2. digital
  3. 124339-9176

EAR Acute Classic - has anyone heard or tried it

EAR just released a new cd/dac single unit: the EAR Acute Classic  http://www.earyoshino.com/Acute-CD-Player/

Has anyone heard it or tried it?  I previously had the EAR Acute 3 but sold it a few months ago.  I really loved it but thought the DAC portion could have been better, but it was a little dated (came out about 5 years ago).  I'm really interested in this unit and would appreciate if anyone can offer any feedback on it.  I don't have a local dealer near me so am reaching out to others who may have more experience with it.
djfst
jafant
18,804 posts
 
I believe the Acute is up to "4" status.
djfst OP
169 posts
 
The "4" is a separate DAC with separate CD transport.  It came out 2 years ago.  The DAC is $8000 and the CD transport is another $5000.  The Acute Classic just got release a couple of months ago.  It is a single unit which is a CD and DAC, retails for $6800, as it replaced the Acute 3.  It has 2 output tubes instead of 4 tubes in the DAC 4, but is based on the DAC 4 design.  It is about half the price of the DAC4/CD transport, so seeing what the performance of it is. 
chayro
2,926 posts
 
As long as we're all guessing here, I would say that if you weren't satisfied with the Acute 3, I would pass on this as well if you can't audition.  Given the price point, I would be very surprised if this were a significant improvement over the 3.  
More to discover