The volume control is similarly finely tuned in the wide lower range, making it easy to find the desired setting at low listening levels. The Chord Ultima does not feature a numerical display for this setting, as it can be found on my reference amplifier, the Soulnote A2. If we take a look at the rear panel, which is visually dominated by the cooling elements, we can see the two pairs of terminal posts in the centre of the connection panel for accepting speaker cable ends like bananas, spades or bare wires. Above the terminals, the IEC connector is positioned, which allows for an AC supply of 80 to 250 volts. Next to it we see a mini-jack connector providing a 12-volt trigger signal for switching other components on or off at the same time or for a passive use when being driven by another device. Above it, the XLR and RCA connector pairs are located adjacent to each other. The AV XLR output can be connected to a surround control unit if required, while the preamplifier XLR output always carries a signal. Next to it sits the only pair of balanced inputs, followed by the three inputs two to four in unbalanced RCA fashion. Mounted above, there is also a connector for additional earthing. The internal circuit topology of the integrated amplifier is conceived fully balanced, so I am therefore a little surprised that only one balanced input is available here.

But now the time has come to finally listen to the Ultima Integrated. The full-range ribbon loudspeakers from Analysis Audio with their superb fine-resolution capabilities and unproblematic impedance response are ready for testing. In regard to my new Phonar Veritas P 9.2 SE I'll have to wait a little longer for them to arrive. Once in-house, they will also be used for evaluation. With the Analysis Audio ribbon speakers, the Chord Ultima Integrated has an easy time convincing me of its musicality. I've already experienced many amplifiers with these speakers, and I really liked some of them very much. However, my A2 can't quite show off its dynamic qualities here. The Ultima Integrated demonstrates its strength through a deeper spatial imaging and an elaborate analytical differentiation. On the Folkocracy album, I experienced the voices of Rufus Wainwright and his fellow musicians in the fourteen vocal tracks not only with a clearer spatial outline and autonomy, but also with a credible corporeal presence. This is particularly impressive on the Mamas & Papas track "Twelve-Thirty" where the main artist sings alongside Sheryl Crow, Susanna Hoffs and Chris Stills, the son of Steven Stills. A wonderful interpretation of this 60s hit from the head of John Phillips and, in my opinion, one of the rare cover versions that surpasses the original, which is also due to the superior recording quality of Folkocracy. The Chord amplifier renders this song in an enormously lively, multi-layered, three-dimensional and colourful way. It leaves recognizable space between voices and instruments. One ability that is clearly audible is its velocity, which simultaneously draws the music with sensitive accuracy and yet with an impressive wealth of tonal colours. Is this possibly a result of the switching power supply that powers the amplifier? This is executed in a very complex manner and Doug Graham told me that the Ultima Integrated does not need a mains filter of any kind upstream. When I asked whether an upstream Audioquest Niagara, for example, would bring any disadvantages to the sound, I was reassured that this is not the case. During the test, the Chord Ultima performed without a mains filter. Its power supply section features four separate, phase-corrected high-performance power supplies that work together in harmony to impart the Ultima Integrated its high energy levels and fast transient response. The power supply filters the incoming current and generates a high-voltage direct current. This is then chopped up using high-voltage MOSFETs. This waveform is then passed on to a high-frequency transformer with a ceramic core, where it is rectified again. This ceramic-core transformer is able to handle the switching of the clock frequency of the high-frequency power supply unit of 80 kilohertz, which normal toroidal transformers are incapable of. Chord’s proprietary downstream dynamic coupling system enables close coupling of the positive and negative rail voltage by means of a variable "controlling" magnetic field. In the event of a rail voltage peak, this ensures that the same power level is available at any time. This dynamic coupling technology was developed by John Franks and is a cornerstone of Chord's amplifier design. The Ultima technology is based on technical work by Dr Malcolm J. Hawksford (Emeritus Professor at the University of Essex), which was taken up and refined by Bob Cordell of Bell Labs.

At 80 kilohertz, the switching frequency of the power supply is well above the audio signal spectrum and is said to not cause any interference. The technical design subsequently features a capacitor bank consisting of twenty capacitors, because smaller capacitors can charge and discharge faster than large ones, as is the case here. According to Chord, John Franks' error correction topology, which monitors and immediately corrects signals before they reach the output stage, is also a key to the quality of the Ultima Integrated and offers an astonishing signal accuracy. All four inputs feature individual buffering and are filtered against potential high-frequency interference. Switching takes place via microprocessor-controlled sealed relays. The audio signal is processed exclusively in analogue form and is first prepared in the small signal amplifier PCB. Within the power amplifiers, several amplification stages are to be found, known as signal mirrors. A special feature of the Chord Ultima amplifiers is the dual feed-forward error correction, which controls each individual amplifier stage and eliminates any unwanted noise or distortion caused by the amplification process. Each stage amplifies slightly higher up until reaching the MOSFET output stage. In the event of a fault in the system, be it caused by the amplifier or the loudspeakers, protective relays switch off the output. The power MOSFETs were developed by Chord themselves and each of them is a dual-die MOSFET. This means that they are thermally coupled during production to be perfectly matched. Each amplifier is painstakingly handcrafted over a period of several days at The Pumphouse factory in Maidstone, Kent, on the banks of the River Medway.