Advance Acoustic MAA402 review

It's nice to see a reasonably priced power amp, but Advance Acoustic's MAA402 is too flawed for us to recommend Tested at £730

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

A cheap power amp, but beset with a multitude of sonic flaws

Pros

  • +

    Low price

  • +

    colourful power meters

  • +

    relatively open sound

Cons

  • -

    Dynamically deficient

  • -

    messy presentation

  • -

    lack of finesse and resolution

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

There’s something quite traditional and ‘hi-fi’ about owning a preamp/power amp combination.

And, French company Advance Acoustic gives you the chance for relatively little money in the shape of the MPP202/MAA402 pair.

The cost is reflected in the build quality, though: the front panel of the MAA402 power amp feels relatively sturdy but the rest of the chassis is a little flimsy.

The MPP202 preamp is equipped reasonably well, and features five sets of analogue inputs together with a 3.5mm input for hooking up a digital music player.

We’re a sucker for power-level meters, and those equipped on the MAA402 emit a subtle blue glow, each one pierced by a bright red needle. It’s satisfying seeing them bobbing away to a beat.

A severe lack of finesse
Unfortunately, there’s something deeply unsatisfying about the sound.

To be fair, you’re greeted with nice spaciousness – but within that space there’s little order given to instrument and vocal placement.

Tunes are tainted with coarseness and a serious lack of refinement; music sounds flat and dynamically deficient, and it isn’t long before the amp loses your attention.

The pre-amp’s Boost EQ button provides a subtle boost to low frequencies for standmount speakers, but it doesn’t improve on the overall quality of sound.

The harsh reality is that a good integrated amp at this level such as a Roksan Kandy K2 or Naim Nait 5i tramples all over the Advance Acoustic pairing. And our star rating has to reflect this.

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What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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