Previously only available to professional customers, the demand for the Alto from customers, dealers, and the audiophile community for a public release has been overwhelming.

The Alto is a meticulously designed headphone and nearfield monitor amplifier, capable of driving up to four pairs of headphones and smaller loudspeakers. Notably, it marks Chord Electronic's first product to include a 4.4 mm Pentaconn TRRRS output (pseudo balanced), catering to the increasing popularity of balanced transmission in high-end headphones.

The Alto features four fascia-mounted headphone outputs, powered by ULTIMA technology. It features one 3.5 mm output; two 6.35 mm (1/4-inch); plus a single 4.4 mm Pentaconn. The array of outputs, not only facilitates easy A/B comparisons, but also allows multiple users to listen simultaneously.

For loudspeakers, the Alto delivers 25 watts into 8 ohms (50 watts into 4 ohms), with the transparency, speed and low distortion for which the ULTIMA amplifier topology is renowned. Stereo banana plug outputs are provided on the rear panel, accommodating all but the largest loudspeaker plugs.

The Alto’s ULTIMA topology introduces the company’s dual-feed-forward error-correction technology, which monitors and then immediately corrects signals before the output stage.

Compact yet powerful, the Alto’s dimensions—slightly larger than A5—make it easy to place in any audio system, including desktop set-ups, living spaces and dedicated hi-fi systems.