Customers review

My wife banned me to the basement. Is that bad?

“I’m incredibly lucky that my wife sent me to our basement. She said, ‘Do whatever you want in the basement, but I don’t want any HiFi stuff in the living room.’ She only had to say that once…”

The listening room:

“My HiFi journey has shown me that the room acoustics have a huge, if not the biggest, impact on the final result. I spent quite some time optimizing the acoustics. While some digital measurements were made, in the end, I trusted my own ears more. I can live quite well with the current state; it's always a compromise because it can never be perfect, but considering the challenging spatial conditions, I’m more than satisfied.”

What’s the equipment like?

The Sonus Faber Amati G5 speakers are powered by a V 80 SE with Super Black Box. Streaming is done via an Aurender N200, and the conversion is handled by a Canor tube DAC. For analog listening, the classic Linn LP12 with various upgrades is used.

An Octave integrated amplifier, no stranger to us, is employed here: our flagship, the V 80 SE with Super Black Box.

“The V 80 SE as an integrated amplifier is already an incredible powerhouse and perhaps the amplifier that’s enough to make you happy,” says Michael.

“What I find charming is the possibility of splitting the preamp and power amp, something that always kept me wondering—could there be more? Buying the HP 700 was the next logical step for me. Now the V 80 SE is ‘just’ a power amp and can fully express itself as such.”

Sound quality – How does it sound now?

“Simply brilliant! From the first note, it was clear that there was a significant improvement with the HP 700.

The soundstage is much larger and extends beyond the speakers. The instruments are well separated and finely detailed. The bass gives you pressure in the stomach.

In the past, there was occasionally a slightly sibilant high end—somewhat harsh, despite all the acoustic adjustments. I thought it was due to the recordings, but that wasn’t the case. With the preamp, everything has changed. It sounds fuller, without the annoying highs, just relaxed.”

The Phono Module with MC Step-Up Transformer

“What can I say? It’s a completely different world hearing vinyl at this level. Everything sounds so organic, full-bodied, and just a little bit more real than digital streaming. The background has become even blacker, which is extremely beneficial for the dynamics. Sometimes I get startled, thinking someone is really standing in front of me and singing.”

My conclusion:

“The overall listening experience has become significantly more relaxed without losing any details. Unfortunately, it’s true that when sitting in front of my system, I sometimes wonder, ‘What could possibly get better than this?’ Then along comes a preamp like the HP 700, and that’s the answer.

As a side note, I’ve found myself listening at higher volumes than before. At least that’s what my better half from upstairs tells me. :)”

What’s next?

“Having been hooked by the idea of splitting the preamp and power amp, I want to eventually expand to pure mono blocks from Octave. Or perhaps add a stereo power amp to the V 80 SE for bi-amping, we’ll see. What I can say is that I’ve never been disappointed by Octave. On the contrary, I’ve been positively surprised every time. The build quality of the equipment, the unobtrusive, neutral sound, and the unusual control over deep bass for tube amps will keep me loyal to this brand for a long time.”

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