Advance Paris X-P700 Dual-Mono Preamplifier

The Advance Paris X-P700 is a dual-mono preamplifier with its own power supply per channel, a phono stage for MM and MC, a Burr-Brown converter, and Class A or Class AB operation selectable in the menu.

Behind the ten-millimetre-thick methacrylate front sits a build you'd normally have to look a shelf higher for – including two headphone jacks that aren't there just for show.

Why the X-P700?

Both channels operate as separate mono preamp stages, each with its own toroidal transformer. On top of that, the sound character can be switched: Class A with a bipolar double cascade sounds flowing and refined, the JFET-based Class AB mode precise and neutral. Switching happens in the menu – depending on the music and your mood. The portal hifitest.de tested the X-P700 in 2022 together with the X-CD 1000 EVO CD player and the X-A600 power amp and placed it in the top class.

Headphone listeners are taken seriously here too: two jacks on the front at 6.3 and 3.5 millimetres, adjustable gain (+6/0/−4 dB) and selectable output impedance (0 or 100 ohms). That lets the X-P700 play just as cleanly with sensitive in-ears as with high-impedance over-ears – a feature set that's rare in this class.

What you get

Nine analogue inputs, one of them balanced via XLR, including a phono stage for MM and MC. Digitally, there are two optical, one coaxial, one asynchronous USB-B input with XMOS technology, and a USB-A port; conversion is handled by a Burr Brown PCM1796 up to 24 bit/192 kHz. On the output side there's pre-out in RCA and XLR, a high-pass output, and two subwoofer outputs with a selectable crossover frequency – ideal if you want a subwoofer to take the load off your main speakers.

Who is the X-P700 suited for?

For anyone building a separate chain who doesn't want to buy phono, DAC and headphone output separately. And for 2.1 fans, for whom the subwoofer outputs with high-pass filter save a lot of tinkering.

To be clear, who it's not for: without a power amp or active speakers, the X-P700 stays silent – it's a pure preamp. If you want everything in one chassis, take a look at our integrated amplifiers instead. And if you want to hear DSD files in native resolution, you need a different converter: the X-P700 processes PCM up to 24 bit/192 kHz.

Our verdict

The X-P700 is the sensible door into the preamp/power-amp world: dual-mono construction, a complete phono stage, a genuine DAC, and headphone comfort – all standard, none of it a paid extra. Which power amp makes the most sense alongside it depends on your speakers. That's exactly what we're here for.

Technical Data

• Construction: dual mono, 2 toroidal transformers, Direct Path
• Operating modes: Class A or Class AB, selectable in the menu
• Frequency response: 20 Hz – 45 kHz (±3 dB)
• Total harmonic distortion (THD): < 0.007 %
• Signal-to-noise ratio: > 103 dB, DAC section > 123 dB
• Channel separation: > 80 dB, DAC section > 130 dB
• Analogue inputs: 9 (1 × balanced XLR among them), incl. phono MM/MC with adjustable gain and impedance
• Input sensitivity: CD/Aux < 300 mV, Amp < 1.1 V, phono MM 2.5 mV
• Digital inputs: 2 × optical, 1 × coaxial, USB-B (XMOS XU208, asynchronous), USB-A
• D/A converter: Burr Brown PCM1796, PCM up to 24 bit / 192 kHz
• Outputs: pre-out RCA and XLR, high-pass out, 2 × sub-out with selectable crossover frequency
• Output level: adjustable via volume, max. 2 V (RCA) / 4 V (XLR); output impedance 10 kΩ
• Headphone output: present – 2 jacks on the front (6.3 mm and 3.5 mm), gain +6/0/−4 dB, output impedance 0 or 100 Ω
• Bluetooth: optional, retrofittable (module X-FTB01 / X-FTB02)
• Power consumption: max. 30 W
• Mains voltage: 115 / 230 V
• Dimensions (W×H×D): 43 × 12 × 28 cm
• Weight: 6.7 kg

Frequently Asked Questions

Which cartridges does the X-P700 support?

MM and MC – with adjustable gain and impedance, so the phono stage can be tuned precisely to your cartridge. Sensitivity for MM sits at 2.5 mV. For most systems, that makes an external phono stage unnecessary; we're happy to tell you which setting suits your cartridge.

Can I connect headphones to the X-P700?

Yes. There are two jacks on the front at 6.3 and 3.5 millimetres. Gain can be set in three steps (+6/0/−4 dB), and output impedance chosen between 0 and 100 ohms. That lets the X-P700 harmonise with almost anything, from sensitive in-ears to power-hungry over-ears.

What's the point of choosing between Class A and Class AB?

Two sound characters in one device: the Class A mode with a bipolar double cascade sounds flowing and refined, the JFET-based Class AB mode precise and neutral. Switching is done conveniently in the menu, with no cable changes. Which mode you prefer depends heavily on your speakers and the music.

Which power amp suits the X-P700?

Advance Paris recommends its own power amps – the X-A160 EVO, X-A220 EVO or X-A600 – matching visually and electrically as if cut from the same cloth. Thanks to RCA and XLR outputs, though, the X-P700 harmonises with practically any power amp and with active speakers. We're happy to advise you on the right combination.

Why buy the Advance Paris X-P700 from HD Zürisee?

Because a preamp only convinces in how it plays together: power amp, speakers, turntable, room. We put the chain together with you – with roots in the trade back to 1993 and our own technician for setup and service. Get in touch on +41 44 680 22 00, via WhatsApp 076 534 22 00 (text only, no calls) or shop@hdzuerisee.ch.

Goes well with

Find the right power among our power amps, analogue sources among our turntables, fine models among our headphones – and the full range in the Advance Paris overview.