For years now, compact high-end components have shaped the image of British manufacturer Chord Electronics. Do they even still build classic high-end amplifiers over there? Oh yes – they most certainly do.
“Ultima” sounds imposing. And yet, almost contradictorily, the Chord Ultima Integrated amplifier reveals itself as a compact, uniquely designed integrated unit. As part of a system, it’s the star attraction – drawing all eyes with its futuristic look made of rods, cylinders, and perforated panels. From a technical standpoint, it’s a textbook representation of Chord’s core design philosophy: analog amplifier purism with a Class A/B circuit built on MOSFETs, engineered for low distortion and wide bandwidth, powered by an efficient and rock-solid switching power supply.
The Chord Story goes like this: Back in the 1980s, electronics engineer John Franks – then working in the aerospace industry – realized that the high-performance switching power supplies he was developing for critical applications could form the foundation for truly outstanding audio amplifiers. In 1989, he founded Chord and launched the SPM 900 stereo power amp as his debut product. Just a year later, the BBC took notice. The rest is history. Chord amps soon found their way into British broadcasting studios, then into recording and mastering facilities worldwide.
But it’s with his compact, desktop- and pocket-sized components that Franks really hit a home run. Their variety and ingenuity have, in recent years, stolen the spotlight from Chord’s more traditional amplifiers. Time, then, to shine that light back where it all began.
The Ultima series is Chord’s second-largest product line, consisting exclusively of amplifiers. All of them use the company’s latest and fifth-generation amplifier circuit – aptly named Ultima. The standout technical feature is a dual feed-forward circuit designed to reduce distortion. This is essentially a refined form of feed-forward control, which John Franks has perfected over years of development.
To call the Ultima Integrated’s design “distinctive” would be a huge understatement. Behind its 42 cm wide front panel hides a chassis only 30 cm across. The 28 mm thick front facia is softened by wide bevels, strategically placed grooves, and a sculpted design with deeply recessed, organically shaped knobs. The 8 mm thick top panel is heavily perforated and covered with mesh grilles, giving safe visibility into the device’s inner workings. Four free-standing aluminum cylinders, each 55 mm in diameter, serve as feet. These so-called “Integra Legs” are connected by thick crossbars, making this possibly the most portable high-end amp ever made. You can order it with conventional rectangular side panels – but what philistine would want to do that?
The Chord Ultima Integrated is a purist line-level amplifier that features two convenient connection options. A balanced XLR pre-out allows you to connect an additional power amp – useful for bi-amping. The equally balanced “A/V Bypass” input lets an external (home theater) preamp control the powerful internal amp stage. Beyond that, there are four inputs for source devices and one pair of speaker terminals. That’s it!
Volume and balance are adjusted via traditional rotary potentiometers. The high-quality aluminum remote control feels like a slice of classic luxury. Plug in the power cord and things get colorful. The power button – a translucent sphere centered on the front – emits a soft red glow in standby. Press it and it turns green (system check), then cyan (ready to play). Press and hold the balance knob, and it glows violet to indicate A/V mode. The light ring on the volume knob changes to one of four colors depending on the selected input. Inside, it’s an LED disco: a sea of green and blue lights illuminate the internals. You can dim them – but not turn them off entirely.
Despite its compact size, the Chord is a powerhouse. The manufacturer rates the Ultima Integrated at 125 watts into 8 ohms. That may not sound like much, but thanks to its “rigid” power supply, the amp nearly doubles its output with each halving of load impedance – reaching nearly 700 watts at 1 ohm. It also runs impressively cool. Even after long listening sessions, only the center of the unit was warm to the touch in my setup.
And speaking of long listening sessions: you can’t miss the results of 36 years spent refining a great idea. The Chord delivers a soundstage that is balanced in every respect. But here’s the real beauty: it doesn’t rest on that balance – its natural tonal neutrality, its depth and dimensionality without artificial effects, and its dynamic punch across the entire frequency range – it goes a step further in every area. That extra bit of refinement is exactly what you expect at this price point. And it delivers – all while remaining perfectly balanced.
What impresses first is its bass capability. The Chord lays down a statement in my listening room. My undeniably fine but aging Rowland power amp (over 25 years old) doesn’t dive into the bass range quite as gracefully or effortlessly. The Chord seems to go even deeper – or maybe it just feels that way because of its well-sculpted control. Either way, it’s a joy to hear.
And it gets better. The Chord Ultima Integrated retains full tonal richness even at whisper-quiet volumes. Bass and detail are still present – music doesn’t collapse into flatness. As someone living in a room with neighbors on three sides, this is a huge deal. I can enjoy playlist-surfing late into the night. Even at low levels, dynamics don’t suffer. There’s no lack of impact, no flatness, none of the usual compromises you expect. Why should we accept that, when Chord proves you can have it all – even at low volume?
In terms of musical engagement, the Chord is a real ace. It reminds me of my audiophile youth when Linn and Naim were my guiding lights and “PRAT” was the mantra: Pace, Rhythm, and Timing! This little Ultima grooves, swings, and even plays classical music with forward drive and energy. Even my more refined, sophisticated amp setup has to tip its hat here.
If imaging is important to you, you’ll be thrilled. No, the compact Brit can’t quite match the almost magical, room-filling presentation of a beast like the Gryphon Diablo 333 – which costs two and a half times more and weighs nearly four times as much. But it comes remarkably close in placing instruments and sounds with that top-tier confidence and precision.
I listen to a brand-new release from the cutting-edge classical label Genuin: UKAI, a bold statement in contemporary recorder performance by musician Susanne Fröhlich. Her artistry pushes boundaries. If you haven’t heard this CD, you’re missing out. It deserves to be played on the best system you can get your hands on – the dynamic range is breathtaking. In the tracks inspired by traditional Japanese flute music, the Chord delivers rich, emotionally charged tone colors and sustained tension. The standout is track 6: a duet of recorder and an electronically manipulated speaker. The dynamic peaks push the system to its limits – sub-bass meets ultrasonic, while a synthetic tone seems to spin in circles across the room. Spectacular. And with the Chord? Pure delight.
Yes, I like the Chord Ultima Integrated. In fact, I like it more the longer it’s here. I embraced the aesthetic challenge – and I wasn’t disappointed. With its sleek, analog-purist styling and audiophile performance that rivals the world’s best, it deserves serious consideration from anyone looking to downsize from sprawling separates or those curious about what integrated amps can really do – without needing heavy-duty shelves. A very fine piece of machinery, and in this form factor, maybe truly: the ultimate.
Accompanying Equipment
Turntable: bauer audio dps 3 | Tonearm: bauer audio | Cartridge: Lyra Kleos | Phono Preamp: Hagerman Trumpet Wood | MC Step-up: Consolidated Audio Silver/Nano | CD Player: Electrocompaniet EMC 1 UP | Music Server: Innuos Zenith Mk III | DAC: Aqua La Voce S3 | Network Switch: LHY SW-8 | Preamplifier: Silvercore linestage two | Power Amps: Rowland Model 2, Model 12 | Power Conditioning: AudioQuest Niagara 3000 | Speakers: Ayon Seagull/c, Dynaudio Special One | Cables: Fadel Art, AudioQuest, Solidcore, HMS | Accessories: Creaktiv Trend Rack
Integrated Amplifier Chord Ultima Integrated
Concept: Class-AB integrated amplifier with switching power supply | Inputs: 3 x unbalanced line-in (RCA), 1 x balanced line-in (XLR), 1 x A/V bypass (XLR) | Analog Outputs: 1 x Pre Out (XLR), 1 x Speaker terminals | Power Output (8 Ω): 125 W | Frequency Response (±3 dB): 10 Hz to 200 kHz | THD (20 Hz–20 kHz): 0.01% | Channel Separation: 100 dB | Gain: 21 dB | Special features: Aluminum IR remote, 1 x trigger input | Options: Acrylic side panels instead of Integra feet | Finishes: Black or silver aluminum | Dimensions (W/H/D): 48 × 13 × 38 cm (with Integra feet) | Weight: 12.7 kg | Warranty: 5 years | Price: around €11,490
DREI H
Kedenburgstraße 44
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22041 Hamburg, Germany
Phone: +49 40 37507515