Acurus A200X3

Thanks, Sean, your insight is valuable. I emailed Mondial
and basically got the same explanation about the higher current and smoothness. I thought I was buying a A200X3 but when the amp arrived it was a 200X3. The seller had mistated the 4ohm output because he didn't have the manual.
I didn't ask the right question so now I'm trying to make a
decision about selling the 200X3 and buying a A200X3 (there is one listed on audiogon at $750). I was driving my mains with an A150 which really matched well with my system. I had a marantz monoblock 125 watt which was gifted to my brother-in-law figuring that the 200X3 would be an upgrade. My mains are probably pretty easy to drive which may account for the difference between your experience and mine. I'd hate to buy the A200, try to sell
the 200X3 and not like the A200X3. So I appreciate your help. Any other thoughts, please let me know.

I briefly had an A200X3. Before buying it, i did a bit of research. It seemed like a pretty decent amp and Acurus had just got done beefing up the power supply while altering the tonal balance of the amp just a bit. Acurus told me that the top end was "softened" just a bit compared to the earlier models, but it would not be noticeable unless one had metal domes, etc... they also said that it would work noticeably better with lower impedances now. That was good news, as all of my HT speakers are 4 ohms. I was able to find one at a good price, so i went for it.

When i first purchased it, i hooked it up as a 2 channel amp to run the mains in my HT system. In that mode, i found it to sound "transistor" i.e. somewhat bright and lean, lacking in air, space and definition. The soundstage was shallow and did not image that well. It also seemed to run out of juice pretty rapidly and sounded smeared and compressed when being pushed. Needless to say, things weren't going too well.

Since i had intended on using this amp to run my center and two rear speakers, i figured that it should work okay there. Once i hooked it up and re-connected my 2 channel amp the mains, i took it out for a spin. Once again, i was not real happy with it. The problem was that it did not blend that well with the amp that i had on the mains and speech coming from the center channel sounded thin and sibilant when watching movies. Since it was not working out for me as planned, i ended up selling it. For the record, the top lid was VERY flimsy and tended to rattle from vibration a little bit.

The person that bought it from me was running an Aragon 8008 for their mains and an Acurus 100X3 ( non "A" version ) for his center and surrounds. He wanted more brawn for these channels and decided to upgrade. After getting the A200X3 amp into his system, he said that it matched much better with his Aragon than the older and smaller 100X3. He thought that it did sound both fuller and smoother up top, so he was happy with it.

So, in comparison, i would say that the "A" version is probably an upgrade compared to the original version going by what i was told by the buyer. In that respect, it might be worth the upgrade. As far as how the amp ranks overall, i did not care for it too much. Depending on how the rest of your system is set up, your personal preferences and the fact that you are basically happy with the original 200X3, the newer version might give you everything that you are looking for. Sean
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