Ronald is a passionate music lover with years of experience in high-end audio. His loudspeakers – the Dynaudio Confidence 30 – are the beating heart of his setup. An impressive speaker, known for its refinement, neutrality, and musical power. But also a model about which audiophiles often say: “That needs serious power.”
“I kept hearing it in my audio group: tube amplifiers don’t work with Dynaudio. Too soft, not enough control in the bass. So to be honest, I never seriously considered it.”
That assumption suddenly changed when a friend from the Netherlands offered him the chance to try out an Octave setup at home. The combination consisted of the HP 300 SE preamplifier and MRE 220 monoblocks, both equipped with Super Black Boxes. Ronald decided to give it a try.
What followed was truly surprising.
“From the very first moment, I noticed how open and spacious the music sounded. The midrange and treble literally had room to breathe, and instruments sounded freer, more natural. But what surprised me the most was the control. Even in the bass – always a challenging area for tube amplifiers – there was precision and definition.”
Where he had expected a possible lack of power, Ronald discovered the opposite:
“The set played effortlessly, even at higher volumes. Above 90 dB? No problem at all. In fact, it sounded so pleasant that I found myself listening longer than usual.”
Ronald had previously used amplifiers with over 2x400 watts of power, so switching to tubes didn’t seem like a logical choice at first. But the Octave setup demonstrated that power isn’t everything – it’s about control, synergy, and musical refinement.
“There are many persistent assumptions about tube amplifiers – especially in combination with speakers like the Dynaudio C30. But for me, those assumptions have been completely swept away. These amplifiers not only have more than enough power, but also that natural flow and precision you rarely hear.”
“I’ve never heard my Dynaudios like this before. This combination brings out a smoothness and dynamic character that I didn’t know from my own setups. That makes this experience truly special for me.”
His conclusion is clear:
“The belief that Dynaudio and tubes don’t go together can, in my opinion, be thrown out the window – especially when it comes to Octave. This is tube amplification at its highest level – with power, control, and musicality. A magical match.”
After this experience, Ronald is seriously considering purchasing his own Octave setup. He will soon visit an Octave dealer for a more in-depth listening session – the next step toward a possible purchase.
