Steve Huff Is Seduced by the Chord Electronics Ultima Integrated Amplifier
Posted by The Sound Organisation on Feb 25th 2025
With it's futuristic build, sleek stainless steel case, and enthralling colored lights, it's not hard to get mesmerized by the Chord Electronics Ultima Integrated amplifier. Bursting on the scene in 2024, the Ultima Integrated has captured the eyes, hearts, and ears of nearly everyone who has had the pleasure of plugging it into their listening system. Steve Huff, no stranger to Chord's DAC capabilities, was excited for his opportunity to take it for a spin. He finally got his chance recently and shared his experiences in a recent review.
Steve Huff's review of the Chord Ultima Integrated Amp opens with an immediate appreciation for its distinctive and bold aesthetic. Manufactured by the British firm Chord Electronics, this all-analog integrated amplifier shares its chassis with the Ultima Pre 3 preamp, reflecting a commitment to both visual and sonic excellence. Drawing upon his positive experiences with Chord's previous digital-to-analog converters (DACs), Huff positions the Ultima Integrated—priced at $11,700—within the competitive high-end audio landscape, where it contends with established brands such as Luxman and McIntosh. The review unit he received, finished in black, was rigorously evaluated against Huff's reference Nagra setup. While acknowledging the Nagra's superior performance in certain areas, Huff emphasizes the Ultima's unique sonic signature and design advantages, particularly given its more accessible price point.
The review underscores the Chord Ultima's strategic positioning within the market, offering a compelling synthesis of design, features, and performance. He draws comparisons to other integrated amplifiers, including the Yamaha AS3200 and Luxman 509Z, with a focus on the Ultima's refined, detailed, and dynamically engaging sound reproduction. He also makes note that some high-end integrateds don't have the build quality or performance that their price would suggest, but that is not the case with the Ultima Integrated.
Huff commends the Chord Ultima Integrated for its exceptional design, robust build quality, and expansive, smooth sound. He provides a comprehensive overview of the amplifier's specifications, noting it has some great power output delivering 125 watts per channel into 8 ohms. He touches briefly on the other technical specs and input/output configurations, while also elucidating Chord Electronics' underlying design philosophy. The Ultima's illuminated sphere and volume control, which dynamically shift in color to indicate mode and input selection, further enhance its user experience and add to it's sci-fi mystique.
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.
The review culminates in a detailed analysis of the Ultima Integrated's sonic characteristics, highlighting its rich, full-bodied sound, exquisite midrange clarity, and smooth, extended treble response. Huff praises its ability to accurately convey spatial cues and reverberation, creating a wide and natural soundstage. As an all-analog Class A/B design, the amplifier provides a distinctive and highly enjoyable listening experience, making it a compelling choice for audiophiles seeking both performance and value.
"[T]he 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."
For those looking to truly upgrade their listening experience while staying in the $11k range, the Chord Electronics Ultima Integrated can't be beat. As Steve mentions, when compared to other reference-level integrateds, the Ultima can get you that near-six-figure performance at a low five-figure price. And, when you combine the sonic performance with the build quality and design aesthetics, you'd be hard pressed to find anything that can rival the Chord Electronics Ultima Integrated amplifier.