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Chord Electronics Huei
Entirely conceived, engineered and manufactured in Great Britain, Huei has been carefully designed to provide turntables with the same high standards of amplification that Chord Electronics has become known for over the past 30 years.
Benefitting from both Moving Magnet and Moving Coil functionality, Huei offers compatibility with a huge range of cartridges thanks to comprehensive gain and impedance-matching options; Huei’s high- and low-gain switching settings are easily accessible via front-panel controls, introducing welcome flexibility.
Huei’s advanced design offers (for the first time in a Chord Electronics phono preamp) ultra-low-noise microprocessor control of its main features, including a convenient memory function. With multiple options for impedance-matching, eight-stage switchable gain and a switchable rumble filter, Huei’s design offers comprehensive compatibility.
Precision-machined from solid aircraft-grade aluminium billet, Huei has a similar form factor to the company’s Qutest DAC and also offers a top-mounted viewing window into the illuminated electronics within. The design also shares the same polychromatic control spheres the company has become known for in its digital products. The illuminated front-panel spheres offer direct access to Huei’s gain and impedance settings, selection for MM/MC cartridges and access to the on-board rumble filter.
Huei is a stylish, practical and high-performance solution for integrating turntables into Chord Electronics’ (and other) systems and features both unbalanced (RCA) and balanced outputs (XLR) with RCA inputs. A high-quality 12V external power supply is also supplied.
Supported cartridges:
Moving magnet and moving coil
Inputs:
1x Stereo unbalanced RCA input
Outputs:
1x Stereo unbalanced RCA output
1x Stereo balanced XLR output
Included Accessories
Huei user manual
Safety instructions
Drawstring bag
12V 2A Switching barrel type power supply
Grounding plate
Gain/impedance reference card
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Professional Reviews 91/100
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
91/100
Cartridge Compatibility
95/100
Build Quality
93/100
Value for Money
88/100
The clean, transparent Huei turns vinyl into a tightly focused, low-noise listen, with precise imaging, punchy bass and a midrange that reviewers say keeps music sounding natural rather than processed. Enjoy The Music, Hi-Fi Choice and StereoNET United Kingdom all praise its flexibility and composure.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Exceptionally quiet, clean presentation with a very low noise floor and no obvious hiss or hum.
Highly adjustable MM/MC setup with wide gain and loading options, making cartridge matching easy and future-proof.
Strong bass control, open soundstaging and stable imaging help complex records stay organized and engaging.
Premium build quality and compact aluminium casework give it a genuinely high-end feel.
&
Cons
Its presentation can sound a little cool or matter-of-fact rather than warmly musical or overtly exciting.
The colour-based control system is powerful but not very intuitive, and several reviewers needed the manual to keep settings straight.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 91/100
Reviewers repeatedly describe the Huei as very quiet, clean, and highly transparent, with comments like “absolutely silent through the loudspeakers,” “very low in noise,” and “very clean, very quiet.” Its overall character is more neutral and revealing than warm or silky, but several reviewers also praise its composure and clarity.
Transparency Noise Floor
93/100
Multiple reviewers call the Huei exceptionally quiet: one found it “absolutely silent through the loudspeakers” with “absolutely no hint of hiss,” another called it “very low in noise,” and ecoustics noted the rumble filter lowered noise substantially on some records. The low-noise behavior is a major strength, though the evidence stops short of rarefied superlative consensus.
Tonal Balance Musicality
89/100
The Huei is described as clean, neutral, and slightly cool rather than lush or romantic. Reviewers also note smooth mids, natural warmth on voices, and good control, though some mention a minor hardness and that it can be a bit too matter-of-fact or cool with very neutral systems.
Dynamics
90/100
Several reviews praise its punch, drive, and composure. It is called “powerful, clean, punchy,” with tight bass and strong handling of dynamic swings; What Hi-Fi says it keeps a firm hand on demanding passages, even if it is not the most overtly exciting presentation.
Soundstage Imaging
91/100
Imaging and space are repeatedly strong points. Reviewers describe an open, stable, and expansive soundstage with precise placement, good depth perspective, and clear separation of instruments and voices without wandering or blurring.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Cartridge Compatibility
95/100
The Huei is very flexible for both MM and MC use, with selectable gain and a wide range of MC loading options. Reviewers specifically praise its ability to work well with a wide variety of cartridges, and the adjustable impedance/gain setup is described as especially future-proof.
Build Quality
93/100
Reviewers consistently praise the chassis, finish, and overall feel, describing it as superbly built, well made, and high-end in appearance. The casework, connections, packaging, and compact form factor are all viewed positively, though one reviewer found the front-panel interface a bit fiddly in practice.
Value for Money
88/100
Value commentary is generally favorable: reviewers often feel it performs above its size and price, and one calls it excellent at or near its price. At the same time, it sits in a premium bracket, so the praise is more about strong justification than bargain-level value.
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Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Chord Electronics Huei
- 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 — in-store — Amadora, Lisboa, Portugal (website)
and 200 more verified dealers