Octave Audio Phono EQ.2
Octave Audio’s Phono EQ.2 pairs a silent background with warm, richly textured sound, bringing weighty bass, clean transient speed and impressive separation to dense vinyl mixes. SoundStage Solo found its adjustable MC gain and loading especially compelling, making this compact solid-state stage a refined, adaptable performer for serious record collections.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
92/100
Cartridge Compatibility
91/100
Build Quality
86/100
Value for Money
93/100
Pros
Exceptionally quiet operation, with no audible hiss or self-induced noise even through high-sensitivity speakers.
Smooth, warm, rich presentation combines deep, tactile bass with clear separation of complex arrangements.
Fast, articulate transients retain excitement and note definition on demanding material.
Flexible MC gain and loading settings support a broad range of cartridges and future upgrades.
Cons
The midrange and treble balance is slightly laid-back, which may not suit listeners seeking a more forward presentation.
Dynamic impact was somewhat less explosive than the reviewer’s reference phono-stage combination.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 92/100
The EQ.2 combines an exceptionally quiet presentation with a smooth, warm and richly textured balance. Its particular strengths are transient articulation and its ability to untangle dense, layered recordings without blurring individual musical lines.
Transparency Noise Floor
94/100
SoundStage Solo found the EQ.2 “supremely quiet,” both during playback and in the groove. Even through 94dB-sensitive loudspeakers, the reviewer heard no hiss, static, or self-induced noise, while complex arrangements remained clearly separated.
Tonal Balance Musicality
89/100
The overall voice is described as smooth, warm, and rich, making the Octave an inviting and forgiving listen. The reviewer did note a slightly laid-back midrange, so listeners seeking an aggressively forward or ultra-neutral presentation may prefer a different balance.
Dynamics
94/100
Transient speed and articulation were singled out as major strengths. On demanding piano playing, the EQ.2 conveyed excitement and intensity without smearing notes, extracting more musical energy from records than the reviewer expected at its price.
Soundstage Imaging
91/100
On intricately layered material, the Octave separated a dense polyrhythmic instrumental mix with clear temporal and spatial definition. The reviewer specifically praised its ability to keep individual lines delineated rather than congested.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Cartridge Compatibility
91/100
The EQ.2 accommodates both MM and MC cartridges, with MC gain selectable from 58dB to 72dB and 13 loading choices spanning 62 ohms to 1k ohm. MM operation is fixed at 50dB and 47k ohms, but the reviewer regarded the MC adjustment range as a real benefit for owners likely to change or upgrade cartridges.
Build Quality
86/100
The compact solid-state unit uses a magnetically shielded brushed-aluminum case, chassis-mounted gold-plated RCA connectors, and a dedicated ground post. Its small external 24V wall-wart supply is practical rather than luxurious, and the review offers little further comment on long-term construction quality.
Value for Money
93/100
At under $2,000 in the review, SoundStage Solo called the amount of performance “very impressive.” The reviewer found it sonically competitive with anything at or near its price, with the flexible MC gain and loading adding meaningful ownership value.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
Specifications
- Basic model
- Phono EQ.2
- Design
- Black
- Dimensions Preamplifier / Power Supply
- 100 x 55 x 167 mm / 50 x 55 x 40 mm (W x H x D)
- Weight Preamplifier / Power Supply
- 0.8 kg / 0.1 kg
- Input sensitivity MM / MC
- 4 mV / 100 µV - 1 mV
- Input impedance MM / MC
- 47 kOhm +220 pF / 62 Ohm - 1 kOhm
- Gain MM
- 50 dB
- Gain MC
- 58 dB, 62 dB, 68 dB, 72 dB (adjustable)
- Signal-to-noise ratio MM / MC
- -90 dB / -74 dB ... -86 dB at 2.5 V Output level
- Maximum input level MM / MC
- 19 mV / 2.3 mV
Manufacturer's Description — Octave Audio
The Phono EQ.2 is an external semiconductor-based phono preamplifier for MM and MC that can be precisely adjusted to the respective pickup system. The Phono EQ.2 is the flexible, universal alternative to built-in phono stages in integrated amplifiers.
Many pre- and integrated-amplifiers available on the market today do not include dedicated phono inputs. Or if they offer one, most often it is nothing more than an afterthought as far as quality and functionality. The inputs fulfill only the requirements of the marketing department to add a feature to the checklist.
Vinyl has always played an important role at Octave. Ever since the company was founded, nearly every Octave pre- and integrated-amplifier model produced has offered analog aficionados the option to add a perfectly tuned, built-in phono input - with perfect adjustment possibilities (RIAA curve) according the pickup used.
Surely there are many music lovers who own a turntable but have yet to own an Octave component, and Octave did not want to leave them empty handed. The brand new Octave EQ.2 separate phono-preamplifier fills this gap. The EQ.2 is a compact yet complete MM/MC phono stage housed in a magnetically shielded chassis with an external power supply.
This offers many benefits - as for example the persistent 50 or 60 Hz frequency of the power line cannot influence the very low and quite sensitive input voltage coming from the needle.
It doesn't matter whether one prefers Moving Magnet or Moving Coil pickup systems; their sensitive voltages meet real-world impedance and gain values at the input stage. The impedance is selectable between 62 and 1,000 ohms (at either 62, 75, 97,100, 125, 146, 170, 200, 250, 340, 500 and 1,000 ohms), while a choice of four steps for the gain (58, 62, 68 and 72 dB) in the EQ.2 allows one to perfectly match the sensitivity to the phono cartridge. The feature list is completed with the addition of a highly fine tuned Subsonic filter to offer protection for your bass drivers.
Following Octave's uncompromising approach to quality, all connectors are gold plated and the meticulously selected high-grade internal components are sourced from the most highly respected manufacturers. But ultimately it is all about performance and the sound of the EQ.2 performs most impressively in this regard: the EQ.2 is a true Octave and brings uncompromised Octave analog quality to everyone.
Verified Dealers
Online Dealers
All Dealers
Zoom out the map to see more dealers
Authorized dealers for Octave Audio Phono EQ.2
- Holt Hill — online and in-store — Andover, Massachusetts, United States (website)
- A 10 Audio Room 4 Music — in-store — Amsterdam Nieuw-West, Noord-Holland, Netherlands (website)
- Addicted to Audio — online and in-store — Epping, Victoria, Australia (website)
- Akoustiki Kritis — online and in-store — Glifada, Greece (website)
- Alta Fedelta — online and in-store — Lombardia, Italy (website)
- Audio Basic — in-store — Singapore, Singapore (website)
- Audio Element — in-store — Pasadena, California, United States (website)
- Audio Philosophy — in-store — Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States (website)
- Audio Tempel — online and in-store — Zwolle, Overijssel, Netherlands (website)
- Audio Vision San Francisco — online and in-store — San Francisco, California, United States (website)
and 37 more verified dealers