Andreas Hofmann was born into a family of electronics technicians
and grew up with “electric current in his blood”
1968 |
Mr Hofmann senior founds the transformer winding factory Hofmann. |
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1975 |
Andreas Hofmann develops the first amplifiers on semiconductor and tube basis. |
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1977 |
Andreas Hofmann discerns the tube as the more musical component and turns away from transistor amplifiers.
He decides to develop further tube amplifier technology.
His recipe: Tubes for sound relevant circuit parts, modern semiconductors for tube circuit periphery.
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1986 |
First test of preamplifier HP 500 in Audio. The HP 500 becomes a success model. |
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1990 |
Stereo output stage RE 280. In combination with the HP 500, the Dream Team. |
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1992 |
Test HP 200 in Audio. The small preamp HP 200 beats all records and wins many awards.
With the HP 200, the OCTAVE-specific tube technology becomes affordable.
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1994 |
The further developed HP 500 MK2 gets a new partner: the mono output stages MRE 120.
They both play on top level and get many awards (e.g. stereoplay Highlight).
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1997 |
The integrated amplifier V 50, the "ugly duckling" with the wonderful sound causes a sensation.
It is the parting of the ways: Sound and/or design? Nevertheless (or just because of that) the V 50 becomes a legend.
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1998 |
Mr Hofmann fulfils his dream developing the first Jubilee preamp.
The electronically and mechanically uncompromisingly perfect preamp is praised by the press as the “world’s best sounding preamp”.
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2000 |
Andreas Hofmann takes over the Hofmann company under the name of OCTAVE Audio. Removal to the industrial area. |
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2001 |
The preamp HP 300 succeeds the HP 200. His characteristics: small, fast and powerful. |
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2002 |
The integrated amp V 40 succeeds the V 50. Its design and tonal characteristics get OCTAVE a new integrated amp boom. |
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2003 |
The Jubilee preamp is accompanied by the Jubilee mono ouput stages. A system of superlatives is born.
The integrated amp V 70 fills the gap between V 40 and separated combinations. It is more powerful and has more options than the V 40.
The special edition of the HP 500, the HP 500 SE limited edition, appears on the occasion of stereoplay’s 25th anniversary. It is so succussful that for every country a new limited series is reserved.
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2004 |
Further development of the mono output stages MRE 120 results in the extremely stable mono output stages MRE 130. In combination with the HP 500 SE, the new and even better Dream Team.
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2007 |
The integrated amp V 80 expands the integrated amp program towards the top. Equipped with all modern features, it is an allrounder, the state of the art solution in the integrated amp domain.
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2009 |
The V40 gets a worthy successor, the V40 SE. By the sum of characteristics, it also sets the benchmark in its class.
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