Advance Paris My Connect 50 & K3SE Review
The MyConnect50 is an all in one unit from Paris based manufacturer Advance Paris. As an all in one system, the My Connect50 offers a gateway into the world of HiFi for newbies, while also not disappointing even the most seasoned audiophile, albeit perhaps for a second system. Advance Paris recommend using the My Connect50 with their own speakers, the K3SE, priced at a competitive £290.00, it sounds like a good match, however, the myConnect 50 is not restricted to these, so customers have their own choice of speaker preference. For this test, I was offered up the MyConnect 50 and K3SE speakers as a bundle. With a host of features and lots to explore, I am looking forward to delving into this one of a kind product!
When you take the myConnect50 out of the box, it is surprisingly small, bearing in mind the spec list, and the competition, this is a neat and tidy setup. On the face, you get a beautifully made acrylic front panel, with a black metal outer casing surrounding the remainder of the unit. The unit feels a little bit like a Panzer Tank, it is all rock solid and built exceptionally well. All the knobs and buttons are well made, feel solid and the whole unit doesn’t ever give me any anxiety that something is going to break or get damaged. The CD Drive is the only thing that would really give me any concern, it is very solid, and I am being picky when I point it out, but the heavier acrylic front panel slot means its a little flimsy feeling, but again this is really getting nit-picky about things.
All of the rear connections feel solid, secure and everything is well labeled, so it makes life a lot easier for anyone starting off, who maybe isn’t as experienced with setting up a HiFi system.
The K3SE Speakers are nice and compact, very stylish with a classy and beautifully made glass top plate, surrounded by finely finished black woodgrain sides. Again, these are built like a bomb shelter, very robust, but with no sign of any “industrial” styling. I personally prefer them with the grills on, from a styling perspective, as I find they give a much more elegant style, but that’s just personal preference.
The whole system works very well together and certainly wouldn’t look out of place in any home.
So here is the obvious question, at that price, can it be classed as “Audiophile”? Well, in short… YES! The MyConnect50 is punchy, vibrant and lots of fun. You can sit back and enjoy the music, its a very relaxing sound, clean and sweet, with no sense of harshness. One of the fears I had was the top end being pitchy, as it can be an issue with products at this price point, but no such worries here. I played around with the different features, moving from CD to streaming via WiFi, then Bluetooth, and finally I added a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon turntable into the included phono stage. My main concern with this product was going to be, at this price, with this many features, how much attention has been given to each individual source. Also was there going to be a source that is leaps and bounds better than the rest?
To my relief, this wasn’t an issue. On CD the Advance was clean and sweet, with a full sound and plenty of rhythm. The streaming was a breeze! When streaming with Bluetooth, the MyConnect50 showed up straight away on my iPhone and it connected within seconds, and it never dropped out or had any glitches. I really enjoyed using the Bluetooth feature!
The WiFi streaming is controlled via Advance Paris’ own app, which is available on Android and the App Store. The app is so easy to use, even with very limited technical knowledge, this app is not complicated. You can connect to all the major streaming services, or if you have one, a NAS Drive. Again it sounded great, and I had absolutely no issues with connectivity or the sound dropping out. You can control everything from your phone or tablet, including volume, so this is a brilliant app, making streaming simple, and very easy option on this unit.
The phono stage is impressive, albeit it is only a MM phono stage, it sounds great. I plugged the Debut Carbon straight in, and it sounded brilliant. A nice and refined sound, clean and crisp, beautifully musical and and no hum or horrid noises, which is always a benefit when listening to vinyl, so the phono stage is well earthed.
The only criticism I can give this combo sonically is perhaps it’s a little lacking in weight and bass extension. It’s only to be expected with speakers of this size, and truthfully they aren’t that bad, but a subwoofer wouldn’t be a bad option, should you find the bass a little lacking. Advance has a ready thought of this, as the MyConnect50 comes with a sub out, so it’s a simple and cost-effective upgrade.
Overall I really can’t find many faults at all here, it sounds stunning for its price. The list of features is unbelievable, and each feature has clearly had time and care taken in its design. For £999.00 total (both MyConnec50 & K3SE) this has to be the market leader! A very large thumbs up from me!!
