Chord Ultima Integrated: top-of-the-line novelties

From the pencil of John Franks comes the new top-of-the-line integrated amplifier “proudly made in the UK.”

The Chord Ultima Integrated is a concentrate of technology that encapsulates all the kno-how gained from more than 30 years of research by the brand.

Chord Ultima Integrated: 30 years of study and research

The Chord Ultima Integrated incorporates dual-feed-forward error-correcting topology in addition to proprietary ultra-high-frequency, low-distortion power supplies, which promise to deliver excellent sonic performance married to very low noise by working at very high frequency. As for connectivity, you will have four analog inputs: one balanced XLR stereo input and three unbalanced RCA stereo inputs, as well as a separate AV bypass input. All inputs have individual buffering and are filtered against potential radio frequency interference, and selection is by sealed relays controlled by a microprocessor. As for the manufacturing process, it is good to know that each amplifier is carefully hand-built at Riverside Kent’s headquarters, The Pumphouse. Each implementation is supervised by a dedicated engineer. The chassis also is made with a solid aircraft aluminum structure that avoids resonances.

John Franks’ error correction topology immediately monitors and corrects signals by eliminating distortion at each stage in order to provide the listener, the best possible sound. This technology is based on the studies of Dr. Malcolm J Hawksford later taken up and refined by Bob Cordell of Bell Labs. John Franks started from here to develop Cordell’s dual-feed-forward error-correction topology, which includes Franks’ patents on ultra-high-frequency power supplies, a key feature of Chord Electronics amplifiers since its founding.

Availability and pricing

The Chord Ultima Integrated is available in Italy at a list price of 10,990 euros. For more information you can consult the site dle Italian distributor Hifight.

Below are some tencic features of the Chord Ultima Integrated:

Power output: 125 W 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

Input impedance: 100 kΩ

Input maximum voltage: 3 V RMS (single-ended)

Output maximum voltage: 35 V RMS

Gain: 21dB

Channel separation: 100 dB

Operation voltage: 80-250 V AC auto-switching

Power consumption: 200 W