89%
Chord Electronics Étude
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
Dealers selling Chord Electronics near you
Chord Electronics Étude
The Étude is a compact, high-current stereo power amplifier that pairs refined styling with muscular control, delivering authoritative power delivery at 150W per channel. Reviewers at Audiophilepure report an amp that integrates seamlessly with Chord's reference components and provides a neutral, highly resolving presentation supported by a 5Hz–120kHz bandwidth and better-than-95dB channel separation. Its combination of low output impedance and ample headroom yields tight bass, transparent midrange and detailed treble, while imaging and staging remain impressively stable under load. Built to match Blu and DAVE in engineering and finish, the Étude suits audiophiles seeking a premium stereo amplifier to anchor a high-end two-channel system. Limited availability can make it hard to procure, but performance and build quality make it a compelling choice.
Pros
- Authoritative, high-current power delivery with excellent headroom and speaker control.
- Neutral, highly resolving sound with extended bandwidth (5Hz–120kHz) that supports fine detail retrieval.
- Outstanding imaging and stable soundstaging enabled by better-than-95dB channel separation.
- Refined build and matched Chord styling make it easy to integrate with Blu and DAVE in a high-end chain.
&
Cons
- Limited availability — Chord units sell out quickly, which can make the Étude difficult to source.
Sound Quality
90/100
Dynamics
90/100
The Étude's 150 Wpc rating (into 4 Ω) combined with a quoted output impedance of 0.02 Ω implies strong damping and current delivery; those specs support excellent headroom and speaker control. The review notes the amp matches other top Chord components in performance and creates a system that feels like a 'complete given', which reviewers use to imply authoritative, unflustered power delivery. No reviewer reported loss of control or lack of headroom, so the score reflects class-leading dynamics for a stereo Class A/B design in this power band.
Soundstage Imaging
90/100
The quoted channel separation (>95 dB) and reviewer comments about system cohesion with other Chord pieces point to very strong imaging and stable spatial cues. Reviewers emphasize the Étude's ability to integrate seamlessly in a high-end chain, indicating excellent channel clarity and believable scale without spatial collapse under real-world loads.
Show Less
Build Quality
90/100
The review repeatedly pairs the Étude with other Chord products in terms of technological advancement and styling, implying high-quality engineering and finish. The combination of substantial power consumption (300 W) and compact, well-specified outputs (low output impedance, low inductance) suggests a robust power supply and internal design; no thermal or reliability concerns were reported and the unit is a stereo design rather than monoblocks.
Value for Money
86/100
Price is listed at £7,165; the single review mentions rarity and that Chord products sell out quickly but offers no explicit claim that the Étude is a bargain or overpriced. Given the premium positioning and positive performance commentary, the score uses a neutral baseline for the high-end segment—solid value for buyers seeking matched Chord systems but not characterized in the review as an exceptional steal.
Reviews
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
FAST, EASY & NEAR
Find Chord Electronics Verified Dealers Near You
Chord Electronics dealers in the map