Advance Paris PlayStream A5
Advance Paris PlayStream A5 pairs lively, detailed sound with commanding bass, expansive imaging and a richly connected streaming hub. hifitest.de admired its controlled, spacious presentation, while Paul Rigby highlighted its revealing midrange and natural low-end weight. Add High Bias, extensive inputs and glowing VU meters, and this is a charismatic all-in-one amplifier with genuine audiophile substance.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
91/100
Build Quality
88/100
Features Connectivity
94/100
Value for Money
94/100
Pros
Lively, controlled and spacious sound with authoritative bass, refined treble and convincing instrument placement.
High Bias mode improves upper-mid clarity and adds layered vertical soundstage separation.
Exceptionally versatile connectivity, including streaming, USB, digital and analogue inputs, MM/MC phono, DAB+/FM, pre-out and sub outputs.
Distinctive retro styling and illuminated VU meters complement solid build quality and strong value.
Cons
The companion streaming app is functional but can feel clunky or slow to respond.
Built-in phono performance is adequate rather than exceptional; an external phono stage brings a clearer upgrade path.
High Bias operation runs hot and requires generous ventilation.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 91/100
Reviewers describe a lively, controlled and highly musical amplifier with notable midrange clarity, weighty but disciplined bass, and a spacious presentation. Its High Bias mode is also said to bring cleaner upper mids and more layered spatial separation.
Transparency Resolution
92/100
The Audiophile Man repeatedly heard more nuance, subtlety, upper-midrange clarity and detail than from several similarly positioned rivals. Wall of Sound likewise praised the line-level input clarity, while hifitest.de found the treble subtly refined and more defined with hi-res material.
Tonal Balance Musicality
91/100
Wall of Sound found the presentation smooth, easy to listen to and immediately toe-tappingly musical. Reviews also describe a neutral overall balance, naturalistic bass and a rich but controlled tonal character rather than an overtly sharp or heavy sound.
Dynamics
90/100
hifitest.de found the A5 lively, punchy and controlled even when played loudly, with enough output to drive fairly large loudspeakers comfortably. The Audiophile Man also heard energetic, dynamic playback through the headphone section, though the reviews place greater emphasis on control and musical flow than outright brute-force slam.
Soundstage Imaging
91/100
hifitest.de reports a wonderfully large soundstage with successful placement of individual elements, expanding further with higher-resolution material. The Audiophile Man heard an open stage, clear vocal discipline and additional vertical layering when using the High Bias mode.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
88/100
Wall of Sound calls the A5 well built and notes a toroidal transformer visible through the chassis vents. Reviewers also like the classy presentation and distinctive illuminated VU meters, although there is limited comment on internal construction beyond those observations.
Features Connectivity
94/100
The A5 is unusually comprehensive: five line inputs, pre-out, subwoofer output, amp-in, optical and coaxial digital connections, USB, Wi-Fi, aptX HD Bluetooth, MM/MC phono, DAB+ and FM are all cited. Streaming support is extensive, though Wall of Sound considers the companion PlayStream app only average and finds the phono circuitry merely adequate.
Value for Money
94/100
At roughly $1,195-$1,400, the A5 earns emphatic praise for its breadth of capability and performance. Wall of Sound calls it a “monster for the money,” while hifitest.de rates its price/performance very good and The Audiophile Man sees it as a worthwhile step up from sub-£1,000 integrated amplifiers.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- Output power 8Ω
- 80W
- Frequency response
- 20Hz - 80kHz
- Distortion
- < 0.004% @1KHz/24W
- Signal-to-noise ratio
- 98dB
- Mains voltage
- 115/230V 50/60Hz
- Height
- 135 mm
- Width
- 430 mm
- Depth
- 370 mm
- Net weight
- 8.1 Kg
- Gross weight
- 9.75 Kg
- VU-Meter
- Yes
- Networks
- Ethernet, Wi-Fi
- DAC
- PCM 1796
- Warranty
- 2-year warranty, 5-year warranty
Manufacturer's Description — Advance Paris
The PlayStream A5 is a connected integrated amplifier.
The nerve center of your system
The PlayStream A5 is a connected integrated amplifier. Rated at 2x80W/8Ω in Class AB, the A5 has been designed with the ultimate goal of satisfying the discerning audiophile. Its sound reproduction is uncompromising, compatible with all new high-definition sources. The A5 integrates an ethernet and wifi network player including numerous services such as Spotify, Deezer, Qobuz, Tidal, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, vTuner, Napster, etc., it enables networked playback of your music library stored on your smartphone, tablet, computer or NAS-type network drive (Synology). The PlayStream A5 features a DAB+ digital tuner, an FM tuner, 4 digital inputs (one coaxial, 3 optical), a USB input and 6 analog inputs (including a phono input).
The PlayStream A5 is compatible with our Bluetooth-compatible X-FTB01 and new X-FTB02 receivers featuring high-definition aptX HD. Equipped with High-Bias, the PlayStream A5 delivers class-A sound on the first few watts. DLNA and Airplay compatible. Discover it for yourself!
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Authorized dealers for Advance Paris PlayStream A5
- Absoulute Audio plus Video — in-store — Aiken, South Carolina, United States (website)
- à la carte productions — in-store — Palm Coast, Florida, United States (website)
- A Tube High Fidelity — online and in-store — Almere, Flevoland, Netherlands (website)
- Abt Electronics — online and in-store — Glenview, Illinois, United States (website)
- Acoustic Technologies — online and in-store — Montréal, Québec, Canada (website)
- Alen Audio — in-store — Extramurs, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (website)
- All Elite Audio — online and in-store — Perry Hall, Maryland, United States (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
- Altitudo Audio — online and in-store — Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (website)
- Apollo HiFi — online and in-store — Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia (website)
and 106 more verified dealers