Chord TToby review

A small power amplifier that packs a mighty punch

Chord TToby review
(Image: © Chord)

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

The TToby is small, well built and sounds great. What’s not to like?

Pros

  • +

    A balanced, musical performance

  • +

    Impressive resolution

  • +

    Excellent build and finish

Cons

  • -

    Noisy cooling fans on our test sample

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It’s easy for enthusiasts to underestimate a product such as Chord’s TToby. The company’s penchant for cutesy names and bling visuals doesn’t really help this amp’s credibility with purists. A size more akin to a small box of chocolates than anything conventional doesn’t help its case either.

Factor a modest 50W per channel power output (into 8ohms) into the equation, and the TToby could easily be ignored for something equally costly, but much bigger, more powerful, and more ‘serious’ looking.

That would be a mistake. This power amp is a proper piece of kit, taking everything Chord has learnt about amplifier design over the decades and condensing it down into a surprisingly accommodating package.

Features

Chord TToby features

(Image credit: Chord)

Given the small size, the lack of heat produced and a power output that doubles into 4ohms, most people would expect this to be a Class D design. But that’s not the case.

Chord TToby tech specs

(Image credit: Chord)

Output power 100W per channel

Frequency range 5Hz to 100kHz

Input Impedance 100kΩ 

Dimensions (hwd) 5.9 x 23.5 x 25.6cm

Weight 3.75kg

The amplifier circuits are Chord’s latest sliding bias Class A/B designs, closely related to those used in the company’s top-end products. The sliding bias makes them efficient, leading to low heat generation. 

Add forced air cooling using four miniature multispeed fans in what Chord describes as a ‘sonically closed anechoic plenum chamber’ and you have a relatively cool running box. Despite that elaborate arrangement, the fans were a little noisy on our review sample, which we hope isn’t typical.

The final piece of the puzzle is the high frequency power supply technology that’s been the bedrock of the Chord brand from the beginning. It’s what set the company apart when it started in the late-1980s and continues to separate its amplifiers from most of the competition, even today. 

This kind of power supply is small, light and efficient, making it ideal for such a compact product. That impressive power hike into low impedance speaker loads speaks well of the power supply’s capabilities.

Build

Chord TToby build

(Image credit: Chord)

Take a closer look at the TToby and it’s hard not to be impressed by its build. Its casework is made of two pieces of machined aluminium rather than the simple metal panels used by most rivals. This makes the amp feel special compared to the competition.

Inside, the power supply and audio circuits are packed tightly, and we can see some of that elaborate fan cooling arrangement. The TToby is very much one of the company’s full-sized designs in miniature. It uses a full dose of the brand’s amplifier technologies with no dilution for the smaller size or lower price. That’s impressive.

Connectivity is as simple as it is on most power amplifiers. There are both single-ended RCAs and balanced XLR inputs alongside one set of speaker outputs. If you can, try using the balanced XLRs, the Chord just sounds a little more expressive when linked this way.

This amp’s natural partner is Chord’s excellent Hugo TT2 DAC/preamp. The two work together superbly, visually and sonically, as expected. But, as this is essentially just a straight power amp, we would expect it to play nicely with third-party preamps as well.

That proves to be the case. We tried Gamut’s D3i, Nagra’s valve-powered PL-P and even Townshend’s passive Allegri without issue. The TToby proves transparent enough to reflect the character of the partnering electronics, and we can’t ask for more than that.

It also proves accommodating of speakers, with ProAc’s Response D2Rs and ATC’s SCM 20s both working well. The ATC’s low sensitivity of 85dB/W/m means that the Chord’s 50W per channel output becomes a limitation at the highest volume levels with demanding recordings. But the majority of price compatible speakers are far more sensitive, so this is unlikely to be a problem unless you have a large room or listen at party levels all the time. In either case, look elsewhere.

Sound

Chord TToby sound

(Image credit: Chord)

Partnered with care, this power amplifier delivers an excellent performance. We listen to Mahler’s Symphony No 10 and are impressed by the Chord’s scale and authority. It seems incongruous that something so small can render a sound with such solidity and dynamic clout. It’s a cohesive and fluid presentation, one that takes the time to convey instrumental textures as well as delivering the sonic fireworks.

Tonally, it’s a little more full-bodied than we’ve come to expect from Chord amps, and that’s no bad thing. Some we’ve heard in the past edge towards being clinical, but not this one. We like the amp’s refinement and its refusal to sound edgy even with aggressive recordings. This Chord is transparent but doesn’t go out of its way to emphasise flaws.

Stereo imaging is another strength, with the TToby delivering a stable and expansive sound stage. Instruments are sharply focused and remain locked in position even when the piece becomes demanding. There’s a lovely sense of composure, with the amp refusing to sound stressed when pushed hard.

We switch to Radiohead’s National Anthem and the Chord responds with enthusiasm. Bass is delivered with authority but it’s also agile and tuneful – a difficult balance. With this piece we get plenty of drive coupled to impressive speed. This is a responsive amp that can track transients with precision. It’s a fast, tuneful and rhythmic performer, one that we can enjoy for hours on end.

Verdict

The TToby surprised us. We weren’t expecting such a balanced and musical performance from something so compact. It just goes to show that everything should only be judged after listening. Despite appearances, this is one of the finest power amps available for the money.

SCORES

  • Sound 5
  • Features 4
  • Build 5

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What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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  • Adamsandwiches
    Amplifier: **makes mechanical noises while amplifying music, something unanimously considered highly undesirable in the audio design field**

    What HiFi: FIVE STARS!!!
    Reply
  • halloweenman
    I agree. Any high end amp with noisy mechanical fans is a design failure and most certainly not true high end. It should have 4 stars, not 5.
    Reply
  • audioguy
    So...noisy fans and runs out of juice at higher listening levels - and is $4k? How's that warrant 5 stars? Noisy operation should be cause for 1 star rating alone. That's a deal breaker before even listening to music through it in my opinion.
    Reply
  • Hifiman
    Prior to this review I was considering whether to audition this amplifier to complement the TT2 in a new compact setup but I too am now concerned by the comment ‘the fans were a little noisy on our review sample, which we hope isn’t typical.’ I would have thought at nearly £3K the noise should not be typical or be present even if untypical. Could the reviewers ask for another TToby to find the answer, in the same way a customer would if they found this after they had bought it?
    Reply
  • Peter Carter
    I have a TToby and have never experienced fan noise. I can only assume that the review unit had been run extremely hard for a period (perhaps with the aforementioned 85dB-efficient ATCs that were used) and the fan had temporarily kicked into its highest speed to bring the amplifier's temperature down to normal (silent) running levels.
    I also notice the review was posted on the hottest day of 2020 where temperatures hit 31'C in London. Tough conditions, that's for sure!
    Reply
  • gaburko
    I understand you're focused primarily on British companies, and that's fine. But this is a serious question mark on your credibility. ANY mechanical noise in a power-amp is a massive design failure that's simply unfixable. The fact that your unit has noise and someone above mentioned that his doesn't also speaks about the lax quality assurance procedure. Be careful, credibility is easily destroyed
    Reply
  • Joe Cox
    We've been told it was an issue with our sample and isn't replicated on other samples, so shouldn't be a wider problem.
    Reply
  • audiodiplomat
    The most alarming phrase from the review is “...which we hope isn’t typical”. To me, that indicates that the reviewer never thought it important enough to even consult Chord about this negative aspect or simply considered it barely worthy of mention to us in the review.
    Reply
  • Joe Cox
    No, we did consult Chord and were assured it wasn't typical. But we put 'hope' because we can't check them all!
    Reply
  • Adamsandwiches
    Five star ratings are awarded on the honour system at WHF.
    Reply