The Chord Ultima Integrated Amp Review. Full Seduction.
By Steve Huff
Not so long ago, near the end of last year, I saw an integrated amp in a shop that really caught my eye. It did so due to the unique bold style and even the way colored lights are used within this design. This serious looking integrated was just so interesting as if it were ready to unleash some real high performance audio. This integrated amplifier was also all analog my friends, without even one digital feature. I love me a great all analog integrated amp so I hoped to find a way to hear this one in my own home.
My Video Review!
The Qutest
I have had some experience with Chord in the past and back then it was with their Dave and Qutest DACs. Both of these pieces are still fantastic today within their price points and even after many years, they are still current models. The DAVE DAC is one of my fave DACs ever, in my top 5 ever for sure. In fact, the DAVE DAC costs more than this integrated amp does and the DAVE is all about being lightning fast, exposing every detail of the recording along with bringing resolution and a very “alive” kind of sound.
The Chord Dave DAC
After seeing this Ultima Integrated amplifier in the flesh, I knew I would have to hear it someday. While not what I would call affordable, the Ultima integrated comes in at $11,700 USD and it looks every bit of that price tag. Yep, this price places it in that over $10k high end bracket, but not quite as pricey as something from mega exotic brands like Nagra ($23k Classic INT), T+A ($24k PA 3100HV INT) or CH Precision ($38k+ INT).
For me, Chord sits with brands like Luxman, McIntosh and others in this entry way to the higher end exotic lane. The Ultima for me sits right with those brands in overall quality and feel. This amp will indeed bring a different flavor of sound and looks vs Luxman and McIntosh but the Chord sits in the same price range as some pretty big and well known brands.
I expected great things from the Ultima and right near the end of 2024 I managed to get a black unit in for review thanks to Jhonattan over at Unveiled Audio (dealer website here) as he introduced me to the folks who distribute Chord. Also, I picked up some Nagra gear from Unveiled and had a flawless experience from email to delivery. It was at that time I was told I may be able to hear the Chord if I wanted to do a review so yea, I jumped at this chance.
It’s funny how these things work out in life and this is far from being the first time. I see a product I have interest in, place it in my mind, and lo and behold days or weeks later I get an email asking if I want to review the product I was thinking about. It’s crazy but crazy cool, these coincidences that keep on happening.
A little bit Space Age, Industrial and Modern. The Ultima is a looker indeed for these eyes but I am a fan of unique. The black Ultima.
Another thing happened at the end of 2024 as I made a huge purchase for my system and HiFi Review Channel.
I jumped way in to the deep end and purchased a crazy Nagra HD DAC X (used) along with a Nagra HD PRE HV and Classic AMP with VFS base. It came to be as this dealer was inquiring about advertising with my website and after some back and forth we worked out a price I thought I could handle. With the display advertising on this website that I worked out for them, it was also like working as sort of a trade in value. Also, after selling off a bunch of unused gear that was sitting and (truly) filling an entire closet I was able to make this happen. I still owe $ on the Nagra gear, which I really do not like but hey, I am 3/4 into this thing we call life so what the heck, why not.
At full retail the cost of the Nagra gear here scares me (a lot) but I cannot argue with the looks, pedigree and yes performance. I invested in this for my future reviews as well because the Nagra is an excellent base line for the sound, silence and vibe that I crave and love. Just how close can less pricey options get? That is the goal for 2025. To keep reviewing gear in all price brackets (low to exotic) as well as to see just how close some can get to this new reference that does all I could ever need or want it to do, and then some.
I wondered how close this Ultima could get and was about to find out. No, this should never be compared to a set of audio pieces that comes in at 9X the cost of the Ultima itself, but again, what if it can get close in performance?
I will also talk about other integrated amplifiers within this review, that are more in line with the cost of the Ultima, of course.
The top down view of the Chord Ultima. I love the rails on the side as they act as handles for easy moving. I wish more amps had a way to pick them up with ease like the Ultima. Really this makes it so easy to move and carry, I loved this design feature.
This Chord Ultima is so much less in cost than my reference Nagra setup that is in right now ($11k retail vs $92k retail) and I have a spoiler here…the Nagra is not $79,000 “better” than the Ultima in sound quality but my guess is that you knew this already : )
Yes, for sure the Nagra outperforms this Chord in transparency, details and imaging, spatial and spooky realism… all as it should. What would one expect in sound quality alone when paying exotic cash? It’s not quite as many would expect but those of us in audio know this very well. It is called “Diminishing Returns”.
This is fact: We have to pay so much more in audio to get small improvements as we climb the ladder. We have to pay dearly to get to these insane levels of “the last 10%” of performance but it’s usually those who have unlimited funds or those who are extremely passionate about audio and music who dig this deep into the audio game. Most do not, would not or just cannot spend $200k for an audio system. Products like this Ultima get us closer to that but cost us much much less.
The Chord Ultima is one of those that sits in a sweet spot for an integrated and while it may look different from most on the market, the sound of the Ultima is quite unique as well.
The inside of the Ultima looking very nice indeed.
The Sweet Spot
I feel the Chord Ultima sits in a very “sweet” price bracket and one that offers up a lot of greatness for the cost. In fact, after my time with the Chord Ultima I know that I would have a hard time choosing a competitor in this price range when it comes to an all analog integrated. I can think of one beauty, the Yamaha AS3200, which is an $8k retail integrated that I really love for its retro design and warm beefy sound quality. Yes indeed, the Ultima is a bit more refined, detailed, dynamic and ballsy in the bass department when it comes to the sound quality. The Ultima offers up completely different looks, with a nicer remote and more power on tap (90 WPC vs 125 WPC).
Then there is the Luxman series of integrated amps with the 509Z that sits in a similar price bracket. I do not have this Luxman here now (I may this year) but these two could not look more different. The Luxman is a classic for design with its glowing VU meters and silver finish. Also, the modern day Luxman sound is more tipped up in the treble, leaner in the mids and very tight and tuneful with the bass. The Ultima is more about body, flow and massive depth to the sound with rock solid bass performance that is larger than the Luxman. The Chord is a warmer sounding amp with nice detail retrieval vs modern day Luxman.
There is also McIntosh who has an integrated amp or two in this price range but they always stuff digital boards in to their amps these days and I do not believe McIntosh is making an all analog integrated amp (in the standard shape with meters) today but I could be wrong. I have owned a few McIntosh pieces and one time I owned two of their flagship integrated amps. They were nice, very nice, but also felt sort of cheap. One of the plastic feeling knobs fell off, one was crooked. It has a built in DAC that was subpar as well as a phono stage. Its sound was smooth but somewhat flat and wasn’t for me. I am not a huge fan of McIntosh after owning two integrated amps, a set of mono amps with preamp, SACD player (that broke down on me 6 months into ownership) and a DAC or two. I also owned one of their headphone amps. While nice to look at, for me, the price vs performance is a bit off with McIntosh. Meaning you will pay more for the name, looks and heritage yet there are better sounding pieces for less, again, in my opinion. They look seriously gorgeous indeed. Now that Bose owns this brand I do not have high hopes for what is to come from this brand, Yes, “No highs, no lows, it must be Bose” now owns McIntosh. Crazy.
The Ultima is priced just right I feel, for what it brings to the table. Unique design, cool lights that tell you what is happening, solid smooth big sound, strong bass and super smooth and “in the room” vocals. More on the sound below.
The Nagra HD PRE HV is one of the world’s finest preamplifiers. The cost is $72k+, or $60k less than the Chord integrated which also has an amp built in! No, the Chord is not as refined, detailed or silent in operation as the Nagra but the Chord Ultima is not a $70k integrated amp and it too sounds very wonderful.
The Chord Ultima Integrated installed!
I removed the Nagra HD Pre HV and Classic Amp to replace them with one sole $11,700.00 retail cost integrated amp. Now in the old days I would be talking about just how expensive and crazy $12k is for an integrated but hey, it’s 2025 and we now live in a crazy time where everything is getting super expensive. I remember when I moaned about $3500 integrated amps but that was a very long time ago. These days, when you want unique, when you want high quality, when you want special…it will cost you.
Quality Always Costs us but in 2025 it will cost us more.
I just acquired this insane Nagra gear so my mind has just been altered a bit as to what constitutes crazy pricing and quality within HiFi. I also just recently reviewed the gorgeous T+A PA 3100 HV integrated amplifier (above) which is an incredible piece but it’s almost $25k.
Last year I also reviewed the AGD Duets and Alto Preamp, which had a sleek and cool $20k+ cost. They were cool as beans in design and build and the sound was detailed, alive, electric and very “WOW” if not a touch lean in the mids compared to say Chord, T+A or Nagra.
So these pieces that I just mentioned above are all high end expensive pieces of HiFi Audio gear yet spending this kind of money is not the norm nor should it be unless you have the means to do it. We should be able to get high end looks and sound for less than the cost of a new car, and yes, we can if we look in the right places.
Again, no…this Chord Ultima is not a piece that is “cheap” to acquire but it’s a lot less in cost than some out there that this gets mighty close to. I could see down the road, 2026-2028…something like this may cost $20k. It just seems that’s where we are headed these days.
Some may ask of price dictates quality within HiFi and I can say that after 40 years doing this, yes 100% it does. I have never experienced anything in the entry level or mid tier level that competes with exotic or very high end gear in looks, build quality, parts or sound. Yes, you pay more and get more but again as you pay more and more improvements becomes smaller and smaller but they are there, 100%. Some say price doesn’t mean a thing when to quality in audio, but in my experience it sure does.
The side view of the Ultima.
OK, setting it up to listen.
When I placed the Chord Ultima in I first admired the construction and artistic beauty of the piece. I said to myself “This is priced fair for what it is, at least in looks and build, in today’s crazy world”. Yes, I know…some will not love the looks as they may be too much for some living rooms but me? I love the design. I think it’s pretty slick.
I then hooked up all cables (my old Nordost Valhalla XLR and speaker cables) and at first hooked up my reference Nagra HD DAC X to the integrated to be followed by testing the HiFi Rose RD160 DAC and Modwright Analog Bridge later on. The Bridge brings some tube flavor to the system when said system is all solid state, and it’s a pretty awesome piece. I did post a review of that piece here.
Out of the gate I was serving the music via the Nagra Streamer feeding Tidal, Spotify and Qobuz to the HD DAC X. Speakers in place were a brand new yet un-announced very affordable set from Triangle (review in March) as well as my Pure Audio Project Duet 15’s. I also had some big planar magnetic speakers in, the Diptyque 115, and what an experience those were with the Chord! Finally I had a set of O Audio Icon 12’s come in near the tail end of my evaluation of the Chord. Just… Wow. That’s all I can say for now on those.
The Pure Audio Project Duet 15’s bring that human connection to the music and work well with so many amps. I love these speakers but soon will have an alternate all new version of the Duet 15 here, yet to be announced, and I will share all of this with you guys soon as well.
Features and Specs
The Chord Ultima Integrated amp has some great power output. It delivers 125 watts per channel into 8 ohms but here are the official specs posted by Chord. I do not do measurements as I base my reviews on listening and experiencing real music through these pieces vs measuring with tools, as that tells me nothing about how a piece sounds. It just doesn’t. I also base them on parts quality, build quality, and design. Measurements to me, mean zilch. If it works, sounds amazing, is built well, offers value and looks great that is all I care about.
- 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.
- Output maximum voltage. 35 V RMS.
- Gain. 21dB.
- Channel separation. 100 dB.
The rear of the Ultima shows us the inputs and outputs. We have three RCA inputs and one XLR input. Also a pre out for using with a power amp.
Also from Chord…
“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.
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.
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.
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.
All metalwork is precision-machined from solid aircraft-grade aluminium, including Chord Electronics’ iconic Integra Legs. The fascia sports a 28-mm-thick front panel with a perfectly symmetrical aesthetic, centered around a spherical power on/off control with polychromatic lighting, flanked by illuminated volume and balance controls.”
Also…
INPUTS: 1x stereo balanced XLR inputs, 3x stereo unbalanced RCA
OUTPUTS: 1x stereo XLR preamp out.
1x stereo balanced XLR AV bypass input
1 x 12 V trigger output/input
The Flagship DAC, the DAVE, sitting on top of the Ultima. This is a Chord stock photo, I did not have the DAVE here for evaluation with the Ultima. I would imagine this is a stunner of a combo. The DAVE’s electric and detailed nature mixed with the warmer big bodied Ultima. This should be a stunner of a combo.
LET THERE BE LIGHT
Chord is a British brand (and the Ultima is made in Britain) and has always had unique designs, some of them with light ball spheres that change color depending on input being used or operational setting. The Ultima is no different and at the heart of the piece sits a ball that lights up with various colors depending on mode. The left volume dial also has a light ring that changes color with input choice. The balance dial also has a lavender like color surrounding it. When in operation the main ball is blue, when in mute it turns green and in standby the color is red. Pretty cool. I like things such as this, when a manufacturer thinks a bit outside of the box and dares to buck the norms.
FINALLY! The Sound!
When listening to the Ultima Integrated the first thing I notice is the lovely, rich and full bodied sound it delivers no matter the speakers I hook up to it, which his the opposite of what I expected. I always heard and assumed for that reason that Chord made lean, fast and even strident sounding amps. This is not at all what I was hearing when the Ultima was powering the system. Instead I noticed a clean sound but with body, some warmth in the mid bass area and a solid bass foundation to the music down below. More so than the Nagra gear I have here when it comes to body, fullness and flow. The Nagra bass is more controlled, tight and fast with details more lit up and exposed vs the Chord which is a shade or two darker than the Swiss brands best.
I will say that with my more sensitive speakers like the Pure Audio Project speakers (96db) I did hear some slight hiss from the speakers, and from my listening seat. I heard this only when no music was on. When I switched to something like the Dyptique 115’s (86db) I heard no hiss. The reason for this is normal, and not a defect. When I asked Chord about this they told me the Ultima uses a high gain design and when we have more gain, there could be some hiss when using sensitive speakers. This doesn’t detract from the sound in any way, and is only audible with no music playing.
Some integrated amps are designed with high gain, some with low gain. A low gain design will have you turning that volume control up higher to reach an acceptable volume. A high gain design, you may hit your sweet spot volume by 9-10am on the dial. This is part of the Chord design and how the BBC wanted it from what they told me. In any case, the sound….what about the sound?
The Chord was bringing a pleasing richness due to the extended bass power on tap. I’d say it compared mostly to the T+A PA 3100 in the bass area. While the Nagra was bringing the most exposed details along with some warmth and slight body the Ultima was not as crazy with the details but they were all there, just not as focused in the imaging, and there was more body to the music which I always enjoy. It had me moving more, which is always good sign.
I’d also say that the T+A was more analytical than the Chord and I wouldn’t call the T+A analytical myself. So the Chord was bringing the least analytical performance of the amps mentioned and this is a good thing for those who love a musical amp. The Chord leaves a bit more meat on the bone yet is very dynamic, has punch and slam as well as a super silky and gorgeous midrange performance. Traits we all love in our music reproduction.
No, this is not a meaty dull amp AT ALL but rather a dynamic, powerful sounding amp with drive, focus, punch, dynamics and energy. It’s almost a perfect mix of everything and the vocals? Oh my, they are glorious.
A HiFi Rose RA280 is another amp I have on hand for comparisons. It’s a lovely throwback to the old days with some modern tech. It uses Class D amp tech vs Class A/B or A. This one is great but sounds a little flatter than the Chord. Also, the bass is leaner with the 280. Mids are leaner as well.
Going down to the HiFi Rose RA280 (as seen above) which is a $3k integrated amp that brings some retro vibes, the Chord was more seductive, richer, more three dimensional, more dynamic and musical as well so you are getting more for your money indeed. It was more solid in its foundation for sure but the Chord costs us $8k more, and is more of a luxury brand vs the Rose. While the Rose is amazing for the $2995 price it brings, the Chord sounds more together, refined and smooth vs the all Class D Rose.
Going into the midrange was special as this is where the Chord Ultima weaved its magic. Voices were simply sublime, tangible. palpable and came out somewhat into the space with richness, spatial cues and realism.
The treble was quite smooth and yet detailed, never too much sparkle or too little. It sounded whole, complete and put me into a receptive mood. I was wanting more and more as I was getting into the luxurious sound quality here.
The remote is all metal as well, very solid in feel and it was a breeze to operate the unit with the remote. I love a good remote and the only way this one could be better is if it had lighted buttons. I rarely see that these days but I used to see it a lot with custom remotes from audio brands.
Jacintha is her name is a fantastic sounding album and one I listen to often with new gear.
Listening to Jacintha’s “I’m in the Mood for Love” off of her “Jacintha is her Name” album was a treat. Her voice reached out half way to my seat with a fullness and realness I rarely hear in amplifiers of this kind of pedigree (under $12k). I was using the Icon 12 Speakers from O Audio and my oh my was this quite the experience. The way this amp renders reverb and space is also very good as the soundstage is nice and wide with a more natural kind of imaging.
There is nothing here that is “etched” in fact as most of what I hear is a smooth full bodied midrange with a nice but sweet treble and very controlled but very well done bass. It woke up the 15″ drivers on the Pure Audio Project speakers and drove the Diptyque 115’s with a fullness that was awesome to experience. The finest sound though, for me, came from those Icon 12’s. I will review them soon.
Listening to some jazzy piano and horns the amp delivered the goods yet again. On the “Returnings’ album by Jakob Bro I sat and listened for over an hour one night at around 1am. The sound was just so nice I couldn’t stop listening. The track called “Strands” was sounding just right here.
Going into some Diana Krall with “Cry Me A River” was also a treat. In fact, her voice was sounding so intimate and luxurious with the Chord powering the speakers. I removed the Pure Audio Project speakers and placed in the Diptyque 115’s. These brought out an unreal clean smooth, silky performance and the speakers 100% disappeared. The sound was all over the room but when in the sweet spot Diana was right here with me. The sound was pure, plump in the low end and a real treat. The way the music was being painted was one of beauty and again, showed me that Chord doesn’t make amps that sound cool, fast and lean. The Ultima brings a musical performance yet still brings forth the details we crave, just in a gentler manner. This amp has some glow and drive both and again, truly wonderful bass performance. This is not a wimpy sounding amp and is one I would call “very musical”.
The Weird Stuff
There were a couple of things I thought weird here. First, the volume dial has no way of knowing where it is set, at least with the black model. Well, there is but it is hard to see sometimes. There is a “notch” that exposes more of the light behind the dial but I would rather have a lit up notch on the dial itself. Nothing major, just nitpicking here. Did not take away from my enjoyment in any way.
Also, there is a balance knob as well, to alter the channel balance if needed. There is no indent at 12 o’clock so there is no “exact” center, which is strange. Chord says it will deliver the correct perfect balance if it’s just in the range of being centered. I can say this must be the case as I never notice any balance issue. Why is this here anyway? Well, some people have hearing issues where they hear a bit less in one ear. This control allows one to fix this. I usually do not see balance controls on an amp but some listeners love them.
Conclusion
I spent a few weeks with the Chord Ultima in my home, in my system. I compared it to some big money HiFi in the Nagra setup and while the Chord does not deliver the Nagra or T+A vibe, it delivered its own “Chord Vibe’ which was exciting, juicy, full bodied yet remaining very clear and clean with a healthy dose of warmth in the midrange.
There was a sense of power here that was nice as well so powering speakers I had here from 86DB and up were not an issue in my space. The louder I went the more powerful it sounded, the better it sounded. Setting the volume at 11AM was LOUD with the Duet 15 speakers but sounded so so good, filling my space, every inch of it with full bodied music and gorgeous vocals. This amp created some magic with some serious speakers in the Icon 12’s as well.
This is a unique integrated amp in looks, design and in sound. In looks, it has an industrial design that looks like the future to me. The way the lights work is also cool and reminds me of the Qutest DAC a bit. The way they do the power supply is also unique as it’s a switching power supply vs a linear one but Chord says this power supply is better than using other methods for reasons of heat, noise and more.
This is a high gain amp so you will need only a little volume on the dial to get things pumped up. The Ultima amp has some power and punch behind it as well. Music like EDM, which requires a hefty backbone beat, rocks with the Chord, as does ROCK, METAL and high energy music. It also does well with classical, acoustic instruments and just about all music but any music that needs energy and juice, the Chord delivers this. Vocals, again, are wonderful. Smooth, rich and big in sound. The Ultima can also be used as a preamp going into a power amp, and this is always nice to have on an integrated for future upgrade potential. I hooked it up to my little Nagra Classic Amp as well as a set of mono Class D amps that are in for review. It drove both without an issue and sounded lovely.
The sound of the Ultima is one I would describe as “Seductive” as that is what it brings to the table for me. Some warmth, big body, big dynamics, just enough details for my brain to stay relaxed and focused…it has quite the sound and quite the look. This is not a Class D amp loaded with a cheap DAC and low grade streaming card. It is a full on all analog Class A/B design and the first few watts are actually in Class A, which is always nice.
This integrated amplifier is quite unique and if the looks do it for you I doubt anyone would be disappointed with the sound and ease of use. With several inputs it has you covered for anything you want to hook up though this is a 100% analog amp, so no digital bits inside. No meters. No display at all here. It’s simplicity at its finest and sometimes this can be the ticket to HiFi Gold.
You can find more info or buy a Chord Ultima at Unveiled Audio HERE.
Now you got married with the Nagra stuffs and the Duet 15, there are a lot of beautiful ladies walking around… That’s life!