Blu II

About the Blu II

The Chord Blu Mk II is a compact, FPGA-based upsampling CD transport designed to deliver state-of-the-art digital audio performance. It features Chord's custom-coded Xilinx XC7A200T FPGA with a 1,015,808 tap filter length, enabling upsampling of CD audio from 44.1kHz up to 705.6kHz or 768kHz via USB input. The transport uses a Philips CD Pro 2 laser mechanism dedicated to uncompromised music replay. It offers multiple digital inputs including USB (up to 768kHz), BNC S/PDIF (up to 384kHz), and outputs including single and dual AES/EBU and BNC connections supporting various sample rates. Upsampling is selectable via a rear switch with three sample rates (44.1kHz, 176.4kHz, 705.6kHz), and dither can be toggled on or off for 16-bit sources. The unit is housed in a solid billet aluminum chassis with convection cooling and includes a remote control. It is highly regarded for its musicality, resolution, and dynamic soundstage, especially when paired with Chord's DAVE DAC, which can accept the highest upsampled rates. The Blu Mk II supports word clock synchronization and features a high-frequency switching power supply with automatic voltage selection. Dimensions are approximately 333.5mm (W) x 98.5mm (H) x 142mm (D), weighing about 7kg.