Chord Electronics, a British-based audio/visual specialist known for quality-engineered, ergonomically designed hardware, boasts clients such as the BBC, Abbey Road Studios, Sony, Skywalker Sound, Paul McCartney and even rappers Wu Tang Clan. Little wonder its products are expensive.
It suits those with not only deep pockets but big living rooms. The SPM 12000 power amplifier weighs a floor-crunching 95kg, boasts 800 watts at 8 ohms and sells for HK$79,000. Chord equipment has come down in size, however, to capture the bigger market for smaller audiophile equipment.
Take the Choral Series, which comprises five components: the Blu CD transport (HK$52,000), the DAC 64 digital to analogue converter (HK$24,570), the Prima pre-amplifier (HK$33,800), the Mezzo 50 power amp, 50 watts RMS/8 ohms (HK$28,280) and the Symphonic phono stage amplifier, for those who still have a turntable (HK$29,580). In all, that comes to HK$168,230, although distributors Shun Woo Audio says items can be sold separately.
Each component is hand-crafted from solid aluminium and weighs more than 6kg. So they may look diminutive, but they carry the weight of traditional Chord hardware.
And the company is now offering bling: customers can have components electroplated in nickel for what Chord chief executive and chief designer John Franks calls 'audiophile jewellery for the home'.
Is it sound value for money? If blindfolded, you'd think the music was coming from a bigger component costing twice the price, such is the quality of sound: controlled, yet dynamic. The clarity and depth of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon brought back the good old days of vinyl. The sound was warm and detailed - and all this from a CD source measuring 335mm (W) x 105mm (H) x 170mm (D). Despite the cost, the equipment is worth auditioning, and it looks good to boot. Proof, indeed, that beauty is more than skin deep.