[ctviggen]

The XLS does have a fan.  If I put my nose to the amp case I can hear it.  I seriously cannot hear it from 1 foot away.  Love this amp. 

Back to Klaus's amps - I have never had one, but have had many recommendations to check one out.

When I finally get back to the point where I have built a room where I can actually turn things up, I also want to look into Klaus's amps.  His designs are supposed to be great.  As it is now, everything I do is in the family room which is open to a large space.  A good sounding amp would never get used.

As for fans, I've had a Crown amp with a fan in the past and absolutely hated it.  First, I put in a supposedly much quieter fan, and that worked for a month or so.  After that, the fan made such a racket that I threw the amp in the trash.  I hate fan noise so much that I'm typing this on a fanless computer.  It has a bunch of copper tubes running from the CPU to the case.  I bought a different computer as my home theater computer.  It had a single fan on the CPU, and that was it.  A year later, I can hear it from 15 feet away.   Unfortunately, fanless computer cases cost more than an entire computer, so I can't afford to have a HT computer with them.  Anyway, I refuse to buy an amp with a fan, unless I can put the amp outside the room. 

[Tomy2Tone]

Odyssey amps do not have fans...

[DaveC113]

When I finally get back to the point where I have built a room where I can actually turn things up, I also want to look into Klaus's amps.  His designs are supposed to be great.  As it is now, everything I do is in the family room which is open to a large space.  A good sounding amp would never get used.

As for fans, I've had a Crown amp with a fan in the past and absolutely hated it.  First, I put in a supposedly much quieter fan, and that worked for a month or so.  After that, the fan made such a racket that I threw the amp in the trash.  I hate fan noise so much that I'm typing this on a fanless computer.  It has a bunch of copper tubes running from the CPU to the case.  I bought a different computer as my home theater computer.  It had a single fan on the CPU, and that was it.  A year later, I can hear it from 15 feet away.   Unfortunately, fanless computer cases cost more than an entire computer, so I can't afford to have a HT computer with them.  Anyway, I refuse to buy an amp with a fan, unless I can put the amp outside the room.

I'm typing this on an ASRock Beebox N3000 fanless computer, and it's AWESOME! The no-fan improvement is worth it. The N3000 processor isn't fast (4W power consumption) but it has a fast SSD and 8 GB RAM so it's actually very fast for regular use. It would make a fine HTPC and only cost $130 (barebones).

On the Crown, it's super efficient class D, I've never heard the fan but my speakers don't use much power. In any case, it is a very good budget amp but not in the same league as Odyssey imo.

[klaus@odyssey]

Guys, guys, guys.....gotta bitch a bit here...we started out with  the best amps that I can build and somehow ended up with recommendations of $ 100 + amps ???????????

Tom,  how are the babies breaking in anyway ????

[Randy]

Guys, guys, guys.....gotta bitch a bit here...we started out with  the best amps that I can build and somehow ended up with recommendations of $ 100 + amps ???????????

Tom,  how are the babies breaking in anyway ????

Klaus, you have good reason to bitch about how this thread progressed, or regressed, you could say.

[rif]

Hey, can I ask a question for my own edification?

What are the black squares on top of the blue caps?
Doesn't the ground wire attached to the top of the toroid cause it to be a loop in the magnetic field?

They are beautiful both outside and inside. Ah...someday

[klaus@odyssey]

The squares are pieces of vibration control rubber...takes micro-vibrations and turns them into heat / dissipates them...as for the ground wire...not attached to the tranny, just the bolt, thus grounded to chassis.....

[Tomy2Tone]

Tom,  how are the babies breaking in anyway ????

They are coming along very nicely!!

Had a great time the other night when I think they took it up a notch in their progression. I was playing some Junior Wells and Buddy Guy and had it cranked pretty good and was getting this great holographic imaging thing going on to a point I almost forgot I was listening to my system. Kind of like that movie Ex Machina when the Dr. said he will succeed when your conversing with a robot and you forget your conversing with a robot but rather an intimate being. Or something to that effect. In other words for a brief moment I thought Buddy and Junior were the room hanging out and jamming. It was incredible..

I wish I would have purchased these Kismets in the beginning, could have saved a lot of time and money but I guess I'm just glad I have them now.

[GentleBender]

I wish I would have purchased these Kismets in the beginning, could have saved a lot of time and money but I guess I'm just glad I have them now.

Glad they are what you were looking for. I feel a little lucky that the Cyclops was my first amp after researching, but talking to Klaus sealed the deal. Not that I need to, but one day I may have to move up the Odyssey ladder and try some Kismet monos. 

[Speedskater]

Doesn't the ground wire attached to the top of the toroid cause it to be a loop in the magnetic field?

While it's sometimes hard to tell what's really happening from a photo:
It does look like a one loop coil to the mounting bolt. Normally one end of the mounting bolt is insulated.
It's about the bolt, not the transformer wires.

[klaus@odyssey]

no loop

[dflee]

Sounds like a Seinfeld episode, No loop for you!
Klaus seems to have the great qualities of small company ethics. Hope they stay as he
grows (cause he definitely gonna do dat).

[Arcticdeth]

Tommy, I will be getting the ball rolling on my pair, after the new year.  I'm so goddamn stoked.

Yes, fuckers, finally not going to bitch about not getting them, I will have my VERY OWN REF AMPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!