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REVIEW: Odyssey Stratos Amplifier (SS)

24.4.252.12


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Model: Stratos
Category: Amplifier (SS)
Suggested Retail Price: $995
Description: 150 watts/channel
Manufacturer URL: Not Available
Manufacturer URL: Not Available

Review by RJones on December 23, 2001 at 08:32:54
IP Address: 24.4.252.12
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for the Stratos


The Odyssey Stratos - This Amp Has Soul!

I purchased an Odyssey Stratos 2 channel amplifier and Audible Illusions M3A after an extensive review of over a dozen amp-preamp combinations during a one year period. This is a powerful amplifier that drives my Vandersteen 2ce signatures with effortless ease. The music sounds real, detailed, with excellent imaging. The Stratos maintains a vice-like grip on the Vandy woofers, extracting a deep, clean, and musical bass response that I always knew these speakers were capable of reproducing.

The Odyssey Stratos is a tad "hard" sounding out of the box, requiring at least 200 hours of full burn in. Bass started out a bit muddled and treble slightly etched, but the midrange sounded very natural. After ~ 200 hours of music flowing through the amp, the bass tightened up, treble and vocals have some air, and the Stratos opens up a wide, realistic soundstage with quality redbook CD's and vinyl. My Vandy's just disappear in my listening room as the music emerges.

Folks, there may be some naysayers out there in AA land, but for my money this is one damn fine sounding and well constructed amplifier. Vocals, large orchestra pieces, acoustic and amplified stringed instruments are clear and natural. Granted I have heard more magical vocals with an expensive SET and tube preamp, the set up was almost 3x the cost of the Odyssey and used AI I purchase.

The Stratos will plumb your speakers deepest bass response with authority, accuracy, tightness and palpability I have heard in no other solid state amplifier in or near its price range ($1,000-$3,000). This is something most tube equipment has difficulty doing, even with very efficient speakers. I have not heard another solid state amplifier, save the Belles 150 Hot Rod, that has such a natural sounding midrange. Clear, smooth, silky vocals are a real strength in this product. They Odyssey slams the Belles in bass response and its not even a close race.

Whether you listen to jazz, rock, classical, folk, blues, or any other venues of music, the Odyssey Stratos just lets the music out. The Odyssey Stratos has ended my search for this audiophile's "holy grail", a great sounding amplifier that costs around $1,000. It mates particularly well with a tube preamplifier such as Audible Illusions M3A, CAT, Cary 98L, Rogue 66 or 99 magnum, or Joule Electra. I use and also highly recommend Groneberg Quattro Reference interconnects available through Odyssey Designs, they mate very well with the Stratos and my associated equipment. Get the 120,000 uF capacitor upgrade, you won't be sorry.


Product Weakness: 6-8 week wait if purchased new (amplifier is built to order).
Not necessarily the last word in detail, but this may reflect my source equipment (see below) more than the amp.
Product Strengths: Musical, coherent, dynamic, and neutral sounding 2 channel amp. Lifelike sound reproductions of live recorded material. Excellent customer service via Klaus Bunge, owner Odyssey Designs.


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: Odyssey Stratos w/ 120,000uF cap upgrade
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Audible Illusions M3A
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Rotel 845 CD Changer & Thorens 318mkII w/ Sumiko Blue Point Special
Speakers: Vandersteen 2CE Signature
Cables/Interconnects: IC's - Groneberg Quattro Reference
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Various Orchestral, Jazz, Rock, and Acoustic CD's including Mapleshade, Reference Recording, and JVC XRCD labels. Lot's of vinyl too!
Room Size (LxWxH): 17.5 x 13.5 x 7
Room Comments/Treatments: See my inmate system.
Time Period/Length of Audition: Over two months, approx. 140 hours.
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): PC's - Bolder Type I (amp) and Type 2 (pre)
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition): See my inmate system.




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Topic - REVIEW: Odyssey Stratos Amplifier (SS) - RJones 08:32:54 12/23/01 ( 7)