Chord Electronics is using HIGH END Vienna 2026 to preview two new stereo power amplifiers before their formal autumn launch: the ULTIMA 7 stereo power amplifier and the Blade, a slimline 0.5U Class G GaN stereo amplifier aimed squarely at the custom installation market.
Both models are British-made, designed by Chord Electronics founder and owner John Franks, and built around the company’s ULTIMA amplifier technology. Full specifications, pricing, and availability will not be announced until September, so consider this a controlled tease rather than the whole menu. Very Chord. Give them credit: they know how to make the audiophile press chase breadcrumbs across Europe.
The timing is also interesting given our recent podcast conversation with Chord Electronics’ Rob Watts, which included more than a few hints about where the company is heading beyond DACs, even if much of the discussion naturally circled back to digital design and the DAVE. These new analogue products suggest Chord is not just polishing its digital crown while the amplifier side waits in the hallway.
We will have more to say after HIGH END Vienna 2026, once we have seen the ULTIMA 7 and Blade in person and Chord decides to release the details everyone actually wants: power output, connectivity, dimensions, pricing, and how much damage they will do to your equipment rack and bank account.
ULTIMA 7: Chord’s New Entry Point
The new ULTIMA 7 stereo power amplifier is designed to visually and physically complement the ULTIMA PRE 3 preamplifier, including matching height, which should make system-building a little cleaner for Chord owners who prefer their racks not to look like a police lineup.
When it launches in September, the ULTIMA 7 will become the most affordable full-width power amplifier in Chord Electronics’ lineup. Chord says the amplifier delivers 135 watts per channel into 8 ohms and uses the company’s Dual Feed Forward error-correction technology, developed to reduce distortion and improve transient response.
Blade: Chord Gets Skinny for CI
The all-new Blade stereo power amplifier might be the more interesting reveal, at least from a market perspective. Chord Electronics is not new to power amplifiers, but a 0.5U-high, rack-mountable Class G GaN stereo amplifieraimed at the custom installation market is a different move for the British brand.
Designed by John Franks, Blade uses an evolved version of Chord’s ULTIMA topology and Dual Feed Forward error-correction technology, developed specifically for this amplifier. According to Chord, that design approach allows the Blade to control vertical MOSFETs in a Class G GaN configuration, delivering high power from a very shallow chassis.
That matters because CI systems are often built around space, heat, reliability, and serviceability as much as sound quality. A slimline Chord amplifier that can slot into architectural audio, stereo, or multichannel installations without demanding half the rack is the real story here.
The Bottom Line
The ULTIMA 7 and Blade are the real news from Chord Electronics at HIGH END Vienna 2026, but for very different reasons. The ULTIMA 7 matters because it will become Chord’s most affordable full-width power amplifier and is designed to match the ULTIMA PRE 3. That gives existing and future Chord owners a cleaner, more logical amplifier option without jumping straight into the deeper end of the ULTIMA pool.
The Blade is the more unexpected product. A 0.5U-high, rack-mountable Class G GaN stereo amplifier built around an evolved ULTIMA topology points Chord toward the custom installation market, where rack space, heat, reliability, and channel density matter as much as raw performance.
Both amplifiers were designed by John Franks and are handmade in Kent, with Franks on-site in Vienna to discuss the products and underlying technology.
Chord is also bringing more than just the two new power amps. The company will show the new Quartet upscaler, which is available to order now, along with the flagship ULTIMA PHONOSTAGE for vinyl listeners. The main reference system will include the DAVE DAC, ULTIMA PRE preamplifier, and ULTIMA 3 mono amplifiers, supported by a Rega RP10 turntable, Innuos music server, and Chord Company cabling.
No loudspeaker has been announced yet. We will find that out on Thursday, along with the bigger question: whether the Blade is just Chord getting thinner for rack installs, or the start of a much broader CI strategy.
Related Reading:
- More HIGH END Vienna 2026 Coverage
- Podcast: Chord DACs & Digital Audio Mysteries With Rob Watts
- Chord Electronics Quartet Upscaler Targets Reference Digital Audio With Advanced Timing Precision
- Chord Electronics Suzi Preamp And Power Amp Aim To Bring Big Sound And Rebellion To Small Desktops
- Chord Electronics’ Alto Headphone/Speaker Amplifier Offers A Level Of Flexibility That Is Unmatched
