Integrated Amp Reviews

Octave Audio V 40 SE integrated amplifier Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog Sources: Garrard 301 turntable, EMT 997 tonearm, EMT OFD 25 & TSD 15 70th Anniversary pickup heads.
Digital Sources: Halide Designs DAC HD USB D/A converter; Apple iMac G5 computer running Decibel v.1.2.11, Audirvana Plus v.1.5.12 playback software; Sony SCD-777ES SACD/CD player.
Preamplification: Hommage T2 step-up transformer, Sutherland Engineering Insight phono preamplifier, Shindo Masseto preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Shindo Corton-Charlemagne monoblocks & Cortese.
Loudspeakers: Altec Valencia, DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96.
Cables: USB: AudioQuest Carbon, WireWorld Revision. Interconnect (single-ended): Audio Note AN-Vx, Shindo Silver. Speaker: Auditorium 23. AC: manufacturers' own.
Accessories: Box Furniture Company D3S rack (source & amplification components), Keith Monks record-cleaning machine.—Art Dudley

COMPANY INFO
Octave Audio
US distributor: Dynaudio North America
1852 Elmdale Avenue
Glenview, IL 60026
(847) 730-3280
www.dynaudiousa.com
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
LS35A's picture
Submitted by LS35A on July 25, 2014 - 4:42pm

With two dollar plastic speaker connectors.

Check out the speaker connectors on the $999 Peachtree Nova65SE. WAY BETTER.

I owned a three thousand dollar amp with cheap plastic connectors once - they broke. Was not fun. No more buying expensive amps with cheap parts for me.

georgehifi's picture
Submitted by georgehifi on July 26, 2014 - 10:50pm

It's only got 2 double triodes serving both chanels. A PP poweramp section needs an input tube and a driver.
This means there is nothing left over for an active preamp, therefore it must be a poweramp with a passive preamp and with input switching???

Please correct me if I'm wrong .
Cheers George

JoeinNC's picture
Submitted by JoeinNC on July 28, 2014 - 7:05am

"I thought the V 40 SE sounded very slightly better without the cage..."

Dude. Really?

Audiofest's picture
Submitted by Audiofest on August 24, 2014 - 6:05am

Those 'cheap plastics' are the fine German made Mundorf connectors used by many top quality manufacturers.
Speaking from large experience with most brouhaha US Tube amplifiers, rest assured that the Octave build quality and quality control is beyond all USA brands except maybe Audio Research. Octave is 100% Made in Germany. No more Yankee stuff for me. Damn it.

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