PRESS RELEASE: EMBARGOED UNTIL 11.00 UTC ... - Audio T...Chord Electronics Ltd is a world-leading...
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1 PRESS RELEASE: EMBARGOED UNTIL 11.00 UTC NOVEMBER 9 TH 2018 ULTIMA: the most accomplished amplifier in Chord Electronics’ 30-year history Next-generation mono power amp and new preamp set new standards for performance and sound quality; ULTIMA to make its UK debut at The Hi-Fi Show Live 2018 , Old Windsor (November 10 th /11 th ); £30,000 (each) 9th November 2018, Kent, UK: With its 30th anniversary year fast approaching, Chord Electronics has launched ULTIMA, a new state-of-the-art flagship amplifier featuring John Franks’ latest circuit topology, the first all-new design in three decades. ULTIMA is the ultimate expression of the finest high-performance, ultra-fast, ultra-high-power amplifier technology available today. Comprising a reference-quality preamp and two mono power amplifiers (all £30,000 each), ULTIMA is Chord Electronics’ most accomplished amplifier in its 30-year history and one that draws on the company’s three decades of research, design and engineering in Great Britain. The ULTIMA mono power amplifiers have been designed and engineered for the very finest hi-fi systems, those which by their very nature, have the most demanding and difficult-to-drive speakers.
Transcript of PRESS RELEASE: EMBARGOED UNTIL 11.00 UTC ... - Audio T...Chord Electronics Ltd is a world-leading...
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PRESSRELEASE:EMBARGOEDUNTIL11.00UTCNOVEMBER9TH2018
ULTIMA:themostaccomplishedamplifierinChordElectronics’30-yearhistoryNext-generationmonopowerampandnewpreampsetnewstandardsforperformanceandsoundquality;ULTIMAtomakeitsUKdebutatTheHi-FiShowLive2018,OldWindsor(November10th/11th);£30,000(each)
9thNovember2018,Kent,UK:Withits30thanniversaryyearfastapproaching,ChordElectronics
haslaunchedULTIMA,anewstate-of-the-artflagshipamplifierfeaturingJohnFranks’latestcircuittopology,thefirstall-newdesigninthreedecades.ULTIMAistheultimateexpressionofthefinesthigh-performance,ultra-fast,ultra-high-poweramplifiertechnologyavailabletoday.
Comprisingareference-qualitypreampandtwomonopoweramplifiers(all£30,000each),ULTIMA
isChordElectronics’mostaccomplishedamplifierinits30-yearhistoryandonethatdrawsonthecompany’sthreedecadesofresearch,designandengineeringinGreatBritain.
TheULTIMAmonopoweramplifiershavebeendesignedandengineeredfortheveryfinesthi-fisystems,thosewhichbytheirverynature,havethemostdemandinganddifficult-to-drivespeakers.
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ULTIMA’stechnologyisbasedonatechnicalpaperbyDrMalcolmJHawksford(emeritusprofessoratEssexUniversity)whichwastakenupandrefinedbyBobCordellofBellLabs.ChordElectronics’
ownerandChiefDesigner,JohnFranks,thentookthetheoryanddevelopedittoamuchhigherlevel;aprogressionofCordell’sadvanceddual-feedforwarderror-correctiontopologyincorporatingFranks’ownadvancedconceptsinultra-high-frequencypowersupplies,whichhavebeena
cornerstoneofthecompany’sproprietary-technologyamplifierssinceitsinceptionin1989.
Each86kgmonoamplifierispainstakinglyhand-builtattheriversideKentfactory,ThePumphouse,overaperiodofseveraldays,witheachbuildoverseenbyadedicatedengineer.ChordElectronics’
renownedaircraft-gradesolidaluminiumcaseworkoffersareassuringlyhigh-endandentirelynon-resonantenclosurefortheelectronics.ThecaseworkisneatlycomplementedbytheuniqueIntegraLegsystemwhichoffersbothstrikingvisualsandtheabilitytostackwithvariousotherfull-size
ChordElectronicsproductsaswellastheChoralunits,suchastheDAVEDAC/preampandBLUMKIICD/digitaltransport,whenusingthededicatedChoralEnsemblestand.
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AbouttheULTIMApreamp
Designedtobeentirelyuncompromising,theULTIMApreampisaworld-classsolutionwithcutting-edgeproprietarytechnology.Itbenefitsfromtruedual-monoconstructionwithseparateultra-high-
frequencypowersuppliesforeachchannel,givingthebestpossibleseparation.WiththeadditionofChordElectronics’low-noisecircuitry,noisefloorperformanceisexceptional,atbeyond-135dB.
TheULTIMApreampincludesthreepairsoffullybalancedoutputsandthreeunbalancedoutputs;inputsincludefourunbalancedandfourbalancedwithsix-stepgainadjustment;selectionismade
viaremotecontrolorfromthefrontpanel,whichuniquelyfeaturesseparatefrequencyEQadjustcontrolsfortheleftandrightchannels.
Internally,eachofthepowersuppliesandthesensitivevolume,balanceandEQcontrols,aresurroundedbysolidmilledaluminiumshieldingtopreventRFinterference.FullybalancedA/VbypasscircuitryallowsdirectconnectiontoA/Vprocessors.Furtherfeaturesincludedefeatable
frontpanelVUmeterswithBBCballistics,twolow-distortion,low-noisefront-panelheadphoneoutputjacksand12Vremotetriggeringoutputs.
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AbouttheULTIMAmonopoweramp
ChordElectronics’proprietaryamplifiertechnologyhasseennumerousrefinementsandupdatesoverthepast30years,however,ULTIMAreceivesJohnFranks’all-newcircuittopology,thefirst
completelynewdesignsincethecompanysupplieditsfirstcustomer,TheBBC,in1989.
ChordElectronicslookedatBobCordell’saforementionedworkfromthe1980sbeforedevelopinganinitialdesignthatincorporatedbothhistopologyaswellasJohnFranks’award-winning,time-provenamplifiertech;thenestedfeed-forwardandglobalfeedbackallowedforChordElectronics’
custom-designeddualsilicondieMOSFEToutputtransistorstoperformuniquelywell.
Thenewdual-feed-forwarderror-correctionamplifiertechnologywasfirstimplementedonamediumscaleintheEtudepoweramp(fromtheChoralrange,unveiledatHighEnd,Munichin2018).Realisingitssignificantbenefits,ChordElectronicsstartedworkonareplacementcircuitfor
itsrangeofuncompromisingfull-sizemonoamplifiers,ULTIMAbeingthelargest,mostadvancedandmostpowerfulintheportfolio.
TheULTIMAmonoamplifierunithasanincredible64proprietaryMOSFETpowerdevicesthatdemandthemostadvancedandrefineddrivecircuitry,suitablydevoidofsound-degrading
components.Thedrivecircuitryfeaturesanultra-low-distortion,high-voltageamplifieroperatingatveryhighspeed:300voltspermicrosecondtechnologieswithadvancedfeed-forwardandfeedbackcompensationtechniques.ItalsobenefitsfromChordElectronics’TO3-styledualdielateralmatched
MOSFETs,whicharecontinuouslymonitoredwithoutputstageerror-correctioncircuitryandfeaturefullybalancedinputcircuitrywithDC-trackingservosandfulltemperaturecompensation.
ULTIMAisincrediblypowerfulandoffers780wattsinto8ohms,1,400wattsinto4ohmsand2,500wattsinto2ohms.ULTIMA’speakoutputcurrentexceeds500amps,anextremelyhighcurrent
differentiatedbythespeedatwhichthedynamicpeakscanbedelivered,bringingastonishingdynamics,fidelityandunrivalledmusicality.ULTIMAistrulyanunprecedentedamplifierdesignwith
exceptionalperformanceandisoneofthemostadvancedhi-fiamplifiersintheworld.
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Technicalspecifications
ULTIMApreamp
FrequencyRange:2.5Hz–200kHz+/-3dBTotalHarmonicDistortion:0.0008%20Hz–20kHzIntermodulationDistortion:-125dBonallinputsSignaltoNoiseRatio:-125dBonallinputsChannelBalance:0.01dBInputMaxVoltage:17VRMSBalanced–8.5VRMSUnbalancedOutputMaxVoltage:17VRMSBalanced–8.5VRMSUnbalancedOutputOffset:0mV(BothChannels)PotentiometerPerformance:0dB0.5dB,-20dB0.2dB,-60dB0.24dB(13secondsFullTravel)NominalGain:Allinputssubjecttosixlevelsofswitchablegain(x0.5,x1,x1.5,x2,x2.5,x3)InputImpedance:100kΩbalanced–50kΩunbalancedOutputImpedance:100Ω(ShortCircuitProtected)OperatingVoltage:85V–270VAC(50Hz–60Hz)AutoSwitchingPowerConsumption:15WChannelseparation:98dBVDimensionsWithoutIntegraLegs:420mm(w)x355mm(d)x310mm(h)DimensionsWithIncludedIntegraLegs:480mm(w)x355mm(d)x350mm(h)Weight:30kg
ULTIMAmonopoweramp
OutputPower:[email protected]%distortioninto8Ω,1,400RMSperchannelinto4Ω;waveformcontinuousat5Hzto20kHzTotalharmonicdistortion0.0005percent(at1V)10Hzto20kHz(8-or4-ohmloaded)Phaseintermodulationdistortion:0.0005percentInterfaceintermodulationdistortionat75percentratedpowerinto8ohmsresistiveloadwas0.0002percentat1kHzPeakoutputcurrent:exceeds500amperesFrequencyResponse:0.1dBVfrom5Hzto100kHzanyloadingbetween4and8ohmsSignaltoNoiseRatio:Betterthan-103dBInputImpedance:100kΩUnbalanced/BalancedOutputImpedance:<0.01ΩGain:30dBDimensionsWithoutIntegraLegs:420mm(w)x670mm(d)x310mm(h)DimensionsWithIncludedIntegraLegs:480mm(w)x670(d)x350mm(h)Weight:86kg
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Priceandavailability
ULTIMApre£30,000;ULTIMAmonopoweramps£30,000(each);bothareavailablenow
Images
High-resimageshere
Technicalpresentation
Awhitepaperisavailableonrequest
Presscontact
DanGeorge+44(0)[email protected]
ChordElectronicscontactsforpublication
Tel:+44(0)1622721444Email:[email protected]:www.chordelectronics.co.uk
AboutChordElectronicsLtd
ChordElectronicsLtdisaworld-leadingmanufacturerofhigh-performancehi-fiandaudioproducts.Since1989,fromitsspectacularriversidebaseinKent,England,ChordElectronicshasbeencreatingsomeoftheplanet’sfinesthi-fi,homecinemaandprofessionalaudioequipment.Atechnology-driveninnovator,ChordElectronicscontinuestodeliverexcellencethroughexemplaryaudioengineering,cutting-edgedesignandatrueaestheticunderstanding.
ChordElectronicsistrustedandadmiredinternationallyanditsglobalcustomerbaseincludes:AbbeyRoadStudios(London);SonyMusicStudios(NewYork)andSkywalkerSound(California).ForanextensiveclientlistandmoreinformationonthefullChordElectronicsrange,pleasevisitwww.chordelectronics.co.uk
