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1. DESCRIPTION OF THE V 70 SE 

 
 

The new 

Octave V 70 SE 

integrated amplifier is a push-pull pentode design delivering 2 x 70 W 

RMS output power (into 4 ohm loads). As with all Octave models, all research and development 
(R&D) and production has been conducted exclusively in-house, and the amplifier is 
comprehensively safeguarded against user error and parts wear – including catastrophic power 
tube failure. 

 

The V 70 SE improves upon the V 70 predecessor, with upgrades made in the amplification stages 
as well as the power supply. Ultra-low leakage Tantalum electrolytic caps are now used instead of 
Aluminium electrolytic caps in the driver circuit. The heater voltage of the driver tubes has been 
precisely stabilized to reduce hum and noise that would otherwise be caused by the heater system. 
The heater and the supply voltage are both controlled via the power management circuit. The 
stabilization of the heater and power supply voltages ensures the stable, drift free operation in the 
mains range of +/- 15%. Every output tube in the V 70 SE is protected against over-current and 
other tube problems caused by aging. 
 

BIAS Measurement 

The V 70 SE is fixed 

BIAS

, and utilizes external precision BIAS trim pots and LED confirmation 

which allows the user to readily monitor the output tubes and simply correct their BIAS individually 
at the front panel of the unit without the need of a micrometer let alone any special knowledge or 
tools – just the supplied 3 mm flat-head screwdriver.  
 

Black Box Option 

The V 70 SE is fitted with a connector for the optional Octave 

“Black Box”

 capacitance modules – 

available in normal and “Super” versions. The use of the Black Box or Super Black Box significantly 
increases power supply capacitance to stabilize current delivery and reduce impedance interaction 
of the load, thus improving dynamic range, separation, depth, soundstage size and articulation. 
This enables optimizing the V 70 SE in respect to the speaker, which is a tremendous benefit if the 
speaker is difficult to drive. 
 

Input Section 

The input section of the V 70 SE features five line level single ended Inputs with an optional 
internal Phono board, one balanced Input and two single ended Outputs. One is a standard record 
output; the other Pre-Out is a regulated preamplifier output. This output is buffered with an 
integrated circuit to reduce the negative influence of any connected unit (typically an active 
subwoofer). 
The Input labeled “Front Channel“ is coupled with a relay that bypasses the volume regulator. The 
V 70 SE functions as a stereo amplifier the when the “Front Channel” Input position is selected.  
 

Power Management and Ecomode 

The V 70 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 the input stage voltages are constantly 
monitored and controlled by the 

Power Management System

, which serves to protect the vital 

internal parts (tubes, rectifier, electrolytic caps, switches, etc.) against excessive turn-on current. 
This increases the lifetime of not only the tubes, but all power related components as each derives 
benefit through this system. 

 

The 

Ecomode 

serves to reduce heat and unnecessary power consumption when the unit is 

switched on but not in use. After 9 minutes without receiving signal, the V 70 SE Ecomode is 
activated, turning down the power. In this “sleep” mode, the V 70 SE draws only 20 W Idle current. 
Therefore, the unit produces no heat while it remains switched on. When a music signal is once 
again detected by the V 70 SE, the Ecomode circuit will power the unit back on, with a short warm-
up/start-up delay (approximately 35 seconds) before the unit will operate.  

 

The Ecomode also serves to increase the lifetime of the tubes, while providing an added benefit of 

increased safety

 allowing the V 70 SE owner a level of security against any problems when 

leaving the unit switched on. 

Содержание v70se

Страница 1: ...V 70 SE ...

Страница 2: ...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 favors Although today s loudspeakers and source equipment provide better performance than ever before they also present greater demands on amplifiers Modern sound reproduction equipment delivers a level of perf...

Страница 3: ...nection options 18 6 1 Protection 18 6 2 Soft Start 18 6 3 Ecomode 19 6 4 Front Channel 20 6 5 Pre Out regulated 20 6 5 1 Using with an active subwoofer 20 6 5 2 Using in bi amped systems 20 7 Tubes 21 7 1 Removing the grille see 3 2 21 7 2 Tube layout 21 7 3 BIAS measurement facility 22 7 4 Replacing the tubes 24 7 5 Running in the tubes 24 7 6 Tube service life 24 8 The programmable remote contr...

Страница 4: ...dstage size and articulation This enables optimizing the V 70 SE in respect to the speaker which is a tremendous benefit if the speaker is difficult to drive Input Section The input section of the V 70 SE features five line level single ended Inputs with an optional internal Phono board one balanced Input and two single ended Outputs One is a standard record output the other Pre Out is a regulated...

Страница 5: ... engineer to replace blown fuses with ones 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 Modifications to OCTAVE equipment Use audio grade fuses and other power cables at your own risk The use of such devices will void the warranty This also applies to the use contact fluids on the ...

Страница 6: ...ble materials gases or vapors Avoid areas where there may be heavy accumulations of dust or where the unit may be subject to mechanical vibration Place your OCTAVE amplifier on a stable level surface 2 Grille Never operate the amplifier without the protective grille in place 3 Ventilation Make sure that your amplifier has an adequate flow of air around it If you intend to install your equipment in...

Страница 7: ...packed separately Power cord Remote control with owner s manual 2 screwdrivers 1 x 2 mm flat bladed screwdriver for adjusting the BIAS 1 x 2 5 mm Allen key for removing the cover Owner s manual with warranty card 3 2 Removing the grille 1 For your own safety make sure that the amplifier is not connected to power outlet 2 Completely remove the 4 hexagonal screws using the Allan key supplied There a...

Страница 8: ...ll as tube life considerably by protecting against stress caused by typical high inrush currents during switch on 1 Check that the Ecomode switch on the rear panel is in the Eco off position 2 Connect the V 70 SE to the mains On new units this switch is set to off at the factory Ecomode Eco off Eco on Amp off 3 Switch on the V 70 SE using the amplifier s mains power on off switch Some LEDs will il...

Страница 9: ...e tubes are still cold you would adjust the wrong BIAS After an additional 5 to 10 minutes the BIAS control LEDs will change from yellow to green This indicates the correct bias and the unit is ready If you notice any irregularity in the display please refer to chapter 7 3 3 6 Connecting other components to the V 70 SE 1 Be sure to switch off the V 70 SE again 2 Connect the other components in you...

Страница 10: ...nnect the amp from mains before connecting the Black Box Integrated amplifier V 70 SE Serial No Made in Germany Ecomode Eco off Eco on Amp off L R CD 2 Pre Out Front Ch Tape Rec Aux 1 Aux 2 Phono CD 1 Additional line level analogue component e g video Turntable CD player with balanced output Speakers right left to wall socket Active subwoofer Multichannel source such as DVD Additional line level a...

Страница 11: ...evel input for tuner etc Pos 3 Aux 1 RCA line level input for video etc Pos 4 Aux 2 RCA line level input for video etc Pos 5 CD 2 XLR line level input for CD SACD or similar Pos 6 The electronic BIAS measurement system is activated see chap 7 3 Pos 7 Front Ch Multichannel input In this mode the V 70 SE functions as a two channel power amplifier The volume control is bypassed See chap 6 4 The recor...

Страница 12: ...ched on Protection Red LED lights up when the electronic protection system has switched off the amplifier in response to an amplifier fault see chapter 6 1 Soft start Lights up during the soft start process immediately after switch on This LED extinguishes after about 1 minute when soft start has been completed see chapter 6 2 Front Ch Illuminates when multichannel bypass function is selected see ...

Страница 13: ...e level input for Video etc or MM MC input with Phono option AUX 1 RCA line level input for Video etc Tape rec Record output for tape or DAT GND Ground connector for Turntable Front Channel Input for the front channel of a multichannel receiver DVD player see chapter 6 4 Pre Out Regulated preamp output for active subwoofer etc see chapter 6 5 CD 2 CD line level input XLR Pin configuration for XLR ...

Страница 14: ...mplifier section see chapter 10 You should switch off the V 70 SE using the power switch before connecting and disconnecting the Black Box AC supply socket IEC socket with integrated fuse holder The fuse is located in a pullout compartment underneath the socket You can open the fuse compartment after removing the plug Fuse For 230 240V 3 15A slow blow H 5 x 20 mm For 115 240V 5A slow blow H 5 x 20...

Страница 15: ...he output tubes 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 70 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 If possible identify and eliminate the cause of the problem see chapter 11 Troubleshooting If it is not clear...

Страница 16: ...co off The Ecomode electronic is off the amplifier is on Eco on The Ecomode electronic is activated Ecomode is signal actuated after a 9 minute silence Ecomode switches in automatically The soft start LED 6 indicates that the Ecomode was turning down the unit 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 70 S...

Страница 17: ...bi amped systems Another option provided by the adjustable Pre Out is Bi amping via the V 70 SE s internal preamplifier The V 70 SE would ideally handle the mid high portion of a bi amping setup using a second power amplifier fitted with its own volume control to take care of the bass In this configuration switch on switch off noises from the Pre Out may prove to be a problem The best way to deal ...

Страница 18: ...This is facilitated by the option of setting the BIAS current to two different values low and high Output tubes can be divided into two broad classes classic pentode output tubes for medium power amplifiers and modern high performance pentodes for power amplifiers up to 80W output Low BIAS output tubes include 6L6 KT 66 EL 34 KT 77 5881 6 CA 7 High BIAS output tubes include 6550 KT 88 KT 90 KT 100...

Страница 19: ...tubes only makes sense if the idle current is adjusted accurately as is clearly shown in Fig 1 Technical Data V 1 V 2 V 3 V 4 Regler für Röhre V1 V2 V3 V4 rot grün gelb How to set the BIAS Turn the Input selector knob 2 clockwise to the BIAS position to activate the measurement circuit pos 6 Signal input selection is disabled The 3 LEDs above each screw in the display panel show whether the BIAS s...

Страница 20: ...100 6550 KT 90 See chapter 7 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 movement of the speakers LED graphs BIAS yellow green red BIAS low BIAS high Brightness of the LEDs l...

Страница 21: ...e 3 2 New untested output tubes should be allowed a longer warm up period You should adjust these tubes after about 20 minutes 7 5 Running in 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 spe...

Страница 22: ... equalization guarantees absolutely natural tonality of the phono preamplifier Traditional equalization topologies lacking effective subsonic filtering and carrying out the equalization within the negative feedback loop can never achieve better than average sound quality particularly as subsonic interference will cause substandard reproduction of the lower registers Two phono boards are available ...

Страница 23: ...g 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 Black Box Indicator LED High current plug The LED illuminates continuously when the power amplifier is on The LED goes out when the protection circuitry trips This is no...

Страница 24: ...and if the V 70 SE is powered down through Ecomode on The Super Black Box is equipped with a rapid discharge circuit which discharges the unit s electrolytics The yellow LED indicates that that this procedure is taking place The discharge circuit also activates if the SBB connecting cable is accidentally removed This is to prevent the SBB maintaining its charge when it has not been properly discon...

Страница 25: ...s you have two grounded components connected to the V 70 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 d...

Страница 26: ...fridges 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...

Страница 27: ...he 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 a driver tube heater fault occurs 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 examinat...

Страница 28: ... protection system to trip Should this happen switch the V 70 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 70 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 ampli...

Страница 29: ...ohms Frequency response 20 Hz 70 kHz 40 W 1 3 dB 5 Hz 70 kHz 10 W 0 2 dB THD 0 1 at 10W 4 ohms Signal to noise ratio 100 dB 40 W Output Noise less than 300µV Optimal load impedance 3 16 ohms Minimum load impedance 2 ohms Gain 38 dB NFB 10 dB Tube set 4 x 6550 C Quiescent current output tubes 28 mA BIAS Low 34 mA BIAS High Preamplifier Input sensitivity 180 mV Line Level Inputs Input Impedance 50 k...

Страница 30: ...SIONS 451 mm 150 mm 415 mm approx 490 mm with Black Box connection Diagrams THD at 4V into 4 ohms from 30 Hz to 20 kHz at a variety of BIAS settings Diagramm 1 Curve 1 BIAS adjusted correctly Curve 2 BIAS 10 out Curve 3 BIAS 30 out ...

Страница 31: ... shows the low frequency extension of the V 70 SE linear to 10 Hz The loss at 20 Hz is less than 0 2 dB Graph 3 Noise spectrum Audio Precision A A FFT SPECTRUM ANALYSIS V 70 SE 5 V 4 Ohm 120 10 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 d B r A 20 20k 50 100 200 500 1k 2k 5k 10k Hz Noise spectrum at 1 kHz 5 W into 4 ohm there is no mains interference to be seen 50 Hz 200 µV 100 Hz 70 µV The k2 k3 k4 and...

Страница 32: ... checked but these will generally last for well over 10 years 4 Does the V 70 SE have to have all of its tubes fitted In principle the V 70 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 purposes or ...

Страница 33: ...e 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 EN2010 ...

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