Award-winning British amplification and digital audio expert, Chord Electronics, will be demonstrating its new ULTIMA 3 mono power amplifiers for the first time in the UK at The UK Hi-Fi Show Live 2019.
Three decades in development, the ULTIMA-technology amplifiers distil 30 years of UK amplifier design, engineering and manufacturing into a range boasting unprecedented resolution, transparency and dynamics.
The Kent-based company will be introducing the myriad sonic benefits of its new dual-feed-forward power amp technology, which also incorporates MD John Franks’ own advanced concepts in ultra-high-frequency power supplies. Chord Electronics’ show system will also include its flagship front-end, the BLU MKII digital/CD transport, which includes the company’s latest FPGA-based 768KHz upscaling technology, its reference-level DAC, DAVE, plus the company’s CPA5000 preamp.
The British-made electronics will be joined by (fellow Maidstonian) KEF’s Blade 2 loudspeakers and Chord Company’s flagship ChordMusic cables in a remarkable ‘Best of British’ system that celebrates some of the best British audio engineering available while echoing the event’s high-end ethos.
First unveiled in October 2018, the new ULTIMA amplifier topology (which originally was exclusive to the range-topping £30,000 ULTIMA power amp), is now more affordable than ever having trickled down into the new ULTIMA 3 mono power amps (£11,000 each).
Sharing the same Chord Electronics’ DNA as the flagship ULTIMA, the new 480-watt ULTIMA 3 is a direct replacement for the company’s SPM 1400 MKII and sits in the Full Size range. The new amplifier has been redesigned with a remodelled fascia featuring Chord Electronics’ MD, owner and Chief Designer, John Franks’, latest design.
The new precision-machined fascia is made from aircraft-grade aluminium and features a reassuringly solid 28 mm-thick front panel, enhanced by a recessed spherical power button which illuminates for both operation and standby modes. A hidden front-panel switch, neatly located in the vertical split line, enables the lighting to be dimmed if required.
Like all Chord Electronics’ Full Size and Reference range amplifiers, the new ULTIMA 3 is available in a choice of Jett Black or Argent Silver finishes. The amplifier can be specified with either the famous stackable Integra Leg system (above) in Jett Black, Argent Silver or Nickel finishes or the highly polished black acrylic side block option. The amp offers both balanced and unbalanced connections plus high-quality loudspeaker terminals.
The ULTIMA topology is a state-of-the-art design featuring John Franks’ latest circuit creation, the first all-new design in three decades. ULTIMA is the ultimate expression of the finest high-performance, ultra-fast, high-power amplifier technology available today.
