Acurus A150 Amplifiers
Acurus A150 Amplifiers
USER REVIEWS
[Feb 05, 2022]
shemikasoraya
Strength:
Solid construction, good value, excellent sonics. Weakness:
None so far. = Power Window Repair in Long Beach Purchased: New
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[Feb 02, 2013]
a
Audio Enthusiast
Sweet!! I bought this off craigslist for $200 to replace an Adcom 555II that I was mourning over and this baby made it sound like a toy. Full and deep soundstage with layers and layers of detail. Thundering solid bass with nice airy highs and liquid mids, Voices are spectacular! This sounds far better than the 2 Krells, Jeff Rowland 5 and the Mark Levinson that I used to have! I am fascinated with this sweet thing every time I listen to it. I would recommend this to everyone! I have had at least 60 different amps over the years and this has stopped them dead in their tracks. I used to have an Aragon 4004MKII which is probably the closest sounding amp. If you every come across one don't hesitate. I am looking for a second one so I can mono them. Audio nirvana achieved! If you happen to have one to sale email me at carolaparks@gmail.com |
[Jun 11, 2010]
CHRIS URENDA
AudioPhile
IM TRYING TO SELL MINE ANYBODY LOOKING TO BUY IT PLZ CALL 719 766 3540 |
[Mar 24, 2009]
KwikEMart
AudioPhile
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!
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[Aug 05, 2006]
Rich D.
AudioPhile
Strength:
Overall soundstage, detail, good bass and transparency. Built like military grade, underestimated power.
Weakness:
Are you kidding me? None at $1000, and certainly none at $350. 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. Customer Service Well, Mondial no longer exists, but a support division may still operate through new owner Klipsch. Similar Products Used: NAD, Rotel, B&K, Yamaha. |
[Aug 05, 2006]
Rich D.
AudioPhile
Strength:
Overall soundstage, detail, good bass and transparency. Built like military grade, underestimated power.
Weakness:
Are you kidding me? None at $1000, and certainly none at $350. 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. Customer Service Well, Mondial no longer exists, but a support division may still operate through new owner Klipsch. Similar Products Used: NAD, Rotel, B&K, Yamaha. |
[Jan 13, 2004]
william bou
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Everything.
Weakness:
None. 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. Similar Products Used: Parasound.harmon kardon. |
[Jul 21, 2003]
merasdad
AudioPhile
Strength:
Great sound, price. It's bullet-proof!
Weakness:
None at this price point. 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. Similar Products Used: Parasound, AMC, B&K, NAD. |
[Feb 19, 2003]
fenachrone
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Solid construction, good value, excellent sonics
Weakness:
None I can think of Great amp, very listenable, no complaints about the sound. Nice mids, extended highs. Can't say much about the deep bass as I use it in a bi-amped system, with it powering the satellites. A well constructed amp also. Similar Products Used: Adcom GFA-555 amplifier PS Audio 4.6 preamp |
[Jun 22, 2002]
Jondular
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Price, great sound, appearance.
Weakness:
my bannana plugs don't seem to fit well. Some cheaper plugs work just fine....I am afraid to force them having heard that this amp has a weak link in the connections of the posts to the board. Maybe I will switch to spades I had been helped by the reviews on this site in making my choice of the acurus A150. I wanted to offer a bit of post-purchase feedback for others who might be in a similar situation. I have vandersteen 2ce's and had been driving them with my archaic yamaha dsp A1000. The sound was okay but I found that I wasn't drawn to listen very often and lost interest in prolonged listening. I had heard many audiophiles declare the importance of the amp and pre-amp but was skeptical. The Acurus A150 at less than $400 seemed like a good bet to test whether amps make a difference without breaking the bank. I bought the Acurus A150 from Stereo Trading Outlet www.tsto.com and within two days the amp was delivered. Its condition was better than described by their site. I couldn't be happier with them. Michael was a great help, friendly and very efficient. Listening. What can I say? Why did I wait so long? Geeesh. I connected the amp to the "pre-amp out" of the yamaha (yes, next on the list is a pre-amp!) and started listening. The difference is crystal clear. The old sound could be likened to peanut butter. It was all there but it was a wall of sound that was blended together like a puree'. With the new amp there is clear definition of each instrument. The change is not subtle. It is OBVIOUS. The detail is much more defined. I can hear things I never noticed prior. Perhaps the most impressive shift was the soundstage. It go bigger. You might say like getting the music out of a box and into the open. I'm starting to understand the crazy terms that reviewers have used....OMG I'm getting like them... AAAHHHH!!!!! OK just joking. Granted I have only had two days with this amp but the initial joy is so great I had to make it public in case someone else might be in the same spot. Moral of the story is: Do it now, it's worth it. |