Advance Paris A8 APEX: I Didn't Expect This
The Advance Paris A8 APEX is a hybrid integrated amplifier combining ECC81 tubes in the preamp stage with a solid-state Class AB power amplifier, an ESS Sabre DAC, HDMI ARC, USB Audio, phono input and plenty of analogue connectivity.
After reviewing its bigger brother, the A10, I thought I knew what to expect from the A8. I was wrong.
In this review, I test the A8 APEX with both the Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G and my reference Tannoy Dimension TD12 speakers, explore its internal DAC, High Bias mode, digital and analogue connectivity, and compare what I hear with my much more expensive reference amplification.
For digital playback and testing I used Qobuz, Roon and Maestro, together with the Fosi Audio S3 Lite as a digital transport. One of my reference tracks in this review is Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble's “Tin Pan Alley,” which you can also find in the Hi-Fi Room playlist on Qobuz.
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Equipment used in this review:
Advance Paris A8 APEX
Tannoy Dimension TD12
Monitor Audio Silver 300 8G
Fosi Audio S3 Lite
Benchmark DAC1
McCormack DNA-1
This review is based on my own listening experience with the A8 APEX in my system.
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00:00 What the French?!
00:33 Inside the A8 APEX
01:25 Display & Headphone Output
02:33 Digital Inputs & HDMI ARC
02:55 Fosi S3 Lite & USB Control
03:28 The Bluetooth Problem
04:27 The Internal ESS Sabre DAC
06:10 Analogue Connections & Flexibility
07:29 High Bias Mode
08:02 That Plastic Volume Knob...
08:33 How Does the A8 Sound?
09:18 Tin Pan Alley: Detail & Transparency
09:57 Where the A8 Reaches Its Limits
11:12 Final Thoughts
12:23 A8 vs A10
13:42 Which One Do I Prefer?
13:52 One Last Complaint...
#AdvanceParis #A8APEX #HiFi #Audiophile #IntegratedAmplifier #Qobuz #Roon #Maestro #HiFiRoom