Back in 1993, I boarded a flight to Paris for the first time to spend time with my future brother-in-law (married my sister in 1995 and still going) and finally meet my infamous great-aunt who was one of the last surviving members of my Bubie’s family and a feared landlord in the City of Lights. Her apartment overlooking the Paris Opera House had an extraordinary panoramic view that eventually sold for millions of Euros when she passed. What does any of that have to do with Advance Paris and its availability in America after 30 years of existence overseas?
On that same trip, my mother cut me loose for a few days so that I could visit a handful of French high-end audio salons and record stores. She spent the rest of the trip emptying my father’s bank account in George V so don’t think for a second she was concerned about my anti-social behavior.
Long before Focal become the Emperor of French High Fidelity, there were a number of other brands that had appealed to my sense of audio misadventure and desire to own something more esoteric than Yamaha, OCM Belles, and Celestion.
YBA, Metronome, Jadis, Triangle, Audiomat, and Audiomeca became brands that I began to follow almost religiously and I eventually splurged on the last two because they were the most reliable.
I never should have sold the Audiomat integrated amplifier or phono stage that I invested in but distributor issues made me worry about long-term service in North America so I bailed.
Fast forward to the past decade and we witnessed the emergence of Devialet and Lavardin who make rather esoteric equipment and loudspeakers.
France is an excellent market for high-end audio and there is definitely a “house” sound that you need to enjoy. It is the polar opposite of the blowtorch amplification that American high-end brands made popular in the 1980s and 1990s.
Delicate, sweet, textured, and definitely soft at both extremes has been my personal experience over the years.
I learned all of that on one trip and was only accosted once on the Metro.
Still love Paris. And it’s great to see an affordable French brand finally establish itself here.
New French Wave?
Advance Paris was first established in 1995 as Advance Acoustic. The company originally launched as a speaker manufacturer and later expanded its expertise into electronics with its first integrated amplifier in 2003. It featured what has become the brand’s signature aesthetic and engineering approach, including the incorporation of prominent VU meters and classic tube preamplifiers. ORT will be thrilled.
The A12 Classic Integrated Amplifier ($3799), a hybrid amplifier that combines tube and solid-state amplification and delivers an impressive 190 watts per channel into 8 ohms, is Advance Paris’ top selling product.
It features dual-mono construction, and extensive connectivity options, including HDMI, Phono (MM/MC), USB, and Bluetooth (optional). Its distinct, luminous form factor, versatility, and sonic signature stand to elevate nearly any bookshelf or floor-standing speaker system.
Other popular offerings new to the American market include the X-i75 Integrated Amplifier ($999), X-CD9 CD Player ($1199), X-P700 Pre-amplifier ($1999), X-A160 EVO Stereo Power Amplifier ($1999), and PlayStream A7 connected integrated amplifier ($1999).
Each of these products adhere to Advance Paris’s enduring brand philosophy of balancing great sound, functionality, and timeless design at surprisingly attainable price points.
“American hifi enthusiasts have been asking for Advance Paris for many years, but we have been slow and deliberate about our expansion into each new territory, making sure we secure the right partners at the right time,” said Advance Paris product manager, Cédric Léon. “The United States is an exciting market for us and it feels fitting that we have found our footing here on this important anniversary as a brand.”
The Bottom Line
At a time when the high-end audio market feels overly saturated with far too many brands offering products with few points of differentiation, it’s somewhat refreshing to see something new that is not overly expensive and potentially a rival to Rotel, Cambridge Audio, and NAD.
The brand has a solid reputation around the globe and we look forward to reviewing some of it and expect something soon on The Cabin Audiophiler.
Availability
Advance Paris is now available in over 40 countries worldwide, including the United States with its fast growing network of U.S. dealers.
For more information: visit advanceparis.com/en.
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