trouble with Chord is they change their cables quicker than many people change their underpants. Today's super aray at some crazy price is tomorrow's recycling as it's replaced by Music or whatever next week's version is called. 

I've bought SL cables for my little system and they are simply transformational. Chord megamusicsuperspiffingtunedaray might be better but my cables will be worth something in five years' time. 

Yes - it's clearly terrible that Chord improved their Sarum Tuned ARAY and offer upgrades to existing users at comparatively reasonable prices

Being a Chord Sarum user, actually  2 of my cables are upgraded to the latest Sarum, I see no difference here, than in Naim selling upgrades to the electronics. Nobody here seems to think that is a bad idea, so it is a little strange that it suddenly is a bad Idea when Chord does the same.

I had hoped that someone on the forum would be able to compare sarum and the new Naim cables, but that has not happened yet.

I have a Sarum super ready to replace the Sarum I use between Ndac and 252, so I will be able to say something about  what that upgrade is worth.

Claus  

that's a funny one! accusing Chord they offer upgrade to same product so often...

Naim does this for 40 years, and nobody complained! chord makes decent quality cables, the trouble is with their very expensive ranges, not convincing enough to me...

don't get me wrong, i still use a Chord power chord on my 172, and digital coax and optical from my bluray and media player to 172, and i used most of Chord's lineup in interconnects, and a few types of their speaker cables throughout my life... and the reason i did was that many of them seem to color in a smaller degree the sound carried... while many other cable manufacturers do offer better performances in some ways, but tend to alter the signal tonally...

that being said, i see that Chord seems actually more eager to develop a rather faster range of their high-end and high-priced products, than the entry-levels or the midranges...

but hey, the upgrade policy - must have been taken a "wind" from Naim, as i know they are also based in Salisbury, if i'm correct...