Octave V 40 SE Owner's Manual
  1. Manuals
  2. Brands
  3. Octave Manuals
  4. Amplifier
  5. V 40 SE
  6. Owner's manual

Octave V 40 SE Owner's Manual

Hide thumbs
Table of Contents

Advertisement

Quick Links

Download this manual
V 40 SE
Owner's Manual
English

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading
Need help?

Need help?

Do you have a question about the V 40 SE and is the answer not in the manual?

Questions and answers

Related Manuals for Octave V 40 SE

Summary of Contents for Octave V 40 SE

  • Page 1 V 40 SE Owner's Manual English...

  • Page 2: Introduction

    INTRODUCTION Congratulations and thank you for choosing OCTAVE! You are now the owner of one of the world's most innovative and reliable amplifiers. Look after it, and it will provide you many years of listening pleasure. You often hear people claim that tube amplifier design has not progressed for years. The operating principles of tubes have indeed been documented extensively and are well known to amplifier designers.

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    Front Channel input – bypass function ............6.5. Regulated preamplifier output – Pre-Out ............. 6.5.1. Using with a subwoofer ................6.5.2. Using the V 40 SE in bi amped systems ............Tubes 7.1. Removing the grille (see 3.2) ............... 7.2.

  • Page 5: Description Of The V 40 Se

    The V 40 SE improves upon the V 40 predecessor, with upgrades made in the amplification stages as well as the power supply. The coupling capacitors of the power tubes, now 1.5 µF in the V 40 SE, have been increased by a factor of three compared to the V 40, resulting in a lower frequency response.
  • Page 6 Power Management and the Ecomode: The V 40 SE input and output tube heaters as well as its high-voltage rails are logic controlled to ensure that the conduction of the output tubes as well as input stage voltages are constantly monitored and controlled by the Power Management System to protect the vital internal parts (tubes, rectifier, electrolytic caps, switches, etc.) against excessive turn-on current.

  • Page 7: Safety Instructions

    2. SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 2.1. Before you begin Before using the V 40 SE for the first time, remove the grille and install the power tubes! (see chapter 3.2. "Removing the grille"). Replace the grille before switching on. Operating the amplifier without its protective grille is dangerous and not recommended.

  • Page 8: Placement

    2.2. Placement 1. Location OCTAVE equipment is designed strictly for use in a dry domestic environment. Do not use it in the open air or in damp environments! Never place plants or liquid-filled containers on your OCTAVE equipment. Take care to avoid dropping objects or spilling liquids into the case.

  • Page 9: Getting Started

    3. GETTING STARTED 3.1. Unpack and check the contents of the box Package contents standard V 40 SE 1 set power tubes packed separate Power cord Remote control 2 screwdrivers: 1 x 2 mm flat-bladed screwdriver for adjusting the BIAS...

  • Page 10: Installing The Power Tubes

    Connect your amplifier to the mains. (For new devices, the Ecomode switch is set to "off" at the factory). Now switch on the V 40 SE with the power switch. Depending on the position of the input selector switch, the corresponding LEDs light up. In any case, after switching on the power LED (lights up as long as the device is in operation) and the soft start LED.

  • Page 11: Switching On For The First Time: Checking The Power Tubes (Bias)

    Check that the switch positions on the front and rear of the amplifier are in their recommended settings. Switch the V 40 SE on using the on/off switch and wait until the soft-start LED extinguishes. You can now play music.

  • Page 12: Connection Options: Overview

    3. GETTING STARTED 3.7. Connection options: overview Speakers Active subwoofer left right Turntable Black Box Phono Preamplifier To wall socket Multichannel source Recorder Additional line level analogue component, e.g. video Additional line level analogue component, e.g. video Tuner CD player with unbalanced output...

  • Page 13: Controls - The Front Panel

    Pos. 5: The electronic BIAS measurement system is activated (see chapter 7.3). Pos. 6: Front Ch. Multichannel input. In this mode, the V 40 SE functions as a two-channel amplifier. The volume control is bypassed (see chapter 6.4). The record output is switched off in this position.
  • Page 14 4. CONTROLS – THE FRONT PANEL  BIAS adjustment BIAS regulators and corresponding LED array for each power tube.  Remote control receiver To ensure optimum operation of the IR remote control, do not cover this window.  Status indicators Power indicates that the unit is switched on.

  • Page 15: Connections - The Rear Panel

    5. CONNECTIONS – THE REAR PANEL  Ecomode Eco off: Ecomode automatic is off Eco on: Ecomode automatic is on Amp off: The power stage of the amplifier is off (see chapter 6.3).  Ground connector for turntable  Disc CD line level input Tuner Tuner line level input...
  • Page 16 The (Super) Black Box is an outboard power supply upgrade connection for the amplifier section (see chapter 10). You should switch off V 40 SE using the power switch before connecting and disconnecting the Black Box! AC supply socket IEC socket with integrated fuse holder.

  • Page 17: Advanced Functions

    A fault in one of the preamp tubes which overloads the affected channel. Once the protection system has cut in, the only way you can turn the V 40 SE back on is to turn the on/off switch off and then on again. Allow the unit two minutes to cool down before switching it back on.

  • Page 18: Ecomode

    After approx. 10 minutes without receiving signal, the V 40 SE Ecomode is activated, turning down the power. In this “sleep” mode, the V 40 SE draws less than 20 W Idle current. Therefore, nearly no heat is produced by the running unit, and the heater voltage and the high voltage for the power amplifier section are switched off.

  • Page 19: Front Channel Input - Bypass Function

    Pre-Out may prove to be a problem. The best way to deal with this is to make sure you switch on first the V 40 SE next the external power amplifier and when switching the units off in reverse order.

  • Page 20: Tubes

    6L6, EL34, KT77 High BIAS output tubes include: 6550, KT88, Note: Some tubes will fit into the sockets but will still not work with the V 40 SE – the EL509/519, for example. 7.3. Compatibility power tubes Serial tube Model...

  • Page 21: The Bias Measurement System

    That is why we have built this BIAS measurement facility into the V 40 SE – to allow you, the user, to carry out the adjustment yourself without the need for test equipment. The use of precision op amps makes it possible for you to set the BIAS to an accuracy of 0.3 %, making it superior to any...
  • Page 22 7. TUBES There is an upper adjustment limit to the "high" BIAS setting, which is indicated by the green and red LEDs lighting up at the same time, and a lower limit to the "low setting, where the yellow and green LEDs light up.

  • Page 23: Replacing The Tubes

    You should adjust these tubes after about 20 minutes. 7.6. Running in the tubes All OCTAVE equipment is subject to a 48-hour soak test at the factory to burn in the tubes. The tubes are preselected for use in each particular model.

  • Page 24: Remote Control

    8. REMOTE CONTROL Volume up Volume down Changing the batteries Remove the bottom plate (three screws size 3 x 8 Phillips countersunk head screw) with screwdriver Phillips 1 Change the batteries (2 x type AAA 1.5 V alkali-manganese / alkaline) Please take care not to push the buttons of the remote control while inserting the new batteries.

  • Page 25: Option (Super) Black Box

    With the Black Box technology OCTAVE offers an instrument for optimizing the OCTAVE amplifier in respect to the speaker. This flexibility is a unique feature of the OCTAVE brand. The dynamic and tonal stability of an amplifier is strongly dependent upon the stability and capacity of the power supply, therefore the Black Box and Super Black Box were developed as external upgrades to the OCTAVE amplifiers’...

  • Page 26: The Super Black Box Option

    The yellow "unload" LED (discharge control circuit) illuminates for approximately two seconds after switch-off, and also when the electronic protection is activated and when the V 40 SE is powered down with Ecomode on. The Super Black Box is equipped with a rapid discharge circuit, which discharges the unit's electrolytics.

  • Page 27: Troubleshooting

    PCs with sound cards, and some CD/DVD players and DACs. Although the V 40 SE is grounded, its signal ground is a "floating" ground, which means that the V 40 SE cannot itself create ground loops. Hum can only be caused when it is connected to other items of equipment.
  • Page 28 To reduce this kind of interference, move the transformer/component or the affected component/cable to a different location. The transformer in the V 40 SE will not generate interference, as it is electromagnetically shielded and has a very low stray field.

  • Page 29: Faults Caused By Tubes, Faulty Tubes

    10.2. Faults caused by tubes, faulty tubes Like other OCTAVE products, the V 40 SE is equipped with a double safety system. This means that the amplifier will be protected from damage if a component (tube) should fail and trip the electronic protection.
  • Page 30 This kind of noise does not often reach a level that could be considered annoying, although the nearer to the "front" the particular tube is, the more it will tend to make itself felt. In the V 40 SE, this would be tube V 5.

  • Page 31: Specifications And Dimensions

    11. SPECIFICATIONS AND DIMENSIONS In- and Outputs: Inputs: 5 x RCA, including one Home Theatre Bypass input Outputs: 1 x RCA Record output, 1 x regulated Preamplifier output, 1 x Loudspeaker output Power amplifier Output configuration: push pull, advanced pentode mode, Grid 2 Voltage 300 V, Idle Current Tubes 28 mA - BIAS Low, 34 mA - BIAS High.
  • Page 32 11. SPECIFICATIONS AND DIMENSIONS Disc Power Tuner Protection Aux 1 Soft Start Aux 2 Front Ch. 408 mm 415 mm approx. 490 mm with Black Box connection Diagrams THD at 4 V into 4 ohms from 30 Hz to 20 kHz at a variety of BIAS settings Diagramm 1 Curve 1: BIAS adjusted correctly...
  • Page 33 Graph 2: Frequency response, 5 W into 4 ohms The frequency response curve clearly shows the low frequency extension of the V 40 SE. The loss at 20 Hz is less than 0.2 dB. Graph 3: Noise spectrum Noise spectrum at 1 kHz / 5 W into 4 ohms – there is no mains interference to be seen.

  • Page 34: Frequently Asked Questions (Faq)

    Does the V 40 SE have to have all of its tubes fitted? In principle, the V 40 SE will also operate without tubes. It is sometimes useful to do this when testing the operation of the switching functions such as the selector switch, remote control, etc.
  • Page 36 We reserve the right to alter and improve the specifications in pursuit of better. OCTAVE logo is a registered trade mark of Andreas Hofmann. Copyright by Andreas Hofmann OCTAVE AUDIO T. +49 (0) 7248 3278 ANDREAS HOFMANN F. +49 (0) 7248 3279 REUTAECKERSTR.

Table of Contents