Chord Company Chameleon Silver Plus VS Crimson

jaxwired

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Anybody out there upgraded from Chord Crimsom interconnects to Chameleon? I've been doing a lot of A/B testing and while the Crimson detail is really great compared to my two other interconnects (Monster and Audioquest), they sound the tiniest bit bass thin to me.

I swear I can hear a difference in these analog interconnects. Maybe I'm a sucker and it's all in my head, but I'm a believer that they make a difference....

I want to upgrade to the Chameleon, but I want to hear what other people think... I also would like to try Van den hul the wave, but can't get it over here in the states...
 

Gerrardasnails

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jaxwired:
Anybody out there upgraded from Chord Crimsom interconnects to Chameleon? I've been doing a lot of A/B testing and while the Crimson detail is really great compared to my two other interconnects (Monster and Audioquest), they sound the tiniest bit bass thin to me.

I swear I can hear a difference in these analog interconnects. Maybe I'm a sucker and it's all in my head, but I'm a believer that they make a difference....

I want to upgrade to the Chameleon, but I want to hear what other people think... I also would like to try Van den hul the wave, but can't get it over here in the states...

I went from Crimson to CSP and there is a big all round difference. For around £100 the Silver Plus is pretty difficult to beat.
 

matthewpiano

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I made this upgrade as well. I have the Crimson on my Squeezebox now, and the Chameleon Silver Plus on my CD player.

The difference is night and day. The Crimson is an excellent budget interconnect but with some equipment it does sound a little bass light. The Silver Plus gives even more of the detail offered by the Crimson but with a much more balanced and full sound. I was slightly sceptical when I bought the Silver Plus but any doubts disappeared as soon as I heard it. I've since A/B compared the two interconnects and my thoughts have been confirmed every time.

I do not hesitate at all in recommending an upgrade to Chameleon Silver Plus.
 

jaxwired

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matthewpiano:I made this upgrade as well. I have the Crimson on my Squeezebox now, and the Chameleon Silver Plus on my CD player. The difference is night and day. The Crimson is an excellent budget interconnect but with some equipment it does sound a little bass light. The Silver Plus gives even more of the detail offered by the Crimson but with a much more balanced and full sound. I was slightly sceptical when I bought the Silver Plus but any doubts disappeared as soon as I heard it. I've since A/B compared the two interconnects and my thoughts have been confirmed every time. I do not hesitate at all in recommending an upgrade to Chameleon Silver Plus.

Thanks Matt! That is exactly the kind of "pull the trigger" encouragement I was looking for. Now to go purchase and beg forgiveness from wifey later when it shows up on our Amex bill (LOL).
 
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Anonymous

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I'll second the above. The Crimson has less bass and is a bit less open. Due to the less bass it can seem brighter. The CSM is money well spent and I found that the next worthwhile step was the Nordost Baldur, considerably more money.
 
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Anonymous

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I have been interconnect shopping this week too and ended up getting the Chameleon Silver Plus (like you had the Crimson). Chameleon did deliver more open sound but I didn't do the comparison back to back so tough to tell exactly. It also seemed to make a difference in which direction the cable is plugged in.
 

jaxwired

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chainrock:

I have been interconnect shopping this week too and ended up getting the Chameleon Silver Plus (like you had the Crimson). Chameleon did deliver more open sound but I didn't do the comparison back to back so tough to tell exactly. It also seemed to make a difference in which direction the cable is plugged in.

That brings up a point. Are these cables directional? I did not see a direction indicator on the crimson (did I miss it). Never paid any attention to direction.

I'm not sure if I'm ready to believe that a cable can even be directional....

-Jax
 

matthewpiano

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The directionality runs in the same direction as the text on the cable - so you should be reading the text from CD player to amplifier.

Must admit, I'm not convinced about directionality and I had a long discussion with our Vivanco sales rep about this the other day. However, its no problem really. Just use it in the 'right' directionality and forget about that aspect.
 
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Anonymous

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The CSM isn't directional. I have a directional Cobra 2 and the direction makes no difference to me. Yes, I can hear the difference between my cables too.
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Anonymous

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from Chord's website: "Like the Chameleon 2 there are four sets of stranded conductors but we now use one set to carry the signal and two more to carry the return."

I am no engineer but the way I read it is that there is a difference in direction.

PS: And thanks for alerting to the £66 deal - that's a steal!
 
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Anonymous

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matthewpiano:Yes, Chameleon Silver Plus IS designed as a directional cable.

Where does it say this? My Cobra had a special sticker in the packet that the identical packet didn't have in the Chameleon.
 
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Anonymous

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OK, well thanks for the heads up. Strange that Chord fail to communicate this! I will check my cables for nothing other than peace of mind
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matthewpiano

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igglebert:OK, well thanks for the heads up. Strange that Chord fail to communicate this! I will check my cables for nothing other than peace of mind
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Of course, its entirely plausible that I was given the wrong information by the dealer.
 

jaxwired

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Based on the chord web site, it would seem that they don't take a firm position on direction. From Chord Web Site:

Why do cables need to be connected in a particular direction?

Like claims that speaker cables and interconnects will change as they burn-in, the fact that manufacturers and magazine reviews maintain that a cable will perform differently depending on which direction it is connected in, is guaranteed to confuse and irritate any rational person.

We believe that all cables will produce differences in sound depending on the direction they are connected in, but the effect these differences will have on the sound varies considerably from cable to cable. Despite repeated experimentation, the most reliable method of establishing the direction in which a cable will transmit the best sound quality is by listening to it. In order to do this accurately we will try the cable to be tested with various combinations of components and speakers, using a wide variety of music. Testing is carried out in a strictly controlled manner and all testing takes place in our purpose built facility. (read more) [top]
 
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Anonymous

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igglebert: Where does it say this? My Cobra had a special sticker in the packet that the identical packet didn't have in the Chameleon.

It says right here:

http://www.chord.co.uk/chordweb/chameleon_tech.htm

The Chameleon Silver Plus is a development of the long standing Chameleon 2. The critical changes are to the conductors, which are now silver plated, and the dielectric, which changes from polyethylene to Teflon©. There is an overall lapped shield, which is also silver plated and the outer jacket is royal blue. Like the Chameleon 2 there are four sets of stranded conductors but we now use one set to carry the signal and two more to carry the return. This configuration was stolen from the Anthem and is successful enough to be likely to make an appearance in other cables in our range. The conductors are twisted along the length of the cable.
 

JoelSim

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I would have preferred a 0.5m really.

It's an expensive business, this turntable lark!

A free one from my dad as he doesn't use it has ended in me purchasing a Graham Slee phono amp, Chord Chameleon and a new Tacima as I'm already out of sockets. Ye don't get nuffink for free these days
 

jaxwired

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JoelSim:

I would have preferred a 0.5m really.

Why the heck is 1 m the most common? I've always found that 1 m is way too long for my needs. Then you get into that whole "to coil" or "not to coil" debate. Please, lets not go there...
 
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Anonymous

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Unless equipment is on top of one another, 0.5m is really not long enough... but we all have different setups!
 
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Anonymous

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JoelSim:I've just bought a Chameleon for £66 from Divine Audio.
Excellent choice. Stick it between your CDP and amp and use another for the TT
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