Chord Electronics Anni
Built for desktop listening, the Anni delivers clean, articulate headphone sound with tight, authoritative bass, stable imaging and a generous touch of tonal richness. What Hi-Fi? found it exceptional at the desk, while HiFi News highlighted its smooth, dynamic grip across headphones and compact speakers. Its petite, solid chassis makes a sophisticated nearfield system feel genuinely full-scale.
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Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
90/100
Build Quality
89/100
Features Usability
83/100
Value for Money
84/100
Pros
Clean, detailed and dynamically engaging presentation with stable, expansive imaging.
Controlled, authoritative bass combines solidity with agility and tonal richness.
Highly capable headphone amplifier that drives a broad range of headphones with conviction.
Exceptionally compact, sturdy CNC-milled metal construction suits a premium desktop system.
Cons
Its 10W output limits speaker performance at high levels and demands suitable, efficient speakers for best results.
Analogue-only connectivity is limited to two RCA inputs, with no built-in DAC or digital inputs.
The compact chassis runs hot, so it needs clear ventilation space.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 90/100
Reviewers consistently describe a clean, articulate and spacious presentation with substantial detail, stable imaging and a welcome balance of warmth and control. The compact Anni has notably convincing drive with a broad range of headphones, though one review reported audible hum in its desktop setup and several note that ultimate output is finite when it is pushed hard.
Transparency Resolution
93/100
What Hi-Fi? found the Anni clean, clear and articulate, digging up plenty of information in an organised, controlled manner. HiFi News likewise heard insight, timbral detail and air, while MajorHiFi praised its nuanced, articulate ability to clean up the sound.
Tonal Balance Musicality
92/100
The presentation is described as cleanly neutral rather than plush, but with sweetness, smoothness and welcome low-bass warmth. MajorHiFi particularly liked its blend of warmth and cleanliness, including a gentle softening of treble peaks that made brighter headphones easier to enjoy.
Dynamics
91/100
Reviewers repeatedly praise the Anni's snappy, engaging and dynamic character, with controlled bass and strong musical impetus. It drove difficult headphones easily for MajorHiFi and remained expressive with demanding material for What Hi-Fi?, although it becomes uncomfortable relatively quickly at its limits in speaker use.
Noise Floor
80/100
Most reviews concentrate on clarity and control rather than background noise. Future Audiophile did report audible hum in its setup, which Chord suggested could be related to nearby electronics or power sources; there is no comparable reviewer evidence of hiss with headphones.
Headphone Compatibility
92/100
The Anni was praised for driving everything from portable Sennheisers to Oppo PM-1s, Dan Clark AEON 2s and other power-hungry headphones with ease. It offers both 3.5mm and 6.35mm headphone sockets and can run multiple pairs, while reviewers agree its limitations are more relevant to demanding loudspeaker use than headphone listening.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
89/100
The small metal chassis is widely regarded as exceptionally sturdy, with Future Audiophile calling it among the best-built audio components it had encountered. StereoNET also praised the CNC-milled aluminium casework, but found the volume control less premium than expected; several reviews note that the compact enclosure runs warm.
Features Usability
83/100
This is an intentionally focused analogue desktop amplifier, with two RCA inputs, 3.5mm and 6.35mm headphone outputs, speaker terminals and a useful 12V output for matching Chord components. Headphone insertion automatically mutes the speakers, but there is no DAC, digital input, remote control or broad source connectivity.
Value for Money
84/100
At roughly $1,795 or £1,195-£1,300, the Anni commands a meaningful premium for its compact, analogue-only design. What Hi-Fi? felt the Qutest/Anni combination justified its premium through greater composure and authority, while StereoNET and Future Audiophile questioned its value against more fully featured alternatives.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
Specifications
- Power Output
- 10 W 8 ohms
- THD
- 0.02%
- Signal to Noise
- -92 dB
- Noise floor
- -110 dB
- Frequency response
- 5 Hz – 60 Khz (-3 dB)
- Dimensions
- 160 mm (W) x 42.50 (H) mm x 96.60 (D) mm
- Weight
- 625 g
Manufacturer's Description — Chord Electronics
Anni is our first-ever desktop integrated amplifier. Capable of driving both headphones and compact loudspeakers, Anni benefits from the company’s proprietary ULTIMA circuit topology and is perfectly positioned to exploit the full potential of today’s high-performance headphones, desktop monitors and high-resolution audio sources.
The new Anni desktop integrated amplifier forms part of the Qutest range and seamlessly complements the resolving abilities of the multi-award-winning Qutest standalone DAC and Huei phono stage. As a system, the Qutest components provide an unrivalled desktop audio solution, offering class-leading digital and analogue technologies for the modern music lover. The company’s compact QSS (Qutest Stand System) modular equipment rack provides the perfect support, too.
Anni offers the recently announced dual-feed-forward error-correction circuit topology whether using headphones or compact loudspeakers. Anni’s advanced technology allows it to drive any headphone load, error-monitored and compensated amplification at all times.
Benefitting from both 3.5 mm headphone outputs and ¼-inch (6.35 mm) outputs, so two can listen simultaneously, plus 4 mm banana-type loudspeaker outputs, Anni delivers 10 watts of quality ULTIMA amplification, controlled by a fascia-mounted volume control that also doubles as an input selector switch for Anni’s two line-level inputs. A two-stage gain control for loudspeakers provides additional flexibility with a wide range of desktop monitors.
Next-generation Dual Feed Forward amp topology
Powerful headphone amp with 3.5 mm and 6.35 mm outputs
4 mm (banana) loudspeaker outputs
Gain control
Two line inputs
Key Features
10 w into 8Ω
Class AB Sliding Bias
HF Switch Mode Power Supply
Trickle down Ultima technology
Unbalanced RCA Inverted Inputs
3.5 mm and 6.35 mm headphone jack outputs
4 mm (banana) loudspeaker outputs
Solid Aluminium Chassis
Included Accessories
Anni Manual
Safety instructions
1.5 m 15 V 6 A switch-mode power supply
Verified Dealers
Online Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Chord Electronics Anni
- Absoulute Audio plus Video — in-store — Aiken, South Carolina, United States (website)
- In Living Stereo — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
- 110Hz — online and in-store — Kielce, Województwo świętokrzyskie, Poland (website)
- Accent On Music — in-store — Mount Kisco, New York, United States (website)
- Acoustic Designs Inc. — in-store — Scottsdale, Arizona, United States (website)
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Acoustic Streams — in-store — Lower Drift, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Acoustica — online and in-store — Chester, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Ajasom — online and in-store — Amadora, Lisboa, Portugal (website)
and 202 more verified dealers