Micromega CD-10

I was in Paris recently for the relaunch of an iconic French audio brand…

I was in Paris recently for the relaunch of an iconic French audio brand, Micromega, by its new owner, Didier Hamdi, a charming former world motorcycle champion turned serial entrepreneur – one of his many companies does the lighting for the Eiffel Tower. Hamdi is also a major hi-fi enthusiast and rescued Micromega, complete with its circa-1970 typography, from bankruptcy.

The new Micromega is entirely French designed and built, producing some ultra-high-end, five-figure equipment. But what interested me was this range, which Hamdi describes as “electronically modest”. With some amazing speakers (such as the £4,000 Mordaunt-Short Performance 6 Limited Edition, which I make no excuse for banging on about yet again), you could put together a system for under £7,000. The styling of the units is delightfully clean and chic, and the sound is sweet, bright and bold. You can see it’s been built to a price (albeit a pretty fancy price) by such minor letdowns as a slightly cheap-looking remote control. But make no mistake, this is an interesting hi-fi at a sensible price.

Fact Box:

Micromega CD-10, £799, FM-10 tuner, £698, and IA-60 amplifier, £888. See www.micromega-hifi.com. For dealers, contact Absolute Sounds, 020-8971 3909; www.absolutesounds.com.