Chord Electronics Standard Series power amps get MkII upgrade

Chord Electronics has upgraded four Standard Series power amplifiers to MkII status, bringing new design and performance upgrades.

Drawing on technology in the company's Reference Series of amplifiers, the four new models are the SPM 1200MkII, SPM 4000MkII, SPM 5000MkII and SPM 1400MkII.

See also: Chord Electronics reviews

The three power amplifiers and mono amp feature new front and rear panels, the latter with heavy-duty, gold-plated speaker terminals and the addition of support for third-party power connectors.

Internal improvements include a new power control and sequencing board, refinements to the filter components and new driver circuits.

Full product specifications:
Chord Electronics SPM 1200MkII £8220
Output power: 2x 350W RMS into 8 Ohms; 2x 620W RMS into 4 Ohms; 2x 750W RMS into 2 Ohms • Output connections: 8x gold-plated WBT output connectors • Input connections: 2x XLR balanced inputs; 2 x RCA phono single-ended • Dimensions: 420x140x355mm (WxHxD) • Weight: 18 kg

Chord Electronics SPM 4000MkII £12,540 Output power: 2x 480W RMS into 8 Ohms; 2x 750W RMS into 4 Ohms; 2x 950W RMS into 2 Ohms • Output connections: 8x gold-plated WBT output connectors • Input connections: 2x XLR balanced inputs; 2x RCA phono single-ended • Dimensions: 420x310x355mm (WxHxD) • Weight: 45 kg

Chord Electronics SPM 5000MkII £15,000 Output power: 2x 560W RMS into 8 Ohms; 2x 1,020W RMS into 4 Ohms; 2x 950W RMS into 2 Ohms • Output connections: 4x gold-plated WBT output connectors • Input connections: 2x XLR balanced inputs; 2x RCA phono single-ended • Dimensions: 480x400x310mm (WxHxD) • Weight: 45 kg

Chord Electronics SPM 1400MkII mono £9,090
Output power: 480W RMS into 8 Ohms; 800W RMS into 4 Ohms; 1,000W RMS into 2 Ohms • Output connections: 4x gold-plated WBT output connectors • Input connections: 2x XLR balanced inputs; 2x RCA phono single-ended inputs • Dimensions: 420x140x355mm (WxHxD) • Weight: 18kg

All four Chord MkII products are out now. More details on the Chord Electronics website.

by Joe Cox

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Joe is the Content Director for What Hi-Fi? and Future’s Product Testing, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for almost 20 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff and The Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).