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Conventional glow-bulb amp? No way: The Octave V 70 SE may amplify with pure tubes, but it pairs them with controlling semiconductor technology, and its circuit design pretty much discards everything that tube nostalgists generally consider a guarantee of clean, top-notch sound. Our test shows what Octave Audio does differently with maximum effort, and what the clever and audiophile-like combination of tradition and modernity sounds like.<\/p>\n
Octave Audio? This name brings a smile to the faces of audiophiles: The Baden-based manufacturer has an outstanding worldwide reputation, having built excellent tube amplifiers since the mid-1980s. However, the name also causes astonishment and frowns among glass-bulb devotees and tube-only traditionalists, because Octave amplifiers are packed with semiconductor technology and largely leave classic concepts like Class A or single-ended behind. Octave owner and chief developer Andreas Hofmann has a pragmatic relationship with tubes: He has always preferred them to transistors as the more musical component, but he believes that the tube can only realize its full potential with the help of modern electronics. This pragmatism also shapes the amplifiers’ visual appearance: Octave doesn’t build ostentatious, chrome-plated altars of glow-bulb worship, but instead cultivates a sober design language with a high-quality feel. Despite all its understatedness, this design is clearly recognizable \u2013 and that of course also applies to the V 70 SE.<\/p>\n
Slim appearance<\/strong> Haptic poem<\/strong> Inputs and outputs: Flexible connection management with phono option<\/strong> Hybrid approach<\/strong> The path to the optimal solution<\/strong> Powerful: Push-Pull Pentode Circuit in Class AB<\/strong> Seven tubes for plenty of power<\/strong> Stability thanks to power amplifier and power supply design<\/strong> The modern side of power<\/strong> Intelligent power management<\/strong> The Octave V 70 SE in practice<\/strong> Smooth and fast<\/strong> Dynamics, pressure and definition down to the bass<\/strong> Clarity, transparency and accuracy<\/strong> Grin on the face<\/strong> Power and control with plenty of reserves<\/strong> Famous presence and imagery<\/strong> Sound turbo: the optional Super Black Box<\/strong> Within reach<\/strong> Conclusion<\/strong> \n [\/et_pb_accordion_item][\/et_pb_accordion][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Conventional glow-bulb amp? No way: The Octave V 70 SE may amplify with pure tubes, but it pairs them with controlling semiconductor technology, and its circuit design pretty much discards everything that tube nostalgists generally consider a guarantee of clean, top-notch sound. Our test shows what Octave Audio does differently with maximum effort, and what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19757,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"1920","footnotes":""},"categories":[335],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-review-divi","post_format-post-format-gallery"],"yoast_head":"\n
The visual appearance of the V 70 SE is almost understated: This amplifier delivers a whopping 70 watts and weighs a hefty 22 kg \u2013 yet it doesn’t present itself as a bolide-like powerhouse with a prominently displayed array of tubes and a towering triad of transformers behind it. Instead, with the protective cage removed, the amplifier has a pleasingly slim stature, measuring 15 x 45 x 42 centimeters. The small preamp tubes are recessed largely invisibly into the front area of ??the body. The rather voluminous power amp tubes positioned behind them are also visually integrated into the amplifier, as the center area of ??the stepped housing has a depression here. This design trick enhances the amplifier’s slim appearance. The final transformers are then concealed beneath a cover, forming a discreet backdrop for the tube ensemble. This discreetness is also exuded by the body itself, which surrounds the inner steel chassis: It consists of cleanly joined, robust, special aluminum elements up to five millimeters thick.<\/p>\n
The fundamentally angular character of the design is now softened by gentle rounding and fine beveling of the edges. The exquisite and immaculately applied textured paint also ensures visual smoothness: The light gray finish of our test sample has a gentle surface shimmer in the light. This body is preceded by a one-centimeter-thick aluminum front, which \u2013 also rounded and beveled \u2013 underscores the premium appearance of this amplifier with its delicate brushing and clean anodizing. The front panel now houses two metal control knobs: the left one is for input selection, the right one for volume adjustment. Their operation is a tactile poem: Both the perfectly defined and springy click of the source selector rotary switch and the smooth action of the level control continue this excellent impression. Here, as in the entire amplifier, the finest components are used. The volume wheel is equipped with a precision potentiometer from the highly reputable specialist Alps. The potentiometer is motorized, so the V 70 SE can also be controlled remotely.<\/p>\n
A dark-tinted display sits in the center of the front panel. During normal operation, it indicates the selected input with small dot LEDs. The V 70 SE excels in this regard, with one balanced and five unbalanced line inputs. One of these is convertible: If the amplifier is equipped with the optional phono module, either an MM or MC turntable can be connected, depending on the module. This makes the V 70 SE also of interest to audiophiles. Furthermore, one input can be used as a front-channel input to amplify the two main channels in a home theater setup. The amplifier then acts as a stereo power amplifier with a bridged volume control. The V 70 SE is equally flexible on the output side. It supplies an external recording device with the audio signal via Tape Rec. A pair of loudspeakers can be connected in the traditional way via the excellent speaker terminals. Thanks to the regulated Pre Out, the V 70 SE can also be used for a bi-amping solution. Alternatively, the preamplifier alone can be used or, when using compact speakers, an active subwoofer can be integrated to supplement the bass – for example for a 2.1 system with smaller satellite speakers.<\/p>\n
Such versatility is unknown in traditional tube amplifiers. Octave, on the other hand, pursues a modern hybrid approach, which is also implemented in the V 70 SE. Otherwise, neither this flexibility nor the amplifier performance would be possible \u2013 and above all, not the desired dynamic, broadband sound quality. Hybrid means: tubes act as signal-amplifying elements, while semiconductors operate in the periphery \u2013 i.e., in the power supply and the control and regulation circuits. According to Hofmann, this is precisely where the decisive potential for improving quality lies. In the actual tube amplifier circuit, however, there are no real innovations, only opportunities for refinement. Hofmann has tried out every concept, rejected some, and to date has only implemented some in exceptional cases because they are sonically unsatisfactory or do not offer the power, dynamics, and stability for operation with modern loudspeakers. Octave does not use low-performance triodes in the power amplifier section and only occasionally relies on low-efficiency single-ended designs (i.e. single-ended amplifiers) and pure Class A operation in the most linear tube characteristic range.<\/p>\n
In Hofmann’s experience, certain circuit variants for the power tubes in the output stage also have, in addition to their intended advantage, a major disadvantage. For example, Hofmann considers the triode mode, which is intended to impart the pleasant harmonics of a triode to a pentode, to be sonically poor. Ultralinear operation, in which a pentode essentially experiences local negative feedback through a transformer tap and is thus intended to sound somewhat cleaner, is, in Hofmann’s opinion, less stable than the pentode circuit. However, omitting negative feedback, which reduces linear and nonlinear distortion, is also out of the question: This results in a very low damping factor and limited amplifier control, which almost rules out the possibility of driving multi-way loudspeakers. But what is the best solution? According to Hofmann’s findings, it is this concept that also distinguishes the V 70 SE: a push-pull circuit with pentodes in the power stage, which is operated in Class AB mode.<\/p>\n
The word “power” is secretly present three times in this amplifier concept: In the push-pull circuit, two tubes operate per stereo channel, sharing the amplification. Each tube takes on a half-wave of the audio signal, which is essentially an alternating voltage. This teamwork allows for greater power than if a single tube had to amplify the entire signal alone. Class AB means: The tubes are adjusted at their operating point so that they operate in the largely linear Class A characteristic range at lower power requirements and gradually transition to “AB” as power requirements increase. This allows the entire linear range to be utilized and high amplification to be achieved \u2013 in contrast to Class A operation, where the operating point is in the middle of the characteristic curve. Now to the pentode: Due to its construction, it achieves a significantly higher amplification factor than the low-power triode. This is why the pentode is actually the power amplifier tube par excellence, while the triode is the undisputed preamplifier tube \u2013 also due to its lower noise level.<\/p>\n
The V 70 SE features three triodes in the preamp: an ECC 83 input tube and two ECC 81s as drivers for the output stage. Each power amp channel is thus driven by its own triode. This gives the SE version a slight increase in performance and better channel separation than the original amplifier version with just a single double triode. For the power amp, Octave uses a special type of pentode: the beam pentode. The standard version features four 6550 JJ or KT 88 C tubes. Our test model received the optional upgrade and is equipped with the KT120. It was developed to enable particularly powerful pentode power amps and, after the KT150, is the most powerful tube of its type. In the V 70 SE, the beam pentode quartet delivers a whopping 70 watts of power per channel. The amplifier circuit of the V 70 SE now operates with optimized negative feedback: thanks in part to the power supply’s quality, it’s moderate and not aimed at an extremely high damping factor, as is usual, but rather at stability. This is the basis for the amplifier’s high controllability.<\/p>\n
Thanks in part to this power amplifier design, Octave achieves several goals: extremely low distortion, a wide broadband response, high dynamic range, and immense stability, allowing even impedance-critical loudspeakers with two-ohm minimums to be connected. The output transformers and the power supply section also contribute to this. They are all manufactured in-house because they are not commercially available with the same quality and precision \u2013 and transformer construction is a core domain of the Baden-based manufacturer. Thus, tailor-made converters are developed and wound for each amplifier. The power supply uses a transformer that \u2013 like the subsequent filtering section \u2013 is not oversized, but is designed for rapid response \u2013 and also for load independence. Only then can feedback from the loudspeaker on the amplifier be ignored, only then can the amplifier operate stably and with consistent sound, and only then can the circuit’s negative feedback be set to a low level. With the output transformers, quality is almost even more important: They ultimately determine the sound and broadband capability of the amplifier. Therefore, Octave manufactures extremely complex and expensive output transformers with PMZ cores, which are nested multiple times to minimize losses.<\/p>\n
But what makes the V 70 SE a modern tube amplifier? This brings us to the semiconductor-powered peripherals. It begins with the bias measurement electronics: This allows the quiescent current of the power tubes to be adjusted \u2013 via trim potentiometers accessible through the small holes in the front display. The quiescent current can be adjusted with an accuracy of 0.3 percent because precision operational amplifiers perform the measurement. An LED traffic light system in the display indicates whether a high or low value has been set. This can play a role in the interaction with the speakers, because a high quiescent current increases the amplifier’s controllability. Thanks to this bias measurement electronics, other power tubes can also be inserted into the V 70 SE and their quiescent current adjusted for sound tuning \u2013 such as the KT88 or EL34 types. In addition to this bias adjustment, the entire power management system, including the protection circuit, is electronically controlled. This higher-level electronics regulates and monitors the heater and all operating voltages, for example.<\/p>\n
The power management system only opens the signal path once the circuitry surrounding the tubes is stable. This protects them, as does the soft-start function with integrated inrush current limiter, which extends the tubes’ lifespan and places less strain on all other components. All parameters are also constantly monitored during operation. An electronic fuse detects faults such as tube damage, power amp overload, or speaker short circuits and shuts down the amplifier. The intelligent power management system also includes an automatic power-saving function: In the switchable energy-saving mode, the tube section deactivates if no music signal has been received for approximately seven minutes. If only the preamplifier of the V 70 SE is used, the “Amp Off” setting can be used to switch off the power amp section and signal control. Thanks to the hybrid circuit concept, sophisticated safety management, and excellent component quality, the V 70 SE is designed for decades of reliability and is so stable that it functions flawlessly without a load and even without plugged-in tubes.<\/p>\n
First, we’ll equip the amplifier with the four power amp pentodes. To do this, we’ll remove the protective cage. This is the permanent operating mode for most tube amp enthusiasts anyway: You’d like to see the glow bulbs \u2013 and this makes the V 70 SE more attractive. There are instructions for inserting the tubes, showing which of the four KT120s, which are neatly packaged in a separate box, should be inserted in which position. Octave uses a matching system, combining tubes with the same operating values ??to ensure clean, consistent playback across all channels. This can be identified by the small stickers on each tube socket. After switching on, during which you’ll hear the reassuring click of cleanly switching relays, we turn the left knob clockwise until it’s in the bias position. After the warm-up phase, a green LED will light up for each tube on the display. This means the quiescent current setting for the KT120 is correctly set.<\/p>\n
Now we’re integrating the V 70 SE into our sound chain: We’re choosing the compact Radiant Acoustics Clarity 6.2 as the speaker , and using the Lumin P1 Mini for the playback . We’re now streaming “Mary Shut The Garden Door” by Donald Fagen via Qobuz \u2013 and first giving the amplifier time to really warm up, beyond its tube temperature. You should give it this time so that it can unfold its full sonic potential \u2013 and it turns out to be fantastic: The V 70 SE has a smoothness and speed that we’re rarely used to from tube amplifiers. We experience these qualities from the very first second of the song: The track starts with a bass drum kick and a crash cymbal hit by Keith Carlock, as well as a distinctive three-note bass motif by Freddie Washington that will permeate the entire song. Right at this opening, which we know so well, we involuntarily flinch\u2026<\/p>\n
… because the kick drum, cymbals, and bass kick in completely out of nowhere. We only turned the amplifier up a third. Wow! This surprise works for two reasons: Firstly, this amplifier is so low in noise and hum that even when we checked it with the volume control turned way up in idle mode, we couldn’t hear a single sound. Secondly, the V 70 SE is extremely fast and dynamic, so that the drums and bass have a wonderful immediacy and generate plenty of punch. Washington plays his bass motif, which consists of two short, stopped notes and a third, longer sustained note, with his fingers. We can hear this because the V 70 SE reproduces this bass with excellent contours right down to the low end. If you think that tube amplifiers sound soft and washed out in the lower frequency ranges, here is proof to the contrary. This bass also has great carrying power, effortlessly flooding our listening room. Here the V 70 SE immediately shows its sovereignty.<\/p>\n
This defined foundation forms the basis for all the other instruments \u2013 and here, after all, eleven musicians are involved. Because the V 70 SE is incredibly clear right up to the high frequencies, all participants have ample room to express themselves freely. Even the smallest event is clearly audible: When percussionist Gordon Gottlieb strikes the little bell, we easily register the fading of the vibrating metal. When Wayne Krantz dampens the guitar notes with the heel of his hand, thus contributing more percussively to the groove of the song, we still identify the two-tone chords being played. In the background choir, we can follow each voice in its progression in the middle section and only then do we marvel at the ingenious harmonic sequences that Donald Fagen has composed here. This is a magnificent wealth of detail, made possible by the transparency and accuracy of the amplifier! The reproduction is absolutely harmonious; the song grooves so relaxed \u2013 and we’re already bobbing along.<\/p>\n
Does the amplifier also demonstrate these qualities with full-size floorstanding speakers? To answer this question, we’ll now connect the Dali Epikore 7 floorstanding speaker . Because the V 70 SE is so robust, we can simply disconnect the speaker cables when switching transducer models without first turning off the amplifier. With other tube amps, we would avoid operating them without a load, as this could lead to transformer damage. However, with the V 70 SE, this isn’t an issue. The switch results in a different sound: The Epikore, in particular, delivers greater spaciousness and a drier, more mature bass. Can we get more out of it? We increased the adjustable quiescent current on the V 70 SE, which promises more control \u2013 and it works perfectly with this amplifier-speaker combination, which now puts a grin on our faces: Now, despite all the dryness, the bass has the right amount of thrust and definition, and the great dynamics are back.<\/p>\n
We hear this in the subtle freshness and agility of the guitar’s strings, in the broader sense of the drums, where the snare in particular has a great punch \u2013 and overall in the vitality of the entire reproduction. The V 70 SE succeeds in this even at the richest levels. We have the volume knob barely at the ten o’clock position, but together with the Dali speakers, the amplifier already delivers an immense boost, remaining completely confident and relaxed, clean and precise. We, on the other hand, are amazed at the pressure that we physically feel throughout our entire bodies. This amplifier has power and control \u2013 and plenty of reserves. The V 70 SE also demonstrates all of this on “Kiss In Blue” by Yello. The Swiss sound engineers are known for their crystal-clear productions with deep synthesizer basses, spherically floating sounds, countless instruments and sound samples popping up throughout the room, which together create their own sound cosmos.<\/p>\n
The V 70 SE reveals all of these Yello trademarks to us: With its excellent audibility, the reproduction unfolds that wonderful depth and enveloping imaging power that make Yello songs an immersive experience. The V 70 SE also demonstrates what tube amplifiers are generally credited with: an exceptionally vivid representation, especially of solo instruments and vocals. In “Kiss In Blue,” we enjoy the saxophone solo, where we can even hear the breath flowing through the instrument, but especially the highly attractive vocals of Heidi Happy, who wraps us around her finger with her voice that sounds at times ingratiating, at times fragile and vulnerable, and at times lascivious. This woman’s presence is simply fantastic. Thanks to the excellent resolution, we can even hear her small breaths and even the most delicate lip sounds that arise when she opens her mouth. This reinforces the intimacy of her singing \u2013 and the impression that Heidi Happy is not just singing in front of us, but also for us.<\/p>\n
Could it get any better? We also received the optional Super Black Box from Octave with the amplifier. This is an external power supply extension that uses a circuit with numerous additional electrolytic capacitors to increase the filtering and storage capacity by a factor of ten, thereby significantly increasing the power supply’s current delivery to the output stage. The power supply’s capacity is crucial for its prompt power delivery capability \u2013 and this enhances the amplifier’s sonic characteristics. After connecting the Super Black Box via the rear connection, we immediately noticed its advantages in “Kiss In Blue”: The synth bass has even more contour and poise, the undistorted guitar chords are brighter, every note has more percussiveness, the drums and congas sound even more dynamic and agile, the instruments have a greater presence, and Heidi Happy’s voice is even more present. Overall, the reproduction seems even more vital, transparent, and detailed \u2013 and therefore all the more airy and spacious.<\/p>\n
Does this work in a larger format? We’re going to the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein, where the exceptional young violinist Maria Duenas has recorded Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. The playback is wonderful even without the power supply extension: The concert atmosphere is almost tangible; we experience the hall, the orchestra playing before us, and the world-class violinist who then enters with such presence that it’s as if we were sitting in the best seats. Duena’s violin, in particular, has a wonderful intensity. All of this is further enhanced with the optional Super Black Box: The imaginary hall acoustics of the recording make us forget our real space, the orchestra has an even clearer depth layering, the instrument groups and musicians are even more clearly identifiable, and the audible playing sounds make them seem even more authentic \u2013 and Maria Duenas and her violin are almost tangible, allowing us to experience the singing tone and every nuance of her precious Nicolo Gagliano violin all the more intensely. A thrilling concert!<\/p>\n
The Octave V 70 SE combines tube amplification and semiconductor technology \u2013 delivering outstanding performance as a modern tube amplifier. Thanks to its pentode circuitry, push-pull operation, and Class AB mode, this amplifier delivers a whopping 70 watts. Thanks to Octave’s signature sophisticated circuit optimization, comprehensive power management with controlling electronics, and tailor-made components such as special transformers manufactured in-house, this amplifier achieves a high degree of load stability with a wide bandwidth, low distortion, and linear headroom. This effort pays off: The V 70 SE is incredibly fast and pulse-accurate, impressing with excellent dynamics, exceptionally fine resolution, a clear, and uncolored sound, operating with absolute contours and control down to the low-frequency bass regions. With its immense power and ample reserves, it easily drives even difficult loudspeakers and effortlessly delivers a powerful, punchy, fresh, and vibrant reproduction. The V 70 SE impresses us with its sonic excellence\u2014and it can be further enhanced with an optional power supply extension. Fantastic!<\/p>\n