Chord cables - where to start?

I’d also look at other loudspeakers such as Titans

:astonished:And how on earth did you validate that? Same music everyday several times for 6 weeks?

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Try Esprit cables. …

Think about power cables too. I listened to Powerline v Epic v Signature X v Sarum v Music and thought Signature X was the sweet spot for price/performance balance. Maybe Music for main source if it’s top-notch!

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Using back for now all Naim cables (SL) and powerlines, with a Chord M6 and Sarum T power cable from M6 to the wall.

Very nice, and it’s getting better as both the block and power cable break in. It’s been about 3 weeks and i do not regret the Wireworld matrix 2 and powerline that were replaced.

I’m quite baffled by how the soundstage has expanded and separation improved, overall a more precise better 3D image, plus more details.

I’m now waiting for the Music power cable to assess what more it brings vs the Sarum T (for twice the cost though :frowning: ).

I haven’t tried a 2nd PS for the ND555 but this is the kind of improvement that i would have thought to be justified by adding one box (but i already have 6 boxes…), snd with Sarum T that’s for less outlay.

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Agreed. I assume - possibly naively - that Naim know what they are dong… :neutral_face:

Standard Naim Leads All Round.

Well, ignoring the tiresome but entirely predictable defensive backlash, it sounds like you’ve found the M6/SarumT combination worthwhile. My experience was the same.

I then tried a Music mains cable in place of the SarumT on the M6 and found that was a much bigger step up than expected.

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Well put. Common sense.

I’m a big Naim fan and heavily invested in their equipment. In my opinion their amplifiers and streamers are superb. Their cables are not on that level IMO. I am a fan of their base level cables though (Lavender). A bargain and we could do a lot worse than use them exclusively.

Again in my opinion, the best cables that Chord make are linked to streaming, the mains and power between equipment. Everywhere that noise can have the most negative effect. It’s here where I feel that Chord have an obvious advantage over Naim.

The Chord Interconnects and Speaker cables are also very good but not as obviously superior as the above. It really is an apples and oranges judgment here although I just can’t get on with SL and I’m not alone.

I’d start with the streaming cables first and then look at the mains if I were looking for the first time at Chord.

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@Cohen1263 By Streaming Cables, do you mean the interconnect that connects the streamer to the Pre or integrated?

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No Jay. The Ethernet (Chord prefer to call it a streaming cable) from switch to streamer. I know of at least one well know Naim employee uses a Chord Music one there.

I want to also add that from my experience Chord customer service is second to none.

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@Cohen1263 Thanks. I have a long run to my router. Opposite end of our apartment. Using standard Ethernet. Im new to streaming. Went from an ND5XS2 to NDX2 with XPSDr power supply. I started streaming in October 23.

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Have you considering buying a switch positioned close to your NDX2? That way you could buy and run a 1m or so quality Ethernet cable between the two. Many of us have found that the choice of last short length of cable between switch and streamer can provide a worthy improvement in sound quality. There are several very informative forum threads on the subject.

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@Cohen1263 I have added the NDX2 and power supply. I have also added Focal Utopia into my SN3. I am not in theory opposed to adding a switch, but so much has changed, that I want to wait. FWIW, my dealer’s installer does not feel I will benefit from a switch. The last consideration is outlets. I only have one left and I want to save that in case I go with a dedicated headphone amp.

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Ok good luck and happy listening

Alternative opinion here.
PS - original Chord customer on the other side of the pond back when the Sarum project first began. I was a tester/guinea pig for all of the early iterations of Sarum, Super Sarum, and Music

The most important - source cables.
Ethernet cable? dCS and Linn say to use basic (similar to Blue Jeans) compliant, tested, unshielded CAT6. Since I own both dCS and Linn sources - if it is good enough for them it is good enough for me.

As always you mileage may vary……

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Ive used Chord cables for over 15 years or so.
Started with Chorus Reference and Anthem Reference Interconnects and Signature Reference Speaker Cable.
As my main system was upgraded and I then moved equipment into a second system I bought Shawline, Epic and Signature Interconnects and Epic speaker cables to improve both my main and second systems.
Im very impressed with Chord cables sound quality improving as you go up the ranges and the customer service from the supplying Chord Dealer is excellent.

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Fair enough. It appears that you’ve not tried a Chord Music streaming cable between your switch and ND555. You might be surprised :+1:

Fair enough however perhaps that may be a problem with the ND555 (as he ducks for cover)
I never embraced Naim streamers and moved from my CD555 to a KDS back in 2011, and then to dCS Rossini in 2020… Both manufacturers recommend the use of a simple, compliant CAT as their respective machines are able to combat any noise, real or perceived.

May I also add to my original post in stating the biggest surprise in the Chord Sarum project, based on the first iteration Super Sarum, was the substitution of the SNAIC which powers the digital components/display of my 552. That one made no logical sense however it sounded surprisingly better.

While we are at it, even though I previously owned a pair, I was not particularly impressed with the Sarum XLR cables between the 500PS and 500. Those I remember were not available with the original Sarum, but were introduced with Super Sarum, the predecessor to the Taylon introduction.

Kudos to Chord for their tremendous customer service (been a US based customer since 2003). When I stopped my 25 year love affair with Naim this year, I had Chord re terminate my Music cable for use between my dCS Rossini and DarTZeel preamp. The cable continues to slay all competition.

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I’ve not tried a Music streaming cable on any dCS kit, but I have one on my KDSM. Linn, I think, simply didn’t want to be part of any cable discussion, at least not one in which they didn’t supply the cable. The Music cable on the KDSM is a demonstrably huge upgrade (as were a pair of GroundArays, but that’s another topic….).

I think you’re still using the KDS for headphone duty? If so, you might find it interesting to try one.

PS it’s a shame you didn’t try the cables that can’t be mentioned as I think, if not for the box count, you’d have remained a Naim customer :grin: