Preamplifiers — Chord ULTIMA PRE

The ULTIMA PRE is the top analogue preamplifier of Chord Electronics, designed to partner the ULTIMA mono power amplifier at the top of the Kent company's range. Chord describes it as the product of three decades of in-house amplifier development, and each unit is hand-built at the factory in Kent with every stage of production overseen by one technician. It uses a double-height chassis milled from aircraft-grade aluminium and stands on the Integra leg system.

Key specs that matter

There are eight stereo inputs, four balanced XLR and four unbalanced RCA, plus a balanced XLR AV bypass input, and three stereo outputs available on both XLR and RCA. Input impedance is 100 kohm and output impedance is 100 ohms. Frequency range extends from 2.5 Hz to 200 kHz (+/-3 dB), THD is 0.002% from 20 Hz to 20 kHz and signal-to-noise exceeds 117 dB on all inputs. Channel separation is 110 dB at 20 Hz and 105 dB at 1 kHz, and channel balance is within 0.01 dB. Maximum input and output levels are 17 V RMS balanced and 8.5 V RMS unbalanced, with 0 mV output offset. The chassis measures 420 x 310 x 355 mm.

Engineering and use context

The preamplifier uses true dual-mono construction with a separate high-frequency switch-mode power supply for each channel, the approach Chord has used in its amplifiers for decades, which keeps the channels electrically apart. Circuitry is fully balanced, the signal path is entirely analogue, and every input and output is buffered so that source and load impedances do not interact with the volume stage. Volume is set by an ALPS Blue Velvet potentiometer. Sensitive circuits sit under solid milled aluminium shields that block radio frequency interference. Separate controls on the fascia adjust the frequency balance of left and right channels independently, and a front headphone output is included. The unit is convection cooled with no fans, carries 12 V trigger input and output, includes an illuminated top ring and comes with an IR remote.

Pairing

The low output impedance and high balanced output level make long balanced cable runs to monoblocks practical, and let it feed several power amplifiers at once through its three outputs, which suits bi-amplified or active systems. The ULTIMA mono and ULTIMA 3 amplifiers are the intended partners, but the high-impedance inputs accept any source. The AV bypass input integrates a surround processor at unity gain.

Alternatives

Chord's ULTIMA PRE 3 offers five inputs in a lower-height chassis for systems that need fewer connections.