The Chord Ultima Integrated stereo amp is a beast and beauty in one

There’s some wonderful design work going on in the world of high-end audio and AV right now. Not only have we recently been treated to a stunner of a receiver from Marantz in the form of the Cinema 30, but British brand Chord Electronics has unleashed a beast of a Ultima Integrated stereo amplifier that’s rather pretty, too.

Previously debuted in 2023, the amp is now available globally, priced at £8,500 in the UK.

It is capable of a total power output of 125W and has been designed by Chord Electronics’ founder John Franks himself. There is dual-feed forward error-correction technology on board, and it features advanced low-distortion power supplies to keep  noise down to a minimum.

There are four inputs on the rear – one set of stereo balanced XLR inputs and three stereo unbalanced RCA connections. A stereo balanced XLR AV bypass input is on offer too.

There’s a single stereo XLR output.

Chord Electronics Ultima Integrated stereo amplifier

The chassis is made from precision-machined aircraft-grade aluminium and is available in silver or black. The front features a spherical on/off power control with polychromatic lighting. Volume and balance dials sit either side.

The top of the unit can also light up, while also providing heat dissipation through its grille. And the system comes with an infra-red remote control.

Chord has been making audiophile-standard Hi-Fi kit since the 1980s and its products are used in many renowned studios around the world, including Abbey Road, Metropolis Studios and Sony Music Studios in New York.

The Chord Electronics Ultima Integrated stereo amplifier is available to order now from specialist retailers. You can head to the company’s own website to find your nearest dealer.

There are other products in its Ultima range to check out too, that also share the neat, aluminium-cased styling of the latest amp, including a mighty Ultima power amplifier that could drive pretty much any speaker set you could possibly imagine.