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80% would recommend to a friend 
Bravo Ocean Tube Amplifier
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Bravo Ocean Tube Amplifier
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Product Description
Solidly built with a significant heft, the Ocean tube amplifier is made from solid aluminum and decked out in a bright cyan finish. The 12AU7 tube produces a warm sound signature that lightens up any track Read More
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Customer Reviews
3.9
(61 reviews)
5star(18)
4star(28)
3star(9)
2star(3)
1star(3)
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keyboard_arrow_downClementN
18
Sep 28, 2020
checkVerified Buyer
Excellent with a JJ Electronics tube - still great with stock tube. Unbeatable at $55.
I received this amp today and I must say its' a great little amp!
So to start with the downsides, the unit can get quite hot, the power plug is UK, but hopefully is uses a standard cord which you can purchased in any store for almost nothing. I used my old PS3's one.
The unit also does not come with cables, so be sure to have Jack <> RCA or RCA <> RCA cables to get sound from it.
Sound-wise, the soundstage is not the widest, and the metal body can get quite hot while in use.
Oh, and the front LED is super bright in the dark, so you'd better cover it with a black sticker.
Now, for the good points!
First, the sweet sound of tubes. Yes, this is an hybrid tube amp, so the tube is only used for the pre-amp circuit, but the sound is notably smoother than transistor amps, especially neutral ones such as the Soundblaster G6. You still get all the micro-details you'd get on other amps, although they sometimes may be harder to hear. The good point though is that the amp is a lot more forgiving than neutral amps when listening to poorly-recorded tracks or poor-quality MP3 files (yes, I'm looking at you, 64 kbps YouTube).
The lows are great but still lack a bit of kick. They are a bit smooth which some may appreciate - I personally like when I feel like the headphones are vibrating on my head because of the bass, so it's a matter of preference.
The pre-amp tube emits almost zero light hopefully, and the unit itself is pretty good-looking. The metal (or is it aluminum?) body is really nice.
The amp automatically switches between the line output to the headphones output when you plug yours in, and switches back when you unplug them, which is nice, but when you power the amp off and power it on again, the default output will be the line out, even if headphones are plugged in.
Overall, the product is really well-built and the sound quality, at $55, makes it an absolute no-brainer. If you want to discover what tubes sounds like, that's the perfect amp to try!
(FIY, I'm using the G6's as a DAC thanks to its line output, connected through USB to a Windows computer and listening mostly to 16 bits / 44.1 kHZ FLAC files)
EDIT: I just tried some new tubes with this amp, a 12AU7 from Tung-Sol and one from JJ Electronics. The first one gives a drier sound with heavier bass and I personally didn't like it much.
But the JJ tube really improves the sound : the bass is tightier, punches more, and the mids becomes incredibly detailed. The soundstage is wider and more precise as well. You get a drier sound but still relatively warm. Overall, I'm more than happy with this JJ tube and I think the Ocean really benefits from tube-rolling with this one. So I change my review from 4* to 5* as a simple 20€ tube can really improve the sound.
(Edited)
Recommends this product? Yes
Mojo3354
116
Sep 22, 2020
checkVerified Buyer
Exceptional with the Hifiman 4EXX
Unit arrived dirty.
Unit arrived with rust on the chrome ring.
LED is super bright.
Unit gets very hot.
Unit needs to be warmed up 10-15 minutes to sound good.
Stock tube leaves a lot to be desired.
Now with that out of the way let me go ahead and say that this thing is amazing!
I'm pairing it the Schiit Modi 3 and the HiFiman HE4XX. I also swapped the tube with a JJ Electronic ECC82. This combo is really something special. I'm going to be comparing this to the Schiit Magni Heresey. The best way for me to describe the difference in sound is like editing an image.
The Heresey is like an 720dpi Tiff with sharpening turned up to the point where it increases the details but you notice the image has been sharpened. The contrast will have also been decreased which reduces the vividness of the colors.
The highs in the sound are very resolving but it can come off a bit harsh and shouty with some noticable sibilance.
The Ocean is like the same 720dpi Tiff that has been softened with grain to provide a more pleasing image to look at. Some fine details are gone but they aren't noticed. The contrast has been slightly increased with improved color saturation.
The sound is much more smooth in the highs, some detail is missing but the sound is fuller. This makes it much easier to listen to overall. Lyrics aren't as forward but they are much less sibilant.
I would say the 4XX, Schiit Modi 3 and this guy sound like a Tin Audio T3 plugged into an Android with a good seal that has more resolving power and lowers the highs but is much more enjoyable to listen to.
Hope this helps anyone looking at this in the future.
Recommends this product? Yes
MayDay94
31
Jun 17, 2020
checkVerified Buyer
So far, so good
I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the O2 coupled with grace Sdac and md hd6xx and dt770pro 80ohm. Great clean sound and enjoy the difference between the 2 headphones.
enter the ocean. I just got it and only listened for a few hours but absolutely loving it! Looks cool as heck on the desk. Right now it’s fed from the grace sdac and been using the hd6xx. Sound is much warmer than o2 and enjoying the contrast vs o2. It does get very warm to touch while the o2 stays cool. It needs rubber feet. They both get loud, but I I have to stop much quicker with the ocean. It’s a keeper and my first foray into tubes even though not a true tube amp. Dig it, love it. Miles Davis never sounded so good!
Recommends this product? Yes
Radiohedwig
11
Oct 10, 2018
checkVerified Buyer
First order from massdrop and it's dead on arrival. Massdrop support has been non-existent do NOT buy anything from them. It's worth an extra 10% to buy it on Amazon. The amp looks cool, but now I have a paperweight.
FuzzTone
12
Sep 3, 2020
Yes USA. Those two cards are "rewards" cards. 5% cash back on a quarterly rotating basis. Most often gas (petrol), restaurants, PayPal, grocers, travel etc.
If you are not familiar maybe they are not available there. We also have a Citibank Costco card that pays 4% on gas and 3% on restaurants/travel year round. I print a small "cheat sheet" for my wallet to remind me which is best at any given time.
scruffy1
55
Sep 3, 2020
FuzzTonethanks for the info; yep, here we have meagre rewards at best, so 28degrees is the most useful additional card for me - most o.s. stuff is relatively cheaper when bought in greenbacks
TwoWheelAllTheThings
6
Aug 9, 2018
checkVerified Buyer
The sound would have been great had the balance between the left and right channels been even. As it was, the left channel was louder than the right at all volumes, and once I noticed it, that was it. Everything I listened to sounded off-center. The tone was great, though.
Robbybob1
12
Mar 25, 2020
TwoWheelAllTheThingsProbably a problem with the Tube. I have had one for about 6 months, and have tried many tubes, and I can duplicate this problem with a tube that is not balanced between the two triodes. I have found that my favorite tube in this amp is an RCA Clear Top type with the Side Getter. An AWESOME amp paired with a Topping D-10.
jimmy_74
11
Jul 1, 2020
checkVerified Buyer
Good functionality, QC issues
I use this with my Sennheiser HD-6XX and the combination sounds great to my ears. Removed a star since it arrived with the little bar that protects the tube showing surface rust and with around half the chrome flaking, which isn’t great for any new item.
Recommends this product? Yes
ClumsyGuy
26
Dec 9, 2018
checkVerified Buyer
This is my very first amp and I'm satisfied. The tube gives a warmth signature which is great. Drive easily up to 300 ohm headphones. I recommend those.
Cliffliao
4
Apr 1, 2021
checkVerified Buyer
Warning: The circuit layout was incorrect, use it with your own risk.
I purchased this AMP in last year but start to use it since last month.
There always have a POP noise while the AMP power on, this is normal because the circuit output have a 1000uf capacitor.
I decide to void my warranty and add a switch to avoid the POP noise.
Open the case, remove the 3.5MM jack then start the trace the signal path.
Recommends this product? No
Cliffliao
4
Jul 2, 2021
DROP keep on telling me that:
- I can't replace my unit because out of the return windows.
- I can't get the warranty because I tear it apart.
Klbjbob
2
Jun 9, 2020
checkVerified Buyer
Shipped rusty and dirty
After months I received my Bravo Audio Ocean tube headphone amplifier. While I appreciate the price point from Drop, the unit as shipped from the Chinese manufacturer did not impress. The u-shaped chrome tube protector was completely rusted out. Several of the case screws were stripped and one was completely unrecoverable - one attaching the chrome protector to the case. I had to snap it off because I couldn’t live with the rust. Unacceptable for a “new” unit. The volume knob is either rusty or filthy, I can’t tell. Unit needs some rubber feet. The Ocean is functioning out of the box, so that’s the good news. The red led is way too intense. The sound is full and somewhat detailed, though maybe not as airy as my Schitt Vali. Vocals are outstanding. I immediately rolled in an extra Tara Labs tube from Yugo I had handy and tossed the supplied tube. I had to manipulate the pins a little to get the new tube to seat, but it’s snug. Not much glow from the tube. It will be interesting to see if the Ocean will benefit from some burn in. I hope the unit doesn’t die before I can assess. Anyway, what did I pay... $50? I think it looks better without the chrome protector I trashed. I guess I would recommend it to a friend, but maybe not a really good friend!
Recommends this product? Yes
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