Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Audio Cables

Chord Company PhonoARAY Minimizes Electromagnetic Interference But is the Price “Grounded” in Reality?

At £1,000, Chord Company’s PhonoARAY can minimize external interference and ground issues that may affect turntable performance.

Chord Company PhonoARAY

With 40 years of experience in minimizing the impact of external interference in audio systems, Chord Company is expanding its GroundARAY and PowerARAY noise reduction lines to now include PhonoARAY for use with turntables.

PhonoARAY is a standalone filtering solution that allows turntable users to earth/ground their devices to the phono stage, or the phono input on amplifiers, providing maximum protection for the highly sensitive signal.

The PhonoARAY is housed in a thick-walled machined aluminum casing designed to provide electrical and acoustic isolation. Its chamber is resin-filled to reduce microphony, which is when mechanical vibrations are transformed into an undesired electrical signal/noise.

PhonoARAY incorporates a hand-wound, ultra-high-current series filter for both terminals together, plus a proprietary ARAY system, connected in parallel. This creates a double ‘virtual earth system’ for both the turntable and phono stage. This combination is designed to shield sensitive signals from external interference for cleaner and more detailed sound reproduction.

The PhonoARAY connects via two 4 mm speaker-style banana or spade connectors between the earth terminal of the turntable (or tonearm) to the earth terminal of the phono stage (or amplifier phono input) using a dedicated high-quality 50 cm screened earth cable (4 mm connector to spade connector).

Chord Company PhonoAray Hookup Diagrams

The phono can be used in a variety of turntable configurations, including turntables with or without built-in phono stages. In systems with external phono stages, a second PhonoARAY can also be added, additionally connecting the phono stage earth to the amplifier earth.

The PhonoARAY benefits from a thick-walled enclosure machined from a solid aluminum billet, providing excellent electrical and acoustic isolation. Additionally, resin filling within the enclosure further reduces microphony, while lightweight, decoupled isolation feet minimize vibrations.

Features

  • Minimizes electromagnetic interference affecting turntable performance
  • Series and parallel operation maximizes signal integrity
  • Hand-wound, ultra-high-current series filter, and proprietary ARAY system
  • Double ‘virtual earth system’ for turntable and phono stage
  • Supplied with a high-quality 50 cm screened earth cable
  • Machined aluminum billet enclosure with resin filling
  • Decoupled isolation feet

The Bottom Line

Getting the best possible sound from vinyl records requires four basic elements: A good turntable, a good cartridge/stylus, good amplification, and a good set of speakers or headphones. However, after setting all this up, you might still find that something doesn’t seem quite right. 

One issue might be your ground connection. If that turns out to be the problem, the PhonoARAY might help. However, with its rather expensive ( £1,000) asking price we advise double checking all existing connections between your turntable and other components in your setup chain.

Chord Company PhonoAray

Pricing & Availability

The PhonoARAY is available now priced at £1,000 through authorized dealers (contact the appropriate dealer for U.S. pricing).

The PhonoARAY comes with a 0.5 m Clearway earth cable. Additional or upgrade cables can also be ordered as follows through an authorized dealer:

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

  • Clearway 1m earth cable: £140
  • Shawline 1m earth cable: £280

For more information: chord.co.uk

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. ORT

    February 9, 2025 at 7:51 pm

    To quote the King of Siam, this thing…”is a puzzlement”.

    I tend to think of such trinkets as the frAudiophile’s version of “the Emperor’s New Clothes”. If you can’t hear a difference unless someone is telling you it’s there? Well, what’s the real difference?

    I won’t tell anyone how to spend their own hard earned money. This tube doesn’t even look 1950s SciFi Movie cool. For the money it ought to look like a Tesla Coil or something from Frankenstein’s Laboratory.

    That’s FRAHNKensteen! And one other thing. “PUT!! the candle…BACK!”

    ORT

    • Ian White

      February 9, 2025 at 10:08 pm

      ORT,

      My other title was not as polite, although I will say that Chord Company has a rather good track record with me. I own three sets of their inexpensive cables and they all perform really well for a small amount of money compared to the competition.

      IW

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Latest Products

Ortofon MC X10, X20, X30, X40 Phono Cartridges

New Products

Ortofon’s new MC X Series cartridges bring high-end quad-coil tech and precision tracking to challenge Hana, Dynavector, and Goldring at every price point.

OePhi Lounge Series 2 and 2.5 Loudspeakers in Oak OePhi Lounge Series 2 and 2.5 Loudspeakers in Oak

Bookshelf Speakers

OePhi Lounge Series Loudspeakers aim to prove high levels of musical performance don't have to cost a fortune.

GIK Acoustics Sound Block StackPack Promo Image GIK Acoustics Sound Block StackPack Promo Image

A/V Furniture & Accessories

GIK Acoustics’ Sound Block StackPack includes a trio of modular acoustic panels that can be free standing or wall mounted.

Hisense C2 Ultra Lifestyle Laser Projector Mounting Positions Hisense C2 Ultra Lifestyle Laser Projector Mounting Positions

New Products

At $2,499 the versatile Hisense C2 Ultra lifestyle 4K projector offers optical zoom, built-in JBL speakers, gaming features and more.

A.bsolument Vintage Bluetooth Radios Collage A.bsolument Vintage Bluetooth Radios Collage

New Products

A.bsolument turns your dusty old radio into a Bluetooth beauty with French savoir-faire—because even your granny’s relic deserves to sound magnifique, not like a...

Astell&Kern 64 Audio XIO IEMs Wired Lifestyle Astell&Kern 64 Audio XIO IEMs Wired Lifestyle

Earbuds & In-Ear Headphones

Astell&Kern and 64 Audio’s $3,000 XIO IEMs combine cutting-edge tech and luxury design for audiophiles seeking top-tier sound and craftsmanship.

Gift Ideas?

Amazon Prime Day is July 8-11, 2025

Daily Deals

Amazon Prime Day is a four-day shopping event from July 8-11, 2025 offering the biggest discounts of the year on consumer electronics.

You May Also Like

HDTV 4K & 8K TV

Unveiled at CES, the groundbreaking Hisense 116UX is the first production TV to feature RGB MiniLED backlighting. Here's how it looks.

New Products

Celebrate 75 years of Peanuts with Pro-Ject's limited edition turntable, featuring hi-fi tech, Bluetooth, and Schroeder-approved specs—finally, a reason Linus might drop the blanket.

New Products

The Pro-Ject Metallica Limited Edition Turntable might be the "One" for fans of the iconic heavy metal band this summer.

Ask an Expert

Struggling with poor vinyl playback? Your phono cartridge setup—or those filthy records—might be the reason. Here’s how to fix it.

New Products

AVID launches the Relveo, its first all-new turntable in 12 years. Handmade in the UK and priced at £6,900 ($11,000 US), the Relveo targets...

Articles

Discover if vintage turntables still beat modern models under $2,000. Pros, cons, sound quality, and where to buy for the best vinyl experience.

New Products

With a $699 tag, the O Turntable is belt-driven and comes with a pre-installed MM cartridge and a built-in phono preamp for easy connection...

Daily Deals

Score big savings on Andover Audio’s turntables, speaker systems, and accessories during Prime Day 2025. Upgrade your vinyl setup with deals on SpinDeck 2,...

Advertisement

ecoustics is a hi-fi and music magazine offering product reviews, podcasts, news and advice for aspiring audiophiles, home theater enthusiasts and headphone hipsters. Read more

Copyright © 1999-2024 ecoustics | Disclaimer: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.



SVS Bluesound PSB Speakers NAD Cambridge Audio Q Acoustics Denon Marantz Focal Naim Audio RSL Speakers