CHORD Electronics has been so much at the forefront of digital technology during the past half-decade that you can be forgiven for thinking it has abandoned the vinyl realm – but no, here comes the Huei phono preamp.
Part of Chord’s 30th anniversary celebrations this year, the Huei was entirely conceived, engineered and manufactured in Britain, and features both MM and MC functionality. It is compatible with a wide range of cartridges, thanks to its comprehensive gain and impedance-matching options. The high- and low-gain switching settings are easily accessible via front-panel controls.
According to Chord, the “advanced design offers ultra low-noise microprocessor control of its main features, including a convenient memory function, with multiple options for impedance-matching (30 Ohms to 47 kOhms), seven-stage switchable gain (0dBV to 75dBV) and a switchable rumble filter.”
Additionally, the Huei is “precision-machined from solid aircraft-grade aluminium billet, and has a similar form factor as the company’s Qutest DAC and also offers a top-mounted viewing window into the illuminated electronics within.”
The illuminated front-panel spheres offer direct access to gain and impedance settings, selection for MM/MC cartridges and access to the on-board rumble filter.
There are both balanced (XLR) and unbalanced outputs (RCA), and a pair of RCA inputs. A high-quality 12V external power supply is also supplied.
The Huei, available only in black, is priced at £990 and will be shipping from the third quarter of this year.
Isn’t Huei vulgar Russian slang for penis?