ACUS One 8 vs AER Compact 60/3

Sarasin · #1 07-08-2016, 12:01 PM

In these demos the Acus sounds warmer, richer.
I am still on the fence, but I am leaning towards the ACUS. Nicer looking cabinet, independent 4 band EQs for each channel.

I'm thinking of the getting Acus one 6, smaller, lighter, don't think I would need the extra channel or 200 watts.

jseth · #2 07-08-2016, 08:13 PM

I would NEVER choose a piece of gear based on the audio of a video, nor would I ever recommend that anyone do that...

Find some way to play through and listen to both, with YOUR guitar and mic... you're talking about a sizeable chunk of change for either.

A huge reason I love my AER Compact 60 is that it is so small and lightweight; with a mic and 20' cord, a 20' 1/4" cord, tuner and the AER Tilt stand packed into the pockets of the case, it is still well under 20#s!

If I want something bigger (and heavier!), I'll take my Bose L1 system...

A big thing about the AER's sound... it doesn't sound nearly as good from 5' away as it does from 40' away! I wouldn't be too quick to judge the sound of anything from a couple feet away...

Check out the spec's, see which fits your needs better... and take the plunge!

Andy Howell · #3 07-09-2016, 01:12 AM

The Compact's size is a gray bonus. And you are right about that sound over distance. A very useable package.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

GibbyPrague · #4 07-09-2016, 04:31 AM

I would not trust this demo as a guide. The AER sounds thin with virtually zero bass and that is not my experience with this recently acquired amp which has amazing presence and full bass.
I have a feeling it was deliberately set up that way to favor the other amp.

JStotes · #5 07-09-2016, 08:39 AM

I also wouldn't trust a video for an accurate comparison. The Acus looks very similar to the Schertler JAM amps. When I was looking for an acoustic amp I played the Schertler and the AER side by side and to me there was no comparison.

The AER sounded thin and boxy, where the Schertler was warm and full. The other plus was that vocals on the Schertler were great and thye literally stunk on the AER.

Everyone's ear is different. If you can play both, then do and choose the one you like best.

Sarasin · #6 07-09-2016, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GibbyPrague

I would not trust this demo as a guide. The AER sounds thin with virtually zero bass and that is not my experience with this recently acquired amp which has amazing presence and full bass.
I have a feeling it was deliberately set up that way to favor the other amp.

Gibby

I think they both are great amps. I've played my buddy's AER 60 twice and I do hear some of what I'm hearing on the video. Part of the first video he strums on both amps and it was hard to tell them apart.

I'm not sure they are deliberately trying to make one sound worse than the other. Both have 8 speakers, the Acus has a compression tweeter and two sound ports which physically would produce more natural bass and a fuller range giving it an advantage. Along with the 4 EQs it also has more flexibility. If you've ever seen old speakers from the 70s this design reminds me of them.

I think I would be happy with either. I've changed my mind on the AER and went ahead with the Acus 8. It's a 10lb difference but I really love the layout and asthetics. Somewhere down the road I figure the extra channel could come in handy.

GibbyPrague · #7 07-09-2016, 11:17 AM

Let us know how you find the Acus. Itvsounded great on the demo, the problem I had was how poor the AER sounded in the demos, specifically first vid. I've never heard of Acus btw, are they also a specialist acoustic amp maker?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarasin

Gibby

I think they both are great amps. I've played my buddy's AER 60 twice and I do hear some of what I'm hearing on the video. Part of the first video he strums on both amps and it was hard to tell them apart.

I'm not sure they are deliberately trying to make one sound worse than the other. Both have 8 speakers, the Acus has a compression tweeter and two sound ports which physically would produce more natural bass and a fuller range giving it an advantage. Along with the 4 EQs it also has more flexibility. If you've ever seen old speakers from the 70s this design reminds me of them.

I think I would be happy with either. I've changed my mind on the AER and went ahead with the Acus 8. It's a 10lb difference but I really love the layout and asthetics. Somewhere down the road I figure the extra channel could come in handy.

Sarasin · #8 07-09-2016, 11:38 AM

Acus are relatively new, and are just being distributed here in the US I believe. I've heard they used to make speakers and parts for other manufacturers, which is why they look similar to Schertlers.

Hope to see it in a about a week.

dogdog49 · #9 07-09-2016, 12:46 PM

I've played my K&K equipped Flammang side by side through the Compact 60 and the virtually identical Schertler Jam 150 and to me it sounded slightly more clear, appealing and realistic through the Compact 60. Certainly the pickup used makes some difference, but I've NEVER heard a Compact 60 sound as bad as it did in these videos under any circumstances. It really makes me wonder if these guys are pushing Acus. At any rate, they're both great amps and you can't go far wrong with either. But please try your best to listen live with your guitar if you can before making a decision.

varmonter · #10 07-09-2016, 05:07 PM

seems to me to be an unfair apples to oranges comparison.
the acus has a dedicated woofer.. With crossovers your going to get better tonal separation and bass response. i am interested in the boxes the amps were on..?? almost look like cajons??i wonder if these are ported in the back and are able to give more bass response to these amps. I may sell my aer after listening to this.. the acus weighs 29 lbs..i have a k10 sounds better weighs about the same. but i need to bring a board. The acus has
200 watts compared to the aer 60 watts...all makes a difference. i noticed one video the guitar had a sound hole cover..i imagine all that bass and 200 watts would get some good low mid feedback in the body of the guitar.

stevety · #11 07-09-2016, 06:31 PM

Aer compact 60/3 I have dose not sound like these at all . My aer sounds so much better mine has never sounded that bad .no mater what pickup I use

varmonter · #12 07-09-2016, 09:08 PM

the pic he had of the aer ...the eq was set flat...not how i would optimize mine
if i was making a comparison.I think this was rigged to favor the acus..which sounds great i might add.

Sarasin · #13 07-10-2016, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by varmonter

seems to me to be an unfair apples to oranges comparison.
the acus has a dedicated woofer.. With crossovers your going to get better tonal separation and bass response. i am interested in the boxes the amps were on..?? almost look like cajons??i wonder if these are ported in the back and are able to give more bass response to these amps. I may sell my aer after listening to this.. the acus weighs 29 lbs..i have a k10 sounds better weighs about the same. but i need to bring a board. The acus has
200 watts compared to the aer 60 watts...all makes a difference. i noticed one video the guitar had a sound hole cover..i imagine all that bass and 200 watts would get some good low mid feedback in the body of the guitar.

Varmonter,

I own a K12 which I may end up selling. I used it at my last gig; Allen Heath Zed 10Fx board thru the K12, I ran vocals, Cajon, Godin Multiac and it sounded great, was convenient.

My issue with the K12 is that its very boomy. I really need to EQ a lot of the low end. It weighs slightly more than the Aucs 8 at 41lbs and 1000 watts is overkill for my needs.

These clips have me very excited for it's arrival.

As I said earlier both amps are great. I'm enjoying quite a few of these demo's of the Acus.

Just amazing sounding amplifiers.

Andy Howell · #14 07-10-2016, 02:23 AM

A lot of people get confused by the technical differences of these amps. The AER sounds very good and the watt rating is clearly very conservative.

Sound is everything. I regularly play through some very good PA systems but I prefer the sound of my AER for my guitar and vocals. Of course it is limited in some larger spaces but in a small room it sounds superb.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

varmonter · #15 07-10-2016, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarasin

Varmonter,

I own a K12 which I may end up selling. I used it at my last gig; Allen Heath Zed 10Fx board thru the K12, I ran vocals, Cajon, Godin Multiac and it sounded great, was convenient.

My issue with the K12 is that its very boomy. I really need to EQ a lot of the low end. It weighs slightly more than the Aucs 8 at 41lbs and 1000 watts is overkill for my needs.

These clips have me very excited for it's arrival.

As I said earlier both amps are great. I'm enjoying quite a few of these demo's of the Acus.

Just amazing sounding amplifiers.

yea I had the k12s as well for awhile..i sold them and bought k10.
like i mentioned above i like the k10 and acoustic guitar combo.
I also run mine through a grace felix and speck asc eq.(non transformer)
the combination is killer.This amp sounds really nice..i was never really excited about my aer 60 (just doesn't have the tonal range of the k10) ..It sounds ok but i prefer my k10 over it.the k10 weighs 32 lbs. I am thinking this acus one 10 might be sweet.(also 32 lbs) i am always trying to simplify especially my solo gigs ..i don't think the bandmates would tolerate the acus 10.. besides we need more inputs. could use it as a monitor though.

anyone want to buy a compact 60/3??