Page 5 - PR_HP700_MRE220_AUDIO_2021_10_EN

Amplifiers › PRE-POWER COMBI

OPEn: Upon taking off the base cover the MRE 220
reveals an opulent interior where also semiconduc-
tors ensure operational safety and constant
conditions for the tubes.

rency. Owing to the just not uncontrolla-
ble, but very disciplined force of the po-
wer amps, down-to-earth rockers got
pant legs flapping. At the same time
the lows showed no trace of flapping
boominess, they rather sounded pithy
and solid – the Octaves unleashed
the churning sound orgies with al-
most mind-boggling effortlessness.
On the technical side this trans-
parency, together with an immense
velocity, demonstrated the bene-
fits of broadband, low-noise circuits
as cultivated by Octave. Musically it
revealed the fascination of sound pan-
ased output voltage, is an ideal supplier apart from distortion factors, band- oramas as if conjured out of nowhere in
for transformers. The likewise already widths and S/N ratios. the most natural way. And already we’re
perfectly broken in MRE 220s got their Did anybody still want to go “back“ to once again brushing the sphere of fairy
Super Black Boxes connected – and af- the “normal“ MC stage? Not really, but tales of which an Octave review should
ter an unbitchily short warm-up phase in its own right this phono twig also be- stay clear by all means. After all, no
things were really taking off. ars quite wonderful, ripe fruit. The beau- good fairy was performing a figment of
tiful thing about the HP 700 SE is that phantasy here – instead truly existing
MUSIcAL vERITY you can upgrade later and don’t need to technology to create genuine sonic ma-
In the listening test the Brothers Glim(m) take an instant decision forever. gnificence was at work. Sounds like a
from Karlsbad were playing with an On the other hand, the author was fairy tale, but it isn’t.
energy that would have resuscitated able to take an instant decision that al-
every Snow White abruptly. The some- so the line-level section belongs into
times hard strokes by Hélène Grimaud the league of excellence: beside sever-
(see vinyl section) turned out to be pithy al LPs he brought along the single-layer BOttOM LInE
attacks of a too often pampered Mo- SACDs presented in the music column
zart. Chuck Loeb’s brisk fu¬sion came as well as the hybrid SACDs from Ars Lothar Brandt
bubbling out with such a feisty liveli- chosen for the magazine CD “Der Per- AUDIO editor
ness from the Bowers & Wilkins 802 fekte Klang“ (“The Perfect Sound“,
D3 speakers that you were almost see article on the mag CD). All of them
tempted to grab the air guitar. The truly were played in a flawless manner by no fairy tale or wishful thin-
unwieldy art of the musicians suddenly the T+A MP 3100 HV reference player king, but the result of inge-
became so very accessible – demonst- (page 12) into the line inputs of the Oc- nious designer gumption
rating en passant how superbly this mu- tave preamp. and decades of experience:
sic had been recorded. Which here again showed a temper together with the two enor-
The symphonic “Emotional Storm“ that would have perfectly suited any Va- mously high-torque MRE
by Avishai Cohen, swirling in the jazz pi- liant Little Taylor. But the HP 700 SE 220 mono blocks, Octave’s
ano trio, let loose a heartfelt force as it would probably seize much more than amazingly flexible HP 700
can only be produced by really great hi- Seven At One Blow – it also organized SE preamp makes a tube
fi gear. Totally enraptured audition test an 100-piece orchestra with utmost trio which has no equal in
notes by the author certified the chain care. The spatial imaging in both width its price class. Incorruptly
of Octave’s step-up transformer, HP and depth gradation was impeccably or- transpa¬rent, super precise
700 SE and MRE 220 a „musical since- dered – and the Octave combi distingu- and lightning-fast it reveals
rity and truthfulness“ unheard so far in ished itself once more with incredibly musical verities. Although
this price range. And which lies well fast transients and crystal-clear transpa- in fairy tale beauty.

50 www.audio.de ›10 /2021