Chord Company launches ultra high-end ChordMusic cables

The ChordMusic cables share the same fundamental architecture as the company's now-former-flagship Sarum Super ARAY range, with Chord’s Super ARAY conductor configuration and PTFE plugs. But they use a different kind of insulation material, Taylon, which is exclusive to Chord and has never before been used in an audio cable.

Chord says that Taylon is phase stable at typical room temperatures, and the ‘best performing dielectric’ the company has used.

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Chord says three layers of noise-reduction material run along the cables’ length. The first is designed to reduce mechanical noise, the second to limit the noise-reducing layer. And the third is a metallic external braid that peeps through the white braided outer layer, offering an Edward Cullen-like sparkly speckled finish.

It would be a stretch, even for us, to call any cable ‘sexy’, but they certainly do look expensive. Speaking of which, ladies and gentleman, chequebooks at the ready…

The ChordMusic analogue interconnects are available with a range of terminations, with RCA costing £3800/metre (£1700 per extra metre), XLR priced at £5500/metre (£2500 per extra metre), and DIN coming in at £3500/metre (£1400 per extra metre).

As for digital interconnects, there’s coaxial – terminated with either RCA or BNC (both £3500/metre) – and AES EBU (£3800/metre) configurations.

The range’s speaker cables, which cost £1100/metre terminated, are fitted with silver-plated banana plugs (instead of the usual gold-plated ones) and spade connectors, with a new clamp design (pictured) currently at the prototype stage.

Chord is also planning to add tonerm, power and USB cables to the ChordMusic range. We're guessing they won't be cheap either...

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Becky Roberts

Becky is the managing editor of What Hi-Fi? and, since her recent move to Melbourne, also the editor of Australian Hi-Fi magazine. During her 10 years in the hi-fi industry, she has been fortunate enough to travel the world to report on the biggest and most exciting brands in hi-fi and consumer tech (and has had the jetlag and hangovers to remember them by). In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.