Cable Review

Signature Reference Speaker Cables From Chord

Looking for a high-end speaker cable upgrade? Paul Rigby tries the Chord Signature Reference 

Often hi-fi ancillary attention can be focused in and around the boxes, the amplifiers, the CD players and the turntables with even enlightened hi-fi users sometimes relegating the speakers to add-on necessities in terms of quality cabling. Yet the speaker cables are an essential and necessary ingredient. Suffice to say, get this bit right, you’ll certainly notice and your music will thank you for it.

Signature Reference Speaker Cables From Chord

Chord’s Signature speaker cables have actually been around for some time. In fact, they’ve been selling nicely for around ten years and it was only when Chord took a second look at the model and realised that it could upgrade them that the Signatures were hauled back into the workshop for a wash and a brush up.

Signature Reference Speaker Cables From Chord

Well, actually, it’s a bit more than that because Chord has added more “efficient” shielding, silver-plated conductors and PTFE insulation. You’ll notice from the accompanying images that the cables are also twisted to improve sound quality while that shielding features high density foil and 95% coverage of a metallic braid. The thrust of these upgrades was (hopefully) to produce a neutral tone. So I’ll be looking out for that during the sound tests. Standard colours are red and black or all black, but if there’s a particular colour you really want, please ask and I’m sure the company will be able to sort you out.

SOUND QUALITY

I began with a slice of David Bowie and his Low album. Playing the track, Breaking Glass, I was happy to hear that the bass had an articulate aspect that helped to separate it from the drums. Both occupied the stereo image section of the soundstage which meant that there was plenty of opportunity for confusion and for both instruments to become confused with each other, promoting smearing in the mids and bloom in the bass. That never happened with the Signature Reference, though. Not only were both kept apart but the bass guitar was focused enough to provide a rhythm that was easily followed by the ear. At no time did the bass guitar go AWOL and at no time did the processed, gated drum sound lose control.

Signature Reference Speaker Cables From Chord

Further, I was impressed by the dynamic performance of the Signature Reference cables during Don Cornell and Heart of my Heart from the original Great Hits Dot release. The bass was appreciably low and rumbling while the upper mids and treble were fragile and delicately detailed. To illustrate that, I noticed that the cymbals and piano offered enough precision to offer the ear quite intricate work. Via average cables, this complex business blurs into a single noise. The Chords managed to dig into the recording to provide all of the necessary information. 

CONCLUSION

High-end cable design asks a lot of the designers partly because the price places expectations upon the same. Chord has nothing to fear here because this set of cables provides a splendid array of sonic highlights that provides enough transparency and, yes, neutrality to enhance music detail.  


CHORD SIGNATURE REFERENCE SPEAKER CABLES

Price: £1,350 (for 3m, other lengths are available)

Tel: 01980 625700

Website: www.chord.co.uk


GOOD: dynamic reach, instrumental separation, clarity

BAD: nothing

RATING: 8


[Don’t forget to check out my Facebook Group, The Audiophile Man: Hi-Fi & Music here: www.facebook.com/groups/theaudiophileman for exclusive postings, exclusive editorial and more!]

REFERENCE

Origin Live Sovereign turntable

Origin Live Enterprise 12″ arm

Van Den Hul Crimson XGW Stradivarius Cartridge

Icon PS3 phono amplifier

Aesthetix Calypso pre-amp

Icon Audio MB845 Mk.II monoblock amplifiers

Quad ESL-57 speakers with One Thing upgrade

Tellurium Q Silver Diamond cables

Gekko Purple Haze cables

Blue Horizon Professional Rack System

Harmonic Resolution Systems Noise Reduction Components

CAD GC1 Ground Controls

All vinyl was cleaned using an Audio Desk’s Ultrasonic Pro Vinyl Cleaner

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8 Comments

  • Reply
    Mr Paul Clough
    28th March 2019 at 8:51 am

    Would you say the signiture new upgraded speaker cable is about the best out there at the moment,? I use it myself and love it l have the Roksan caspion cd player snd amp along with PMC floorstanders and love them everything sings lovely natural sound and everything just sounds fantastic, lm happy with my setup but just like to know other opinions such as yourself is the top end opinion for me l love your reviews and your honesty when you review, many thax for that Paul l really value your reviews .
    Also in your opinion would you say vinyl is better sounding than cd l love the sound of cd l must say but often think should l get a deck what would you say stick with the cd or go for vinyl? Thank you for your thime and help and hope to hear soon, enjoy your day Paul.
    Regards
    Paul
    Ps great name Paul must say lol 😀

    • Reply
      Paul Rigby
      28th March 2019 at 2:48 pm

      That particular model of Chord cable is certainly one of the best around, I’m not surprised that they fit in well with your other components.

      As for vinyl vs CD? Ahhh, the old argument 🙂 The bottom line on this one is that I can be amazed by vinyl in a way that I have never been by CD. Vinyl can wow me, CD doesn’t do that to me.

      That said, there are many caveats to that statement and I do own thousands of CD discs. You can hear plenty of bad vinyl because of the quality of the recording, the master, the pressing, etc on the software side and the quality of the hi-fi too.

      On the other side, labels are also too ready to apply heavy compression to CD music in a way they might not to vinyl releases.

      Intrinsically, CD has not been around as long as vinyl, has not had as much time as the sole and principle consumer format as vinyl and so techie developments have not been as forthcoming and CD has not had as much core development money thrown at it as vinyl.

      CD had a bad introductory marketing campaign at its launch which claimed “perfection” which did the format no favours so it has dragged a bad taste around with it for years.

      Yet CD has been improving for many years. I know Abbey Road’s ADCs have been steadily improved over the years producing some superb recent CD releases, for example.

      I see a real future for CD. One that will probably open up properly when the format is officially declared as “dead” and the big labels ignore it completely. Then the people who care about it will set to work on it.

  • Reply
    Neil
    30th April 2020 at 7:21 pm

    Dear Paul,
    Enjoy reading your genuine reviews on hifi.
    I’ve now put a new Chord signature aray mains cable onto my cd player which also has a chord signature interconnect on.
    Can you advise me should I keep my chord superscreen blue mains cable on the amp or should I put my Russ Andrews Purple Power Max with kimber cable on instead.?
    Next upgrade I think may be to buy a Project Phono stage was thinking of the Project ultra 500 special edition – is this going to improve my system & is it a good phono?
    I’m running a Project RPM 5 with Ortfon 2M Black cartridge.
    also hope to fit signature speaker cable at a later stage but running on rumours 2 at mo.
    Thanks alot,
    Regards
    Neil

  • Reply
    Mr quarmby
    1st May 2020 at 1:23 pm

    Thanks alot Paul.
    The Moon looks a cracking phono stage.
    Much appreciated.
    I just need to find a moon stockist in West yorkshire now.
    Take care,

    • Reply
      Paul Rigby
      1st May 2020 at 3:23 pm

      Not a problem, good luck with your search,

  • Reply
    Mas
    4th December 2020 at 3:38 pm

    Dear Paul, nice cables apparently. I actually have a Kimber 4TC which connect a McIntosh 6900 to a pair of Martin Logan Vantage. They sound nice. I’m just wondering if I could make a step up changing the power cables…. this “seems” interesting but I’m wondering IF I can appreciate a sound difference … to which Kimber model this Khord can refer to?? 8TC or…? Any other option to consider? Thanks in advance!

    • Reply
      Paul Rigby
      5th December 2020 at 2:02 pm

      Yes, good idea and well, *I* can certainly hear differences in power cables. SO I would always recommend investigating them, at the very least. In terms of what to choose? What’s your budget, Mas?

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