Chord Anni - This Dinky Desktop Amplifier is Quality, But Doesn't Come Cheap
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- Опубликовано: 15 окт 2024
- There are countless desktop amplifiers on sale these days which do all manner of things, and many of them are highly affordable. So why spend so much on this tiny 10W design? Mike and David discuss the Chord Electronics Anni, and agree that if you want the best, you'll have to pay for it!
Each episode of Hi-Fi Riff features the guys' unedited, unexpurgated views about all manner of weird and wonderful hi-fi designs. Business executive Mike has a wealth of knowledge from previous hi-fi retail experience, and David has written about hi-fi for thirty years. Now Editor-in-Chief of StereoNET, he's picked up a few things along the way.
So relax and enjoy some one-take hi-fi riffing - and please leave your comments below. And don’t forget to hit the Subscribe button, this one goes up to eleven!
The eighties-tastic title tune is called ‘UFO/Mike’s Jumper’, and used with the express permission of our old pal and rights holder Simon Lythe.
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Glad to see you loved Anni, currently the most affordable ownership route into Chord Electronics' recently launched ULTIMA amplifier topology.
Anni's price reflects the build quality, engineering expertise and unique proprietary technologies within, in this case, perfected over 35 years.
It benefits from a three-year warranty, plus buyers have the benefit of a highly trained global retailer network with physical stores.
Anni is also handmade in the Maidstone, UK, factory (not China) and contains the same ULTIMA technology as Chord Electronics' £105,000+ reference-level ULTIMA amplifiers at just over 1% of the price.
I've had a few bits of Chord stuff, incredible build quality and I really like the looks but I've never been bowled over by the sonic signature however the video still gets a thumbs up.
Another really interesting riff. I havent heard this little amp yet but my immediate thought is that at £1200 it really would have to be something very special indeed, especially given the competition from a number of (much) cheaper and competent desktop amps out there. Many will dismiss the Chord immediately because of its price (and to be fair, what is in that little 10 watt box that justifies its price tag?), but I'm sure Chord have done their market research before launching.
Great riff again chaps, as a Qutest owner I admire Chords design, fit and finish,ok their pricey but sound quality belies their size. I am looking for a small second system at the moment, I did consider PS Sprout…but not crazy on class D good as they are now. What speakers would fit the bill if I plump for the Annie, subject to audition? Some how don’t think the Annie would drive my floor standing PMC’s. I use Quad Artera pre and power amps for those. Cheers (still smarting because I couldn’t make your Live Riff) grrrrrrr.
Huey Green.. 😂😂😂 You older buggers!
I tried the original Hugo.
Never had I been so emotionally separated form the music.
Use a Pontus 2 and a Border Patrol.
It would be interesting to hear a side by side comparison with the Fosi V3 which is under £100 and manufactured using top class components. The mark up on the Chord must be incredible.
The mark up is less than you might think, given that it's all made in the UK with bespoke technology - and isn't packed full of off-the-shelf chips, unlike the Fosi.
Shocked to see it driving LS50 Meta's in the photo you briefly showed. Hard to believe a 10w amp could make the KEF's shine.
Maybe a little misleading on our part as Chord supplied us with that image as my photography is lousy!
Mike
Yeah, I doubt the Nait 50 would do the LS50 justice.
Thanks again for a terrific episode.
Is the Realistic Minimus 21 worth getting hold of do you know?
They're so-so, but worth a £30 punt!
@@MrVinylista thank you David.
I bought the Huei but found it rather dry and bland and duly sold it in preference to a Trichord Dino, the Qutest was rather good and wish I still owned it.
I'd go along with that. I think the Qutest is the strongest in that series.
Very surprised a power comparison with Mike's Nait 1 didn't come up😂
Not sure if Mike's Nait 1 can compete with a powerhouse like the the Chord Anni. 🙂
OY!@@MrVinylista
It did! He couldn't resist. Listen to the dig at 11:20, and then me not rising to the PriceBait!
@@mikeyevs how did I miss that😳
Hopefully, because of some kind of internal defence mechanism designed to shut out anti-Nait remarks. :-) Mike
At the risk of sounding like a HiFi Riff anorak I have to say that there have been at least two previous unboxings; the Nait 1 and the Sony Walkman Pro.
You are, of course, absolutely correct (both mine!). :-)
@@mikeyevs Jesus wept.
So, if someone is demented enough to buy this, what would be your recommendations for suitable speakers? (apart from the Amstrad that is). I would speculate a pair of ProAc Tab 10 Signature might be price and size appropriate, those mini monitor speakers being a relatively easy load and good for near field listening, but I wouldn't know until I tried (which is improbable).
It's a brilliant question.... We'll give it some thought, but having lived with the Anni for a week, I can assure that they will need to be very efficient speakers! Mike
I take it by the modest output and the fact it gets hot, that it is not Class D, but what is it, morphology wise ?
Also, even in a near field setting, 10 watts limits your speaker choice quite significantly. Weirdlyit would probably go better with some nice sensitive floorstanders.
It would probably sound ok with my Elysian 4s.
The Anni is Class AB with Chord's own proprietary circuit design.
@@MrVinylista Cheers, David. Appreciate the reply.
👍
I love you guys butt there are lots of other small DAC's hey guys how about reviewing them
Hi Nick - we've done a couple, but we'll try to do some more for you!
@MrVinylista many thanks dave it's very much appreciated 👍 I've followed you since you've been contributing to RA connected magazine and fully repect you hi-fi knowledge and Mike's of-course it's just when you're talking about other hi-fi kit and what you could pair it with chord dacs are nearly always mentioned? I've nothing against them pursay but their must be others out there please keep up the fantastic reviews you both do which are very entertaining and informative 👍
Is this a paid advertisement ?
Did you listen to the end?
I wish! Mike 😁
@@1jhnpennington no
Good that you have a theme of showing that ultra cheap equipment can produce excellent sound, in near field, in this case. Agreed the Anni is not cheap but a cheap substitute could be found when building a system starting with the phone at zero cost, because everybody has a phone already. On the cheap but good theme, my Yamaha NS1000Ms, a high end speaker, cost only 600 GBP second hand, although that was a while ago. I bet, David, you paid a similar, low price for your pair.
Here I don''t understand guys. There are many 3-10 Watt amps when coupled to very efficient speakers say 98dB and a realistic 8ohms are enough even for some largish rooms. Then you both go on to say it images very well and is reasonably detailed. So why the lowish score?? I'd love to hear it plus the rest of the kit with a really costly turntable/arm and a pair of large Avantgarde horn speakers. You said it ran warm is it heavily biased in class A????
Honestly would go for that in such a setup or would you go for some tube amp or maybe a First Watt? I think this amp is marketed to the desktop market but even there it is difficult to find its place.
It's a great amp, but we factored price into the Riffometer.... and it is a pretty penny! Mike