Chord Music and Sarum T Hybrid

Hi Bryce, I can speak directly to this.  

Yes, you can absolute mix Chord Music and Sarum cables in a system.  Definitely start with your source cable as it will have the biggest impact on the sound.  Chord Music is very different sounding compared to Sarum. It uses a unique cable sourced from military radar systems (hence why it's so expensive).  I'm currently using the DIN5 IC and DIN-XLR cables in my system.  The sound is magical. 

I continue to use Sarum Tuned Array DIN4-5 and Ethernet cables in my system without detriment.  

Chris Bell posted:

Hi Bryce, I can speak directly to this.  

Yes, you can absolute mix Chord Music and Sarum cables in a system.  Definitely start with your source cable as it will have the biggest impact on the sound.  Chord Music is very different sounding compared to Sarum. It uses a unique cable sourced from military radar systems (hence why it's so expensive).  I'm currently using the DIN5 IC and DIN-XLR cables in my system.  The sound is magical. 

I continue to use Sarum Tuned Array DIN4-5 and Ethernet cables in my system without detriment.  

 

As I understand it Sarum t is much closer to Music than previous Sarum versions, because the special military grade insulation materieal is used in Sarum T as the first caother than the Music series cables. Of course there must be diffrences meaning compromizes in the Sarum T cable compared to Music.

Claus 

Chris Bell posted:

Hi Bryce, I can speak directly to this.  

Yes, you can absolute mix Chord Music and Sarum cables in a system.  Definitely start with your source cable as it will have the biggest impact on the sound.  Chord Music is very different sounding compared to Sarum. It uses a unique cable sourced from military radar systems (hence why it's so expensive).  I'm currently using the DIN5 IC and DIN-XLR cables in my system.  The sound is magical. 

I continue to use Sarum Tuned Array DIN4-5 and Ethernet cables in my system without detriment.  

 

 

Thanks Chris.  Well I knew you can mix them; you can (as you know) also throw in SL speaker cable to the mix.  My question is whether those who swear by a full loom would regard a mixture of Music and Sarum T as less of an issue.  And when you say Music and Sarum sound very different are you referring to only Sarum TA or Sarum T (which shares the Music's Taylon insulation) as well?

Edit - I think Claus has partly answered my questions.

I’m using a mixture, too and can vouch for their compatibility and yes, you could use SL speakers cables but - in this context - it would do no one any favours...

To clarify, I’m using Super Aray power cables throughout and Music everywhere else with the exception of the streaming cable from Melco to switch (Melco to KDS is Music), which is Sarum T, as is a Din cable.

Chris Bell posted:

It uses a unique cable sourced from military radar systems

What?
Why does it so expensive?

BP.

Dave J posted:

I’m using a mixture, too and can vouch for their compatibility and yes, you could use SL speakers cables but - in this context - it would do no one any favours...

To clarify, I’m using Super Aray power cables throughout and Music everywhere else with the exception of the streaming cable from Melco to switch (Melco to KDS is Music), which is Sarum T, as is a Din cable.

 

 I think you have missed a trick or 2 there Dave.

Using these expensive cables with only a KDS?

The Chord Dave is a far superior machine and doesn't need a full Chordmusic loom to shine !

BPhotographer posted:

Chris Bell posted:

It uses a unique cable sourced from military radar systems

What?
Why does it so expensive?

BP.

Exactly, sounds like marketing mumbo jumbo... ruggedised microwave cable with EMI shielding jackets sure don’t cost pennies, but not gold dust either.. and are specifically designed to work at microwave frequencies rather than audio frequencies ... quite different physics at play as far as cables are concerned

what is interesting is when Sarum T is compared to ChordMusic.

One of my close friends did hear Chordmusic compared to Sarum Super Array and was very impressed, it was a day and night difference, so I'm not saying it isn't a good cable at all.

ChordMusic is apparently still considerably better than Sarum T - even though both got the Taylon insulation

So it isn't just the Taylon then?

The mechanical aspects of Chordmusic cables are better than Sarum T it seems.

Anyway I read somewhere, that Nigel Finn has no explanation why being phase correct at very high frequencies should make a difference at audio 20 to 20000 HZ frequencies.

here is the exact working, from the ear website, a quick search will find it.

"Apart from dielectric he only other difference between these two is a metallic external braid atop the two layers of shielding found with Sarum SA, this was introduced because ChordMusic has proved to be more transparent to noise and audibly benefits from this extra layer according to Finn (below). The Taylon dielectric is made by an American military supplier and is sold to Chord on the basis that they don’t use it to make weapons or the like. The only technical reason given for its superiority is that PTFE, which is generally considered the best dielectric available, is not structurally stable with variations in temperature. Chord started looking at very high frequency performance in the late nineties when they discovered the benefits of shielding and these investigations eventually led to the ARAY cables of recent years. It’s Finn’s opinion that Taylon’s characteristics at very high frequencies is what makes ChordMusic so remarkable but he has yet to find an explanation as to precisely why this should matter at audio frequencies."

By the way, I find it interesting that  some kind of similar metallic braid/shielding seems to be used on all Vertere and Superlumina cables 

analogmusic posted:

Dave J posted:

I’m using a mixture, too and can vouch for their compatibility and yes, you could use SL speakers cables but - in this context - it would do no one any favours...

To clarify, I’m using Super Aray power cables throughout and Music everywhere else with the exception of the streaming cable from Melco to switch (Melco to KDS is Music), which is Sarum T, as is a Din cable.

 

 I think you have missed a trick or 2 there Dave.

Using these expensive cables with only a KDS?

The Chord Dave is a far superior machine and doesn't need a full Chordmusic loom to shine !

Dream on ????

Seriously, if you haven’t heard a Katalyst KDS, you really ought to. I’m very familiar with Dave and it’s great but not quite on a par.

each machine sounds different according to the cables it is used with, as you very well know by now.

I use my Dave with Vertere cables 

I have been told that apparently some people who heard 

Kds 1 to Kds Katalyst - "nice upgrade"

Sarum Super Aray  to Chord MUSIC : Holy BATMAN, day and night difference.

Third hand opinions are generally pretty pointless. Best to listen and form your own.

I’m sure the Music cables sound great, but they are hardly discreet. At least the SL is a boring brown, and much less visually intrusive. 

Er...it’s not a problem.

But Chord epic reference looks better than ChordMusic speaker cable

You won't care what it looks like, it's a remarkable cable.  I've used Sarum Tuned Array for several years and have demo'd all of the various incarnations... I thought Music was going to be a minor upgrade, it's in a whole different league.  

Hungryhalibut posted:

I’m sure the Music cables sound great, but they are hardly discreet. At least the SL is a boring brown, and much less visually intrusive. 

So now we're basing cable choices not only on the color they impart to music replay but also on the physical color of their casings? Cable management has taken on a new facet. Time for me to give up the game when I become concerned about looking behind my rack and evaluating it for cable color coordination .

joerand posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

I’m sure the Music cables sound great, but they are hardly discreet. At least the SL is a boring brown, and much less visually intrusive. 

So now we're basing cable choices not only on the color they impart to music replay but also on the physical color of their casings? Cable management has taken on a new facet. Time for me to give up the game when I become concerned about looking behind my rack and evaluating it for cable color coordination .

Some racks don't really hide the cables behind them, and dressing them so that they don't touch each other or the rack can mean that it looks like someone has dropped a bowl of spaghetti. To my eyes, this really jars against the straight lines of a rack full of boxes. Then there are speaker cables. When I saw a demo using Chord Music speaker cables, it looked like someone had run a load of white garden hoses through the room.

I'm in denial that this cable exists....

let's see how long the denial will last  

I do agree with Chris Bell, in my experience, interconnects   make the most difference on the source to preamp cable.

Hungryhalibut posted:

I’m sure the Music cables sound great, but they are hardly discreet. At least the SL is a boring brown, and much less visually intrusive. 

I actually prefer the look of white cable to the grey Sarum T - but the look and the colour is of course not as important the improved sound quality 

joerand posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

I’m sure the Music cables sound great, but they are hardly discreet. At least the SL is a boring brown, and much less visually intrusive. 

So now we're basing cable choices not only on the color they impart to music replay but also on the physical color of their casings? Cable management has taken on a new facet. Time for me to give up the game when I become concerned about looking behind my rack and evaluating it for cable color coordination .

I was really thinking about them crossing the floor to the speakers. It’s certainly not a look I’d want in the sitting room. I want the system to be as unobtrusive as possible. And not to be reminded of pig gut worms. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

joerand posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

I’m sure the Music cables sound great, but they are hardly discreet. At least the SL is a boring brown, and much less visually intrusive. 

So now we're basing cable choices not only on the color they impart to music replay but also on the physical color of their casings? Cable management has taken on a new facet. Time for me to give up the game when I become concerned about looking behind my rack and evaluating it for cable color coordination .

I was really thinking about them crossing the floor to the speakers. It’s certainly not a look I’d want in the sitting room. I want the system to be as unobtrusive as possible. And not to be reminded of pig gut worms. 

The Sarum T speaker cable is quite obtrusive.  I've managed to disguise it to a degree on one channel but not really on the other.

Hungryhalibut posted:

joerand posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

I’m sure the Music cables sound great, but they are hardly discreet. At least the SL is a boring brown, and much less visually intrusive. 

So now we're basing cable choices not only on the color they impart to music replay but also on the physical color of their casings? Cable management has taken on a new facet. Time for me to give up the game when I become concerned about looking behind my rack and evaluating it for cable color coordination .

I was really thinking about them crossing the floor to the speakers. It’s certainly not a look I’d want in the sitting room. I want the system to be as unobtrusive as possible. And not to be reminded of pig gut worms. 

This is such a weird comment! Cables are cables, they don’t tend to be chosen on their aesthetics, or am I missing something?

In any case, even if this were an issue, surely it depends on your decor? Chord Music in white seems to blend reasonably well with white skirting boards.

Dave J posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

joerand posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

I’m sure the Music cables sound great, but they are hardly discreet. At least the SL is a boring brown, and much less visually intrusive. 

So now we're basing cable choices not only on the color they impart to music replay but also on the physical color of their casings? Cable management has taken on a new facet. Time for me to give up the game when I become concerned about looking behind my rack and evaluating it for cable color coordination .

I was really thinking about them crossing the floor to the speakers. It’s certainly not a look I’d want in the sitting room. I want the system to be as unobtrusive as possible. And not to be reminded of pig gut worms. 

This is such a weird comment! Cables are cables, they don’t tend to be chosen on their aesthetics, or am I missing something?

In any case, even if this were an issue, surely it depends on your decor? Chord Music in white seems to blend reasonably well with white skirting boards.

If they were just ordinary white cables, I might have agreed with you, but these things are really big, fat things that are impossible to ignore. Tucking them neatly against the skirting isn’t going to make them blend in or disappear. 

Actually, they’re not. But, hey, if that’s how you judge things then fair enough...

When it comes to speaker cables SL is very very compelling 

and despite what chord fans think the SL speaker cables are extremely good