Octave V 80 SE Owner'S Manual Download Page 1

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V 80 SE

Owner's Manual

English

Summary of Contents for V 80 SE

Page 1: ...V 80 SE Owner s Manual English ...

Page 2: ...nced insights into the interaction of amplifier and loudspeaker With tube amplifiers in particular a general reluctance to depart from the classic circuit designs has not done the technology any favours Although today s loudspeakers and source equipment provide better performance than ever before they also make greater demands on amplifiers Modern sound reproduction equipment delivers a level of p...

Page 3: ...2 3 Warranty 9 3 SETTING UP 3 1 Unpacking scope of delivery 10 3 2 Removing the grille 11 3 3 Installing the power tubes 12 3 4 Switching on for the first time the soft start feature 13 3 5 Checking the power tubes setting the bias 14 3 6 Connecting other components to the V 80 SE 14 3 7 Connection possibilities overview 15 4 OPERATION 4 1 V 80 SE front panel 16 5 CONNECTIONS 5 1 V 80 SE rear pane...

Page 4: ...aker operation 28 7 6 Power Selector alternative output tubes 30 8 TUBES 8 1 Removing the grille see 3 2 31 8 2 Tube layout 31 8 3 Bias measurement system 32 8 4 Replacing tubes 34 8 5 Running in tubes 34 8 6 Tube service life 34 9 PROTECTION SYSTEM 35 10 REMOTE CONTROL 36 11 OPTION PHONO MC MM 36 12 OPTION BLACK BOX AND SUPER BLACK BOX 12 1 The Black Box option 37 12 2 The Super Black Box option ...

Page 5: ...form part of a logic control chain The power management system also controls the electronic protection and power saving functionality Ecomode The electronic protection continuously monitors the current through the power tubes and the operating voltage of the driver stage This protects the unit from any overload situation including power line surges for example speaker short circuit faulty power tu...

Page 6: ...the V 80 SE and automatically powers it down during extended breaks This reduces power consumption to less than 30 W compared with 180 W during normal operation and improves passive safety When it detects a signal the V 80 SE activates automatically and is ready for use again within 30 seconds FEATURES Adjustable pre out for subwoofer etc Pre and power amp can be used independently Input for multi...

Page 7: ...of the same type and rating If your amplifier requires servicing please ship or take your equipment directly to OCTAVE or to one of our authorized service centers 2 1 4 Symbols and terms used in warnings The following warnings symbols and terms are used in this document in compliance with the American National Standard ANSI Z535 6 2011 The general danger symbol in conjunction with the terms CAUTIO...

Page 8: ...ure and is dry before switching it on Avoid installing the amplifier close to sources of heat such as heaters or anywhere that it may be in direct sunlight Do not operate your OCTAVE amplifier near flammable materials gases or vapors Avoid areas where there may be heavy accumulations of dust or where the amplifier may be subject to mechanical vibration Place your OCTAVE amplifier on a stable even ...

Page 9: ... Scope of delivery V 80 SE 4 power tubes with tube layout diagram Power cord 3 core cable with 3 pin plug Remote control 2 screwdrivers 1 x 3 mm flat bladed screwdriver for adjusting the bias 1 x 2 mm Allen key for removing the cover Owner s manual with warranty card ...

Page 10: ...grille For your own safety make sure that the amplifier is not connected to a wall outlet Completely remove the four hexagonal screws using the Allan key supplied There are two screws on each side Carefully pull the grille upward to remove ...

Page 11: ...ED 3 3 Installing the power tubes Insert the power tubes into their sockets as shown on the tube layout Ensure that you correctly locate the anti rotation lug on each of the tubes Anti rotation recess on the tube socket ...

Page 12: ...w units both of these switches are set to off at the factory Now switch the V 80 SE on using the amplifier s power on off switch 2 or 4 LEDs will illuminate depending on the position of the switch The soft start LED will illumi nate The soft start LED will remain lit until the unit has powered up It will extinguish about a minute lat er at which point the amplifier is ready for use ...

Page 13: ...er approximately five minutes you can now use the small screwdriver supplied to adjust them to green Turn clockwise to increase the current 3 When all four LEDS are green move the mode selector knob to the Linear setting if you wish to listen to your system Or move the knob to External if you wish to connect an equalizer 3 6 Connecting other components to the V 80 SE 1 Be sure to switch the V 80 S...

Page 14: ...15 3 GETTING STARTED 3 7 Connection possibilities overview ...

Page 15: ...nd similar Aux RCA line level input for video etc Tuner RCA line level input for tuner etc Recommended settings see Chapter 6 1 6 5 Secondary input selector Source Playback of inputs selected with Tape Playback of Tape or Tape Monitor when a recording is being made of the source selected with see Chap 6 6 Front Ch Multichannel bypass mode Tape and inputs selected with are switched off In this mode...

Page 16: ...3 4 Chap 7 4 Chap 7 5 Extern Illuminates to indicate separate pre and power amplifier operation see Chapter 7 2 Headphone Illuminates when headphones are connected See Chapter 7 5 Front Ch Illuminates when multichannel bypass function is on See Chapter 6 7 Ecomode Illuminates when Ecomode power saver mode is on See Chapter 7 4 Mode selector knob Linear Pre and power amplifier are connected interna...

Page 17: ...ine level input for Video etc See Chapter 6 4 Master In Power amp input when Extern function is on See Chapter 7 2 Master Out Preamp output when Extern function is on See Chapter 7 2 Phono RCA line level input or if phono option MM MC input See Chapters 6 1 and 11 Tape Rec Recording output for tape or DAT See Chapter 6 6 Tape Play Playback input for tape or DAT See Chapter 6 6 Pre Out Adjustable p...

Page 18: ... 6 Black Box connection The Black Box is an outboard power supply upgrade for the power amplifier section see Chapter 12 You should switch off V 80 SE using the power switch before connecting and disconnecting a Black Box AC supply socket IEC socket with external fuse The fuse is located in a pull out compartment underneath the socket You can open the fuse compartment after removing the plug Fuse ...

Page 19: ...nt to GND socket 17 RCA cable from turntable to Phono 17 left channel white right channel red Speaker cables and power cable are connected to 23 27 Front panel switch settings Power switch 1 on I secondary input selector 3 on Source turn input selector 2 until the Phono LED illuminates in 4 mode selector 8 on Linear volume control 9 initially on 0 see Chapt 11 Phono option ...

Page 20: ...ainly need to push the locking lever down to remove the XLR Speaker cables and power cable are connected to 23 27 The XLR input is a genuine balanced input that meets studio standards The input sockets are female You can use a cable without a continuous ground connection 1 Ground 2 3 Front panel switch settings Power switch 1 on I secondary input selector 3 on Source Turn input selector 2 until CD...

Page 21: ...with these settings The position of the input selector 2 is irrelevant Tape record Turn input selector 2 to the input from which you wish to record The source selected with the input selector 2 is always sent to Tape Rec 18 It does not matter whether the secondary input selector 3 is in the Source or Tape position Please note The Front Channel signal is also available at the Record output 18 Off t...

Page 22: ...elector 2 does not operate and there are no LEDs illuminated in 4 The Front Ch LED illuminates in 7 Mode selector 8 on Linear This mode bypasses the V 80 SE s volume control The volume of a multichannel system is normally controlled digitally by the receiver processor preamplifier Please ensure therefore that your multichannel unit is switched on and that its volume setting is not too high when yo...

Page 23: ...ber of useful options The two most common of these are 1 inserting an external analogue signal processor equalizer and 2 using the V 80 SE as an independently adjustable power amplifier together with an external preamplifier Two relays inside the V 80 SE are responsible for separating the pre and power sections They are actuated when the selector knob 8 is switched to the Extern position You do no...

Page 24: ... knob 8 in the Extern position In this mode you retain the use of the V 80 SE s volume control When using this option you should generally set the volume control on the V 80 SE to maximum and adjust the volume with the external preamplifier 7 2 3 Using the V 80 SE in bi amped systems application 1 The V 80 SE as an independently adjustable power amplifier Bi amping is a variant of the above In a b...

Page 25: ...ther option provided by the adjustable Pre Out is Bi Amping via the V 80 SE s internal preamplifier The V 80 SE would ideally handle the mid high portion of a bi amped setup using a second power amplifier fitted with its own volume control to take care of the bass In this configuration switch on off noises from the Pre Out may prove to be a problem The best way to deal with this is to make sure yo...

Page 26: ...tings Ecomode A Switch left Ecomode on B Switch right Ecomode off Front LEDs Ecomode is signal actuated after a 10 minute silence Ecomode switches in automatically The soft start LED 7 illuminates to show that Ecomode is active As soon as the Ecomode circuit detects the presence of an input signal from the CD player for example it will automatically power the V 80 SE up The process takes approxima...

Page 27: ...tions of the amplifier remain on the tape loop you can still make recordings as described in Chapter 6 6 the headphone amplifier stays on Important You cannot adjust the bias in Ecomode once the amplifier has powered down 7 5 Headphone speaker operation Rear panel switch settings Headphone A Switch left speaker playback B Switch central speaker headphone playback C Switch right headphone playback ...

Page 28: ...tion will not power up You have to move the switch to position A or B to start the tube power amplifier up and listen to your loudspeakers Note 2 If you try to use the on off switch to switch the V 80 SE on when the headphone switch in position C headphones only and the Ecomode switch in position B Ecomode ON the tube power amplifier section will not power up If you wish to listen to your speakers...

Page 29: ...W In this position the maximum output power is limited to 2 x 70 W to avoid overloading these tubes The rather rare tubes of type KT 90 and KT 100 can be used also in the LOW position The EL 34 can be used in the LOW Position in cases of speakers with impedance higher than 4 ohms Tubes of Type 6L6 KT 66 5881 EL 519 and EL 156 are not suitable for the V 80 SE Before switching the Power Selector tur...

Page 30: ...n of setting the bias current to two different values low and high Output tubes can roughly divided into three classes classic pentode output tubes for low and medium power amplifiers and modern high performance pentodes for power amplifiers up to 150 W output Low Power tubes include 6L6 KT 66 EL 34 KT 77 5881 6 CA 7 Medium Power tubes include 6550 KT 88 KT 90 KT 100 High Power tubes include KT 12...

Page 31: ...usted accurately as is clearly shown in Fig 1 Technical Data How to set the bias Turn the mode selector knob 8 anticlockwise to the BIAS position to activate the measurement circuit Signal input selection is disabled The 3 LEDs above each screw in the display panel show whether the bias setting is too low correct or too high Use the small screwdriver supplied to adjust the bias While you are setti...

Page 32: ...r the output tubes should be used with the more powerful tube types such as the KT 150 KT 120 KT 88 KT100 6550 KT 90 See Chapter 8 2 These tube types do not have to be operated at a high bias setting they will work perfectly well on the low setting However certain loudspeakers may benefit from the higher bias current as it will increase the damping factor and provide slightly better control of the...

Page 33: ...sted output tubes should be allowed a longer warm up period You should adjust these tubes after about 20 minutes 8 5 Running in 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 New tubes can take up to three months to run in and start sounding their best Daily use is beneficial in speeding up...

Page 34: ... system will automatically activate the discharge circuit of the Super Black Box see Chapter 12 The following conditions can cause the protection system to trip Overdriving the V 80 SE to excessive levels or with excessive levels of low frequency A speaker cable short circuit while the speakers are being driven at high listening levels A fault in one or more of the output tubes A fault in one of t...

Page 35: ... subsonic filter The phono preamplifier uses semiconductor technology throughout The subsonic filter suppresses undesirable low frequency signals in the sub audio range caused by warped disks and pickup tonearm resonances The passive zero feedback equalization guarantees the absolutely natural tonality of the phono preamplifier Traditional equalization topologies lacking effective subsonic filteri...

Page 36: ...ion rendering the musical reproduction clearer throughout the entire frequency range The amplifier remains unaffected by mains variations and interferences due to the noise filtering characteristics of the capacitors 12 1 The Black Box option The LED illuminates continuously when the power amplifier is on The LED goes out when the protection circuitry trips This is normal as the protection circuit...

Page 37: ...is activated and when the V 80 SE is powered down with Ecomode on The Super Black Box is equipped with a rapid discharge circuit which discharges the unit s electrolytic The yellow LED indicates that this procedure is taking place The discharge circuit is also activated if the SBB connecting cable is accidentally removed This is to prevent the SBB maintaining its charge when it has not been proper...

Page 38: ...ars you have two grounded components connected to the V 80 SE You must now unplug your components in reverse order to find out which of them is grounded Usually the hum will still appear even when the problem components are switched off The ground causing the problem is always connected since it is not broken when the power switch is operated Now that you know which components are grounded you can...

Page 39: ...idges and 12V halogen lamps can produce strong radio interference when they turn on and off Depending on the wiring in your home this can result in clicks and pops in your loudspeakers To fix the problem Modern domestic mains systems with a separate protective earth PE will normally suppress this interference If you experience this type of switching interference you either have a poor protective e...

Page 40: ...uld never turn the bias screws to the extreme right and leave them there If you have not been able to adjust the bias satisfactorily turn the adjuster screw back to its extreme left position Driver tube heater fault When this happens you will normally lose an entire channel depending on which driver tube system is affected by the faulty heater This can only be established by a visual examination T...

Page 41: ...he protection system to trip Should this happen switch the V 80 SE off and replace the problem tube Faulty driver tube In very rare cases a problem with one of the driver tubes can cause the V 80 SE to switch off You can use the bias display to troubleshoot problems in the driver stage The procedure is the same as the one described earlier although the display will behave differently after the amp...

Page 42: ...wer amplifier Output 2 x 120 W RMS 150 W Peak Power into 4 ohms Frequency response 10 Hz 80 kHz THD 0 1 at 10 W into 4 ohms Signal to noise ratio 103 dB Minimum load impedance 2 ohms Gain 38 dB Headphone amplifier Output Voltage 10 V RMS into 300 ohms Frequency response 10 Hz 150 kHz THD 0 0075 Preamplifier Input sensitivity 300 mV RCA and XLR Input impedance 40 k ohms RCA 25 k ohms XLR Channel ba...

Page 43: ...5 mV MM 4 mV Subsonic filter 12 dB oct 20 Hz roll off frequency Option Black Box Dimensions 185 x 98 x 300 mm W x H x D Weight 2 5 kg Connection cable Length 90 cm Longer cables upon request Option Super Black Box Dimensions 203 x 150 x 330 mm W x H x D Weight 5 6 kg Connection cable Length 90 cm Longer cables upon request 14 2 Dimensions ...

Page 44: ... Bias adjusted correctly Curve 2 Bias 10 out Curve 3 Bias 30 out Graph 2 Frequency response 4 V into 4 ohms T h e f r e q u e n c y r The Frequency response curve clearly shows the low frequency extension of the V 80 SE flat to below 10 Hz 20 4 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2 d B r A 10 80k 20 50 100 200 500 1k 2k 5k 10k 20k 50k Hz ...

Page 45: ...rum Noise spectrum at 1 kHz 5 W into 4 ohms there is no mains generated interference to be seen 50 100 Hz The k2 k3 k4 and k5 noise spectrum is extremely low and falls quickly 180 40 160 140 120 100 80 60 d B 20 20k 50 100 200 500 1k 2k 5k 10k Hz ...

Page 46: ... cannot be checked but these will generally last for well over 10 years 4 Does the V 80 SE have to have all of its tubes fitted In principle the V 80 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 Of course it is not possible to play music under these circumstances For test pu...

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Page 48: ...ctave de 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 Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited edited ...

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