Chord Anni

Cord’s diminutive amplifier offers apremium twist on desktop sound

Amplifier | ₹1,09,990

Chord Electronics has proven to have quite some talent in finding new market niches. It established the sector for premium portable DACs with the introduction of the excellent original Hugo, and underlined that dominance with the more affordable and almost as talented Mojo, before adding streaming modules dedicated to these DACs.

Chord has also long championed ultracompact hi-fi electronics for those who want premium performance but are unable or unwilling to give up much space for it, and the diminutive Anni desktop integrated amplifier is a perfect example of that.

The real deal

Make no mistake, this really is a proper Chord amplifier in miniature, using as it does the Ultima dual feed-forward circuitry seen in the latest generation of the brand’s high-end power amplification.

That said, this little box is only the size of the Chord Qutest digital-to-analogue converter – smaller than a pair of coasters laid end-on – and is intended to be a partner for that DAC and the company’s Huei phono stage. The important thing to note is that it’s designed for desktop use with either headphones or suitable speakers.