2009-07-20 16:03:56
Almost every piece of hi-fi equipment you buy will be supplied with an interconnect, allowing you to connect the product to the rest of your system. Why then, should you need to spend extra money on another interconnect to do exactly the same thing?
Generally, the free interconnects supplied with your equipment are made as cheaply as possible. The conductors and insulation are made from poor quality materials and the plugs are very basic. The effect these cables can have on the sound of your music is enormous. Apart from losing a lot of detail and dynamic information, they can also affect the tone. All of this will reduce your listening pleasure.
Music is extremely complex. Something as simple as an acoustic guitar has a wealth of harmonic information and dynamic detail. This information is vital for the realistic performance of the music. Poor quality interconnects (or speaker cables) destroy this information.
Properly designed interconnects and speaker cabling will make an enormous amount of difference to the sound of your system, allowing you to really hear and enjoy your music. Musical instruments become clearer and easier to distinguish and it becomes simpler to hear and understand the words and emotion of a singer. Most importantly, you are much more likely to get completely involved and immersed in the performance of a piece of music.
Without a doubt, the best way to judge if a pair of interconnects or a set of speaker cables is going to improve the performance of your system is by listening to it. Pick a couple of pieces of music you know well and play them with your existing cables in place. Then change the cables and play the same pieces of music again. The simplest (and most important) question to ask yourself is "Am I enjoying the music more?" Most cables will change the sound but a change is not always the same as an improvement. All the extra detail in the world counts for nothing if the music you play becomes lifeless, sterile and hard to listen to. Take some time to make your mind up. Cables that sound bright, exciting and full of detail from the word go can sometimes become fatiguing and hard to listen to over longer periods. There is no art or magic involved in listening to cables; everyone can hear the differences. Don’t listen too hard. Relax. Be concerned about the music, not the hi-fi. Cables will affect the way your system responds to the dynamic information present on a recording. Dynamics are crucial to any piece of music, be it a simple recording of a guitar or an orchestra in full and glorious flight. Cables will also have an effect on the tonality of instruments. Musical instruments hav a rich, harmonic content and with the right cable, the full tone becomes apparent and easy to hear, be it piano, trumpet, violin or the human voice. When you have all this information in place it becomes easy to hear and pick out individual instruments from complex musical arrangements. Sit back, relax and just immerse yourself in the whole performance. Cables will also affect the way the music appears between your speakers (the stereo image). You will be able to hear where separate instruments and voices are placed in the sound field and they will take on a more tangible and realistic quality. Speaker cables and interconnects that suit your system have a profound effect on the way that the music is presented. This is crucial to the overall enjoyment and pleasure you get from your system. Fit the right cables and your music becomes vital, entertaining, engrossing and above all, enjoyable. How your Specialist Retailer can help you Specialist Audio and Home Cinema retailers have a vast amount of knowledge, gained by listening to, and matching systems and cables. They will be able to offer advice about which particular cables to try with your set up. In most cases, they will be happy to let you take interconnects and speaker cables home so that you can listen to them properly in your own system. Many retailers carry demonstration cables specifically for this purpose. A visit to your nearest Chord retailer could transform your hi-fi or home cinema system. If you don’t have a specialist retailer near to you, don’t worry. Contact the Chord Cable Doctor for advice. Email: cabledoctor@chord.co.ukWhich cable should I use?
What should I listen for?
One of the biggest challenges for a cable designer is the need to produce a range of cables that will help to maximise the performance of the components they are connected to. Entry level and high-end systems both need cables to connect them, but the level of performance they require from that cable can vary wildly. Chord produce a range of interconnects and speaker cables that have a well deserved reputation for offering both high value and high performance. We are justifiably proud of the Chord Crimson; it is an excellent introduction to the world of quality interconnects. The Chord Indigo Plus however will justify its extra expense by producing a truly outstanding performance to the system it is fitted to.
Chord’s speaker cables have been designed in conjunction with their range of interconnects and using carefully matched interconnects and speaker cables will produce a significant performance boost to your system.
Using the right cables in your system will allow you to hear all sorts of information that you hadn’t heard before. Previously unheard rhythms, backing vocals you hadn’t noticed or the individual instruments within a string section. A properly designed cable used as part of your system will allow music to become truly engrossing, exciting and involving.