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INTRODUCTION
Congratulations and thank you for choosing the OCTAVE tube preamplifier
HP 700 SE
You are about to enjoy the benefits of one of the world’s most innovative and reliable
preamplifiers, the HP 700 SE. Take care of it, and your preamplifier will provide you with many
years of listening pleasure.
You often hear people claim that there has been no real progress in tube amplifier design for
years. The operating principles of tubes have been documented extensively and are well
known to amplifier designers. The same can, of course, be said for transistor amplifiers.
Nevertheless, there is still room for further development with both of these technologies. This
is both necessary and desirable. With tube amplifiers in particular, a general reluctance to
depart from the classic circuit designs has not done the technology any favors. Today's
loudspeakers and source equipment provide better performance than ever before, but also
make greater demands on amplifiers. Modern sound reproduction equipment delivers a level
of performance at a price that simply would not have been possible 20 or even 10 years ago.
These advances have been achieved through the application of cutting-edge technology as
it becomes available and affordable.
Integrating these technologies into amplifier design demands a detailed knowledge of the
inner workings of amplifiers and an appreciation of the sonic ramifications of each
modification.
We have specialized in tube amplification for the past 30 years, during which time we have
developed a number of innovative technologies that have earned us a reputation as one of
the leaders in the field.
We hope you will enjoy many hours of wonderful music with your OCTAVE preamplifier.
Andreas Hofmann
