Chord Anni – Compact Headphone Amplifier and Speaker

How does Anni sound?

Anni will often be connected to a PC or an iMac or MacBook, which in turn are often paired with the excellent Qutest DAC. While Anni's stellar performance when used with headphones is a given, it's less so when paired with speakers.

In all respects, the Anni proves to be a surprising amplifier, even when paired with bookshelf speakers, capable of displaying a richness, complexity, and transparency of sound that belies its small stature. While the nominal 10 watts per channel may seem low on paper, it must be said that the Anni, at usual listening levels and even when paired with less sensitive speakers, is always absolutely satisfying. Those looking for a full-size amplifier will not consider the Anni, looking elsewhere for integrated amplifiers with greater physical volume and potential. On the other hand, it bears repeating that, within price ranges comparable to the Anni, amplifiers 10 times the size cannot significantly surpass the performance of the small Chord, which is truly astonishing.

We don't expect Anni to become the classic centerpiece amplifier in large living rooms. Its ideal size is an office, a bedroom, or a studio. In these types of environments and systems, for example, connecting the KEF LS50 Metas, the result is literally high-end, and we can talk about musical grain, a spacious soundstage, and rhythm. Impressive, given Anni's size.

The phenomenal Chord patent. Keys and Interface.

All Chord Electronics devices feature a unique interface designed to combine input and output. These are the famous translucent ball-shaped keys that, on various products, can be pressed and/or rotated, and which simultaneously change color, revealing the necessary information to the eye without having to strain your eyes. A quick glance is enough to understand which input is selected, what the sampling rate is, or which DSP filter is preset...

Qutest + Huei + Years

Chord Qutest is a pure DAC. It's designed to connect to a high-quality pure integrated amplifier (without a DAC). We say pure in the sense that each element here is called upon to perform a single task, but very well. Chord offers, in addition to its desktop DAC, an integrated amplifier that mirrors its size and footprint, perfect in aesthetics, connectivity, and functionality. Thus, with Anni it is possible to create, even creating a highly organized setup with dedicated accessories, a mini HiFi system with truly compact dimensions but audiophile performance. The whole thing is fully compatible, or rather ideal, with Huei, the small phono preamplifier designed for turntables.