To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Chord Electronics unveiled two new mono power amplifiers and a new phono preamp at High End in Munich last week.
The Ultima 2 and Ultima 3 are the two new mono power amplifiers, implementing the company’s flagship ULTIMA amplifier topology.
First unveiled in October 2018, the ULTIMA amplifier topology has been exclusive to the £30,000 ULTIMA power amp at the top of the range. However, the topology is now more affordable than ever having been implemented into the two new mono power amps, both of which share the same Chord Electronics DNA as in the range-topping power amp.
ULTIMA 3
The 750-watt ULTIMA 2, which is priced at £18,360, is a direct replacement for the SPM 6000 MKII and forms part of the company’s flagship Reference range. The smaller 480-watt ULTIMA 3, priced at £11,000, replaces the SPM 1400 MKII and sits in the Full Size range.
Also as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations, Chord Electronics launched Huei, a new phono preamp, bringing together three decades of amplifier development into a high-performance yet small chassis.
Huei phono preamp
Benefitting from both Moving Magnet and Moving Coil functionality, Huei offers compatibility with a huge range of cartridges thanks to comprehensive gain and impedance-matching options. With a flexible approach, the high- and low-gain switching settings are easily accessible via front-panel controls.
A first for a Chord Electronics phono preamp, Huei offers ultra-low-noise microprocessor control of its main features, including a convenient memory function. Offering comprehensive compatibility, Huei’s design has multiple options for impedance-matching, seven-stage switchable gain and a switchable rumble filter.