Gold-plated hi-fi, Sir? No problem
For the ultimate in bling, how about wrapping your beloved electronics in gold plate?
Chord Electronics will duly oblige, offering its new Chordette MX Series in a choice of extreme high-quality finishes, including highly polished gold plate or a fine-beaded aluminium finish (silver). You can also have black.
The four-strong MX-Series features a new ‘squared-off’ design to the casework, and a new Chordette logo. The full range comprises: the IX streamer; the SX amplifier; the QX 192kHz DSD DAC; and the TX headphone amp.
Each unit costs £990 in plain old black, but you’ll pay £2490 for the gold finish.
The products can be used on their own, or integrated as a full system using Chord's recently launched Coupé Carry rack system.
Under the lid, the SX is a Class AB, vertical MOSFET amp which can be used in stereo or mono mode (when bridged). Based on the Chordette Scamp amp, with additional RCA inputs in place of the 48kHz USB input, it will allow other MX units to play directly into the apt-X Bluetooth, 35W-per-channel amp.
The QX DAC (digital-to-analogue converter) is based on Chord's Award-winning QuteHD and can play DSD (Direct Stream Digital) and 192kHz files over USB. The field programmable gate array (FPGA) device can also accept the digital BNC input from the IX.
As for the IX itself, which is based on the Index network music player, the streamer and internet radio device can access music stored on a networked computer, NAS (network attached storage device) or USB stick, with control via a smartphone or tablet.
And finally, the TX headphone amp has both balanced and RCA inputs, and a USB input for music replay from computers through the unit's high-quality DAC. There are dual headphone sockets, so two people can listen simultaneously.
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Comments
The standard finish for these units is black, just like the Chordette models I think where black and silver are the base colours. Gold is a just a special finish option for those that want it, same as with the silver finish option. The Chord website shows the black models looking pretty sexy: http://www.chordelectronics.co.uk/news-info.asp?id=88
So you havent heard of Bang and Olufsen then? A former B&O marketing manager told me that if you take something "worth" £500 but tell people it retails at 5 grand then people with high disposable income will think it must be really special and just buy it.
senseless taste, and quite ugly imo ....
This is in such poor taste it is almost unbelievable. What crass fool would waste money on this inane junk. Have their marketing department gone insane?
The whole concept of making something solely to be as expensive as possible is offensive and lacks perspective or understanding.
I've only gone and wrapped a KitKat foil around my Aiaw personal cassette player and it looks wikid "Ravin it."
Definitely not to my taste, but at last year's Bristol show I was talking to the importer of NuForce who said they make a gold plated version of their portable USB DAC, especially for the Russian market (Mafia/Oligarchs?) who then buy the optional suedette pouch to keep it in and cover up the gold from lustful eyes. Nowt so EDITED as hi-fi folk it seems.
LOVE it! Nice one Chord
can't wait to see it/hear it in the stores
I agree with Clare. And I really like having a choice: the story mentions the units are also available in black and silver, so you're free to choose. Don't forget the planet is a big place and many cultures around the world, especially in Asia, value gold highly and give it as gifts for births, marriage and celebrations etc. I'm sure Chord is available around the world and not just the UK!
I don't see it as a stunt in a global market with many different tastes and budgets available. I know companies of all kinds making bespoke finishes for certain customers; don't see why hi-fi should be any different (especially if it is to compete with other premium goods).
[I'm not anything to do with Chord, by the way]
I was thinking "tasteless cretin" but "drug baron " is also good
It's going to be difficult taking them seriously as high tech audio specialists after a stunt like this.
Is this range destined for the 'drug baron' sector of the market?