{"id":3411,"date":"2025-04-23T15:38:42","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T13:38:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/?p=3411"},"modified":"2025-04-23T15:38:44","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T13:38:44","slug":"octavio-amp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/tests\/types\/amplifier\/octavio-amp\/","title":{"rendered":"OCTAVIO Amp"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A little gem from Tourcoing, the Octavio Amp is determined to make its mark on the digital audio landscape. After a successful stream, the brand is back with an integrated amplifier simply called the Amp, a supercharged version of their network player, which incorporates many of its features. This all-in-one device is packed with great ideas and offers a refreshing and fun take on the connected amplifier, which is sure to pique our curiosity!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"octavio<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Like the streamer, Octavio has opted for simplicity here. The no-frills design is reminiscent of the Sonos Amp, the benchmark in this category, which Octavio’s Amp draws heavily on for inspiration.

Its dark recycled plastic chassis, with two chrome buttons on the front \u2013 source and on\/off \u2013 is complemented by a large volume knob and a control panel reduced to its simplest form, with the brand preferring to move all the buttons to the dedicated app. This app, called Virtuose, is one of the best of its kind thanks to its simplicity, clarity and versatility!

At the rear, the advanced connectivity contrasts with its apparent simplicity: dual analogue inputs (RCA), optical input (Toslink), subwoofer output (Cinch), plus an RJ45 port and a USB-A port for connecting a hard drive or USB stick. When it comes to network connections, Octavio has once again teamed up with Linkplay, the market leader, which has equipped the Amp with its latest chipsets: an Allwinner R328 DSP, supported by a quad-core ARM Cortex TM-A7 processor clocked at 1.2 GHz \u2013 already a solid combination \u2013 complemented by an AMPAK AP6256 chip, responsible for Wi-Fi\/Bluetooth functionality.

As for the audio circuit, Octavio has moved upmarket and replaced the old Texas Instruments PCM5102A with a PCM1798. This digital-to-analogue converter may be old, but it has proven itself thanks to its high dynamic range,
24-bit\/192 kHz and I2S compatibility, which is perfectly suited to this application. A particularly interesting package on paper, then, which we can’t wait to install.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The set-up<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Octavio Amp is very compact and not lacking in charm. A parallelepiped with rounded edges that is as wide as it is deep (19 cm), its height is limited to just
6 cm and its incredibly low weight make it a small marvel of integration. The secret? A remote power supply, available in 24 V or 32 V versions, which reduces the weight of the case by a third without reducing its capabilities.

When it comes to connections, again, nothing could be simpler: connect your speakers to the terminals, hook up your favourite analogue sources, then plug in the dedicated mains power supply. Octavio then guides you step by step through the Amp’s configuration, either via the myriad of dedicated videos on their website or the Virtuose app, developed for this purpose. And for those who prefer paper, the brand hasn’t forgotten the classic user manual, which is included with each device and printed on recycled paper, no less!

Once connected, the stream is controlled with your fingertips via the dedicated app, designed to aggregate all sources: Deezer, Spotify, Qobuz, Tidal, Amazon Music and even Apple Music \u2013 the Amp is compatible with Apple’s AirPlay 2 protocol. In addition, the streamer also supports Bluetooth, which is admittedly lower quality but still handy for guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The sound<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presented as a bridge between the old and new worlds, the Octavio Amp does not disappoint, quite the contrary. Connected to our pair of KEF LS50 Meta speakers, the little amp is full of charm and even manages to deliver some real moments of brilliance on relatively complex tracks such as Infraliminal by RezzMau5. Of course, given the legendary rigidity of our \u2018little\u2019 KEFs, we naturally replaced the original 24 V module with the much more appropriate 32 V block, which is much better suited to low frequencies, pushing the output power to 2 x 60 W instead of the original 2 x 35 W.

Once this is done, whether in terms of overall airiness, clarity of reproduction or simply output level, the Amp proves to be excellent, with a slight predominance of vocals over the rest of the spectrum, which is not unwelcome. This is a very pleasant surprise given its modest price, even if, logically, it cannot compete in this respect with its high-end counterparts, led by the Sonos Amp and BlueSound Powernode.

Nevertheless, let’s not deny ourselves the pleasure: the Amp delivers a very fine performance here. The high end remains crystal clear at all volume levels, taking full advantage of the high output offered by the Burr-Brown DAC, and while the bass is rather timid on the KEFs, when paired with the new JBL L52s, the combo regains its warmth thanks to much better low-midrange support \u2013 a privilege of 4-ohm speakers. This is a real treat for older systems, which are often at a disadvantage in this area, even when paired with a modern source.

So much so that, as we listened to it more and more, the Octavio gradually found its way into each of our systems. Behind the LS50s, of course, but also connected to the JBLs and even behind our B&Ws, which are renowned for their selectivity. And while AirPlay 2\/Spotify compatibility remains the height of simplicity, it is with Qobuz that our little amp really spreads its wings: finer, clearer, more natural. The step up in quality is immediately noticeable, and our traditional test tracks (including Tim Bernades’ \u201cFalta\u201d) suddenly come to life, freed from their bottleneck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"octavio<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Our conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Versatile, efficient and fun, the Octavio Amp is a solid alternative to the big names in the genre, for any music lover looking for a connected amplifier that is as compact as it is powerful. Perfectly in tune with the times, particularly with its commitment to sustainability and its short French supply chain, the player completes a fledgling but highly intelligent range aimed at audiophiles with a penchant for technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Author<\/strong>: Haja Randrianarison<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technical sheet: OCTAVIO Amp<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Origin<\/strong>: France<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Price<\/strong>: \u20ac699 (60 W) \/ \u20ac749 (100 W)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Dimensions<\/strong>: 196 x 196 x 60 mm<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Output power<\/strong>
    • 2 x 35 W (8 \u03a9)\/2 x 65 W (4 \u03a9) at 24 V<\/li><\/ul>\n
        \n
      • 2 x 60 W (8\u03a9)\/2 x 100 W (4 \u03a9) at 32 V<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Harmonic distortion<\/strong>: Less than 0.005% at 1 W<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Outputs<\/strong>: HP terminals, 1 x subwoofer output<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Inputs<\/strong>: 2 x RCA, 1 x Toslink, 1 x USB-A<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Streaming formats<\/strong>: PCM up to 24-bit\/192 kHz<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Compatible audio formats<\/strong>: FLAC\/OGG\/ALAC\/WMA\/APE\/MP3<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Bluetooth<\/strong>: 5.0 SBC<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Wi-Fi<\/strong>: b\/g\/n – 2.4\/5 GHz<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Compatibility<\/strong>:
        • Qobuz\/Deezer\/Spotify\/Tidal\/Amazon Music<\/li><\/ul>\n
            \n
          • Apple Music\/UPnP\/Audirvana<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            A little gem from Tourcoing, the Octavio Amp is determined to make its mark on the digital audio landscape. After a successful stream, the brand is back with an integrated amplifier simply called the Amp, a supercharged version of their network player, which incorporates many of its features. This all-in-one device is packed with great […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3412,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[25,35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-amplifier","category-tests"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3411"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3411\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}