AVID Acutus
A high-end turntable built around a heavy platter and proprietary vibration control, marking AVID’s debut product.
Overview
The AVID Acutus is a turntable made by AVID HiFi, representing the company’s first product. Designed by Conrad Mas, it emerged from his personal obsession with turntable performance, beginning with a Connoisseur BD1 kit. The Acutus was engineered with the philosophy of creating the best possible turntable and working downward from that ideal. It features a heavy platter and a heavy, sprung sub-chassis, contributing to its stable and vibration-resistant platform. The turntable uses a synchronous 24V motor hand made by AVID and relies on an external power supply. It was designed with an SME-compatible tonearm mounting, requiring adapters for other arms.
Specifications
| Motor | Synchronous 24V unit, hand made by Avid. |
| Power supply | External power supply. |
| Platter | Heavy platter. |
| Sub-chassis | Heavy, sprung sub-chassis. |
| Tonearm compatibility | Tonearm support cut for SME; adapters required for other arms. |
Design
The Acutus was built around a proprietary vibration control method central to its sonic performance. It offers optional platter and clamp upgrades. AVID’s design approach started with the goal of producing the best turntable possible, then refining from there. The turntable’s construction emphasizes mass and isolation, using a heavy, sprung sub-chassis to support the platter and tonearm assembly.
Context
AVID HiFi began in 1995, and the Acutus was its first product. Conrad Mas, the designer and owner, developed it from his deep personal interest in turntable engineering. The Acutus sits second from the top in AVID’s lineup of five turntable models: Diva II, Volvere, Sequel, Acutus, and Reference. Later models like the Sequel, Volvere, and Diva were derived by simplifying or adapting elements from the Acutus design.
Reception
A reviewer who owned the Avid Acutus stated it was “the best turntable I had at home” and that it remains one of the top turntables in the world. Its sound was described as incredibly saturated, full, slightly warm, and illuminating—distinctly less bright than other turntables. During the review period, the reviewer found themselves almost exclusively playing vinyl, avoiding CDs entirely.
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