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Octave Audio
Website:https://www.octave.de/
Est. year: 1968
Location: Germany
Octave Audio is a German maker of tube amplifiers, run by Andreas Hofmann and based in Karlsbad in Baden. The company builds valve electronics, covering preamplifiers, power amplifiers, integrated amplifiers, single-ended designs and phono stages, all made in Germany.
Range & what it's known for
The integrated amplifiers include the V 70 SE, V 70 Class A and V 80 SE, with the single-ended V 16 and Jubilee 300B for owners of sensitive speakers. Preamplifiers run from the HP 300 SE through the HP 700 SE to the Jubilee Preamp SE, and the power amplifiers include the MRE 220 SE, RE 320 and the Jubilee Mono Ultimate. Add-on modules such as the Black Box and Super Black Box extend the power supply capacitance of the amplifiers, and a Phono EQ.2 and plug-in phono module cover vinyl. Many models accept several output tube types, including KT88, 6550, KT120, KT150 and KT170, with selectable power modes. Earlier milestones include the HP 500 preamplifier of 1986 and the V 50 integrated of 1997.
Who owns it and where it's made
Its roots lie in a transformer winding shop founded in 1968 by Karl-Heinz Hofmann, father of Andreas, which made transformers for ultrasound equipment. That shop still winds every mains and output transformer in Karlsbad, each designed for a specific model. The firm and was taken over by Andreas Hofmann as a sole proprietorship in 2001, trading as A. Hofmann, OCTAVE Audio. In 1977 he dropped transistor amplifiers and turned entirely to tubes. Production moved to an industrial site in 2001 and in May 2021 to a purpose-built facility in Karlsbad, where every amplifier is assembled by hand. The circuits combine tubes with modern semiconductor sections, and a Power Management module sequences heater and operating voltages with a soft start and monitors safety functions, while an ECO mode switches off the tube section after a period of silence.
The lineup in this catalog
Valve amplification only, with integrated, power and preamplifier models costing about EUR 5,000 at the low end and more than EUR 30,000 at the top.
Who it's for
Octave is for anyone set on a tube amplifier from a long-running German workshop. Most newcomers to Octave start with the V 70 SE, a Black Box module or the V 80 SE comes next, and separate HP preamplifiers with MRE or Jubilee power amplifiers form the top of the range.
Range & what it's known for
The integrated amplifiers include the V 70 SE, V 70 Class A and V 80 SE, with the single-ended V 16 and Jubilee 300B for owners of sensitive speakers. Preamplifiers run from the HP 300 SE through the HP 700 SE to the Jubilee Preamp SE, and the power amplifiers include the MRE 220 SE, RE 320 and the Jubilee Mono Ultimate. Add-on modules such as the Black Box and Super Black Box extend the power supply capacitance of the amplifiers, and a Phono EQ.2 and plug-in phono module cover vinyl. Many models accept several output tube types, including KT88, 6550, KT120, KT150 and KT170, with selectable power modes. Earlier milestones include the HP 500 preamplifier of 1986 and the V 50 integrated of 1997.
Who owns it and where it's made
Its roots lie in a transformer winding shop founded in 1968 by Karl-Heinz Hofmann, father of Andreas, which made transformers for ultrasound equipment. That shop still winds every mains and output transformer in Karlsbad, each designed for a specific model. The firm and was taken over by Andreas Hofmann as a sole proprietorship in 2001, trading as A. Hofmann, OCTAVE Audio. In 1977 he dropped transistor amplifiers and turned entirely to tubes. Production moved to an industrial site in 2001 and in May 2021 to a purpose-built facility in Karlsbad, where every amplifier is assembled by hand. The circuits combine tubes with modern semiconductor sections, and a Power Management module sequences heater and operating voltages with a soft start and monitors safety functions, while an ECO mode switches off the tube section after a period of silence.
The lineup in this catalog
Valve amplification only, with integrated, power and preamplifier models costing about EUR 5,000 at the low end and more than EUR 30,000 at the top.
Who it's for
Octave is for anyone set on a tube amplifier from a long-running German workshop. Most newcomers to Octave start with the V 70 SE, a Black Box module or the V 80 SE comes next, and separate HP preamplifiers with MRE or Jubilee power amplifiers form the top of the range.
