Chord Music in da House

VERY keen to know your thoughts on Music vs Lumina.... apparently the Sarum T and Music do not need that much running in with their unique Taylon insulation

Chris Bell posted:

I'm been loaned a new Chord Music IC to try out.  Initial impressions are very good, a strong competitor for the Naim SL IC.  The Music cable is a big step up from the Sarum T which I thought was nice... maybe too nice.  More thoughts as the cable runs-in.    

Hi Chris, I can bet Jonas influenced your decision to give Chord's Music a spin.

Lovely Home & System, had a cousin in that region, paris or parish island, I think!

Anyhow, keep us informed, I'm a dreamer!

The Forum is therapeutic for me!

We do get your perspective:

I compared a Music and Sarum T mains cable at my dealer on Wednesday.  Also a big step up from an already excellent cable.  Timing in particular felt great leading to much more involvement and enjoyment, foot tapping, head nodding etc

I do believe that Naim does have an advantage, when it comes to Voicing ICs and Cabling, as it relates to Naim!

With that being said, one could easily include Chord into that Camp!

"The Chord Company has been designing and hand-building cables for hi-fi and home cinema in England since 1985.  We know just how important cables are and how the correct interconnect, HDMI, power and speaker cable can transform the experience and pleasure of listening to your favourite pieces of music or watching your favourite movies.

Cables are not and never have been, an accessory. They are a vital part of your system and choosing the right cable is more important {TODAY}, than it ever has been."

=====================================

"The Chord Company was formed in 1984. It all started over dinner one night in Salisbury, when a group of visiting Naim Audio USA retailers asked Naim Audio UK for a good-quality DIN-to-RCA interconnect.  At the table, was one Sally Gibb, then married to a Naim Audio executive, who made the (historic) suggestion that she make the cables and start a business. With the blessing of Naim Audio, the journey to make cables for America began with USA referring to cables as ‘{cords}’, the name The Chord Company, with its obvious musical connotations, seemed perfect and it quickly stuck. Sally drew a logo, designed the packaging and started testing prototypes. Completely British design and construction, although difficult to source at the time, was paramount and days of searching eventually led to suppliers of sufficient quality. {Friends at Naim Audio provided expertise and advice, with many of them helping to build the cables.}

The first prototype was named “Chrysalis Cable” and the Americans swiftly returned with an initial order of 250! Cables were built, tested, packed and taken along to the Post Office.  Invoices were typed on a typewriter! After two steady years, The Chord Company got its first press review (by Malcolm Steward) and then the phone started to ring…""

An interesting relationship between Naim, and Cords!

Allante93!

PS. Who knows, I would like to be well informed, just in case a windfall comes my way!

Naim cables got a different musical aspect to the Chord Tuned Aray ones.

Both are foot tapping, but I found Naim cables are more into the energy and passion of the performance, Chord cables are showing more the emotion and feeling while keeping that foot tapping. But they do sound different. 

Different view of the same thing.

I would bet money that Chris might end up keeping his Superlumina, as he seems to have a liking for that (Naim) kind of musical interpretation.

energy and passion vs emotion and feeling

I'm impressed

analogmusic posted:

VERY keen to know your thoughts on Music vs Lumina.... apparently the Sarum T and Music do not need that much running in with their unique Taylon insulation

In what way is Taylon "unique" ?

its a top secret military spec insulation, and now only Chord got access to it.

It is apparently phase stable at room temperature, which PTFE insultation (used in all other hi-end cables) struggles with.

But this is Chord view of how hi-end cables should sound and should be made.

Naim (and Vertere) got another view on how it should sound and be made. I don't know what Naim use for insulation as they will not disclose it, but Vertere uses PTFE, but get around the phase problems by using multi-core cables of different diameter, very clever thinking.

Touraj (founder of vertere) - says the job of the cable is the transmit the signal with least possible damage, Naim took the same view when they designed the hi-line 10 years or more ago.

Note the connector on music, it is the same DIN they use in all their range.

Superlumina use a complex and expensive Air - plug connector.

and since Naim design and make their amplifiers, they must know how microphonic vibrations affect the musical performance.

Oh and Perol, Naim cables transmit the emotion of the performance just fine, it's a different view of the same musical performance.

A bit like sitting in the front row of a live concert vs a few rows behind.  

When I tested SL vs Chord Super Aray, the Naim cable got the bass full under control, I felt Super Aray was a tiny bit behind. Both extremely good cables.

Perol posted:

energy and passion vs emotion and feeling

I'm impressed

Me too. I wonder what the cables do if the music contains passionate emotions. 

sorry if you boys don't like it, but these cable have different musical interpretations.

Ultimately as Richard Dane has advised if you want the Naim intended sound, just use Naim cables.

Hungryhalibut posted:

Perol posted:

energy and passion vs emotion and feeling

I'm impressed

Me too. I wonder what the cables do if the music contains passionate emotions. 

Simple

One cable will get energy while the other feels it

analogmusic posted:

its a top secret military spec insulation,  

 

Aha, a new North Korea/Kim Jon Un secret perhaps to make their next rocket invisible

analogmusic posted:

 

It is apparently phase stable at room temperature, which PTFE insultation (used in all other hi-end cables) struggles with.

But this is Chord view of how hi-end cables should sound and should be made.

 

"Phase stable"

Amazing insider knowledge

Allante93 posted:

Chris Bell posted:

I'm been loaned a new Chord Music IC to try out.  Initial impressions are very good, a strong competitor for the Naim SL IC.  The Music cable is a big step up from the Sarum T which I thought was nice... maybe too nice.  More thoughts as the cable runs-in.    

 

Hi Chris, I can bet Jonas influenced your decision to give Chord's Music a spin.

Lovely Home & System, had a cousin in that region, paris or parish island, I think!

Anyhow, keep us informed, I'm a dreamer!

The Forum is therapeutic for me!

We do get your perspective:

JONAS OLOFSSONTRADE MEMBER

7/19/16. 5:49 PM

 

 

"I won't bore you all with my findings with cables, doing a big "shot out" 4 years ago, ending up with Chord Sarum. Have tried Super Lumina after that, a side step but not an upgrade to these ears. Tuned Aray become Super Aray, an evolution but not more then that. 

With my 500-Titans-Melco-Sonority system, upgrades now are serious expensive. Of course it's fantastic as it is, but what if you want more performance?

Two 500 instead of one? S1 instead of 552? Full Statement instead of 552-500? Well, cheap it won't be but one alternative could be Chord Music. Having now lived with "full loom" (IC, Xlr-Din, Speaker Cable) I have to say the change from what I thought was "the best" (Chord Sarum) to new best, Chord Music, is bigger then I would have thought."

Enjoy Your Chord Music!

Allante93!

PS. Dreamer, not DACA!

 

Getting slightly off topic but the answer's obvious Allante - SNAXO!

Perol I said "apparently"

Hey calm down. It's only a 3800 gbp per  meter cable.

im looking forward to Chris Bell review !!!!!

Hi Chris, I'm interested in your findings. I might have another Music story to tell but not for now. 

Have fun!

//Jonas 

PS Maybe 808 should be your cup of the also...

Connecting an NDS to my 552 - in May 2015 a Super Lumia replaced a HiLine and stayed for 11 months;  in April 2016 a Sarum Super Array replaced the S/L, and stayed for 6 months;  in October 2016 a Music replaced the Super Array.  The Music has been in place for 11 months so it must be time for a change already

But seriously, each cable change brought additional pleasure to my listening;  my only regret is that SWMBO has confiscated my credit cards thus obviating the possibility of extending the reach of Music (wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to link the 552 and 500 with said Music cables, but for now Super Array has to stay in place between these two)

Good old Super Lumia still has it's place, of course, between an LP12 / Urika and the 552... well there's just no way you're going to get one of those massive Chords into that plinth base and round the corner to the Urika, is there?

The point of my rambling chronology is simply to say that, for me, the Chord idea about what a cable should do seems to be bang on track, and to my ears at least, more pleasing than Naim's solution to the same problem.

Roger

ps - having just re-read the above, I'm transported in my mind back to the years when interconnects were purchased by the yard from Wollworths electrical counter off of the 'bell wire' reel - back in the days when differences in cables (except the amperage rating) were neither considered nor believed.  

Sixpence a yard verses £3,000 a metre... and people say metrication hasn't affected prices ??

Hi Roger, do you think maybe your choice of speaker B&W 802 has something to do with Chord cables sounding better in your system?

B&W have got some bright tweeters, and Chord cable seem to soften and sweeten the sound, maybe that is working out well ?

I am watching with interest as I have Music IC between my 555 and 552.

rjstaines posted:

 

Good old Super Lumia still has it's place, of course, between an LP12 / Urika and the 552... well there's just no way you're going to get one of those massive Chords into that plinth base and round the corner to the Urika, is there?

 

I far preferred the Sarum Super Aray on Urika to 552 to the Super Lumina. I didn't dislike the presentation of the SL but sounding noticeably inferior i don't understand why anyone would buy it for the very similar cost price as Sarum.

The Sarum T simply raises the game even more. The Music cable is just too expensive for my wealth but i admire the commitment from people who do put their money on it. Enjoy! : )

Super Aray, Sarum T, or Music cable can all be fitted through LP12 plinth to Urika no problem, however one may need a 1.2m length  [which Chord are happy to supply]  if your 552 is not close enough to the LP12.

Debs

Chris, I look forward to your reports.  ...and a personal audition!

Charlie

Nice to see that the Music has now lost the DIN locking ring. An upgrade to Music is probably inevitable at some point but I am very happy with my SSA  

analogmusic posted:

Hi Roger, do you think maybe your choice of speaker B&W 802 has something to do with Chord cables sounding better in your system?

B&W have got some bright tweeters, and Chord cable seem to soften and sweeten the sound, maybe that is working out well ?

Well. to be honest, I hadn't considered that my speaker choice would have had a significant bearing on the sound of an interconnect.   The 802's have been in my system for a while (and were preceeded by 803's, so I like what B&W did with this diamond series - not so sure about the new D3's though).  I hadn't seriously considered changing them, so all my cable upgrades/changes have been evaluated with a the same speakers (802D's).

Having said that, I shall be popping along to Acoustica on the 22nd of this month (Sept) to hear what Kudos are offering and then again on 13th Oct to have a listen to what ATC have brought along.  And talking of the Acoustica 'sessions', it'll be interesting to listen to the Naim session on the 23 & 24th of this month - more Focal I have no doubt... I really can't embrace the looks of those Focal monsters, but if I keep my eyes closed, who knows !

Which all begs the question, as you rightly point out analoguemusic, am I auditioning speakers or both the speakers & interconnects?   The need for in-home evaluation has never been more strongly mandated  (luckily those nice guys in Chester are very accomodating when it comes to home based dems of several days if not weeks).

Note to Richard - I know the Acoustica/Naim sessions are already advertised in this forum; if the mention of Kudos & ATC speaker sessions contravenes forum rules, apologies, I know you'll moderate with due diligence  

Chris Dolan posted:

Nice to see that the Music has now lost the DIN locking ring. An upgrade to Music is probably inevitable at some point but I am very happy with my SSA  

Trust me Chris... you don't want to audition the Music unless you have the wonga ready to spend.  It's not quite the same as colour tele verses black & white, but it's a very convincing improvement over the SSA's.

One thing for sure, if one is Auditioning ICs and Naim Components, Chord is no Stranger!

"The Chord Company was formed in 1984. It all started over dinner one night in Salisbury, when a group of visiting Naim Audio USA retailers asked Naim Audio UK for a good-quality DIN-to-RCA interconnect.  At the table, was one Sally Gibb, then married to a Naim Audio executive, who made the (historic) suggestion that she make the cables and start a business. With the blessing of Naim Audio, the journey to make cables for America began with USA referring to cables as ‘{cords}’, "

Allante93!