Chord Electronics a British HiFi manufacture, develop award-winning proprietary processes without compromise; technology at the apogee of its game. They are unapologetically unique: they don’t follow convention, they provide extraordinary sound and a mechanical design to suit your lifestyle.

As with all Chord Electronics products, their avionics heritage inspires only the highest quality: all of their products start life as a single billet of aircraft-grade aluminium. This is just one of the hundreds of processes that help shape their multi-award-winning devices; the same standards, care and attention run through the production of all of Chord electronics units.

When you place an order for a device in the Table Top range and above, your purchase is assigned to an engineer who will begin the process of curating each individual component before carefully crafting the unit to the highest standards. Only once it has passed numerous measured and listening tests, will it qualify for a Chord Electronics name badge. Naturally, this is a bespoke process that takes time, however, during your products’ build, you are more than welcome to ask your retailer any questions that you may have.

The flagship ULTIMA amplifier topology has been integrated into a new mono power amplifier as part of our ongoing 30th-anniversary celebrations, introducing the Chord Electronics ULTIMA 3.

The new ULTIMA amplifier topology (which to date has been exclusive to the range-topping ULTIMA power amp), is now more affordable than ever before having trickled down into the new ULTIMA 3 mono power amp, which is every bit a Chord Electronics thoroughbred and shares the same winning formula as its range-topping cousin.

The new 480-watt ULTIMA 3 replaces the SPM 1400 MKII and sits in the Full Size range.  The amp has been given a remodelled fascia featuring John Franks’ latest design. The precision CNC-machined fascia is made from aircraft-grade aluminium and features a reassuringly solid 28-mm thick front panel, enhanced by a recessed spherical polycarbonate power button that illuminates for standby and operation modes; a discreet and hidden front panel switch neatly located in the vertical split line, enables the lighting to be dimmed.

Like all of 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 also be specified with either the famous stackable Integra Leg system in Jett Black, Argent Silver or Nickel finishes or the highly polished black acrylic side block option. The amplifier’s rear panel contains both balanced and unbalanced connections, high-quality loudspeaker terminals, a 12V trigger and a C-19-type IEC.

Specifications

Inputs:	1× Balanced XLR Inverted Input 1× Balanced XLR Non-inverted Input 1× Gold Plated Unbalanced RCA Inverted Input 1× Gold Plated Unbalanced RCA Non-inverted Input 1× 12V Trigger Input – Chord Electronics Auto Start
Output:	2× Pair of High Quality, High Current, Gold Plated Speaker Terminals (Bi-wireable)
Output Power:	480W RMS per channel @ 0.005% distortion into 8Ω
Frequency Response:	−1dB @ 0.2Hz to 46kHz and −3dB @ 0.1Hz to 200kHz
Signal To Noise Ratio:	Better than −84dB
Input Impedance:	100kΩ Unbalanced / Balanced
Output Impedance:	0.04Ω
Dimensions With Included Integra Legs:	18cm (H) × 48cm (W) × 36cm (D)
Dimensions With Optional Side Blocks:	15cm (H) × 42cm (W) × 36cm (D)
Weight:	22.4kg