Price Paid:  $440.00 from eBay

Summary:
I upgraded to this unit in the hopes of balancing out the power to all five speakers and gaining the ability to run the surround speakers in full mode. This unit does a marvelous job of controlling whatever speaker load you throw at it. The sound is great for the money and even though the company was absorbed by Klipsch, the technicians still stand behind this product. The killer is that it play with the most subtle delicacy, then wake the city block with no strain.

Strengths:
Sound: what goes in is what comes out. If you put in garbage expect a heavily amplified dose of garbage out.

Weaknesses:
Power LED blinks on and off.

Similar Products Used:
NAD 2400THX, Acurus A250

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Simply stereo

Summary:
Borrowed this from Simply Stereo, Hoffman Estates, Il. These guys are great, thanks again! Tons of power and great build quality, but very bright.When listening to brass instruments the sound was harsh and fatiguing.

Strengths:
Built like a tank, endless amount of power.

Weaknesses:
Way too bright,high pitched sounds at louder levels were painful,even with older bass-reflex type speakers.

Similar Products Used:
Marantz, Denon, Jolida tube.

Price Paid:  $649.00 from ubid

Summary:
I recently purchased an Acurus on ubid. First, for the money, it is a great amp. I found that it brought out the mids and low. Drums seem to come alive. Bass becomes a supporting instrument. The highs also seem to last longer. Cymbal crashes resounate with crispness. It produces no external noise (no fan) and runs cool to the touch. I do not profess this is the best amp but for the price I can't beat this with a stick (tried but the stick broke). It is solidly built. Heavy piece of equipment (as are most amps).

As crazy as it sounds, the edges are rather sharp. My arm looked as if it had lost a fight with a cat!! But that is a one time event so I do not consider it a weakness.

The major weakness is the very limited owners manual. I have gotten bigger manuals buying a big mac at McDonalds!!

MSRP is $1500. But due to the fact that Acurus is discontinuing this model, it can be bought for about half.

My rating of 5 takes into consider this reduced price point. At $1500 it is still a good amp but it may be possible to find better amps for that price like Parasound and NAD, etc.

All in all, extremely pleased. Even at very low sound levels, it is still obivous the benefits this amp provides, even considering I was using a Pioneer Elite receiver (THX certified) and high efficiency speakers (94 db) - Overture 3 (MSRP $2,500).

Strengths:
powerful, runs cool to the touch, simple design, great mids and powerful lows

Weaknesses:
extremely limited manual - about 10 lines.
Also manual does not provide the specifications (though obviously I knew them before purchasing)

Price Paid:  $649.00 from ubid

Summary:
bought two of these from ubid, they apparently had a stocking delay, (bought in Sept, received in Nov) but when they finally arrived I received two new, consecutively numbered units. perfect oob experience.

when I ordered the Acurus, I was driving six 901 Bose in a 7.1 system. 100watts/channel was enough. However, before the Acurus (Acuruii?) arrived, I had swapped the Bose out for six Final electrostatic speakers. In the professional review of the Finals, the reviewer advised he wanted to keep the Finals around after the review, because they were a good test of power amps! Under 200's need not apply.

The Acurus hardbodys at 300 plus watts into 4 ohms fit the
Finals like a glove. With the Acurus on-line driving the electrostats, Diana Krall sounded like she morphed from an Ally McBeal thin and reedy body into a Bridget Jones full and voluptuous package. The sound became lush, sexy, and fully fleshed out. I can't get enough of it! 8 channels of audio ecstacy.

Big smile on face.

Recommended.

Strengths:
more power!

Weaknesses:
Like a turbine spooling down, when you switch the amp off, it just keeps playing and playing, until the last charge is drained from the overgenerous capacitor banks. Not a defect, Acurus states on their forum that noise blanking circuitry is only found on their more expensive amps, (and on pretty much every Japanese amp no matter how inexpensive!) Though for the price paid, not an issue. The amps stay on 24/7, and they have a 2 year warranty I simply turn the volume down to zero on the pioneer preamp when i'm finished listening.

Similar Products Used:
replaced a single Kenwood THX 6-channel 100wpc power amp. Currently 6 channels from 2 Acurus A200x3's, center channel from a Pioneeer VSX-37TX, and powered subwoofers from Klipsch ksw-15 and sp1.

Price Paid:  $750.00 from ebay

Summary:
I have 2 A200x3 amps for a 6.1 (THX EX/DTS-ES) compatible set up.

I never, ever needed more power than these amps provide. In fact, Audio Magazine (R.I.P.) reviewed the older 200x3 amp in 1995. They got 315W into 8 ohms, and 515W into 4 ohms, per channel (constant AC line voltage). And the A200x3 is said by Acurus to have 20% higher output into small ohmage loads! A-200-x3 indeed!

Great customer support by Mondial Designs. (I used to have 200x3's, and had problems with the power switch LED burning out. The fix was free o' charge.)

As far as sound quality: sterile, cold, forward, revealing. If you want a "straight wire with gain", this is it. No color added whatsoever.

Strengths:
Power, sound, build quality, customer support

Weaknesses:
I thought the older 200x3 had better looks! The heat fins can be kind of sharp.

Similar Products Used:
Nakamichi, Adcom