Chord Electronics Étude
Compact yet commanding, the ÉTUDE delivers lightning-fast timing, a low-noise, highly resolved view of recordings and unexpectedly muscular bass control. Pursuit of The Perfect System found it composed through complex music, while Analogholic praised its natural realism, expansive dynamics and ability to energise demanding speakers without strain.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
94/100
Build Quality
91/100
Value for Money
89/100
Pros
Exceptionally clean, quiet and precise presentation with strong resolution and timing, even in dense arrangements.
Fast, substantial and tightly controlled bass gives this compact amplifier genuine low-frequency authority.
Maintains dynamic freedom and composure under demanding loads; it drove B&W 801 S2 speakers in a large room while remaining cool.
Luxurious compact construction and advanced ULTIMA-derived circuit topology make it unusually space-efficient for its performance.
Cons
Its premium cost is a significant step above capable alternatives, so the gains in realism and refinement require a substantial investment.
The slightly relaxed, darker midrange and treble balance may be less appealing to listeners seeking a more forward presentation.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 94/100
Reviewers consistently describe an unusually clean, quiet and highly resolved presentation that remains composed when music becomes dense. The Étude combines this precision with strong timing, substantial bass control and an unrestrained sense of dynamic scale.
Transparency Resolution
95/100
Pursuit of The Perfect System heard a very low noise floor, ultra-precise clarity and excellent resolution even during complex passages. Analogholic similarly describes a "see through the recording mix" quality, no audible hiss at the tweeter, and a coherent rendering of frequency extremes.
Tonal Balance Musicality
92/100
Rather than the overtly incisive balance sometimes associated with the brand, Pursuit of The Perfect System found the Étude smoother, more relaxed and slightly darker through the midrange and treble. Both listening reports nevertheless portray it as natural, realistic and musically fluid, with especially convincing timing and decay.
Dynamics
96/100
This is a standout strength: reviewers repeatedly praise the amplifier's speed, attack, bass grip and refusal to harden or compress as music becomes demanding. Analogholic reports both fine microdynamic expression and macro-dynamic heft, while Pursuit of The Perfect System found its substantial, fast and tightly controlled bass unexpectedly impressive.
Soundstage Imaging
92/100
Analogholic says the Étude retrieves soundstage detail very effectively when it is present in the source and can make performers seem to be playing in the listening room. The review evidence places greater emphasis on resolution and dynamics than on unusually expansive staging, but spatial information appears stable and convincingly rendered.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
91/100
The compact chassis is reported to look and feel luxurious, while Chord's updated circuit topology and self-monitoring power-supply approach indicate thoughtfully developed engineering. Analogholic also found the cooling fan unobtrusive and the casework remained cool while driving B&W 801 S2 loudspeakers in a very large room.
Value for Money
89/100
At roughly $5,800 in the cited comparison, it is a substantial step up from the $2,000 Wired for Sound alternative, but Analogholic felt the added outlay brought more realism, naturalness and detail. Pursuit of The Perfect System also considered its performance remarkable for such a small, hand-liftable amplifier, finding it competitive with far larger designs in important areas.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- Output Power
- 150w RMS per channel @ 0.05% distortion into 4Ω
- Power consumption
- 300 W
- Frequency Range
- 5Hz – 120kHz +/- 0.5dB
- Gain
- 30dB
- Channel Separation
- Better than 95dB
- Input Impedance
- 100kΩ Unbalanced/Balanced
- Input Capacitance
- <30pf
- Output Impedance
- 0.02Ω
- Output Inductance
- 2.6μH
- Dimensions
- 6.7cm (H) 33.5cm (W) 17.5 (D)
Manufacturer's Description — Chord Electronics
The multi-award winning Chord Electronics Choral family of products has never sounded so good. Welcome Étude to the table, a 150w Class AB stereo power amplifier featuring the first fundamentally new topology since Chord Electronics’ inception in 1989, using highly advanced technologies seen within the aerospace industry.
The Choral Étude has been designed to both compliment and exploit the full potential of the multi-award winning DAVE DAC, which has preamp functionality, and the brand new topology has even faster power delivery than exiting designs, offering unrivalled dynamics, life-like delivery of transient information, plus effortless control over loudspeaker drive units.
The design for Étude is based upon multi-feedback and dual feed-forward error-correction amplifier technology that intelligently adjusts and compensates the individual linearity of the 250-watt lateral structure high-power proprietary MOSFETs. Internally there are three individual high frequency switch mode power supply units, one for each active power rail and a final for the auxiliary rails. When paired with advanced internal shielding, active cooled plenum chamber design, and custom Chord Electronics MOSFETs, you have Étude, an world class extremely fast crystal clear amplifier.
Although the amplifier is conservatively rated at 150W into 4Ω, if you run Étude in bridged mono mode you can increase this to 300W into 4Ω.
Weight: 3.45kg
Other accessories & custom options
Precision machined from a solid block of aircraft grade aluminium, a work of art on its own, the Ensemble Stand is irrefutably the most satisfying way to display your Choral system components or stack.
Key Features
Class AB Sliding Bias
HF Switch Mode Power Supply
Chord MOSFET Construction
Fully Balanced Circuitry
Fan Cooled
Stereo Balanced XLR Inputs
Stereo Unbalanced RCA Inputs
Solid Aluminium Chassis
Bridgeable to 300w - 4Ω
Included Accessories
Étude Quickstart guide
Safety instructions
10A Mains IEC cable
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Chord Electronics Étude
- 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