Follow up review of Acurus Act4 processor


This review is my final impression of the Acurus Act4  Home Theater processor version 1. Version 1 supports 16 channels vs version 2 which supports 20 channels. Version 1 can be upgraded to V2. This system is in a 5.1 configuration and unlikely to change. (I am aware that the full potential of this processor is not realized). Refer to the manufacturer for details. I will not get too detailed in order to keep this short but informative. 
In use daily for past 30 days approx. 4 hrs average per day for visual and audio enjoyment. Mostly audio both surround and 2 channel unprocessed stereo.
Supporting cast are B&W speakers, Oppo, Hitachi,  JL, PS4, VPI and Emotiva (a strong weak link)

1. VISUAL:
Superb picture rendition in all formats including 4k, clear, crisp with no artifacts. Not much more to say.
2. AUDIO:
This is where the Act4 really comes into its own. Please refer to my earlier post of initial impression. The Act4 has hands down the absolute best audio performance I have ever experienced over my span of 50 years enjoying audio performances, live and studio in all formats. Much exellent equipment has come and gone over the years. This unit puts itself into a class by itself.
A very involving sound where time flies by and you look and say to yourself Holy Crap I got to go to bed it's really late or work in a few hours.
Without gushing and being overly enthusiastic about a product all I will say is that I highly recommend any one in the market for a HT processor to audition the Act4 if possible before making a choice. Nuff said
3. PROs;
Audio and video performance, Customer support, supports all the latest formats, superb connectability.
4. CONs:
No ARC, (upgrade to include ARC in work, possibly available by end of year), NOT all menu items are accessible using the remote functions even with network (Only audio related menu is available) this is done on purpose per indyaudiolabs. And I get it, but still? NO on fly adjustment via remote control, NO OSD (on screen menu) again on purpose per indyaudio, Firmware upgrade is somewhat cumbersome but again understandable after communication with indyaudiolabs. Does NOT support legacy video connections (component/composite)
Has some growing pains that are adressed via firmware upgrades. Latest for my V1 is V1.750
NOTE:
This unit was designed from the beginning to be installed by professional Home Theater designers/installers who are trained in all the intricate functions,upgrades and setup of the Act4 in high end installations, so it limits it's exposure to the general market IMO. A toy for the rich and famous.
Well I'm neither rich nor famous, just a retired gray collar worker who wants to enjoy the best audio performance from his system before he meets his maker. I purchased this un-auditioned, sight unseen with only limited available research. Bottom line I took a risk. I'm also glad I did. It is state of the art equipment.
I hope this helps those that are considering a major improvement. It's not cheap but life is too short to drink cheap Tequila.
If you enjoy music at its best you owe it to yourself to audition the Acurus Act4 even if video is not your thing. It's the audio performance I was after. 

Happy listening!

128x128gillatgh
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Update, since installing the latest updated firmware V01-750 switching time between inputs has decreased substantially, my initially identified hdmi switching issues seem to be resolved. I have not experienced any malfunctions with the unit on inputs in use. 
Still extremely happy with the video and audio quality and the immersive feeling when enjoying movies, concert dvds, Streaming audio or just simple 2ch in direct mode.
The Act4 is performing flawless and surpassing my expectations.
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@mhk, Had an issue with trigger about 2 weeks ago. Turned out that it was a faulty wire. I have some suggestions you may try.
1, Reset the processor by turning it off at the switch at the back of the unit, wait approximately 30 seconds and switch back on. Wait for unit to reboot and go into standby mode.
2, check your trigger settings in the menu and adjust as necessary.
3, insure your amps are switched to on at back of unit

Hope this helps solve the problem
Anyone having issues with the trigger out?
My 3 amps either don't turn on or off. Tried everything: different cables, talking to acurus support, talking to the amp manufacturer, trying an external trigger box... nothing helps.
It's a little bit of a hassle having to turn the amps on and off everytime especially because they are in cabinets with glass doors. Thx
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@maxwave,  have you made indyaudiolabs aware of the issues you have encountered? I have encountered some issues not related to yours, in my case the switching occurs but I get no audio signal. You might call it a partial switching failure. Only a cold reboots solves this. It occurs intermittent and at all inputs I have tried. I am putting together a list of issues to inform indyaudiolabs. I hope this will assist them in fixing the problem. It does at those times get aggravating but the superb sound of the unit keeps me interested in its further development. Support has been outstanding.
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@maxwave, Quebec no problem, hop, skip and jump to Louisiana, especially for the over 60 crowd. LOL! Might even meet a relative. I'm  no spring chicken either, my body tells me so. I get grumpy when I switch inputs and nothing happens as I grumpt before the latest update but have not had this issue since. Knock on wood.
What are some of your operational issue with your unit? Hifiman also had some glitches.
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@maxwave we agree on room correction, which in my case is not a requirement. Room correction is not a cure all, at best you gain at a loss elsewhere. As I stated this was not meant to be a run of the mill unit, it is designed for professional HT installation and any competent installer would/should make the environment audio friendly. It took me a long time to get to this point. I can take any component and rearrange furniture etc and with minor changes in placement attain the SQ I so desire. My environment has been treated extensively as I needed it. It was far from perfect. I do not have easy access to a dealer either. We can hope that the future addition of room correction will be of minor expense to current owners. In either case the Act4 is a superb piece for audio and video reproduction.  Aero 3D as far as I am aware is not yet a proven or readily available format and may be a flop. I'm sorry you cannot yet appreciate the sonic benefits of the Act4 in your environment.  Have you thought of room treatment? I'm sure the growing pains of the Act4 will be resolved. New items always have unforseen glitches. As long as indyaudiolabs listens to us and resolves the issues we are part of the development team. Unfortunately unpaid. Come on by and pay a visit and hear for yourself if you're in the neighborhood. 
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