nvinen

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $1065.00 from Odyssey Audio

Summary:
Well, it's been about seven and a half years now and I'm still extremely pleased with the Stratos. Visitors frequently comment how good the amplifier sounds. It blew a fuse once - which is understandable when you consider I'm running it off a 240VAC to 120VAC step-down transformer. I replaced it and it worked fine after that.

When I replaced the fuse I had a chance to look inside. I'm impressed with the construction. The idea of using the case as the heat sink is brilliant. I doubt whether this amplifier will ever run into thermal issues, even if pushed to clipping. I build my own amplifiers now, and I know how difficult it would be to build something with the low distortion and high power the Stratos can deliver.

I have a feeling this amplifier will still be working when everything else I own has fallen apart...

Strengths:
Clean sound.
Heaps of power.
Solid construction.
Looks nice (in an unobtrusive way).
You can place equipment on top of it without worrying about overheating.

Weaknesses:
The only way to make it any better for most people would be to lower the price.

Similar Products Used:
Harman/Kardon, Panasonic, ESP, Philips.

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Maprik

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
2.09 of 5, 11.00 votes

Price Paid:  $900.00 from EBay

Summary:
Wilson's review is the most ridiculous piece of fiction I've read here. And instead of disappearing it's been posted multiple times.

I haven't heard the Harmon Kardon amp he refers to but I have listened to many very good amps in my 20 years as an audiophile and the Stratos is hands down the best bang for the buck that can be found in the audio world. Mate it with a beautiful tube pre (I use a Joule Electra LA-100MKIII) and you will be listening to 95% of what any system can do at any price. Odyssey could price this amp at $2500 and it would still sell easily. The 20 year warranty is amazing and just shows that this amp is built to last.

I hope Wilson is enjoying his HK!

Strengths:
Truly Neutral, clean, clear, what goes in is what comes out on the other end, only louder. Powerful bass.

Weaknesses:
Bland cosmetics. Could have housed this in Piano Black laquered case !!!
Super Heavy.

Similar Products Used:
Cary Audio SLAM 100 monoblocks
AES Superamp
PS Audio HCA-2
Quicksilver Silver 90 Monoblocks
Unison Research Unico
Primaluna Prologue 7 Monoblocks
Audio Research VT-60

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wfbal

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
2.71 of 5, 14.00 votes

Price Paid:  $750.00 from eBay

Summary:
I recently upgrade my audio system with new speakers (Vanderstreen 2CE), new CD player (Cambridge Audio 540C) and a new preamp (Audi Refinement pre-5). Only my power amp (an 25 year old Bryston 3B) remained.
I wanted to replace the Bryston because it did not seem to be able to drive my Vandersteen speakers as well as my old speakers. Music was lacking emotion and dynamics. Also, the Cambridge Audio 540C did introduce some brightness in the upper mids which I wanted to reduce.

I did read many good reviews on this amp and spoke to Klaus (very nice guy and terrific salesman by the way) who convince me to try the Stratos. so I bought a used Stratos with the cap upgrage off eBay.

I'm very please with the results but this products could be improved.

The outside build quality is very good however some corners were cut on the internals: connector to the transformar looks weak, Balanced connectors arn't really balanced and it's mechanical design is not what you expect from high-end audio equipment.
But, for me, the worst part is really the fact that you must keep this amp on all the time. In this age of global warming this is just not acceptable ( I know were are just talking about 100watts here, but it is now the equivalent of all the lighting in my house). Klaus says all amp need to warm up to deliver their best. My old Bryston sounded the same after a one hour than one day warm up, it does not appears to be the same for the stratos.
Also, this thing is really to big, open it and you'll fing out it is mainly filled with air!

On the posifive side, the magic is back, this amp is very musical and did bring back the emotion in the music. It drives my speakers effortlessly and seem to be very quiet and transparent. It did not solve my brightness problem, but it was to be expected ( I will try different Inter connect to adress this matter).
The 20 years warranty is very good (but not the best in the business: Bryston's)

So the positive largely outweight the negatives, this one is a keeper (for now).

Strengths:
Musicality, value, warranty.

Weaknesses:
Warm up period, internals build quality and size.

Similar Products Used:
Bryston 3B

Steve K.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
2.33 of 5, 12.00 votes

Price Paid:  $825.00 from Used

Summary:
I made a recent upgrade to both my amp and pre right before Christmas to take some time off and hopefully enjoy the purchases I had made.
I decided to go with the Stratos since I have been reading about it for about 6 years. My review reflects the Stratos Plus with the cap upgrade.

My system comprised of Thiel 2.2s, Forte Audio Model 40, EVS DAC 1a, and a budget Panasonic. Upon replacing the Musical Design D140 with the Stratos I noticed a huge difference in sound staging and punch. As it took 3 or 4 days to really see what the Stratos could do, I am now just enjoying the most awesome sound coming from the Thiels. Imaging, separation, and higher sound floor all were part of the vast improvements in my system.

I was satisfied with the Musical Design for a long time, it was never bright sounding and the resolution was fine for the 14 years or so I lived with the amp but, after all, how could all these posts be incorrect. Now, the music is wider and taller than before with a neutral timbre and tonality with a natural presentation. This amp matches well with a tube pre-amp as I have recently purchase an Audible Illusions Modulus 3 pre to go with the Stratos. Now, I find Norah Jones (Come Away with Me) simply seducing. She sounds like she is truly in my living room.

On a final note, I am not sure why someone would trash the Odyssey as the previous post suggests. For the money, one would be hard pressed to find an audio purchase that would rival this amp. Pro audio reviewers stated that the Stratos was slightly on the warm side of neutral but, IMO it has a very non-fatiguing, dimensional, musicality that will I sit back and enjoy without feeling that I am missing something as before this purchase. Long live Odyssey and Klaus B.

Strengths:
Soud stage, tonal reproduction, detail, punch, non-fatiguing, and just overall a giant killer in respect to price over value.

Weaknesses:
That I had not purchased this amp sooner!

Similar Products Used:
Classe', Musical Design

fenomeno

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
2.70 of 5, 10.00 votes

Price Paid:  $1200.00 from online

Summary:
Here goes...another glowing review. In twenty years of hifi investing I have never encountered someone as enthusiastic, honest and committed as Klaus (Odyssey owner). In those same 20 years I have never encountered a product so deserving of the asking price.

I have the stratos extreme stereo amplifier, which is to say, the single box beast with dual torodial transformers, 180,000 mfd of capacitance, wima bypasses on the main power supply caps, new revised board, etc... and a 20 year warranty!

I purchased the odyssey used and decided to upgrade. Klaus offered a very fair upgrade path and so here I am, all EXTREMED.

The sound of this amplifier (after comparing to Parasound, Quicksilver, Forte in my own home) has left me stunned. For the price, nothing compares. Nothing. The sound is neutral. It recreates a soundstage admirably. It recreates timbre realistically. It goes deep. It has air. It is non-fatguing. It is the overall best performer in its class. I always thought the Forte a little threadbare with an instrument's music structure, but not the Odyssey. The Odyssey rounds notes as they should be. The Quicksilver always left me wanting for more defined low frequencies, but not the Odyssey, it digs deep effortlessly and makes bass continuous with the rest of the music (for those sensitive to what I'm talking about, this is a blessing)

My Conrad Johnson preamp has a lot to to do with some of the soundstaging attributes of the Odyssey, but I am also aware that the ability to hear the reverberation off the back wall of the church in The Cowboy Junkies Trinity Sessions can sound artificial and panned left/right on lesser systems. A friend of mine came to listen to this CD at my home, sat in the sweet spot, and just listened. Without talking. Without moving whatsoever. He was floored. His comment was: "It sounds as if the music room is twice the size. Like the guitar player is about 10 feet away left center and facing this way...(motioning with his hands)...that's incredible." This friend has built many an amp and preamp in his day as well as speakers and other electronic devices). He has been an audio enthusiast for years (almost 22). Together and individually, we have listened to mega buck systems and components. Each of us believes in the concept that the music just has to sound "right" before a system sounds good. I.E. the timbre, harmonics, and structure of the music must be communicated and reproduced before one can sit in awe of a component's performance.

What the Odyssey does, however, is allow you to enjoy the music. Not its own performance. It doesn't get in the way. It doesn't call attention to itself. It does not deconstruct or dissect the performance. Nope. It plays music.

The Odyssey Extreme is a significant improvement over the regular Stratos. I would recommend the extra money for the upgrade, having owned both. The improvements are especially noticeable on frequency extremes and its ability, ironically, to handle delicate passages. I also find the Extreme has a little more of a blacker background.

I use a CJPV12 preamp with the Odyssey. Mating the tubes with the Odyssey really does add to soundstaging and harmonic improvements. I find the amp SLIGHTLY to the dark side, never a bad thing in my opinion, but I also use a REGA PLANET 2000 as a source, also a little to the warm side. I do NOT find however, that the system is lacking in extension or life. Instead, it is laid back. The Odyssey allows a source change to be heard immediately. Sounds of interconnects are also differentiated quickly. Therefore, the Odyssey is capable of being a good reference product.

Of all my compliments, it should be said that the Odyssey is not the last word in every catagory I have touched upon in this review. But I will say, I have not heard many amps best it....and none for the price. My honest assessment says you must spend upwards of 3500 dollars for the next level of improvement (and that decision should be made very carefully) but the Odyssey will continue to play in my music room for years....maybe even until the warranty expires....who knows?

Strengths:
soundstage, frequency extremes, neutrality, listenable, musical, never boring

Weaknesses:
slight reduction of scale (somewhat source and interconnect dependent), a little polite (with a REGA and CJ as front end components, this is very dependent on my front end and I prefer it to the "in your face" music approach)

Similar Products Used:
see above