I would like to announce to the community that I am in love again. And I was already convinced that those times of passion had already passed.
The big culprits are the new Ocatve MRE220SE amps and the HP700SE Pre.
Background
I've always been a passionate fan of valves, especially single-ended amplifiers (SET).
For years I had great SET amplifiers from Wavac, Viva, Aries Cerat and out of prejudice, I always avoided push pull or solid state amplifiers.
However, in 2021 I had the great opportunity to buy TIDAL Contriva G2 speakers at a great price and I thought it was time to try a solid state amplifier and put an end to the paranoia that comes with always having to maintain a valve amplifier.
After 2 or 3 experiences, I ended up purchasing the Gryphon Antileon Evo (class A), which went very well with the Tidal.
Although the sound was very good, and with some tube sound characteristics that I like, I felt like I had lost something and even some pleasure in listening to music (I know it's silly, but that's what I felt).
It was then that at the beginning of this year I decided that I had to go back to the valves, but I had a small problem. While Tidal aren't the most difficult speakers to amplify, SET amps were out of the question.
I was in a dilemma. Either I would also change speakers, or I would have to put prejudice aside and listen to Tidal with a push-pull valve amplifier.
In the distant past I had already heard some push-pull amplifiers, such as Audio Research and Jadis, with 6550/KT88 valves, but always with unsatisfactory results.
However, my distributor insisted on trying the new Octave MRE220SE amp / HP700SE preamp.
Not very convinced, I decided to try them at home.
The Sound
The Octave MRE220SE are push pull amplifiers, with KT150 power tubes with a total output of 220 W at 4 ohms. Enough for my speakers (Tidal recommends 150 W minimum).
My system also consists of the DAC Aqua Formula Rev2 and the Antipodes Oladra streamer.
First impressions were in a awe. I immediately noticed a more open and transparent sound than I was used to hearing in the last two and a half years.
The soundstage was holographic with great focus and precision. The voices more real and present in the room. The highs more natural and the bass with natural texture, but tight as I didn't expect from a tube amplifier.
In comparison, the Gryphon has a more big "wall of sound" presentation, but a little "muddy" in highs, and the soundstage a little flat.
Once I got used to this drastic change in sound presentation, I started listening with a more critical sense.
I have little to criticize, but at times, in some average recordings, the upper midrange can sound a little harsh and some female voices a little hissy.
Nothing to be worried about, as from my experience in the past, tube rolling would eliminate these small flaws.
And so it was. I replaced the installed russian drive tubes (12AU7) with NOS valves from Amperex and RCA, and the sound became even more natural and the harshness disappeared definitively.
Conclusion
So for the last few weeks I have been in heaven.
Listening to Yael Naim on her live album "Live Solo in Paris", I was literally transported to the Saint Eustache church in Paris where the concert was recorded! Simply magnificent!
John Coltrane or Miles Davis' saxophone has already materialized in front of me. Magic!
Kurt Wagner from Lambchop sang just for me several times. Impressive!
And other sublime experiences that the Octave have given me since they entered my room.
In conclusion, I can say without any doubt that the sound of my current system is the best I have ever heard, regardless of the price.
And for the price they cost, the Octave MRE220SE / HP700SE are a real bargain, as I'm almost certain that up to €50,000 there will be few amplifiers that can compete with this masterpiece.
Congratulations to Andreas Hofmann, the boss and chief designer of the Octave.
The big culprits are the new Ocatve MRE220SE amps and the HP700SE Pre.
Background
I've always been a passionate fan of valves, especially single-ended amplifiers (SET).
For years I had great SET amplifiers from Wavac, Viva, Aries Cerat and out of prejudice, I always avoided push pull or solid state amplifiers.
However, in 2021 I had the great opportunity to buy TIDAL Contriva G2 speakers at a great price and I thought it was time to try a solid state amplifier and put an end to the paranoia that comes with always having to maintain a valve amplifier.
After 2 or 3 experiences, I ended up purchasing the Gryphon Antileon Evo (class A), which went very well with the Tidal.
Although the sound was very good, and with some tube sound characteristics that I like, I felt like I had lost something and even some pleasure in listening to music (I know it's silly, but that's what I felt).
It was then that at the beginning of this year I decided that I had to go back to the valves, but I had a small problem. While Tidal aren't the most difficult speakers to amplify, SET amps were out of the question.
I was in a dilemma. Either I would also change speakers, or I would have to put prejudice aside and listen to Tidal with a push-pull valve amplifier.
In the distant past I had already heard some push-pull amplifiers, such as Audio Research and Jadis, with 6550/KT88 valves, but always with unsatisfactory results.
However, my distributor insisted on trying the new Octave MRE220SE amp / HP700SE preamp.
Not very convinced, I decided to try them at home.
The Sound
The Octave MRE220SE are push pull amplifiers, with KT150 power tubes with a total output of 220 W at 4 ohms. Enough for my speakers (Tidal recommends 150 W minimum).
My system also consists of the DAC Aqua Formula Rev2 and the Antipodes Oladra streamer.
First impressions were in a awe. I immediately noticed a more open and transparent sound than I was used to hearing in the last two and a half years.
The soundstage was holographic with great focus and precision. The voices more real and present in the room. The highs more natural and the bass with natural texture, but tight as I didn't expect from a tube amplifier.
In comparison, the Gryphon has a more big "wall of sound" presentation, but a little "muddy" in highs, and the soundstage a little flat.
Once I got used to this drastic change in sound presentation, I started listening with a more critical sense.
I have little to criticize, but at times, in some average recordings, the upper midrange can sound a little harsh and some female voices a little hissy.
Nothing to be worried about, as from my experience in the past, tube rolling would eliminate these small flaws.
And so it was. I replaced the installed russian drive tubes (12AU7) with NOS valves from Amperex and RCA, and the sound became even more natural and the harshness disappeared definitively.
Conclusion
So for the last few weeks I have been in heaven.
Listening to Yael Naim on her live album "Live Solo in Paris", I was literally transported to the Saint Eustache church in Paris where the concert was recorded! Simply magnificent!
John Coltrane or Miles Davis' saxophone has already materialized in front of me. Magic!
Kurt Wagner from Lambchop sang just for me several times. Impressive!
And other sublime experiences that the Octave have given me since they entered my room.
In conclusion, I can say without any doubt that the sound of my current system is the best I have ever heard, regardless of the price.
And for the price they cost, the Octave MRE220SE / HP700SE are a real bargain, as I'm almost certain that up to €50,000 there will be few amplifiers that can compete with this masterpiece.
Congratulations to Andreas Hofmann, the boss and chief designer of the Octave.
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