Advance (originally Advance Acoustic, and Advance Paris in recent years) has carved out its own chapter in the history of European Hi-Fi. It is one of those manufacturers that have organized their design and production processes around current market conditions and the demands that fierce competition poses. The result has been a range of genuinely interesting products, offering good build quality, all the essential features, and reasonably sensible prices.
The Apex range currently (during this writing) comprises four products: three integrated amplifiers and a CD player. Two of the amplifiers are special editions of the familiar Classic A10 and Classic A12 models, while the A8 Apex, reviewed here, is a new design offering moderate power output.
Advance Paris knows a thing or two about integrated amplifiers and has established a distinctive approach of its own, consistently pursuing several ideas that, in my personal view, have real merit. These include a hybrid design, with a tube-based preamplifier stage and a solid-state power stage; rather bold styling, featuring analogue power meters; and an integrated DAC. Of course, the entire package deserves a closer look.
So, let's get into the details...

Dimitris Stamatakos

Text Data
Original Publilcation: 2026/06/23	Last Follow Up: 2026/06/23	Original Language: Greek (Translated)

Previous | Next | More Reviews