Chord Electronics' Made-for-Studio Alto Now Available to All

Studio-made Alto now accessible to all

Once exclusive to studios, the ULTIMA-based Alto headphone/monitor amp is now available!

11 November 2024, Kent, England: Chord Electronics has made its exclusive Alto headphone/speaker amplifier, which was previously reserved for the pro audio industry, accessible to the public for the first time (£3,000).

First introduced at the NAMM Show in California this January, as part of the Chord Electronics Pro range, the Alto was designed specifically for recording and mastering studio engineers to meet the exacting demands of critical monitoring.

The compact analogue amplifier delivers the company’s signature high-transparency, low-distortion ULTIMA amplification to both loudspeakers and headphones. With its compact dimensions and portability, the Alto has also been a game-changer for professionals, allowing engineers to easily move it between studios and production facilities.

Since its debut, the demand from customers, dealers, and the audiophile community for a public release has been overwhelming; Chord Electronics has now fulfilled that demand.

The Alto is a meticulously designed headphone and nearfield monitor amplifier, capable of driving up to four pairs of headphones and smaller loudspeakers. Notably, it marks the first Chord Electronics product to include a 4.4 mm Pentaconn TRRRS output (pseudo balanced), catering to the increasing popularity of balanced transmission in high-end headphones.

The Alto features four fascia-mounted headphone outputs, powered by founder/owner John Franks’ acclaimed ULTIMA technology. It features one 3.5 mm output; two 6.35 mm (1/4-inch); plus a single 4.4 mm Pentaconn. The array of outputs, not only facilitates easy A/B comparisons, but also allows multiple users to listen simultaneously.

For loudspeakers, the Alto delivers 25 watts into 8 ohms (50 watts into 4 ohms), with the transparency, speed and low distortion for which the ULTIMA amplifier topology is renowned. Stereo banana plug outputs are provided on the rear panel, accommodating all but the largest loudspeaker plugs.

The Alto’s ULTIMA topology introduces the company’s dual-feed-forward error-correction technology, which monitors then immediately corrects signals before the output stage.

Compact yet powerful, the Alto’s dimensions—slightly larger than A5—make it easy to place in any audio system, including desktop set-ups, living spaces and dedicated hi-fi systems.

The twin-input design benefits from both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA inputs, as well as balanced XLR outputs for bypass/throughput to other devices. The balanced XLR output can also be used in conjunction with headphones or loudspeakers in joint output mode.

The fascia panel includes volume control, power on/off and input selection controls, with Chord Electronics’ signature colour-changing LEDs indicating power status and input/output choice. A remote control is also supplied for added convenience.

As with all of Chord Electronics’ products, the Alto’s casework is precision-machined from aircraft-grade aluminium, with high-quality anodising undertaken locally.

The Chord Electronics Pro Alto is handmade in the same Kent (England) factory, alongside the rest of the Chord Electronics portfolio, by the same engineers and technicians.

Commenting on the Alto, Chord Electronics’ founder, owner and chief designer, John Franks, said: “The new Alto offers levels of performance not yet seen in any headphone/nearfield-monitor amplifier. It features our advanced ULTIMA circuit topology to give this new amplifier the high-energy power levels and fast transient power that Chord Electronics’ products are known for.”

Technical specifications

Output power: 50 W into 4 Ω
Frequency response: 6 Hz-60 kHz
Signal to noise ratio: 119.6 dB
Inputs: 1x XLR (stereo pair); 1x RCA (stereo pair)
Outputs: 4x headphone (1x 3.5 mm; 2x 6.35 mm, 1x Pentaconn 4.4 mm TRRRS); stereo loudspeaker pair (bananas); 1x XLR (bypass/external)
Dimensions: WxHxD: 200 x 44.45 x 215 mm