Founded in 1989 by John Franks in Maidstone, Kent, UK, Chord Electronics is a British high-end audio company specializing in DACs and amplifiers. Franks, formerly an electronics engineer at Marconi Avionics, developed unique power supply concepts linking amplifier rails through specialized high-frequency transformers. All products are entirely designed, engineered, and hand-built in England. Chord's breakthrough collaboration with consultant Robert Watts (begun mid-1990s) led to proprietary FPGA digital processing technology, creating custom DAC designs with advanced filtering far exceeding industry standards. Notable products include the DAVE DAC and portable Mojo series. The company earned two 2024 What Hi-Fi? 'Best DAC' Awards for Mojo 2 and Qutest models. Early clients included BBC, Abbey Road Studios, Sony Music New York, and The Royal Opera House, establishing Chord's reputation for uncompromising engineering excellence in professional and audiophile markets.