Chord Ultima Integrated Amplifier
The ULTIMA INTEGRATED is the first new Chord Electronics integrated amplifier for seven years and remains the sole full-width integrated model in the range.
An Amplifier that vanishes
Designed by Chord Electronics’ founder, owner and chief engineer, John Franks, the advanced ULTIMA circuit monitors and immediately corrects audio signals before the output stage, for astonishing signal accuracy from a one-box integrated device.
ULTIMA’s technology is based on a technical paper by Dr Malcolm J Hawksford (emeritus professor at Essex University) which was taken up and refined by Bob Cordell of Bell Labs. Chord Electronics’ owner and Chief Designer, John Franks, then took the theory and developed it to a much higher level. Just as a reminder: John Franks originally built high-quality electronics for the aviation industry, in particular a reliable power supply for fighter jets. Following his passion, he founded Chord Electronics Ltd. in 1989 to manufacture high-end audio electronics. His audio career got started with amplifiers for the BBC, later for Abbey Road Studios, Sony Music in New York and the Royal Opera in London.
The ULTIMA INTEGRATED also takes advantage of the very latest developments in advanced low-distortion power supplies – devices offering exceptionally low noise and outstanding amplifier operation – for even greater fidelity.
Balanced
A four-input design, one fully balanced and three unbalanced, all enjoy individual buffering and are selectively filtered against potential ingress from radio frequency interference; selection switching is via microprocessor-controlled sealed relays.
Classy Build
Each amplifier is painstakingly hand-built at the riverside Kent factory in the UK, The Pumphouse, over a period of several days, with each build overseen by a dedicated engineer. Chord Electronics’ renowned aircraft-grade solid aluminium casework offers a reassuringly high-end and entirely non-resonant enclosure for the electronics
With a unique industrial aesthetic, the Ultima amplifier also boasts a 28-mm-thick front panel with a symmetrical design, including a spherical power on/off control with polychromatic lighting.
Reviews
"The descriptive term “Musical” is as old as the first audio review, yet it is often used without definitive meaning. Any two persons will likely have a very different interpretation of it. The way I interpret it, it means “lyrical” or “singing” rather than technical or mechanical. In other words, it refers to a product’s capacity to reproduce music in a manner that enters our soul, moves us, and sweeps us away. Well, the Chord Ultima possesses this quality!" HiFi Advice
"Anyone for whom the $16250 asking price is not too much of an expense, and I would like to say this in advance, should by any means listen to the Chord Ultima Integrated. Its sonic performance is remarkable"
read the review in HiFi Statement
"I found the Chord Ultima Integrated both thrilling and soothing to listen to. It provided an abundance of organic detail and made music sound lucid. Instruments were recreated with incredible physicality, while vocalists were nothing less than embodied. The British amplifier excelled with touch and timbre and enthralled with melodious tone. As refined as the Ultima Integrated could sound, it could also be grandiose, delivering thunderous dynamics with sledgehammer-like weight and scale. No one amplifier can be everything to everyone, but the Chord Ultima Integrated is nothing less than sublime."
read the review in Soundstage HiFi
Specifications
- Power output 125 W/ch into 8Ω
- Frequency response 10 Hz-200 kHz +/- 3 dB
- THD 0.01 % 20 Hz-20 kHz
- Signal-to-noise ratio 90 dB on all inputs
- 1 x XLR balanced input, 3 x RCA inputs
- 1 x XLR Balanced AV bypass input
- 1 x XLR Balanced output
- Input impedance 100 kΩ
- Input maximum voltage 3 V RMS
- Operation voltage 80-250 V AC auto-switching
- Power consumption 200 W
- remote - full function
- Dimensions with included Integra legs: 13 cm(H) x 48 cm(W) x 38 cm(D)
- Dimensions with optional side blocks (can not be stacked): 11 cm(H) x 43 cm(W) x 38 cm (D)
- Weight: 14.75 kg
