Could this 110w valve amp be the SMARTEST on the market?!

[@richardharris3781]

Elite introduced me to Octave when I was buying my speakers from them: I'd never heard of the make before and had never owned a valve amp (at the time I'd just bought a 60kg lump of Mark Levinson). Two-and-a-half years on and the Levinson has gone (excellent amp though it was) and I'm the very happy owner of a v110SE+Super Black Box. I'm running it with KT150 valves and am hugely happy with the sound - best expressed as engaging and musical, with superb staging and depth, something that just draws you into the music. Octave themselves are helpful and responsive to any queries, so consider me converted!

[@EliteAudioUK]

Good afternoon Richard Great to hear from you and thank you for sharing your experience with Octave. Its great to know you are enjoyiung it so much - I am a big fan of the KT150's (They look great too!!). Have a great afternoon and thank you again! Mark :)

[@Kowinaida]

Great video Mark. I can confirm that Octave amplifiers are amazing. I've owned the V110SE with the Super Black Box purchased from Elite & it's excellent. I upgraded to the V70 Class A (KT150) about 3 years ago from Elite, still with the Super Black Box & it's amazing. It has all the punch of a high quality solid state but with superb class A tube midrange. Massive sound! I highly recommend Elite as they're incredibly helpful.

[@EliteAudioUK]

Good morning and thank you for your comments - the V70 Class A is frankly one of my all time favourite amplifiers - to be fair ALL of the Octave amplifiers are. They trully are something special and I appreciate you sharing your experiences with them. Thank you again and have a great day! Mark :)

[@kerrybh2740]

I just saw this video and thanks for your review. Octave is not talked about enough in the United States in my opinion. I own the jubilee pre-amplifier and it is excellent. I’ve considered the 220 amp, but have always been a bit intimidated by the potential problems that come with tubes. Your video is reassuring in that regard and it sounds like Octave amps have incredible sound quality and have eased the burden of maintaining tubes. How would you judge the 220 compared to the unit you reviewed in this video? Thanks again for your very thorough analysis.

[@titntin5178]

Thank you for this look at what is a very smart looking, and no doubt sounding, valve amplifier. Lovely design and pretty affordable too. Given the average buyers misconception of what power rating for valve amps will mean in terms of driving speakers and producing descent SPL's, they can perhaps be forgiven for boosting their apparent power output by quoting the figure into a 4ohm load, but it slightly disingenuous. I guess 110 sounds better than 55, but it's pretty sneaky to quote that when most of the industry measure power for 8 ohm speakers. I must admit, I've been looking myself at introducing some of the attributes of good valve design into my own system. Much as I enjoy the foot tapping nature of the Naim 250DR I currently use, I can't help thinking it's achieving some of this by perhaps 'over-etching' transients, and I miss the liquidity and warmth I've previously enjoyed with class A and and class A/B amps I've enjoyed over the decades. With this in mind I'm currently awaiting delivery of a hybrid design amp, with a tube preamp section married to a class A/B power amp - the Mcintosh MA252. I'm hoping this will be the 'one' for me, but should it not be 'tubey' enough, the Octave sounds like it would be one to try.. Whilst I definitely agree with your sentiments on the tonality of valves vs solid state, I would respectfully suggest that's not why guitarists use them. When you over-drive solid state designs you get an awful sound. Over-driven tubes however , produce the characteristic distortion that guitarists desire and this why guitarists use tubes. Thanks once again for sharing your thoughts and insights into these products, its a genuine pleasure to watch and consider fine Hi-Fi I may never have heard of. Have a lovely day. 😀

[@EliteAudioUK]

Good morning Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment and insights! You've touched on several important points that deserve attention, and I'm glad to see such enthusiasm and depth of knowledge in our community. Regarding the power rating of the Octave V110SE, your observation is spot-on. Indeed, the industry sometimes quotes power figures into a 4-ohm load, which can will present a higher power figure. The V110SE produces 90 watts into an 8-ohm load, which is still impressive and indicative of its robust performance capabilities. The decision to also highlight its performance into 4 ohms is aimed at demonstrating its versatility and ability to drive a wide range of speakers effectively, not to mislead. However, I appreciate your point about clarity and the importance of understanding these specifications in their proper context. Your journey in search of the perfect balance between liquidity, warmth, and the engaging dynamics of your current setup is a quest many audiophiles can relate to. The McIntosh MA252 sounds like a fascinating step in your journey, blending the best of both worlds with its tube preamp section and class A/B power amp. Should you find yourself looking for more of that valve character, the Octave V110SE indeed offers a compelling option. Its design philosophy centers around delivering the warmth and musicality associated with valves, without sacrificing the precision and control needed to produce high SPLs from your speakers. And you're absolutely right about the appeal of valve amplifiers to guitarists. The harmonically rich distortion they provide when pushed is something solid-state designs have struggled to replicate authentically. It's one of those unique characteristics that has kept valve technology alive and well in certain circles, despite the advancements in solid-state designs. My comment was based on my own experiences, of playing 'clean' into a Bogner Valve amplifier! (My neighbours were less impressed!) Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and for your kind words about our content. It's comments like yours that enrich our discussions and help us all explore the vast world of hi-fi with greater depth and understanding. Have a fantastic day, and happy listening! 😊 Cheers. Mark 😁

[@kunsliu]

how and why were you constantly moving the camera?

[@richardherbert3519]

Great video.One question, how hot does the amp run.

[@EliteAudioUK]

Hi Richard Thank you for the message and question. Valves obviously run hot! The amplifier overall runs warm I would say - it does coime with a valve cover (which we removed for the video). I hope that helps. Cheers Mark :)

[@thomasreaves302]

Stop the jibbie jabbie fool.

[@kerrybh2740]

I just saw this video and thanks for your review. Octave is not talked about enough in the United States in my opinion. I own the jubilee pre-amplifier and it is excellent. I’ve considered the 220 amp, but have always been a bit intimidated by the potential problems that come with tubes. Your video is reassuring in that regard and it sounds like Octave amps have incredible sound quality and have eased the burden of maintaining tubes. How would you judge the 220 compared to the unit you reviewed in this video? Thanks again for your very thorough analysis.