Perhaps I can straighten out a few things, and end this continuous rumor mill that has turned this from a review site to a discussion group. Normally, I would avoid postings such as this, but after viewing all this misinformation, I felt obligated to respond. I will conduct this as both a review, and give clarification, as I understand what transpired by conversations with my dealer and Engineers, and the owners of Mondial Designs. I have owned the ACT 3 now for about 4 months now (Got one of the first pieces shipped, in May). The piece that I have was the piece thatwas originally sent as the Dealer Demo piece. He was told that he shouldn't sell the piece, as it was a Demo piece, and for in store use only. I convinced him that, since I had waited so long for it, that I should be able to take it home, knowing full well, that it may be necessary to have the piece upgraded at a later date and telling the dealer that I did not mind.
Being a "REVIEW" I will comment on my associated equipment (something that many of these other "REVIEWS" have failed to do.) I replaced an Angstrom 200 with the ACT-3 as the heart of the system. The Angstrom was an excellent piece that faired well in my system for many years, however it was time to move on to the 5.1 surround.
For speakers, Alon V MKII's for the main fronts, Alon C2 center, and Alon II for the rears with two Velodyne ULD-12 subs.
All cabling is Audioquest.
Aragon 8008BB for the mains, and the 8008X3 to power the center and the rears.
Panasonic A-310 DVD player
RCA 5451 Dolby Digital DSS receiver.
Pioneer Elite LD player. (No AC-3 out)
Runco IDP-850 front projector.
The room is 32' long X 25 ' wide.
Sonically, the ACT-3 is a fantastic piece. Using it as a two channel DAC, preamp, for stereo listening, coming out of the A-310 digital is simply stunning. Very open soundstage, very smooth, very dynamic with clean tight bass response. My wife and I find ourselves listening to music more and more since we
Have installed the ACT-3, and she even commented on the difference in quality of sound for music over
the previous system.(granted, she's no audiophile, but I guess that's the point!)
For Dolby Digital, again performance is outstanding. Channel separation is excellent, and, again, very smooth, and dynamic, with great bass response. The Diva scene on The Fifth Element was top notch. For those of you with DSS, I highly recommend investing in the RCA Dolby Digital DSS box, or the soon to be released Sony DSS Dolby Digital box, as it is quite an experience. Apocalypse Now in letterbox, 5.1 was astounding. Plus, the digital output also gives you a PCM 2 channel signal for non AC-3 encoded channels. The ACT-3 autodetection automatically switches between Pro-Logic, and Dolby Digital depending on what channel you have selected. Nice, and easy to use. (Great for the wife!!) Pro-Logic decoding for standard television programs exceeded the performance of any other pro-logic (analog or digital decoding) piece I have had. The DSS movie channels all sound excellent (although some better than others) Not DVD quality, but good enough considering it's HBO.
Not having any DTS DVD's yet, it is tough to make a DTS/AC-3 comparison, and the selection of DTS CD's is poor at best. It's surround sound music at this point, so it's tough to make any comparison of that. The couple of DTS laserdiscs that I have (The Game, Jurassic Park, Pulp Fiction) all sound great. Again, autodetection works flawlessly, so I don't have to worry about changing modes. However, it's still not DVD. Hopefully by the end of the year we will be able to make a better comparison, but for now…..it works.

I haven't played with the DSP modes very much.(not a DSP kinda guy) so I cannot comment on them. There are five DSP modes, each creating a "larger" room sense, and then a Party mode with a mono signal to each channel.

All in all I have found that the ACT-3 is easy to use, and produces exceptional sound quality, not even taking into account it's $1800 price tag ($1499 for mine, as I had a deposit on it for some time) I have never experienced any problems with the ACT-3 regarding hiss, or hum (even before the upgrade boards were installed) I did have trouble using the coaxial digital interconnect with the piece initially. Using the Toslink input eliminated the problem. Since I have received the upgrade boards, the coaxial cable from the A-310 to the ACT-3 has worked without a hitch. The other problem I had with the compatibility of the A-310 to the ACT-3 was the popping noise that the DVD player made when skipping tracks, or when a standard CD was placed in the drawer. I'm still a little bitter about having to wait 7 months to receive the ACT-3, but after living with it for a while it was WELL WORTH THE WAIT. I would have liked to see more S Video switching, as I don't know what I'll need in the future, but for now 2 is OK for my DVD, and DSS. Before purchasing it, I was hesitant about it, because it did not have a Re-Equalization built in but I have found it to be extremely smooth even on the brightest soundtracks. (Batman + Robin, Titanic, etc.) My best suggestion is for people to GO LISTEN TO IT FOR YOURSELF. Don't take my word for it. Don't take anyone's word for it. The Internet is full of rumors, and misinformation, and the only way to know what the truth is, is to find out you.

Arthur and all other readers, I am writing this to clarify what I found on my ACT 3. and NOT trying to start an argurment here. When you use the words "rumor" and "misinformation" make me feel that you think our posting are not true and just wanted to start a rumor here.
First let me also refernce my equipment which I failed to do last time.

Speakers:
B&W 805 (main)
B&W HTM (center)
B&W DP6 (surround)
B&W ASW 2000 (sub)
Amp
Bryston 3B (main)
Bryston 2B LP bridge (center)
Old Sony receieve (surround)
Source
Poineer CLD 504
Cables
Interconnect: Vampire #SC/V, CCC/II, Ultralink, esoteric
Speaker: Monster THX

To start, let me assume that there are some good units out there and some with this noise problem. I think Arthur is one of the lucky one or we are some the unlucky one that recieved the units with such problem. I think that may be why Arthur didn't hear any hiss problem on his unit and some of us has this problem. To make sure it is not just me being picky, I asked my wife and some of my non-audiophile friends to listen to the unit about 10' away from the unit. When the music stop and during a queit scene in the movie, they all heard the same noise. Let me also clarify what kind of noise I hear from my unit. For stereo, I only hear a low level hiss which is not really audiable when I am 10' away but become audiable once I get about 4'-5' from my speaker. When I switch to music DSP or pro logic, a high pitch noise come out from my center and main speakers and is very annoying.

First, I check all my connection to make sure all the connection are corrected. Then I disconnect my TV-antenna and cable to make sure the noise is not come from there. Then I dis-connect my Bryston 2B and my receiever, the noise is lower, I re-connect the my 2B the noise is back. So there must be somthing wrong with either my 2B or the ACT 3. I disconnect my main amp and connect my 2B to the main channel, less noise. Then I reconnect the system and found that the noise are mainly from the DSP modes and the pro logic. To make sure that may be some other reason that cause that noise, I went to my local dealer and listened to their unit, they have the same type of noise in DSP music and pro logic but less audiable than my unit. That is how I found out the noise.

I am posting here to let other people aware of the goods and bads of the equipment. I am not trying to start a rumor to destroy Acurus' reputation. I am also spending $1800 of my hard working money on this unit even after I heard of the hiss problem other people mentioned in this site. I believe this may brought to Acurus attention and they can fix the problem early instead of losing their business.

Sorry for this long post.

Sound, construction, design, astetics, support.

none

Truly a remarkable product. In these times of rapid technical change, it is hard to purchase a product that provides great sound, reasonable upgradablity at a fair and honest price. The technical support is fanatastic. An it is made in the US of A. I cannot think of a better way of spending and enjoying my money! Thanks Acurus.

Similar Products Used:

BK, Theta, Sony

I purchased this product in late March. I have it paired with an Acurus 5 X 125 amplifier. Had the unit, speakers, TV, DVD, line conditioner installed by the local rep. for Mondial. I have enjoyed listening to music and digital soundtracks. Last week the LED readout on the unit had a series of dashes illuminating on the pre-amplifier. I also noticed the rears and subwoofer were not playing. Within 15 minutes the unit began playing all the speakers, however the dashes remained on the readout. I turned the unit off and I could still see the dashes, lighlty illuminated. I brought the unit back to my local dealer. They have since sent it back to Mondial to be repaired. My local store had an ACT III on their showroom and have given to me as a loaner until my unit is fixed. I am very dissappointed an expensive unit such as this would have a quality problem within the first month. I probably had less than 24 hours on the system. I have also noticed the component switching was not working properly. If I watched a movie under the AV/1 button and I turned the system off, when I turned the system back on, I would have to switch to the next area such as AV/2 and back to AV/1 to get any sound. I am concerned on another matter regarding the warranty. You have 2 weeks to send in your warranty registered mail to have 2 years tacked on to the 90 day warranty. I am skeptical of the quality as the original warranty is only 90 days. I use the system for movies and my career limits the amount of time I use this product. My advice is to definately send in the warranty card or get your check book out.

I will offer a follow up review, at this point I will offer a very low rating until the quality improves

After having waited for an ACT 3 for 10 months, I was pleased when it finally arrived in september. I had almost broken down and paid the premium for the beautiful EAD piece but deccided to hang on.I found the ergonomics and build of the ACT 3 above average and the remote quite good for its price range. Sonically the performance is on par with units costing two to three times as much I've never heard a Crystal Semiconducter chipset sound better.
Then there is the hum, my unit was afficted with significant 60 cycle hum which was traced to a bad powersupply--which replacement only partially cured. (Mondial acknowledges that their unit hums). As far as the hiss, I have it too but suspect that it is less bothersome in my system due to my inefficient speakers (high-end NHTs). (Mondial's party line is that they will accept any hiss not easily heard from the listening position as "normal"). Had they been able to engineer these two "zits" out, the unit would be perfect. For the money though it's probably the best deal going at the moment.
I'm not accostomed to having to rationalize away flaws in Mondial's products but the complexity of the ACT 3 is far beyond anything they have attempted to date. I give this unit my reserved reccomendation

I recently purchased and returned the "fixed" ACT-3. The preamp hissed continuously. Other than the annoying hiss the ACT-3 is great. Though I could not live with the continous hiss. I am looking into the B&K Ref 20, this seems to be a much more refined product. My rating is 2 stars.

I received the ACT-3 a couple of weeks ago, and I've spent the time since then dialing the system in.
This is a great-sounding pre-amp. It's extremely musical, and the D/A converters are of excellent quality. This unit gave a sonic quality to both DVDs and music CDs that I would have to characterize as hard to match at this price.

The only really competitive unit I auditioned was the new Solo Electronics GoldenTheater, which had comparable sound and functionality, but at a few hundred dollars more.

My v2 unit had none of the hum or hiss problems noted in previous reviews.

I have had my ACT-3 for one week now and am extremely pleased with this product.Before I get into particulars, my equipment list:

Electronics:
Act-3
Acurus 200x3 (front)
Onkyo TS-V909 Pro Receiver (Using for phono and tuner into ACT-3)
Using Onkyo Mains for rear surround
Pioneer CLD52 Laserdisc
AudioQuest Quartz interconnects between Act-3 and Acurus
AudioQuest Crystal Bi-wire to Martin-Logans
Monster Cable (12-gauge) to center and surrounds

Speakers:
Martin Logan Quests (Main)
Definitive Technology C/L/R 2000 (Center)
Definitive Technology BPX (Surrounds)
Velodyne ULD-18 Subwoofer
Onkyo CD (coax digital out w/DH Labs dig. interconnect)
Toshiba 2108 DVD
Pioneer CLD52 Laserdisc

Cables:
Laserdisc uses:(Toslink=Brand-x interconnect, DH Labs coax
interconnect, and Esoteric Audio Analog interconnect)(to demo differences in
digital outputs and difference between ACT-3's D/A and Pioneer's)
AudioQuest Quartz interconnects between Act-3 and Acurus
AudioQuest Emerald interconnects for analog between DVD,Laserdisc & ACT-3
AudioQuest Crystal Bi-wire to Martin-Logans
Monster Cable (12-gauge) to center and surrounds

Setup was a breeze - simple enough for my wife to use.
The Onkyo TSX-V909PRO receiver I was using as preamp did not have great Dolby Pro-Logic - the ACT-3 kicks its' butt in Pro-Logic mode.

Sound from DTS and AC-3 is stunning!

My biggest priority however, is music - to sooth my savaged soul after work and anytime I need refreshing, and in this regard I have to spend some time in praise - with explanations.

Having gotten the bug a numbere of years ago while selling stereo equipment, I always kept a modest setup myself until I walked into a shop to listen to ML's Aerius speakers and found the Quests at a price simply too good to pass up (and never seen close to again). While the Onkyo receiver is definitely a powerhouse and very good-sounding for a receiver, it didn't have enough to kick the 'Logans
so the Acurus was purchased with the idea that it would be used for the surround and center channels when I could afford an amp appropriate to the 'Logans.

I wasn't expecting a lot from the Acurus, but it delivered in spades - nothing lost compared to the Onkyo receiver, but better bass and slightly better highs.

I went though the cabling stage, noticing improvements each time, leading to the following statements about the ACT-3:

When I put a Toslink cable between Laserdisc and Onkyo I noticed better highs, more detail and air - but a distinct loss of bass tightness compared to the AQ Emerald cables I used for analog. I had the same cables on our Onkyo CD and noticed that it sounded better than the Laserdisc using analog, but lost out to the Laserdisc/Toslink for anything other than Rock & Roll (once refreshed, I need motivation to move).

This was all with the Onkyo receiver - no slouch at all in comparison with the others out there and better than 97%.

When I set up the Act-3, and due to the fact I am using the Onkyo until I get the appropriate amp for my main channels, I was still able to easily switch processors/preamp sections to compare - and what a difference!

Running Analog or Toslink on the ACT-3 - much more air and detail - not as much on the Toslink, but noticeable. But using the coax digital connections I had it all plus some!

Supposedly, the Toshiba DVD has a pretty good DAC section - not in comparison to the ACT-3. Playing CD's on the DVD the sound was infinitely better using the coax connection.

I have heard no buzzes, whines or noise of any kind - however, I use a BrickWall surge protector/line conditioner for audio and a Panamax surge protector/line conditioner for video and can't seem to get interested in removing either of them to see if there is a problem which MIGHT show up - although I doubt it would.

I have listened seriously (and on much more seriously priced equipment) and can honestly state that there is no better bang for the buck than the ACT-3 for a single system/dual purpose preamp at this time.

Now if they could only wangle 96/24 and HDCD...but that can only be considered rude after what they're already giving us for the money. My hat is off to Mondial Designs for once again showing what can be had on a budget. In light of the price and compared to much more expensive equipment listened to repeatedly,
I am forced (gladly) to give the ACT-3...

It is O.K. unit, but it is not good enough for 4 or 5 stars. 1)Sound quality: just a little bit better than receiver; 2) Features: no dual zone; no tuner; no display on remove and small display on panel; 3) Bug: still have num back ground (it is nothing to do w/ you wire grounding) 4) Price: too expense for the quality, feature, and bug.
Forget it if you want your money for best value of the seperate pre-amp and amp quality.

Anyone interested in a HIGH-END preamp/processor for a great price should take a look at the Golden Theater GTX-1 at the goldentheater.com website. I auditioned many preamp/processors including the Acurus ACT-3 (several times), the B&K preamps, the EAD pieces and several more. Cost was a huge concern. I was pleasantly suprised that my dealer would sell the GTX-1 for the same price that Acurus is asking for the ACT-3. (The GTX-1 normally retails at $1995). And it does more and sounds better. It was definely worth it to me to look into this unit. You may be pleasantly suprised as I was by what the GTX-1 has to offer and how it offers it so well. Like 24bit/96khz processing!! and dead quiet background. No hum, hiss, just perfect sound and processing. The ACT-3 isn't bad, just not the best value like we were led to believe. From my extensive listening of the ACT-3, I give it 3 stars. I give the Golden Theater GTX-1 5 stars. Check it out.