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AVID Hifi Pulsare II
For over a decade our phono stages have a set new benchmark for musical enjoyment. Preceding our own designs, we tried many suitors and whilst offering excellent technical performance, they lacked realism. We call it shear power, that feeling of presence, solidity and drive that separates just listening to HiFi with that feeling of being in the presence of the performance.
"The AVID Pulsare II is the best phono amp that I have ever heard"
- Paul Rigby
Key Features
- Quick Switchable Settings
- Fully Balanced Operation
- Mono and Subsonic Filters
- Two Cartridges Simultaneously
electronic artistry
Engineering turntables that arouse the sensation of musical reality with exceptionally low background noise, we spawned Pulsare, a phono stage that embodied these qualities, winning immediate critical acclaim.
Pulsare II elevated performance to new heights. Fully balanced with negligible distortion and devoid of noise. With prodigious headroom, this is pure electronic artistry.
"This is an impressive product indeed"
- Steve Harris
listening experience
Employing extremely high-specification components, every attribute is of the highest order. Gain, Resistance, and Capacitance are all easily adjustable, even during operation and signal integrity is never compromised by using a bank of relays for every adjustment.
Cartridges can operate fully balanced through a dedicated input for the best possible sound quality. Mono and Subsonic filters optimise playback, assuring you of obtaining the ultimate listening experience.
"It’s not leaving my house"
- Martin Appel
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Professional Reviews 91/100
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
92/100
Cartridge Compatibility
95/100
Build Quality
92/100
Value for Money
86/100
Transparent and spacious, the AVID Hifi Pulsare II gives vinyl an uncannily live feel, separating instruments with poise while keeping bass tight and authoritative. HiFi News praised its ability to reveal extra nuance, strong ambience, and a rich yet controlled presentation, while its extensive loading and gain options make cartridge matching impressively effortless.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Exceptional transparency reveals instruments, vocals, and ambient detail with striking separation.
Powerful, controlled bass and convincing rhythmic drive keep music sounding firm and alive.
Extensive gain, resistance, and capacitance options make it highly adaptable to many cartridges.
Solid construction and premium controls give it a serious, overbuilt feel.
&
Cons
Its highly adjustable, overbuilt design suggests a premium purchase rather than an obvious value play.
Balanced wiring can increase hum with some turntable setups, so installation may need care.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 92/100
Reviewers describe the Pulsare as exceptionally revealing, with a strong sense of hearing around instruments and uncovering extra nuance from familiar records. It also comes across as spacious and musically convincing, with a big, sumptuous presentation that still preserves clarity and ambience.
Transparency Noise Floor
93/100
The Avid is repeatedly described as exceptionally transparent, letting guitars, voice and percussion emerge as individual sonic entities with more ambient detail around them. The background is described as never messy or incoherent, and the presentation stays clean rather than hazy.
Tonal Balance Musicality
92/100
Reviewers praise a balanced, informative sound with convincing tonal color, from brassy brass to a rich yet controlled double bass. The presentation is described as sumptuous and real without strain, suggesting a natural, highly listenable character rather than a dry or analytical one.
Dynamics
91/100
The Pulsare handles attack and drive well, with springy bass, realistically insistent cymbals, and drums that feel like they are steaming along with the band. The reviewer also highlights lifelike bowing attack and strong rhythmic momentum.
Soundstage Imaging
92/100
Spatial rendering is a clear strength, with instruments appearing more fully separated and the recording opening into a huge space. Reviewers also note a winning combination of clarity and ambience, along with strong recovery of ambient clues.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Cartridge Compatibility
95/100
The adjustable gain and loading options are extensive, and the review specifically says you should easily find the right setting for almost any cartridge. The published gain range and multiple resistance and capacitance choices make it especially flexible for both MM and a wide spread of MC cartridges.
Build Quality
92/100
Reviewers call out the solid fascia, business-like lettering, and heavy, top-grade rotary knobs, giving the unit a distinctly serious and well-made feel. The external power supply and substantial transformer also support the impression of careful execution, though the reviews focus more on solidity than on long-term durability detail.
Value for Money
86/100
The reviews describe it as an overkill design in specification, construction and features, which suggests serious engineering and ambition, but they do not explicitly call it a bargain. At this asking price, it reads more as a premium purchase justified by capability than as an obvious value play.
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Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for AVID Hifi Pulsare II
- Holt Hill — online and in-store — Andover, Massachusetts, United States (website)
- à la carte productions — in-store — Palm Coast, Florida, United States (website)
- Akalın Muzik Ltd. — in-store — İstanbul, Turkey (website)
- Alen Audio — in-store — Extramurs, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (website)
- Anagram Audio — online and in-store — Bury St Edmunds, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Analogue Seduction — online and in-store — Whittlesey, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Andertons — online and in-store — Guildford, England, United Kingdom (website)
- ARK Audio — online and in-store — Borensberg, Östergötlands län, Sweden (website)
- Audio Centrum — Hungary (website)
- Audio Domain — in-store — Stadtbezirke I, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany (website)
and 52 more verified dealers