Avid HiFi

Legally the company started in 1995 but the story begins many years before.

Back in 1977 when Conrad Mas, the founder and current Managing Director was just 16, a friend showed him a home constructed turntable, claiming that it was par excellence. Whilst seeing the limitations in the Connoisseur bd1 design he still bought it from his friend, starting an obsession to develop the best turntable, without exception.

For twenty years Mas led a parallel life learning about turntable design, as well as leaving education, having several jobs, getting married, starting a family and growing older.

Educationally he was not a success, but this became an advantage as his exploration into turntable design did not have any preconceptions, everything was examined and questioned, even if the text book said ‘no’.

He decided that all existing designs were limiting true fidelity, typically because they concentrated on historical technical values of rumble and wow and flutter measurements.

Family connections gave access to two universities to test new theories, patents awarded and even obtaining work in a foundry to gain knowledge of castings, the goal has always been perfection and despite many setbacks the obsession never faltered.

Designed from a clean sheet, leaving nothing unexplored or unresolved and establishing a radical new design approach, the Acutus turntable was born