The ACT -3 is an excellent and affordable, upgradable preamp/ processor featuring high build quality and sonic performance on par with more expensive products. I anticipate owning this piece for quite awhile as even the front panel display is re-programable. I do not personally have problems with hum in my system. I believe that Low frequency audible hum is a common nuisance and is not attributable to the manufacture/ design of the Act 3. Hum, that may even be present at low volumes or even with the unit power off, is caused by 60Hz AC ground loops. Ground loops occur when there is a voltage difference between electrically connected components creating multiple current paths. If you contact Mondial or the store where you purchased your equipment, they should assist you in solving this problem.

I have the exact same problem as Jason from GA has. As of right now my unit is on the way to the factory for testing and hopefully some new parts. If they fix the hiss it is a great product for the money, if not I want my money back! I'll keep you posted. Star rating is pending.

I receieved my unit on September 25. I am not sure if it is the new version or not. I have the exact same problem as Jason and Dave has. I thick the unit is great for the price if the hiss problem is fixed. Like what Dave said, if they fix the hiss, I will keep it otherwise I will return it. Other than the hiss, I also dislike the DPS modes for music, I don't know why they use the center channel for DPS for music. The two channel stereo mode is good.

Without hiss, four star for movie and three and a half star for musi.

I have received my ACT-3 in October. Although, I had immediately noticed the noise (or using more precise description of such a phenomena - “high-pitch” buzz) in my center channel in DD mode, I sincerely loved the sonic qualities of the Mondial’s unit. A close friend of mine (professional musician, audiophile and Lexicon DC-1 owner) exclaimed: “I expected ACT-3 to sound good, but not that Good!” Starring Acurus ACT-3, my system produced excellent sound and exceptional ambience. My midsize room became 6 feet wider and deeper…
Unfortunately, my ACT-3 is being sent back to the manufacture. Ones the high-pitch glitch is fixed, I will become a happy ACT-3 owner. I know that Mondial creates excellent products and ACT-3 is not an exception. After all, ACT-3 is an audio computer. I am sure it is fixable! I also hope for ACT-3’s success on the market. There is a few companies like Mondial out there that capable of creating excellent product without forcing a music lover to dig into “kind’s college fund” or get another loan. I am optimistic about the future of this product and would like to express my support to Mondial engineers who try to create a true High-end “golden” component for the price of silver. Provided the buzzing/hissing nonsense is eliminated, I am giving ACT-3 the 5 star rating.

I have a stereo buying compulsion. This was evident after cleaning out a storage area. I've had everything from Craig (remember them) to JVC, Pioneer, Sharp, Fisher, Sears LX and Onkyo. I decided to spend more money than I could justify to cure the habit. I bought:
Act-3
Acurus 5x125 amp.
Pioneer Elite PDF-19 301 disc player
Pioneer DV414 DVD Player
Atlantic Technology 350 thx speaker system
Tara 33i interconnects

I AM CURED!!! I'll never tire of listening to this unit...I'll never tire of looking at it either. I got the bass mode upgrade installed a couple of days ago to get the most out of my Atlantic Tech's and that added exceptional flexibility in bass selection. If your speakers are capable of 50hz there really is no need for the upgrade but there were a couple of additional tweaks that came along with the upgrade (source input memory...like digital on your CD player eliminating the need for the unit to check the signal and seperate crossover points for stereo and Dolby Digital.

I look at my 2nd and 3rd choices (Yamaha DSPA1 and B&K AV20) and am beyond satisfied with my choice.

ACT-3:

1) Exceptional quality
2) Exceptional sound
3) Acurus answers inquiries with genuine interest and quickly (same day in my case)
4) Great looks
5) Simple remote
6) Settings can be adjusted for material without altering your preferred initial setup
7) Build quality is fantastic
8) Did I say it sounds amazing???

I have had ZERO problems with the unit and none of the noise problems initial buyers had.

Acurus has made a change to the ACT-3 to address the hum problem in the previous version. My ACT-3 came with the upgrade from the factory, my dealers demo was upgraded by the dealer with a board change. The previously noted hum problems are no longer! The audio quality from the new ACT-3 is fabulous, my casual listener wife has commented on the much improved sound quality over my old preamp. If you audition an ACT-3, make sure that it is a new version; if you have an old version, start beating up your dealer for the upgrade! From the previous reviews of this product, Acurus needs to do some serious butt-kissing to make this product succeed, eg: actively seek out current owners, upgrade at no cost.new version: 5 stars, Acurus dragging the product to market WAY to early: 1 star

After living with the ACT3 for three weeks I can enthusiastically recommend this component to music buffs with occasional HT needs. This unit shines in two channel - light, airy, no obvious tonal emphasis, and is an absolute steal at the price point. DD and DTS shine as well, but if you happen to be a HT tweaker, you may be underwhelmed by the relative inflexibility of this unit.
Early adopters of the ACT3 had various complaints about hum/circuit hiss problems. I have experienced none of these problems, as this pre has been the quietest processosr I've yet to audition in my home. It's not dead silent like a Sony or Yamaha receiver, but the minimal hiss is confined to ear to the speaker test with no musical input - much less than the average tape hiss on most analog recordings.

I have a few minor quibbles with the ACT3. First, the remote does not contain the codes to operate my Marantz cd player or Yahama cassette, but the manual does contain codes to at least 50 TV manufacturers I have never heard of. Additionally, it's not exactly an intuitive unit to set up, as many users will miss the lack of an on-screen display to facilitate matters. It's also the first processor I've owned that does not provide a schematic connection diagram. The manual also recommends against using an SPL meter to calibrate levels, which I thought unusual.

The ACT3 is comfortably a four star performer. When you factor in the price of the competition (the much more expensive B&K Ref 20 comes to mind) this unit has nothing to apologize for and it's limitations suddenly vanish. The best under $2000 pre/pro, especially for music...








ts

Superb Surround and music capabilities.
Ease of use

Small display.

The ACT-3 offers outstanding surround sound, and music quality, especially when you consider the price tag. Add to that future upgradability (Dolby surround EX, DVD Audio, SACD, etc.) and the ease of use, you can't go wrong. I have it combined with Aerial Acoustic speakers, and Acurus A200, and A200X3 amplification. Sonically, and ergonomically, it outperformed every processor i found in the price range, and every processor I have tried since I purchased it.
It's performance is excellent for 2 channel Stereo (from the digital out of my CD player, using the ACT-3 as a DA convertor/preamp)for Pro Logic surround from the Satellite, as well as DTS, and Dolby Digital movies from DVD.

There is NO PROBLEM with hum in this unit. If you had a problem with hum, it is a system problem. It's called a ground loop. Not a difficult concept.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Mark.

Similar Products Used:

B&K Ref 20
EAD Encore

fine sound, easy to handle. looks very nice, good craftmansship

not really. Maybe, that there is no onscreen menue, so you need good eyes, I fortunatly have!

when I got the Act 3, bass management and new "Ringkerntransformator" (sorry, I don`t know the english term) haven`t been installed. In this time, it sounded horrible!! There was a loud and nasty hum, super-crisp heights and so on. Really unbelieveble bad! At this time, I was very unhappy, thought I had wasted lot`s of money and wished, I never bought that piece. It wasn`t love at the first view, really not! I just hoped it will get better in the updated version and, thanks god, so it was! Now, a few month later, I´m happy wih my act 3. It sounds very good with music, with a heavy weightet bass, nice heights and a well organised soundstage. And I really enjoy my home theater. Best of all, there is no problem with upgrades, next will come soon, I heard, and that makes the act 3 a real smash! Know I love it and won`t give it away!

Similar Products Used:

camtech "Der Vorverstärker"

well, i am finally getting around to reviewing the act 3. yes, there is a slight hiss, but it is completely inaudible from a foot away (i measured). on to the good news - it sounds great! i have had mine about 6 months and i could not be happier (except for some problems with the remote, see below) one thing i have not seen on the reviews below is the fact that this unit is completely upgradable - i just got off the phone with mondial & there is an HDCD upgrade coming out very soon, an improved bass management system coming out even sooner, and an upgrade to 24/192 dac's as soon as crystal has the chips ready (mondial is expecting them in very shortly). plus, this thing has 2 subwoofer outputs and 2 center chanel outputs on it already, so it is more than ready for 7.1 surround. also, if firewire becomes more prominent, i have been told that this can be installed very easily. but, the best news for us suffering home theater nuts is that the remote will have an upgrade option within the next few months - finally a remote that can control all the functions on my dvd player & widescreen tv! the only complaint i have is the lack of component video ins & outs - come on mondial, how about it? anyway, like i said, the sound is very good - i have a acurus acd-11 as a transport & audioquest cables hooked up to a pair of nht 2.5i's for stereo listening (the only way to really judge how good your dac's are) what can i say? this set up blows away anything i have heard in an audio store (and believe me, i have heard a lot of stuff, from balanced audio technology, to krell, meridian, martin logan, hales, etc. . . the only exception is a pair of WATT Puppies hooked up to a meridain 508.24 but that is some serious cash) i plan on getting a pair of HSU TN1225HO's driven by their 500 watt amplifier for my next upgrade & may submit a report if i can get my butt out of my chair in the sweet spot. oh yeah, and 5 stars for the act 3 because it rocks now & will continue rocking in the future without me having t to go out & buy a bunch of new stuff as technology marches on!