Video: Chord Ultima Integrated Amplifier Review
Client Name
Living Entertainment
Date
February 2025
Category
Video
Review written by Nat Dobbie
Many of you probably know Chord more for their headphone amplifiers and DACs, such as the Mojo, Mojo 2, Qutest, Hugo, Dave, etc. That’s long been the stronger side of their business, or at least their more popular products. You could attribute that to their more affordable lineup. But Chord has been making premium, high-end components for quite a while now.
What makes this particular product special is that for a long time, Chord hasn't had a premium integrated amp. They've focused on pre- and power-amplifiers. I want to cover how the Ultima sounded on three different speakers:
Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series 804 D4s
KEF Reference 3
Monitor Audio Platinum 200s (their latest speaker)
Before I get into how the Ultima sounded on those speakers, let’s talk a bit about the tech specs, inputs, and outputs. As mentioned, it’s an integrated all-analog amplifier. It has three line inputs and one balanced XLR input.
Now, some of you might ask: why not more at this price point? Well, at this level, many people are looking for a purist amplifier. And especially with Chord, where they make separate high-grade digital-to-analog converters, you can see their thinking here.
Power-wise, it’s 125 watts per channel at 8 ohms. There's currently no published spec for 4-ohm output.
The front has an input selector that cycles through colors: yellow, green, blue, red, when you click the button.
The center button (or the swiveling ball) is the power button. On the other side, you’ve got a balance rotary knob to adjust the left/right output if needed.
Aesthetically, Chord doesn’t play by the rules. Most of their products are really “outside the box.” I can’t say this as fact, but it feels like a single person's vision, not something designed by committee. They're bold and divisive, but I respect that. It makes them stand out from the endless stream of black boxes on the market.
That said, I will nitpick: their color-coding system across products can be confusing. I never remember which color is for which input or filter, and I end up checking a manual or cycling through them each time. Maybe your brain works better with that, mine doesn’t!
It comes in silver or black finishes, and the material is solid milled aluminum, beautifully done. From the top, the actual amplifier case is quite compact, with the surrounding structure acting almost like an exoskeleton. That design helps with stacking other Chord components.
Now, let’s talk sound.
If you’re familiar with Chord’s sonic signature, you'll know it leans toward transparency, clarity, and air. It’s what many call an “audiophile” sound, a clear window into the music. I expected much of the same here, but the Ultima surprised me. Yes, the signature is there, but it’s a little different, perhaps less focused on upper treble and more focused on the mids, compared to other Chord components I've heard. But, there’s still a slight leanness to the overall sound if you don’t match your source and speakers carefully.
That’s why we experiment here, to make sure the final system suits your listening preferences.
Our Test Setup:
We used the PS Audio AirLens connected to the PS Audio DirectStream DAC Mk2. I chose this source because I like my music a little smoother and more natural, not pushed too hard at the extremes. It was a great front-end to test the amp across the three speaker pairs.
Bowers & Wilkins 804 D4
What we got from this mix was vocal clarity, the vocals popped. There was also a lot of treble overhang, cymbals rang out beautifully, and drum skins decayed naturally. But what we didn’t get was a full-bodied lushness in the mids and bass. It leaned slightly edgy at times and lacked a bit of richness. If you’ve got subs or can EQ the low end, it could be a good match, but for this review, we’re focusing on speaker-amp synergy only. For context, we previously listened to the 804s with a McIntosh MA7200, and it was a very different experience.
Monitor Audio Platinum 200s
This was almost the opposite of the Bowers. We got more bottom-end, more lushness. Vocals were less forward but carried more soul, it sounded rich, sultry, and musical.
Was it as crystal clear as the Bowers? No. Did notes ring out or decay as long? Also no. But what I loved was the engagement. I found myself bobbing along, foot-tapping, moving with the music. And for me, that’s a huge win.
KEF Reference 3 Metas
This setup hit the perfect balance.
Notes rang out and decayed naturally.
Bass was full and textured.
Vocals were super clean—but still had soul.
And most importantly, I kept listening, longer than I did with the others. I played more tracks, stayed more engaged. That's usually the best sign that you've hit on a great combo. Also, the KEFs didn’t need to be toed in as much and filled the room beautifully. In a bigger space, that’s a real bonus. This was my favorite pairing with the Ultima, hands down.
Final Thoughts
So, whether or not the aesthetics of the Ultima are your thing, the sonic quality absolutely will be.
It has:
Beautiful timbre
Fast, well-paced bass (or “PRaT,” if you like)
A refined, balanced presentation
And it gives you a lot of what you'd get from Chord’s full pre/power stack, in one box
It’s not cheap, but in that context, it's actually something of a bargain.
