With its 30th-anniversary year fast approaching, Chord Electronics has launched ULTIMA, a new state-of-the-art flagship amplifier featuring John Franks’ latest circuit topology, the first all-new design in three decades. ULTIMA is the ultimate expression of the finest high-performance, ultra-fast, ultra-high-power amplifier technology available today.
ULTIMA is Chord Electronics’ most accomplished amplifier in its 30-year history and one that draws on the company’s three decades of research, design and engineering in Great Britain.
The ULTIMA mono power amplifiers have been designed and engineered for the very finest hi-fi systems, those which by their very nature, have the most demanding and difficult-to-drive speakers.

Each 86kg mono amplifier is painstakingly hand-built at the riverside Kent factory, 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. The casework is neatly complemented by the unique Integra Leg system which offers both striking visuals and the ability to stack with various other full-size Chord Electronics products as well as the Choral units, such as the DAVE DAC/preamp and BLU MKII CD/digital transport, when using the dedicated Choral Ensemble stand.
Specifications
– Output Power: 780W RMS per channel @0.05% distortion into 8Ω, 1,400 RMS per channel into 4Ω; waveform continuous at 5Hz to 20kHz
– Total harmonic distortion 0.0005 per cent (at 1V) 10Hz to 20kHz (8- or 4-ohm loaded)
– Phase intermodulation distortion: 0.0005 per cent
- Interface intermodulation distortion at 75 percent rated power into 8 ohms resistive load was 0.0002 percent at 1kHz
- Peak output current: exceeds 500 amperes
- Frequency Response: 0.1dBV from 5Hz to 100kHz any loading between 4 and 8 ohms
- Signal to Noise Ratio: Better than -103dB
- Input Impedance: 100kΩ Unbalanced/Balanced
– Output Impedance: <0 -="" .01="" 30db="" gain:="" i="">0>
- Dimensions Without Integra Legs: 420mm (w) x 670mm (d) x 310mm (h)
– Dimensions With Included Integra Legs: 480mm (w) x 670 (d) x 350mm (h)
– Weight: 86kg