There are many products out there that are deemed ‘irreplaceable’, The cable that we’re featuring today is the replacement to one of those very items, and one that even we (the hi-fi retailer!) honestly believed could not be replaced.
Have you heard of the Chord Carnival Silver Screen? I’d be surprised if you haven’t. It’s been the most popular speaker cable on the market ever since its conception several years ago. It was cheap (£6 p/m!) but performance-wise it was virtually unparalleled, and was always our first speaker cable recommendation when anyone asked, regardless of the system.
I have some news. The Silver Screen has been officially discontinued. All that remains is what we have left in our warehouse (click here to bag yourself the last of it!) and many broken hearts.
Well, that is until we heard what was replacing it.
That is the brand new Chord Clearway. A speaker cable which is directly descended from its legendary predecessor, but with a distinct upgrade that has managed to improve on what we (and many of our customers) believed was perfection. What makes a speaker cable truly great is its ability to shield the signal from amplifier to speakers, all the while relaying the cleanest and clearest possible signal. Those who question the importance of the role of the speaker cable in a hi-fi set up have either never been *shown* the difference, or simply haven’t an ear for these kinds of things. Inferior speaker cables can ruin the sound of any system, no matter how high end!
But what makes the Clearway a worthy replacement? Like the Silver Screen it has two contra-wound high-density foil shields the twin foils, combined with the twisted-pair configuration, make for a level of shielding that is effective to high frequencies. This (rather attractive looking!) foil insulation is then wrapped in a clear protective PVC jacket is applied, which ensures further protection from interfering noise. The Silver Screen’s high-end level of insulation (the determining factor!) at such a low price was what made it as popular as it is. Well, the Clearway carries that legacy with pride, and only at the marginally more expensive price of £10 p/m. A fraction of the cost of most cables of its calibre!
But there’s a lot more to this cable than just a very high-end level of insulation, as Chord’s Technical Director explains…
“I am particularly pleased with the new Clearway. The cable has qualities that would normally be associated with considerably more expensive cables. The use of high-quality oxygen-free copper FEP insulation and high-density foil shielding means that at £10, it will be pretty hard to produce a better-performing speaker cable. Chord has tested the cable in all levels of systems and in every case, whether entry-level or high-end, the levels of clarity, detail, dynamics and critically, musical coherence, are really impressive.” – Nigel Finn
Don’t just take Nigel’s word for it, though. Give us a shout and try it for yourself. We will miss the Silver Screen, but hi-fi is all about taking something, and making it better. And this cable is most definitely better. It even looks better – that clear jacket giving way to the foil was a very nice touch.
Hey, we like shiny things too!