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AVID Hifi Acutus Reference Mono
Instantly recognizable, the luxurious chrome finish and muscular appearance make the Acutus more than a timeless icon, it's a striking piece of audiophile art.
Setting you on a compulsive journey of musical rediscovery, so startling is the naturalness and intimacy of the sound, it truly enters your space and deep into your soul, leaving you reaching for the next record.
"Beautifully made, compact, easy to set up and maintain, the only reason not to want it is the high-end cost. Aaah..the price of luxury."
-John Bamford
Key Features
- Twin Mono Power Supply
- Unique Sapphire Bearing
- Vibration Tuned Subchassis
- Frequency Adjustable Suspension
ultimate experience
Available in three tiers, with the Reference Mono standing as the pinnacle of performance, this product unabashedly presents itself as a luxurious indulgence, providing uncompromised excellence in vinyl reproduction without concern for cost.
Establishing a benchmark for musical reproduction that serves as an aspiration for others to attain, this product stands as the ultimate engineering masterpiece, crafted for individuals seeking the absolute pinnacle of the listening experience.
Beyond Imagination
When seeking perfection, power is everything and the Mono is in a class of its own. The sonic gains are not a subtle subjective difference, but an immediately obvious improvement in all aspects that goes way beyond any expectation of what you thought possible from a vinyl record.
What's inside
Power Supply
Setting the Reference Mono apart from the other Acutus versions is the gigantic power supply. Most regard a turntable power supply as just that, a turntable power supply with little more thought, but just the size of the Mono PSU lets you know otherwise.
With a DSP controlled Pre-Amp the regulate and fine tune speed and Twin Mono Power Amplifiers independently driving each motor coil, the leap in sonic performance is nothing less than staggering. The difference is not a subtle subjective difference but an immediately obvious improvement in all aspects that goes way beyond any expectation.
Lower noise floor, extension of both bass and treble responses and a significant dynamic improvement surpassing the Acutus Reference model. But even more startling is the naturalness and intimacy of the performance as it truly enters your space and deep into your soul.
The Acutus Reference Mono SP is an unashamed indulgence that offers a no cost compromise at vinyl reproduction.
Motor
Our hand assembled high torque AC synchronous motor spins the platter up to speed within seconds. Ten times more powerful than conventional turntable motors, this provides the ultimate control and stability. With twin round section drive belts the suspension is free to move without inducing speed variations common with flat belt designs.
Clamp
Our unique dual operation clamp is a critical element to the ultimate sonic performance you hear.
First operation grounds the record to the main bearing, allowing vibration caused by the stylus to pass into the subchassis. This reduces the noise floor of the record and vastly improves the sound you hear.
Second operation reflex clamps the vinyl flat to the platter surface, eliminating warps and air pockets underneath. The platter mat itself is a unique resin that reflects most vibration, keeping it in the record so it passes more quickly through the bearing into the subchassis.
Platter
The 10Kg Chrome plated aluminium platter is the focal point of the Acutus.
Secured with eight fixings, the 10mm aluminium disc which has had the resin mat cast and machined offers the perfect record interface. The mat reflects the most vibration except for very high frequencies, which after entering the platter body are rapidly constrained damped by the nickel and chrome layers.
Bearing
The Acutus turntable features the lengthiest bearing spindle within our entire range. This spindle is meticulously press-fitted into the subchassis, securing it firmly in place. The innovative inverted design situates the contact point at the pinnacle so the bearing naturally has a low center of gravity.
At the upper end of the precisely ground and tapered spindle, a tungsten carbide ball comes into contact with a specially designed sapphire jewel. This ingenious pairing establishes a fixed bearing point, completely devoid of any lateral movement. As a result, the typical rumble noise often encountered in other turntables is virtually eliminated.
Furthermore, the self-lubricating sleeve employed in this design ensures that there's no direct metal-to-metal interaction during operation. This distinctive feature renders our bearing exceptionally silent and also grants it a maintenance-free quality for its entire lifespan.
Subchassis
It is critical for sound quality that the tonearm and bearing are rigidly coupled, any relative movement between them and information is lost forever. Our unique one-piece multi-fold aluminium casting provides maximum strength where required but allows for movement in non-critical areas, accepting the fact that nothing is totally rigid.
To eliminate the vibration from the record passed through the bearing, the casting is coated with a damping media of specific thickness so that both high and low frequencies dissipate with linearity and time frame, giving a neutral sound.
Suspension
Our adjustable suspension system allows each supporting spring to be tuned to the same frequency regardless of the load. This means that either a single or twin tonearm weight of up to 3Kg can be accommodated and the suspension perfectly balanced. With an isolation frequency of 2.5Hz the pickup cartridge will not skip, locked into position with all external vibration eliminated.
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Professional Reviews 88/100
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
88/100
Build Quality
95/100
Features Usability
82/100
Value for Money
88/100
Built for authority and low-noise clarity, the AVID Hifi Acutus Reference Mono pairs a twin-belt drive with a massive 10kg platter and superb suspension to deliver firm bass, vivid detail, and strong instrument separation. The Audiophile Man heard a richly controlled, highly revealing presentation that makes this reference deck feel every bit the serious statement piece.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Delivers firm, massy bass with fast transients and excellent rhythmic drive.
Excellent low-level detail retrieval and superb clarity from a very quiet background.
Strong instrumental separation and a wide, three-dimensional soundstage.
Heavy-duty construction and superb isolation give it a commanding, well-engineered feel.
&
Cons
The supplied SME arm setup is described as a limiting factor and not fully worthy of the deck.
Belts are fiddly to fit during setup, making installation less convenient than the sound quality suggests.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 88/100
Reviewers rave about the Acutus' powerful, finely controlled bass, vivid detail retrieval, and excellent instrumental separation. They also describe strong dynamic energy, a broad soundstage, and a very quiet background that helps fine information emerge naturally.
Overall Sound
94/100
The turntable is praised for firm, massy bass, fast transients, superb clarity, and a presentation that keeps music moving with rhythmic, natural flow. The review also highlights strong dynamic impact, open backing piano, and impressive 3D imaging, all of which point to a highly engaging and richly resolved sound.
Speed Stability
91/100
The twin-belt drive and DSP vari-speed supply are consistent with the reviewer's description of lean, fast transients and music that keeps moving at a convincing pace. The review does not discuss measured wow or drift in detail, so the score rests mainly on the positive sense of timing and flow rather than explicit technical reporting.
Tonearm Performance
72/100
The review gives very little direct praise to the arm setup and explicitly says, 'The SME drags on the Acutus,' which points to a mixed result rather than a standout one. The platform clearly supports serious tonearm use, but this particular evidence does not suggest the included or specified arm arrangement is a highlight.
Noise Isolation
92/100
The reviewer says the isolation performance is 'quite superb' and notes that the turntable's very low noise level helps fine details emerge from the soundstage. That quiet background is one of the deck's clearest strengths, though the evidence stops short of the kind of repeated superlatives that would justify pushing it even higher.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
95/100
Reviewers emphasize the deck's imposing size, weight, and elaborate three-part construction, along with the 10kg platter and grand suspension pillars. The overall impression is of a lavishly engineered, highly substantial machine whose physical execution matches its price and ambition.
Features Usability
82/100
This is a serious, purist turntable with useful setup flexibility such as SME mounting, support for single or twin tonearms, electronic speed control, and a suspension-based design. Beyond that, the reviews say little about day-to-day convenience, and the deck is not presented as especially feature-rich.
Value for Money
88/100
The review is openly approving about the money spent, saying, 'You can see where you've spent your money and, more importantly, you can hear it too.' At this level, the Acutus is clearly aimed at buyers in the upper high-end market, and the commentary suggests a product that justifies itself through performance rather than bargain pricing.
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Authorized dealers for AVID Hifi Acutus Reference Mono
- 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