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Reviews 1 - 5 (28 Reviews Total)
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Submitted by
Ozz
a Audio EnthusiastDate Reviewed: December 24, 2006
Bottom Line: This is a wonderful piece of equipment. How's that for an opening line of a review? After having a bad experience with an Anthem TLP-1 (I did a review on that pre about a year ago) I decided to go a different route. I had always liked the look, feel and sound of acurus gear going back to the early-mid 90's. But..at the time didn't have the money to own any! So when a package deal came up on audiogon (the RL-11 and an A100 in brandy new condition) I jumped on them. The pre is truly glorious to look at. Even though TRUE hi-end audiophiles would scoff, I will stand by my opinion that the look and build of this pre just SCREAMS hi-end. Very smooth controls. Not a lot of extra functions on some computer processor that are just begging to suddenly stop working or never work properly to begin with. No tone controls to screw up the sound and circuit. No integrated circuits period. All discrete, all mil-spec parts. It just makes you smile to look at it. Oh..and if you are into cable swapping, it's a detachable power cable.
Now, to the most important part....the SOUND. Yes, I've read reviews where people say they find acurus gear "Harsh and grainy". Well, folks....if Harsh and grainy sounds like the RL-11.....GIVE ME MORE HARSH AND GRAIN!! Seriously, I have not found any negative characteristics in the sound. It's a pleasure to listen to. And although I'd have preferred an A200 to the A100....I find it to be high quality both soundwise and build-wise as well.
So...bottom line...if you can find one of these guys in good condition...don't question.....just BUY!
Used product for: 3 Months to 1 year
Duration Product Used: Audio Enthusiast
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At: Audiogon
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
CPTG
a AudioPhileDate Reviewed: June 21, 2006
Bottom Line: Wheither it be cars, stereo gear or women, my first choice ALWAYS disappoints me. Having stupidly ruined my SAE A14 integrated amp (I left a $25.00 Humidifier on over night and ruined all the switches/components), I auditioned and lusted after the Rotel RB 980 amp. Unfortunately, Rotel's matching pre-amp sounded so horribly bright that I ran out of the store screaming (and the pre-amp was warmed up for days!!!). Since I only wanted to purchase matching components (amp/pre-amp), I rejected the Rotel purchase completely.
By pure accident, walked into a small Hi-end dealership in San Francisco to demo the Acurus A 150 amp and spied the Acurus RL 11 (The only formal review I've seen on it was Sensible sound APR 1998) on a pedistool. It was lust at first sight!!! The unit is breathing to look and and play with---like a high end piece of modern art. Imagine a black box with five milled 'mil-spec' aluminum dials. When you pressed the volume control on the wand, the volume dial rotated to the right---cool!!!
Everything about this unit says 'Mil-spec/Hospital grade components used through-out'. Go ahead, FIND a $2,400.00 pre-amp and A/B it against my RL 11 and try and beat it---Go ahead, try!!! No pre-amp EXISTS under $1,000.00 that can match the RL 11's parts and build quality. Don't even bother looking, it is that good.
Used product for: More than 1 year
Duration Product Used: AudioPhile
Product model year: 1999
Price Paid:
$650.00
Purchased At: California Street St
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
pissillo
a Audio EnthusiastDate Reviewed: January 1, 2003
Bottom Line: This is a great preamp. It does evrything a pre should and nothing it shouldn't. I have more money in cables than in this piece. Compared to McCormack, Plinius, Classe aand bel canto, this is the winner.Not at all lean like Acurus amps can be, neither is it bloated sounding like some tube equipment. Natural and neutral. Not the most exquisite looking eye-candy, but it performs. Equipped with the necessary stuff, no phono, but a good outboard one is better than the mediocre internal affairs that are too common anyway. This will situate itself nicely with the best amp and speakers out there.
Used product for: 3 Months to 1 year
Duration Product Used: Audio Enthusiast
Product model year: 2000
Price Paid:
$350.00
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
pissillo
a Audio EnthusiastDate Reviewed: January 1, 2003
Bottom Line: This is a great preamp. It does evrything a pre should and nothing it shouldn't. I have more money in cables than in this piece. Compared to McCormack, Plinius, Classe aand bel canto, this is the winner.Not at all lean like Acurus amps can be, neither is it bloated sounding like some tube equipment. Natural and neutral. Not the most exquisite looking eye-candy, but it performs. Equipped with the necessary stuff, no phono, but a good outboard one is better than the mediocre internal affairs that are too common anyway. This will situate itself nicely with the best amp and speakers out there.
Used product for: 3 Months to 1 year
Duration Product Used: Audio Enthusiast
Product model year: 2000
Price Paid:
$350.00
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Maprik
a AudioPhileDate Reviewed: July 31, 2002
Bottom Line: I must say that the RL-11 sounds as good if not better than the Classe CP-35 that goes for around twice the price on the used market. The only advantage the Classe had was balanced inputs and outputs as well as a digital readout of vulome level. Soundwise, however, the Acurus is amazing and perhaps even more transparent than the Classe. Less wiring, less complicated equals better sound? I have read that some modifications take this unit to a higher level and I may do that but at this point why bother? AN AMAZING audio value when you consider I paid $300 the RL-11 which is the price of my least expensive interconnects. Why did I buy the RL-11? I actually bought one for a friend's system to help him out and while I had the RL-11 I tried it in my system. After a week I decided to sell the Classe and get an RL-11 for myself.
Associated equipment:
Rega Planar 25 w/ Benz Micro Glider M2
Lehmann Black Cube
Classe CDP.5 CD player
Music Reference RM-9 tube amplifier
Reference 3A MM DaCapo speakers
PS Audio P300 powerplant
Synergistic Research Resolution Reference speaker cables.
Used product for: 1 to 3 months
Duration Product Used: AudioPhile
Product model year: 2000
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