John
If you were thinking of adding a Chord Hugo, or the recently released Hugo TT, to your existing amplifier you might want pause for a moment. The Kent-based audio electronics firm has dropped a Friday 13th shock-surprise into our laps: in bringing their CPM 2800 digital integrated amplifier to second generation status they’ve only gone and dropped the Hugo’s FPGA D/A conversion technology – complete with Rob Watts’ custom code – right into the amplifier’s pre-stage.
Not only does this (likely) add the Hugo’s terrific handling of transparency and delicacy (see my review here) to the CPM 2800 MKII but it brings the portable’s connectivity along for the ride; aptX Bluetooth for wireless streaming and a second USB ports for hard-wiring of Android and iOS devices. Unlike the Hugo, the CPM 2800 MKII’s USB inputs are galvanically isolated.
At the business end of the amplifier sits Chord’s “award winning proprietary ultra-high frequency power supply” that promises 120 wpc and 170 wpc into 8 and 4 Ohms respectively.
Heavy duty gold-plated binding posts, HT bypass, a display panel that can be read from the listening position and remote control round out this integrated’s feature set. Oh, it’s built like a tank too.
The CPM 2800 MKII will sell for £6690 and gets its first taste of daylight at the 2015 Bristol Sound and Vision show next weekend (20th – 22nd February).
Further information: Chord Electronics | Press Release
Detailed CPM 2800 MkII specifications:
Preamp section
- Unbalanced inputs: 3
- Balanced inputs: 2 (3-pin female XLR inputs both with RCA phono-style input sockets wired asymmetrically in parallel)
- Digital inputs: coax (support for up to 32-bit/384kHz); TOSLink optical (24-bit/192kHz); galvanically isolated Class 2 USB input up to 384kHz; DSD64 supported on all inputs, DSD128 supported via coax or USB input (all via DoP)
- Wireless input: Bluetooth aptX and A2DP
- AV bypass: 2x RCA phono-style inputs
- Intermodulation distortion: -100dB all inputs
- Signal to noise ratio: -93dB all inputs
- Frequency range: 2.5Hz – 200kHz (-3dB)
- Harmonic distortion: 10 Hz –91dB; 1kHz –93dB; 10kHz –90dB and 20kHz –87dB
- Channel separation: 10 Hz –90dB; 1kHz 90dB; 10kHz 90dB and 20kHz 85dB
- Channel balance: 0.01dB
- Input impedance: unbalanced 47kOhms; balanced 94kOhms (Line 1 and Line 2)
Power amp section
- Output power: 120Wrms per channel @ 0.05% distortion into 8 Ohms; 170Wrms per channel into 4 Ohms
- Dynamic Headroom: 180Wrms per channel into 8 Ohms; 220Wrms per channel into 4 Ohms Frequency Response: -1dB, 0.8Hz to 46kHz (8 Ohms); -3dB, 0.8Hz to 77kHz (8 Ohms); -1dB, 0.8Hz to 39kHz (4 Ohms) and -3dB, 0.8Hz to 75kHz (4 Ohms)
- Signal to noise ratio: better than –103dB, ‘A’ weighted two thirds Channel separation: -80dB
- Output impedance: 0.03 Ohms
- Output inductance: 2.6mH
- Output connections: 2x rhodium binding posts
- Slew rate: 70V per S, 1kHz 20V square wave Gain: 23dB
- Stability: unconditional
- Dimensions: 420mm (W) x 355mm (D) x 133mm (H) Weight: 16Kg
