Chord Electronics Ultima 3 Preamplifier amplifier

You want your first Ultima preamplifier, you have a handful of sources, and there may be a home-cinema processor in the same room. Pre 3 is not a stripped-down Pre 2 — it was drawn from the ground up around Chord's latest low-distortion power supplies. Five inputs, two balanced and three not, each buffered separately and filtered against radio interference — and that is the part that counts in a house full of wifi and phones: the silence stays silent. An AV bypass lets the cinema straight through, on the back a USB port simply charges a phone, and the new volume knob is a pleasure to turn. Twelve and a half kilos. No headphone output and no recording loop — for those there is the Pre 2 — and a turntable still asks for a phono stage in front.

Specifications

Gain	x1
Input impedance	100 kΩ
Output impedance	560 Ω
Frequency response	10 Hz-200 kHz +/- 3 dB
THD	0.002 % 20Hz-20 kHz
Signal-to-noise ratio	-105 dB on all inputs
Channel separation	100 dB
Inputs	2x stereo balanced XLR inputs, 3x stereo unbalanced RCA, 1x stereo balanced XLR AV bypass input
Outputs	1x stereo XLR, 1x stereo RCA, 1x 5 V charging USB Type-A port, 1x 12 V trigger output/input
Maximum input voltage	10 V RMS
Maximum output voltage	17 V RMS
Operating voltage	80-250 V AC auto-switching
Power consumption	40 W
Dimensions, with Integra legs	13 cm(H) x 48 cm(W) x 34 cm(D)
Dimensions, with side blocks	10 cm(H) x 42 cm(W) x 34 cm(D)
Weight	12.7 kg
Finishes	Black; Silver
In the box	ULTIMA PRE 3 Quickstart guide; Safety instructions; 10A Mains IEC cable; IR system remote control; 2x AAA batteries