Advance Paris X-P700 Stereo Preamplifier with DAC and MM/MC Phono

One Preamplifier With Two Output Stages

Most preamplifiers give you one output circuit. The X-P700 gives you two, and a switch to pick between them. Class A mode uses bipolar transistors in a double cascade. Discrete mode runs a JFET differential and a current mirror, biased in Class AB.

That is not a tone control dressed up. It is a change of output topology, so the character shifts rather than the frequency balance. Advance Paris aims Class A at a warmer, valve-like sound and leaves Discrete mode as the more literal of the pair.

Nine Analog Inputs Is a Lot

Seven unbalanced RCA inputs, one balanced XLR pair and a phono stage make nine. On the digital side there are two optical inputs, one coaxial, a USB-B port and a USB-A socket that plays files straight off a memory stick.

The front panel is 10mm black methacrylate, with a standby button, one multifunction knob and two headphone jacks. The chassis is 16.9 by 4.7 by 11 inches and weighs 14.7 pounds. A remote handset is supplied; it is slim plastic and not backlit.

Dual Mono, Taken Seriously

Two toroidal transformers sit inside, one per channel, feeding a dual mono power supply. Left and right stay independent from the wall socket onward. This is a layout normally kept for far dearer preamplifiers, and it is the reason the crosstalk figures come out where they do.

Advance Paris calls the signal routing Direct Path. The idea is a short, uncluttered run from input to output, with as little in the way as the feature set allows. Tone controls, balance and loudness are all there, and all can be left out of circuit.

The Phono Stage Takes Moving Coil Too

Two switches beside the phono sockets set cartridge type and loading. Type runs MC Low, MM or MC High. Capacitance offers 100, 200 or 320 picofarads. A preamplifier at this price usually offers moving magnet only, if it offers phono at all.

The bench figures back the dual mono layout up. Distortion is below 0.007 percent and signal-to-noise beats 103dB, rising past 123dB through the DAC. Channel separation exceeds 80dB, and better than 130dB via the digital inputs. Response spans 20Hz to 45kHz within 3dB.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Yongki Go, Ph.D. reviewed it for Home Theater HiFi on 11 August 2025. He praised the "X-P700's above-and-beyond phono stage and headphone features", and noted that "the front panel of the X-P700 is as uncluttered as it gets".

He was candid about the limits as well. The English manual, he wrote, "lacks clarity in certain areas", which he put down to translation, though he still got the unit set up without trouble.

Who Is This Preamplifier Best For?

• You have run out of inputs — nine analog and five digital, so a crowded rack stops needing a switcher in front of the preamp.
• You play moving coil cartridges — the phono stage switches between MC Low, MM and MC High, with three capacitance settings, so whatever cartridge you own now or move to later is already matched. There is no outboard phono stage to buy.
• You listen on headphones as much as speakers — two jacks, three gain settings and a choice of output impedance, so easy in-ears and hungry planars both sit at a sensible spot on the dial — and a second listener can join without unplugging you.
• You run a subwoofer — two sub outputs and a high-pass output with the crossover set at 75Hz or 150Hz, so the deep bass comes off your main speakers before the power amplifier ever sees it. They play cleaner, and you get bass management without another box.
• Bluetooth is a socket, not a fitted part — the rear panel carries an expansion port, and Advance Paris builds two receivers for it. The X-FTB01 adds aptX; the X-FTB02 steps up to aptX HD for 24-bit wireless. Either slides in with the preamp switched off and runs on the preamp's own power, so nothing else joins the rack.

How Does It Connect to Your System?

A turntable goes to the phono input, and you set type and capacitance on the rear switches. Line sources fill the seven RCA inputs, with a balanced source on the XLR pair. A CD transport takes coaxial, a television optical.

A power amplifier connects on XLR or RCA. If you use a subwoofer, run it from the sub outputs and feed the main amplifier from the high-pass output, which takes the deep bass off the speakers. Two trigger outputs switch the rack.

Pairs Well With

Building a system around the X-P700? Start here:

• Power Amplifier: The matching partner, and the one reviewers heard it with — the Advance Paris X-A160EVO.
• Turntable: Moving magnet or moving coil, the stage is built in — browse Turntables.
• Subwoofer: Two outputs and a switchable crossover are already fitted — see our Subwoofers.
• Interconnects: Nine inputs is a lot of cable — see Interconnect Cables.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Class A and Discrete mode?

They are two output circuits. Class A uses bipolar transistors in a double cascade for a warmer, valve-like sound. Discrete mode uses a JFET differential and current mirror in Class AB, and reads as more literal.

Which cartridges does the phono stage accept?

Moving magnet and moving coil both. A switch beside the input selects MC Low, MM or MC High, and a second sets capacitance to 100, 200 or 320 picofarads.

Does it have Bluetooth?

Yes, as a plug-in. The rear panel has an expansion port for an Advance Paris receiver: the X-FTB01 for aptX, or the X-FTB02 for aptX HD. Switch the preamp off, slide the module in, and it takes power from the unit — no separate box and no extra supply.

How do the subwoofer outputs work?

There are two subwoofer outputs with the crossover switchable between 75Hz and 150Hz. A separate high-pass output feeds your power amplifier with the lowest bass already removed.

What are the headphone options?

Two front jacks, 6.35mm and 3.5mm. Gain is adjustable across three settings, at plus 6, zero or minus 4dB, and output impedance can be set to 0 or 100 ohms on the rear panel.

What resolution does the DAC handle?

The Burr-Brown PCM1796 converter accepts PCM up to 24-bit/192kHz on all digital inputs. The USB-B port uses an XMOS receiver. There is no DSD support.

See It in Action

Old Guy Hifi listens to the X-P700 with the matching X-A160 EVO power amplifier:

Sebi Suzuki unboxes the X-P700 alongside the rest of the Advance Paris stack:

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Learn More

Want to learn more about preamplifiers, phono cartridge loading, or setting a subwoofer crossover? Visit our Learning Center for guides, tips, and expert advice.