Tony Bolton explores the capabilities of the latest versions of some tried and trusted interconnects from the Chord Company.

I started my listening with the Chorus cables and was presented with a big, quite warm and easygoing sound that was underpinned by a very solid bass. The central image of the flute in the first part of Shpongle’s opening track ‘Brain In A Fish Tank’ was very strong and the sound seemed to be very firmly placed just within the speaker boundaries. The piano sounds in the Bach were good, although I felt that the harmonics on a heavily struck chord using the sustain pedal showed slight traces of confusion in the definition of the sound.

Changing cables to the Anthem gave a very different presentation of the same tracks. Although the central image was still a focal point, I felt that the sounds to either side of it were more integrated to it creating a more cohesive soundscape. The bass seemed to move a little more freely and I had a perception of greater weight and agility to the rhythm. Janssen’s piano was better displayed with more attention seeming to be focussed on the intimacies of his touch on the keyboard. The music felt as though I was better able to explore it easily and the detailing of the ringing harmonics were more obviously displayed.

There is quite a jump in price to the Signature interconnect (£765) but the improved performance seemed commensurate with this. Michelle Adamson’s vocals in ‘Brain In A Fish Tank’ had far more space to flow naturally than with the previous two cables and I was very much more aware of the layers and the differing textures of the sounds, both natural and electronic in this track. The Bach pieces sounded far more natural and flowing, with the harmonics successfully decoded so that I felt I was listening to a more lifelike rendition of the music.

All three cables seem to offer good performance for the prices. The Chorus should suit leaner sounding systems while the Anthem will provide a shot of bass driven adrenaline for those that need it. The Signature stands head and shoulders above both and, despite the price, offers, I feel, excellent value for money.

Tony Bolton, Hi-Fi World