Trickle-down tech from Chord’s flagship Sarum has birthed a ‘Reference’ version of its shielded Signature speaker cable.

Hand built to order, Chord’s latest Signature speaker cable looks like the original but features improved conductors and dielectrics and is a mite more flexible too!

Thick, low-resistance cables typically retain the impact of the lustiest amplifiers and Chord’s Signature Reference is no exception. The fruity kick-drum/bass line of Donald Fagen’s Morph The Cat [96kHz/24- bit; Warner Music 9362499752] powered from my B&W 802Ds with a punch and purpose that belied the relaxed rhythm of the piece while the multi-tracked vocals sang as clear as day. By comparison, the

HI-FI NEWS VERDICT

Now in Reference guise, Chord’s Signature is a highly developed cable which has evolved to complement similarly civilised systems. It necessarily faces stiff competition at this exalted price level but holds its own with a delivery of power and grace that can make lesser cables appear grainy or uncouth. The combination of low capacitance and resistance also bodes well for its consistent behaviour with a range of different amplifiers.

Paul Miller, Hi-Fi News