Chord Alto compact headphone amplifier, angled view (main product image)
Chord Alto compact headphone amplifier, rear panel
Chord Alto compact headphone amplifier, front view
Chord Alto compact headphone amplifier, three-quarter view
Chord

Chord Alto

Sale price$4,320.00

The Chord Electronics Alto is a professional-grade headphone and nearfield monitor amplifier built around Chord's proprietary ULTIMA amplification topology, a 1U rack-mountable unit that drives up to four pairs of headphones simultaneously and delivers 50W per channel for nearfield loudspeakers, tailored specifically for recording and mastering professionals. Made in the UK.

Type and Technology

Desktop and rack-mount headphone and nearfield monitor amplifier, solid-state. ULTIMA circuit topology with dual feed-forward error-correction for exceptional accuracy and low distortion. Four simultaneous headphone outputs: 2x 6.35mm, 1x 3.5mm, 1x 4.4mm balanced. 50W per channel into 4 ohms for nearfield loudspeaker drive. Balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA inputs. Balanced XLR throughput outputs for external monitor control. 1U rack-mountable. Remote control included.

Sound Character

Clinical accuracy and effortless headroom in the Chord ULTIMA tradition. The Alto delivers 2,250mW into 100 ohms for headphones and 50W into 4 ohms for nearfield monitors from the same chassis, with 0.001% THD on headphones and 0.003% on speakers. SNR of 119.6dB means the noise floor is essentially inaudible even with sensitive studio headphones. An ideal companion for reference-neutral headphones like the Audeze MM-500 or DCA Aeon 2.

Build and Finish

1U rack form factor at 200mm x 44.5mm x 215mm. Stackable for studio installation. Balanced and unbalanced inputs with XLR bypass outputs for system integration. Auto-switching voltage for worldwide use.

Best For

Recording engineers, mastering studios, and professional creators who need to monitor through multiple headphone pairs simultaneously with reference-quality amplification.

What's in the Box

  • Chord Alto amplifier
  • Remote control
  • Power cable
  • Documentation

Specifications

Specification Value
Type Professional headphone and nearfield monitor amplifier
Topology ULTIMA dual feed-forward error correction
Output power (speakers) 50W into 4 ohms
Output power (headphones) 2,250mW into 100 ohms
THD (speakers) 0.003% into 4 ohms
THD (headphones) 0.001% into 100 ohms
SNR 119.6 dB
Frequency response 6 Hz - 60 kHz
Headphone outputs 2x 6.35mm, 1x 3.5mm, 1x 4.4mm balanced
Rack format 1U, 19" rack-mountable
Operating voltage 80-250V AC auto-switching
Dimensions (W x H x D) 200 x 44.5 x 215 mm

What Reviewers Say

GoldenSound reviews and measures the Chord Alto, exploring its four headphone outputs and speaker drive across a range of loads.