5 out of 5
The Chord Company are a British manufacturer of high quality cables and interconnects, designed and engineered specifically for music enthusiasts by music enthusiasts. Chord build award-winning cables for hifi stereo systems, home theatre applications, high definition televisions/gaming, music streamers and for custom installation environments.
Cameron and myself were recently invited down to the Chord factory in Salisbury, allowing us to put some faces to the names and voices we’ve befriended over telephone and email conversations, and also to get a real feel for the level of effort and care that Chord put into the design and construction of their award-winning cables.
When you think of the word ‘factory’, images of heavy machinery, high-vis jackets and grey walls tend to spring to mind - but the Chord environment is the complete opposite. Large windows span the front of the building from one end to the other, vast amounts of natural light make for a really uplifting work-space. Lots of film and music memorabilia adorn the walls throughout the factory, and there’s music playing in every room, while staff are comfortable, upbeat and really friendly.
Chatting to Chord employees, it’s easy to see how the Chord ethos is so perfectly represented by their cables. The entire Chord family are avid music enthusiasts, proud of their commitment to ensuring the best possible audio performance from each of their cable designs at each price point.
After a tour of the factory with Alan, the managing director, we were left in the very capable hands of Mike, the head technician. Following some extensive training, we were chopping and terminating some loudspeaker cable and beginning to really understand the level of perfection that Chord put into their product. No compromises, no shortcuts, no exceptions - anything with a ‘Chord Company’ label is done to a perfect standard.
After a spot of lunch and a good chat with Nigel, the cable master himself, Alan directed us to the demonstration room. From here, he began to demonstrate a range of Chord Company interconnects and loudspeaker cables, allowing us to pick out the differences and learn more about what makes them work the way they do. Starting at the first rendition of Crimson developed 15 years ago, through each of its revisions to its current day version, and even a listen to the company’s state-of-the-art flagship/statement piece, the ChordMusic.
After a few cups of coffee and a great afternoon of listening, we left the factory with a deeper appreciation for just how important cables are in a system, as well as getting to experience firsthand exactly just how passionate Chord are about music. The experience was invaluable and we’d like to thank everybody at Chord for a productive and seriously enjoyable day.
