Octave V 50 MKII User manual

OWNER'S MANUAL
V
50 MKII

INTRODUCTION
Congratulations - and thank you for choosing OCTAVE!
V 50 MKII
You are about to enjoy the benefits 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 will often hear people insist that tube amplifier design has not progressed 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 favours. 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 20 years, during which time we have
developed a number of innovative technologies that have made us one of the leaders in the field.
We hope you will enjoy many hours of wonderful music with your OCTAVE amplifier.
Andreas Hofmann
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Contents
Page
Introduction
1. Description of the V 50 MKII......................................................... 4
2. Safety instructions ....................................................................... 5
2.1. Before you begin........................................................................... 5
2.2. Placement..................................................................................... 6
2.3. Warranty ....................................................................................... 6
3. Setting up...................................................................................... 7
4. Operation - The V 50 MKII front panel ......................................... 8
5. The connections - V 50 MKII rear panel ...................................... 9
6. Tubes
6.1. Removing the cover ..................................................................... 10
6.2. Tube layout .................................................................................. 10
6.3. Tube service life............................................................................ 11
6.4. Replacing tubes ........................................................................... 11
7. Phono MM/MC Option.................................................................. 12
7.1. The role of the phono amplifier..................................................... 12
7.2. Guidelines for connecting to the phono section ........................... 12
8. Option: External Black Box........................................................... 13
9. IR remote control ......................................................................... 15
10. Troubleshooting............................................................................ 16
11. Technical data .............................................................................. 17
12. Frequently Asked Questions......................................................... 18
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1. DESCRIPTION OF THE V 50 MKII
A novelty in our range of products is the integrated amplifier V 50. Compact, highly efficient and
equipped with all features, it represents the minimum demand according to our philosophy of
sound reproduction.
Without our 15 years of experience in the field of preamplifiers as well as power amplifiers, it
would not have been possible to develop such a component. For example, a completely new
technology of power supplies and power transformers had to be developed to enable us, to put a
sensitive phono MM/MC input in such a powerful neighbourhoood. The bias of the amplifier
V 50 is regulated electronically and thereby secures a long lasting high-quality performance
and makes the V 50 very easy to handle. This kind of regulation - with the above described ad-
vantages - can nowadays not be found elsewhere.
The power amplifier delivers 2 x 50 Watt (basic version with 4 x EL 34) in AB-mode and is able to
drive even difficult loudspeakers. The auto-bias makes it possible to use the following tubes:
KT88, 6550 A, 6 L 6, 5881 (6 CA 7).
Construction of the V 50
The signal flow inside the OCTAVE V 50 is designed that noise or hum due to electromagnetic
interference is ruled out and the signal path is as short as possible.
The magnetic shielding inside the housing also suppresses feedback from the transformer to the
sensitive input stages.
OUTPUT INPUTS
Input
stages
Output stage
Output
transformers
Mains
transformer
Power supply
electronics
Magnetic
shielding
Signal flow
4

2. SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
2.1. Before you begin
Before using your V 50 MK2, please remove the protective cover and install the output tubes
supplied with your amplifier in the appropriate sockets (see Removing the Cover and Tube Lay-
out). Replace the cover before switching on.
Operating the amplifier without its protective cover is dangerous and not recommended.
In case of emergency: disconnect the plug from the mains supply
Never use an amplifier that is damaged or faulty. Make sure that it cannot be used until it has
been repaired by a qualified service engineer.
Make sure that there is easy access to the IEC socket and power cord.
Do not open the case
There are dangerously high voltages and hot tubes inside this equipment. To avoid a burn or the
risk of electric shock, never allow anyone except qualified personnel to open the case or remove
the cover.
Servicing and maintenance
For reasons of safety, please ensure that servicing, repairs and other modifications to OCTAVE
equipment are carried out only by a qualified technician. Fuses should also only be changed by a
qualified technician. Always replace 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 au-
thorized service centres.
Explanation of the warning symbols:
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert
the user to important operating and maintenance instructions.
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated 'dangerous volt-
ages' within the product's enclosure that may be sufficient to constitute a
risk of electric shock to persons.
Before connecting
Make sure that the voltage of your amplifier matches your electricity supply voltage.
Grounding
This amplifier is a protection class 1 device (with an earth conductor). To exclude the risk of elec-
tric shock in the event of a fault, the unit must be grounded. Use a three-core mains cable with a
three-pin plug (supplied).
Safety warning: hot tubes!
Warning: Remove the protective cover at your own risk. OCTAVE accepts no responsibility for
injuries caused by the removal of this cover.
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2. SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
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 that objects
do not fall or liquids are not spilled into the enclosure. Should this happen, remove the mains plug
immediately and have your amplifier checked by a qualified service technician.
Condensation may form if the amplifier is taken from a cold environment into a warm one. If you
do this, wait until the amplifier has reached room temperature and is dry before switching it on.
Avoid installing the unit close to sources of heat such as radiators or anywhere that it may be in
direct sunlight.
Do not operate the unit near flammable materials, gases or vapours. 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, even surface.
2. Cover
Never operate the amplifier without the protective cover.
3. Ventilation
Make sure that your amplifier has a good flow of air around it. If you intend to install your equip-
ment in a cupboard or a shelf unit, ensure that there is at least a ten centimetre gap between the
ventilation slots and the walls all around the amplifier. The rear panel of cupboards should have
ventilation holes to prevent heat build up. Do not rest the equipment on a soft surface such as
carpet or foam sheeting.
2.3. Warranty
OCTAVE can only guarantee the safety, reliability and performance of this unit if modifications
and repairs are carried out by specialized personnel and if the amplifier is operated in accor-
dance with the instructions contained in this manual.
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3. SETTING UP
1. In your own interest, please observe the safety precautions and positioning advice contained
in Chapter 2.
2. Before setting up your OCTAVE amplifier, switch off all the other equipment that you intend to
connect to it. This will avoid problems that may arise when you plug this equipment in.
3. Connect the cables from your signal sources such as CD player, tuner, etc. to the appropriate
inputs on the amplifier. When connecting recording devices, be careful to connect the re-
cording and replay inputs and outputs correctly.
4. Connect your loudspeakers to your OCTAVE amplifier, making sure that you observe the cor-
rect polarity (positive on the amplifier to positive on the speakers).
5. Check that the amplifier is switched off before connecting the power cable to the wall socket.
Before connecting the optional, outboard Black Box, ensure that it is switched off. (see Chap-
ter 8, Black Box)
6. Now switch the amplifier on using the power (on/off) switch (see Chapter 4, Operation)
After switch-on, the ‘Wait’ LED will illuminate in addition to the normal power LED. The ampli-
fier is ready for use as soon as this LED goes out.
7. Check that the volume control is not set at maximum before playing music through
the amplifier.
8. Switch the other components on in any order.
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4. OPERATION
The V 50 MKII front panel
Main Power Switch
c
d
e
f
g
LED ON The amplifier is ready to operate
LED OFF This LED burns, if the electronic-overload-protection is activated. It
turns off the power amplifier in case of overmodulation, short circuit
of the loudspeaker outputs and tube damages. To start the amplifier
again, you have to switch it off by the main power switch. After the
elimination of the cause it has to be switched on again.
Input Selector
The selected input is shown by the LED-chain:
IN1 Line amplifier input
With a phono-board the IN 1 is the MC input
IN2 Second line amplifier input
With a phono-board the IN 2 is the MM input
CD Playback CD
TUNER Playback Tuner or DSR
TAPE Playback Tape or DAT
STAND BY The stand-by-mode reduces the bias of the tubes to 10%. This op-
erational mode has to be kept for approximately 2 hours to burn in
new tubes
Metal-Cover Is used to cool the tubes and also to offer a view on the tubes
Volume Control
IR-Sensor For the optional usage of the remote control the infrared receiver is
located below the volume knob behind the cover. Therefore, this part
of the front panel should not be covered by anything.
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5. CONNECTIONS
V 50 MKII rear panel
L
R
L
R
TAPETUNERCD
PLAYREC
MMMC
IN 2IN 1
PHONO
GROUND POWER RATING
230 V /50 Hz/550 VA
++
SPEAKER OUT
4 - 16 Ohm
RL
BLACK-BOX
ANSCHLUSS
ACHTUNG!
Black-Box nur bei
ausgeschaltetem
Gerät abtrennen
bzw. anschließen
THE INTEGRATED TUBE AMP
MODELL
SERIEN-NR.:
made in Germany
:
PHONO GROUND Ground connection for the turntable
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
CD CD input
TUNER Tuner or DSR input
TAPE REC Recording output for tape or DAT
TAPE PLAY Playback input for tape or DAT
IN 1 Line amplifier input
With a phono-board IN 1 is the MC-input
IN 2 Second line amplifier input
With a phono-board IN 2 is the MM-input
BLACK-BOX SOCKET The black-box is an external boost of the power supply
for the power amplifier. By using the black-box a higher
impulse power as well as a better dynamic behaviour
can
be achieved.
Caution! Before connecting or disconnecting the black-
box, the system has to be switched off by the mains
switch.
SPEAKER OUT Loudspeaker terminals
POWER CONNECTION AC input, IEC socket
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