CHORD Symphonic Moving Coil Phono Stage User Manual

: June 6, 2024
: chord

CHORD

CHORD Symphonic Moving Coil Phono Stage

Introduction

Our Symphonic phono stage brings advanced features and our proprietary technology to vinyl, enabling the easy integration of turntables into any system as our flagship MC phono stage.
Before the operation, we strongly advise you to read this user manual thoroughly.
We also recommend that you store this user manual, along with your original receipt of purchase, in a safe place should you require assistance in the future.

Protection against liquids & heat

Symphonic is not protected against liquids of any kind.
Never place containers of liquid on Symphonic. Never allow Symphonic to come into contact with moisture or liquids; doing so could result in electrocution or damage to the Symphonic’s internal circuitry.
Be aware that liquids, including water that has dried, can leave minerals that can affect the PCB and other components, which could eventually lead to oxidization and short-circuiting.
If the Symphonic comes into contact with moisture or liquids, immediately disconnect from the mains power supply, and connected equipment, and contact Chord Electronics for further advice.
Never operate the Symphonic near sources of heat or naked flames as this will decrease the lifespan of the internal components.
It is advised that you do not operate the Symphonic in an area of direct sunlight or on top of significant heat-producing devices.
Please be aware that it is entirely normal for the Symphonic to become warm during use, particularly within a stacked configuration. If you are concerned about the temperatures, please switch the device off or consider a different placement.

Dismantling & radio frequency interference

There are no user-serviceable components within the Symphonic or its power supply. Dangerous voltages/currents exist within the Symphonic and its power supply, posing a severe risk of electrocution and/or fire.
Never attempt to open, dismantle or apply internal third-party devices to it or insert anything other than the listed interconnects or headphone adapters within this user manual.
If the Symphonic develops a fault or the casework becomes damaged, immediately disconnect from the mains power supply and connected equipment, and contact Chord Electronics for further advice.
With a thick, solid aluminium chassis, Symphonic’s casework largely protects the sensitive internal circuitry from radio frequency interference. However, for optimal performance, it is recommended that the following points are observed:
1. Consider placing the Symphonic away from wireless routers.
2. Separate the Symphonic from amplifiers using toroidal transformers.
3. Operate mobile phones at a distance to avoid interference.

Connecting your equipment

Before connecting the Symphonic to any equipment, consult the manufacturer’s user guide to confirm compatibility.
When connecting the Symphonic to any equipment, make sure that all devices are off, including the Symphonic.
Once connected, switch all equipment on starting with the source and ending with the amplification.
Initially, operate any of the connected equipment on its lowest gain setting and lowest volume setting, gently increasing to a comfortable listening level.
Never operate connected equipment to the Symphonic at excessive sound levels; permanent hearing damage and loss can occur.
The included 10 amp IEC mains lead plugs into the Symphonic.

Warranty

Warranty period & registering your purchase

At point of sale, Chord Electronics Ltd. provides Symphonic with a comprehensive five-year warranty which covers defects in materials and workmanship through fair wear and tear. The warranty will be void if any other PSU other than that supplied is used.
The warranty is transferable with proof of purchase, however, warranty on ex-demonstration units begins from the retailer‘s date of purchase.
Please use the form below to record the details of your purchase in the event that these are required at a later date, we further advise that all purchases are registered with Chord Electronics at: chordelectronics.co.uk/register- product/

Making a claim & warranty exclusions

In the unlikely event of a claim, your first point of contact should be your supplying dealer. If this is not possible you must provide Chord Electronics with the details of the claim, including your original proof of purchase and serial number in order to validate the nature of the repair.
Upon receipt, Chord Electronics will make an assessment within 30 days and provide a reasonable solution.
All warranty repairs must be carried out by Chord Electronics or an approved service centre to guarantee the quality and safety of the repair.

WARRANTY EXCLUSIONS: The warranty does not cover connected equipment, personal injury or development natural patina of the metalwork and will be null and void if the following is applied: wilful neglect; modification or tampering of the product; improper use of the product; acts of God; damage caused by a connected device; mechanical shock; fire or application of excessive heat or repair/modification by a non-authorised third-party vendor.

Getting to know Symphonic

Nestling in the Choral range, the Symphonic is our flagship MC phono stage. The high-performance Symphonic uses our latest high-frequency power supply technology to exploit vinyl’s full potential, along with many key features, to brings the performance levels in line with the Choral range, home of the DAVE DAC/preamp.
The Symphonic offers a number of input impedance and gain options as well as balanced and unbalanced input options, making it a highly flexible device for integrating high-quality turntables into Chord systems.

To get the very best from the device we recommend that you familiarise yourself with the user manual.

The top panel

The top panel has no user-configurable options. Instead, there are 2 viewing portals. This is where you will see the LED changes when pressing the buttons on the back of the unit.

The rear panel

The rear panel has 1 x pair of RCA and 1 x pair of XLR switchable inputs, also, 1 x pair of RCA and 1 x pair of XLR outputs. There are 12 dip switches to help set Symphonic to your requirements. Read section 5 for more on about Symphonics buttons.
When installing any cable, you must make sure they are securely in place. Panel 2

Setting up Symphonic

Whilst the Symphonic operates normally within a stack of Chord Electronics Ensemble stands along with units such as the DAVE and Etude, it is recommended that you allow the device to breathe. Allocating 10cm of space around it to convection-cool during operation is advised. If possible, do not place the unit(s) inside an inadequately ventilated cabinet.

Connecting an input to Symphonic

In order to connect up Symphonic to a source, you must connect the cables from your turntable to one of the inputs listed below. Symphonic has 2 pairs of inputs, one set of balanced XLRs and one set of unbalanced RCA inputs. to begin, as you look from the front;

First, you must ensure that Symphonic, and any connecting equipment, is turned off.
Select the correct outputs from your turntable device and insert the cables into the ports.
Ensure that you pay attention to the left and right channels for your device. The left output from your turntable must go into the left input of Symphonic and the same for the right channel.
Connect your ground cable to the ground pin securely

Connecting Symphonic to a pre amplifier

Using The XLR and RCA outputs shown below, it is simple to connect the Symphonic to a pre amplifer. Left channel connections are on the left, right channel connections are on the right, each output is identical. to begin, as you look from he front;

Ensure all your devices are still turned off.
Locate the XLR or RCA outputs shown below on the Symphonic and connect to the XLR or RCA input on the choosen pre amplifier.
With the Volume set to the lowest setting, turn on all equipment including the Symphonic.
Allow both the Symphonic and other units to power up.
Before you initiate playback, view the next section of the manual on how to integrate symphonic into your system.

How to navigate Symphonic

Basic navigation:
Symphonic has no display but 2 viewing portals which will light LEDs with the selected features of Symphonic.
To access those features use the buttons on the back of the unit. Please familiarise yourself with these sections in order to use Symphonic at it‘s full capacity.

Navigation

Selecting the correct gain

The set of 4 buttons located above the outputs can be used to select the correct input gain for pairing your turntable with Symphonic perfectly.
Using the illustration below and the manual from your turntable, select the optimum input gain by pressing the appropriate switch in. To remove a selected input gain, press the switch again to reset.

Navigation 2

Selecting the correct impedance

The set of 6 buttons located above the inputs can be used to select the correct input impedance for pairing your turntable with Symphonic perfectly.
Using the illustration below and the manual from your turntable, select the optimum input impedance by pressing the appropriate switch in. To remove a selected input gain, press the switch again to reset.
Please note: 47KΩ refers to 47000 ohms and 4.7KΩ refers to 4700 ohms

Navigation 3

Selecting input

Symphonic requires you to select which type of input you are using, XLR or RCA. You can locate the button on the rear of the unit, see diagram below. This button is above the inputs. This button will allow you to switch between the Balanced and unbalanced inputs on your Symphonic.
If you wish to use balanced input connections (XLR) press this switch in. If you are using unbalanced input connections (RCA) this switch should be out.

Navigation 4

Rumble filter

The rumble filter is a form of Rausch filter. This is essentially a high pass filter that is used to remove certain low frequencies caused by turntable deck rumble whilst allowing all of the frequency content of the music being played through.
See diagram below for Rumble switch location. To activate the rumble filter press the rumble filter switch in. To de-activate the rumble filter, press the rumble switch again to reset.

Navigation 4

The LED window

On the top panel of the Symphonic, there are two viewing portals. Through these are LEDs that illuminate to show the current settings that are selected on the Symphonic. For each setting that you make on the selector switches on the back of the Symphonic, a pair of coloured LEDs will light on the boards through the viewing portals. Each pair represent the left and right channels of each selection.
These viewing portals will allow you to see the selected gain, impedance, input as well as if the Rumble filter is switched on or off.

You are now ready to initiate playback. LED

Special features

You need to ensure that the earth on your turntable and phono stage is correctly matched. It is important that the electronic circuitry in your turntable and phono stage are referencing to the same earth point in order to achieve the best possible sound quality for the playback of your vinyl recordings.
Use the earthing point on your Symphonic to connect to the earth connection on your turntable. The earthing point is situated just above the right phono output on the Symphonic.

Earthing