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  1. #1
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    Octave Super Black Boxes with Octave MRE 220 Monoblocks

    Hi there. On September 11, 2015, I posted a review of my then new Octave MRE 220's on AudioShark. To those who read it and provided comments, thank you for your kind feedback. Some who commented, asked if I had tried/heard of the Octave Super Black Box ("SBB"). For those who have not heard of this upgrade, the following is a brief description on the Octave website:

    OCTAVE, the Black Box technology offers an instrument to optimize the OCTAVE amplifier in respect to the speaker. This flexibility is a unique feature of the OCTAVE brand. The dynamic and tonal stability of an amplifier is strongly dependent upon the stability and capacity of the power supply, therefore the Black Box and Super Black Box were developed as external upgrades to the OCTAVE amplifiers’ power supply storage capacitors by increasing their capacitance by a factor of 4 (Black Box) or 10 (Super Black Box), respectively. This is a tremendous benefit if the speaker is difficult to drive. Loudspeaker efficiency is made less critical, while the amplifier is enabled to handle speakers with minimum impedances as low as 2 Ohms.

    I have since purchased the Super Black Box, or in my case two of them because the MRE 220's are monoblocks, and this is my review of them in response to those who asked previously and for those who are simply interested in learning about their impact on the overall performance of the MRE 220's. The short review is: I was only expecting an incremental improvement and what I got was nothing short of a step change. What follows is a more fulsome review.

    Since writing my initial review of the MRE 220's and before getting the SBB's I made some changes to my system. I replaced the Ayre C-5xeMP with an Esoteric K-01X, I replaced my Acoustic Zen Satori Shotgun's with Synergistic Research Atmosphere Level 4 speaker cables and my Shunyata Anaconda Interconnects with Atmosphere Level 4 XLR interconnects, which are all connected to a SR Grounding Block. I still have and thoroughly enjoy my ARC Ref 10 preamp. It's definitely a keeper too.

    Needless to say all those acquisitions made very noticable and enjoyable performance enhancements to my system. They have also integrated seemlessly with the ARC and MRE's, or vice versa. Also, given the increased level of overall system performance from those changes and the fact my ProAc K-6's have a 90db sensitivity/4ohm nominal impedence, I (as noted above) wasn't expecting a material change by introducing the SBB's. I thought they would simply allow me to wring out of my system that little bit extra (e.g. a smidgen more inner detail and bottom end expanse). Boy was I in for a surpise. As one of the guys from our local audio circle commented: "Just when I thought you could not improve your system any further - you go ahead and do this".

    Without repeating the details of my original AudioShark review of the MRE 220's, suffice it to say they are incredible and I could not be happier with them. So how could the SBB's make them more impactful? I don't exactly know. I'll I can say is they clearly have. I always knew how important the power supply is to amps, pre's and DAC's, but this experience has given me a whole new appreciation of that fact.

    The SBB's only needed 50 or so hours of break-in, but even right out of the box the contributions they made to the MRE's and whole system were immediately apparent. The soundstage, which was impressive before, extended in depth and width. You can now drive around in it and get lost. The bass is noticably more dynamic and fuller in terms of energy, sustain and decay. The injection of power is palpable - like adding a supercharger to a naturally aspirated engine. Intstruments are more clearly positioned and again each one having more of its own space, sustain and decay with unmatched realism. The mids have bloomed even more with slightly more ethereality. Voice from the MRE's was always special. Even more so now. More emotive in terms of some of the expressive and inner qualities of the human voice (e.g. the inflection within the throat and the turn or purse of the lips), which delivers that right-in-front-of-you realism.

    In short, thank you to those who suggested I check out the SBB. I owe you! Consider this review a further validation of your own experience and insights as well as an opportunity for me to pay it forward. In that regard, I know that Octave also makes some stellar integated amps and for those who have connected a Black Box or Super Black Box to one, I now get it! For those considering it, I hope this helps you make a more informed decision. That's what I enjoy most about these forums. Hope you enjoy this contribution.

    Ray

  2. #2
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    Re: Octave Super Black Boxes with Octave MRE 220 Monoblocks

    Sometime last year I had an Octave V110 (not the SE version) on loan for a while. It came with a SBB.

    I agree with you the SBB is good. Personally if I ever were to buy a Octave product I'd buy it with a BB or SBB. But the V110 + SBB didn't beat my SL.
    Pre amp: Ocatve Phono Module Power amps: Octave MRE130 Turntable: SAC Girati Grande. Tonearm: Dynavector 507mkII Cartridge: Dynavector Ikeda 9TT Streamer: Aurender A10 Power Distributor: Anzus Mains D8 Speakers: Raidho X-3 Speaker Cables: AudioQuest Rocket 88 XLR Interlink: Ansuz A2, [B]XLR Interlink: [B]Phono interlink: Cammino Serie 1.0 - PH 1.0s Power cables: Anzus Mains Ceramic, two Pom, Aluminium, X series Audio Rack: Rack of Silence 4 and 2.

  3. #3
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    Re: Octave Super Black Boxes with Octave MRE 220 Monoblocks

    Hi Mordante. Thanks for your reply. The SL must have good power capability then.

  4. #4
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    Re: Octave Super Black Boxes with Octave MRE 220 Monoblocks

    Hi Spyder
    When I got the V70SE it replaced a Bryston B100SST. The V70SE had so much 'control' over the music compared to the B100SST it was a no brainer for me. I didn't get the Black Box right away because like you I thought the differences would be minimal. So one day I asked my local dealer for a demo. What stuck me immediately was the lower noise floor creating more detail and air around the instruments and vocals. BTW the BB was brand new. Just like the V70SE it took me about a whole minute to decide it was a keeper. Later a good deal popped up on a V110 so I traded in the V70SE. The V110 had a hair more control over the music compared to the V70. For about the first 25 hrs I really liked the KT120. But as they broke in I didn't care for the change in sound. That was when I still had the Dyn C1 Signatures. Later after getting the Raidho D1's I tried the KT120's again and still wasn't impressed. One thing I did notice with the D1's is the V110 ran out of steam especially in the lows when pushed. That really didn't bother me because pushing the D1's was rare for me. Later after getting the D2's it was a bit more apparent. Something I didn't try was trading the black box for a super black box. But then I heard the Aavik U300. I could replace 4 boxes with the single U300 and get a better sound. Had I kept the Dyn C1's I would still have the V110 today or maybe a V80SE.
    George

    Aavik U300 - Borresen 03 with optional Supreme D-TC feet - Naim unitiserve 2tb - Ansuz DTC digital cable with power box - Ansuz Mainz8 D-TC with 1 Ansuz Supreme D-TC and 1 Ceramic V2 power cords - Ansuz Ceramic V2 speaker cables - Ansus X Ethernet - pARTicular Novus full suspension rack.

  5. #5
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    Re: Octave Super Black Boxes with Octave MRE 220 Monoblocks

    Quote Originally Posted by Spyder View Post
    Hi Mordante. Thanks for your reply. The SL must have good power capability then.
    The SL IMHO was a bit more Dynamic and a bit better bass control.

    The Octave might have a better mid range. However I heard the none SE model. There was no SE model for the V110 yet.

    From the octave website:

    The new V 110 SE is the first model in the Octave range which offers another feature: the capability to optimally mate the amplifier to any loudspeaker regardless of its design principle. The damping factor of the V 110 SE can be set to three levels (LOW, MED and HIGH), allowing the amp to thus achieve a more precise adjustment to the electrical load of the speaker than ever before possible. This itself is unique in the world and, as always with Octave, simple to accomplish. The three different settings are easily selected by simply replacing one input tube, as the individual settings are realized via tubes with different gain. The enormous range of usable negative feedback makes this "gain/damping factor" tuning possible.
    So I'm not sure how the new V110 SE would do. My speakers are lowish in efficiency.
    Pre amp: Ocatve Phono Module Power amps: Octave MRE130 Turntable: SAC Girati Grande. Tonearm: Dynavector 507mkII Cartridge: Dynavector Ikeda 9TT Streamer: Aurender A10 Power Distributor: Anzus Mains D8 Speakers: Raidho X-3 Speaker Cables: AudioQuest Rocket 88 XLR Interlink: Ansuz A2, [B]XLR Interlink: [B]Phono interlink: Cammino Serie 1.0 - PH 1.0s Power cables: Anzus Mains Ceramic, two Pom, Aluminium, X series Audio Rack: Rack of Silence 4 and 2.

  6. #6
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    Re: Octave Super Black Boxes with Octave MRE 220 Monoblocks

    Hi Mordante. Thanks for the additional explanation and background. I'm glad your choices have put you and your system in a really good place. It's fun when it all comes together.

    Your refernce to "control" in the context of Octave is so true. It's a great descriptor.

    I have a fair bit of rack space (HRS double, 4 high) so it could accommodate the Octave mono's and two SBB's. The MRE 220's have very good power output, but hooking up the SBB's was truly transformative. I'm a fan of Audio Research Corporation SE products. I have the ARC Ref 10 preamp, which is incredible. I have had the opportunity to hear the ARC 250 SE amp and comparably powered BAT's and CAT's. For SS, I have heard Bryston 6SST, Hegel, Naim and several others. For my ear/taste, the Octave MRE 220/SBB combination has bettered them. Out of a deeper, wider, blacker soundstage emerges real music bringing me closer to the actual performance than I've experiened before. Fun!!

  7. #7
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    Re: Octave Super Black Boxes with Octave MRE 220 Monoblocks

    Mordante; I forgot to mention in my last reply that I had the opportunity to hear the Raidho "D" series when I attended the Munich Hi End Show last May. They are truly an incredible speaker. I actually preferred the D3.1's over the D4.1 and D5.1's. I have no doubt the D2's are equally impressive. Nice!!!

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Octave Super Black Boxes with Octave MRE 220 Monoblocks

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