KwikEMart

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I purchased this amp many years ago to run the monitors in a recording studio and have been amazed at what this thing can do. I have used it to drive a range of speakers, mostly 2 way monitors: Spica TC-60, Meadowlark Audio Kestrals, Yamaha MS-10Ms (yuk!) and for the last year they have been powering an amazing pair of B&W Nautilus 805s. This amp was up to all of them without a sweat. Lots of gear has changed in the studio, but this amp has been a constant through it all and for good reason. It's conservatively rated and sounds very smooth. I have lots of experience with Bryston, QSC, Crown and lots of other pro amps, and there was no way any of them could compete when money was a factor. 90% of their performance for 20% of the price is a great thing! The sound of the amp is a tiny bit rounded off at the edges: gentle treble and slightly gentle bass. However, there's still plenty there and I have used it for mixing a ton of music recorded at 24bit/96k. One advantage the sweet treble has is that this amp covers over a bit of the nastiness of compressed music. It is never fatiguing and allows the listener to discover the music instead of being hit over the head by it. And, as more and more music is mixed as an assault on your ears, this amp can become a wonderful ally and friend in truly discovering how good music can sound! Highly recommended. I had to spend over $1000 to better it!

Strengths:
Powerful, forgiving of the source without loosing detail, built to last forever, an amazing deal, can power any speaker without getting even warm, the LED stops working on all of them very quickly so you can actually listen in the dark. Great imaging.

Weaknesses:
Could have slightly more grip on the speakers in the bass, The LED burns out (also a strength depending on your point of view), very hard to find something to replace it with without breaking the bank.

Similar Products Used:
Finally replaced it with a B&K Reference 200.2 which matches the B&W's better. It's more powerful and more detailed than the a150 so better for studio work, but man is working with compressed audio (when I have to) painful. The a150 was much more forgiving of the quality of the source recordings and I still miss it on lots of projects. I wonder if I should get another one just for those days when a client brings in a compressed master... hmmmmm...

Rich D.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $350.00 from Audiogon

Summary:
I first came across this amp on Audiogon in May of 2006. Prior to using this, I was getting by with a Rotel RX-1052 Receiver to power my PSB Stratus Mini's. After several email sessions with my brother in Arizona, he convinced me to "grab this gem" on Audiogon. All I can say is that the Acurus A150 is an absolute giant killer!!! When I combined this amp with JPS Labs Superconductor interconnects, and an Acurus Act 1 Pre, I was astounded by the sound. Smooth highs, good bass, detail, and a soundstage that you would expect from an amp in the Bryston and Krell range. I was almost ready to give up on the Stratus Mini's until I heard them through the Acurus. The Mini's are singing for their supper, and now I have a hard time getting anything done...due to extended listening sessions. The Acurus A150 is an absolute wonderful piece, and at $350 it is almost criminal how good it sounds. A very engaging amplifier all the way!!! Definate 5 stars, until I can afford Mark Levinson.

Strengths:
Overall soundstage, detail, good bass and transparency. Built like military grade, underestimated power.

Weaknesses:
Are you kidding me? None at $1000, and certainly none at $350.

Similar Products Used:
NAD, Rotel, B&K, Yamaha.

Price Paid:  $350.00 from Audiogon

Summary:
I first came across this amp on Audiogon in May of 2006. Prior to using this, I was getting by with a Rotel RX-1052 Receiver to power my PSB Stratus Mini's. After several email sessions with my brother in Arizona, he convinced me to "grab this gem" on Audiogon. All I can say is that the Acurus A150 is an absolute giant killer!!! When I combined this amp with JPS Labs Superconductor interconnects, and an Acurus Act 1 Pre, I was astounded by the sound. Smooth highs, good bass, detail, and a soundstage that you would expect from an amp in the Bryston and Krell range. I was almost ready to give up on the Stratus Mini's until I heard them through the Acurus. The Mini's are singing for their supper, and now I have a hard time getting anything done...due to extended listening sessions. The Acurus A150 is an absolute wonderful piece, and at $350 it is almost criminal how good it sounds. A very engaging amplifier all the way!!! Definate 5 stars, until I can afford Mark Levinson.

Strengths:
Overall soundstage, detail, good bass and transparency. Built like military grade, underestimated power.

Weaknesses:
Are you kidding me? None at $1000, and certainly none at $350.

Similar Products Used:
NAD, Rotel, B&K, Yamaha.

Price Paid:  $599.00 from abc audio

Summary:
When something works something works.This amp works.Always has.This one is in my bed room and will stay there until it blows up.The 150 was made to last forever.Do yourself a favor and buy one on ebay.

Strengths:
Everything.

Weaknesses:
None.

Similar Products Used:
Parasound.harmon kardon.

Price Paid:  $599.00 from Performance Audio

Summary:
I have it paired with a B&K Pro 10MC pre-amp (I NEED that phono stage), powering NHT 2.5s. For the price, it's a remarkable amp. The A150 replaced a Parasound in my system. I liked the Parasound, but the music just sounds so much "fuller" with the A150. I auditioned several other amps by McCormack, Parasound, AMC and Krell (just outta my budget!). The Acurus was just the best value for the $, with very limited trade-offs. System: Acurus A150,B&K Pro 10MC, Marantz CC-3000, Nakamichi 1.5, NHT 2.5, Denon DP-47, Kimber PBJ.

Strengths:
Great sound, price. It's bullet-proof!

Weaknesses:
None at this price point.

Similar Products Used:
Parasound, AMC, B&K, NAD.