Finding good sub-£1,000 CD players is getting harder, but the French have lots to offer UK ears

Advance Acoustic (AA) is clearly committed to driving down the price of heavyweight hi-fi. With its first transport and DAC combo it has delivered a near-20kg CD player for little over a grand. If sound were measured by mass, this would represent a milestone.

Based in Toulouse, Advance Acoustic is yet another brand taking advantage of Chinese manufacturing to offer products with apparently astounding specifications for the price