Octave V80SE Integrated Amplifier
If you’ve been hunting for a premium vacuum tube integrated amplifier, the Octave V80SE should be at the top of your list. All previous Octave amplifiers we’ve used are built like a mid-80s S-Class Mercedes, i.e. to last forever, and have a slick, stark aesthetic that’s at home anywhere. Available in matte black or silver, the V80SE has an MSRP of $13,500. You can add the Black Box ($1,500) or the Super Black Box ($3,500) for even more performance.
This amplifier delivers 120 watts per channel into 4-ohms, and while it’s been here, we found it able to drive every speaker at our disposal with ease, from traditionally power hungry Magnepans to the extremely efficient Zu and Heretic speakers.
Taking advantage of a quartet of KT150 tubes to deliver the music, Octave amplifiers (including our reference V110SE/Super Black Box) are manually biased and offer long tube life as well. There is a complex protection system built in, should there ever be a tube failure, so there’s no chance of speaker damage in the unlikely event of a tube failure.
While not sterile like some of today’s current tube designs trying to sound like solid-state amplifiers, the V80SE is not overly warm sounding either. It has the tonal saturation and airiness that you go to tubes for, yet has tremendous bass extension and grip.
A mixture of single-ended and balanced inputs make it easy to incorporate into your system, and straightforward controls, along with an awesome remote control (only volume up and down) make it a great listening partner.
The Black Box and Super Black boxes offer more power supply capacitance and connect via umbilical cord to the back of the amplifier, giving it more dynamic ability, and more control over lower impedance speakers. We’ve got an extensive review out shortly, but for all but those having the most expensive tastes, you can build an incredible system around this integrated.
The V110SE is a staff favorite (and a reference component) and the V80SE takes every aspect of the V110SE to an even higher level of performance. (photos courtesy of Octave.de)