[Wolfman]

Chops-
You might think about asking to have 2 more pairs of speaker terms installed, Klaus has this as an option on the Monos and it really helps with bi-wire sp cables.
Certainly not necessary for sound, just convenience, and I'm not positive it can be done on the smaller, single chassis, but thought I'd throw it out there.

Good luck!   

[Chops]

Chops-
You might think about asking to have 2 more pairs of speaker terms installed, Klaus has this as an option on the Monos and it really helps with bi-wire sp cables.
Certainly not necessary for sound, just convenience, and I'm not positive it can be done on the smaller, single chassis, but thought I'd throw it out there.

Good luck!   

Thanks for the idea, but the only real reason I use bi-wire cables is to not use the stock jumper straps on the NHT's. Also, if I were to have the second set of binding posts installed on the amp, that would mean I'd have to do a "shot gun" run of speaker cables. That would be twice as much $$$ for speaker cables for probably no real benefit, or at least the same benefit as the bi-wire cables. 

[Chops]

It's now beyond the arrival due date of the original amp that I had ordered, but with the few extras I had asked for, it pushed the due date back further. I have been eagerly waiting and it's driving me nuts. I've called Klaus, left a message and a few days later wrote Klaus another email just to find out the status of the amp, neither of which I have received a reply. 

On top of that, I have the Khartago coming in the full Kismet case which I can NOT find any information on online anywhere. It seems that everyone goes for the basic case. Does this Kismet case even exist? Has anyone ever seen it? Any pics of the thing? All I know is that it has the glass-etched window on the face, but that's it. 

[bunky]

Here are photos of the Kismet amplifier.                                                                             

[Chops]

I don't know, but I'm pretty sure the stereo Khartago that I'm getting will not be in the Kismet Stratos case, though that would be extremely nice if it did!

[Wolfman]

Chops-I know it's difficult, but it's best to just let things work out. Your amp will be finished when it's finished, no sooner.
Odyssey is a small operation where the main people put in incredible hours, don't worry, your amp's coming.
Two things to bear in mind:
1) Indy has been absolutely slammed in the weather dept this winter, that slows everything down, parts could be coming in slower then expected as well.
2) Basic business model of Odyssey is that any equipment needing repairs goes immediately to the front of the line, fixing broken gear first is the priority, new stuff takes a step back then. Frustrating for new owners waiting, but you'll appreciate it if you ever have problems(knock on wood).

I realize this isn't much help, but it's not unknown for new stuff from small operations to take longer than expected, the wearing of many hats, etc...
Hang in there, hopefully your new amp will be worth the wait.
Certainly not a bad idea to occasionally to check in, but hopefully just a phone call will get you better results, just think back when you were behind on some project, was it more helpful to just get an occasional prod, or to get asked "where are you on this?" every/every other day?
Not trying to say you're not justified, just been thru this with many small/single operators, try to get in a Zen state and your heart/blood pressure will thank you.
Christmas will come, I promise you....

[Chops]

Chops-I know it's difficult, but it's best to just let things work out. Your amp will be finished when it's finished, no sooner.
Odyssey is a small operation where the main people put in incredible hours, don't worry, your amp's coming.
Two things to bear in mind:
1) Indy has been absolutely slammed in the weather dept this winter, that slows everything down, parts could be coming in slower then expected as well.
2) Basic business model of Odyssey is that any equipment needing repairs goes immediately to the front of the line, fixing broken gear first is the priority, new stuff takes a step back then. Frustrating for new owners waiting, but you'll appreciate it if you ever have problems(knock on wood).

I realize this isn't much help, but it's not unknown for new stuff from small operations to take longer than expected, the wearing of many hats, etc...
Hang in there, hopefully your new amp will be worth the wait.
Certainly not a bad idea to occasionally to check in, but hopefully just a phone call will get you better results, just think back when you were behind on some project, was it more helpful to just get an occasional prod, or to get asked "where are you on this?" every/every other day?
Not trying to say you're not justified, just been thru this with many small/single operators, try to get in a Zen state and your heart/blood pressure will thank you.
Christmas will come, I promise you....

I just re-read my post and it does sound like I'm breathing down Klaus' neck or that I'm aggravated by the wait, but I'm really not. Yes, I will admit that I'm a very impatient person, but as far as this amp is concerned, I'm well aware of the skeleton crew that Odyssey is as well as the crippling weather that's going on up there. And knowing all of what Klaus is doing for me, I'm more than willing to be patient. It's just over two weeks since I last spoke with Klaus and was just wanting to touch bases with him on the status of the build. Nothing major, and definitely not trying to rush him.

Honestly, the only thing that's bugging me is trying to find out what the "upgraded" case for the Khartago looks like. I don't know if it's just the regular case with with etched glass window, or if it is in fact a Kismet case. It's kind of exciting and frustrating all at the same time not knowing exactly what I'm getting. I guess it's just going to be one big surprise when I get the amp in and open up that cardboard box. 

[hotmailjbc]

Hi, last summer Klause made a Cyclops for me with every upgrade. I told him to take his time because I had other gear to use even tho I wanted it asap....haha. It took a while and the wait was well worth it! The performance is great. Hang in there.....John

[bunky]

Chops-I know it's difficult, but it's best to just let things work out. Your amp will be finished when it's finished, no sooner.
Odyssey is a small operation where the main people put in incredible hours, don't worry, your amp's coming.
Two things to bear in mind:
1) Indy has been absolutely slammed in the weather dept this winter, that slows everything down, parts could be coming in slower then expected as well.
2) Basic business model of Odyssey is that any equipment needing repairs goes immediately to the front of the line, fixing broken gear first is the priority, new stuff takes a step back then. Frustrating for new owners waiting, but you'll appreciate it if you ever have problems(knock on wood).

I realize this isn't much help, but it's not unknown for new stuff from small operations to take longer than expected, the wearing of many hats, etc...
Hang in there, hopefully your new amp will be worth the wait.
Certainly not a bad idea to occasionally to check in, but hopefully just a phone call will get you better results, just think back when you were behind on some project, was it more helpful to just get an occasional prod, or to get asked "where are you on this?" every/every other day?
Not trying to say you're not justified, just been thru this with many small/single operators, try to get in a Zen state and your heart/blood pressure will thank you.
Christmas will come, I promise you....

If yourself and Klaus came to a agreement that he was going to build you a Khartago amplifier in a Kismet case then he will make it happen.I have known Klaus for over ten years and if he says that he is going to do something special for you he will do it.I have dealt with many of the good / honest vendors in this business and no one in this business has more integrity than Klaus Bunge....William

[Chops]

If yourself and Klaus came to a agreement that he was going to build you a Khartago amplifier in a Kismet case then he will make it happen.I have known Klaus for over ten years and if he says that he is going to do something special for you he will do it.I have dealt with many of the good / honest vendors in this business and no one in this business has more integrity than Klaus Bunge....William

I think things are getting a little mixed up here. I'm NOT doubting or questioning Klaus at all. I agree with you 110%. Klaus is one of the best, if not THE best in the industry. Down to earth, understanding, willing to work with you for what's best for you, etc, etc. I've had conversations with several large, very well known hifi business owners over the years, either by phone or email, and even though they have all been great, easy-going chaps, I still place Klaus on top.

Now, with the two phone calls I've had with Klaus, it was difficult to keep up with everything that was being said due to the lousy cellphone signals where I live, dealing with minor drop-outs, echos of my own voice while talking, and some noise. And one thing I didn't want to do is ask Klaus to repeat himself several times just because I didn't catch something here or there. One of the reasons I hate talking on the phone and prefer email.

With talks about Kismet this, Kismet that, upgrades here and there, I agreed to the "upgraded" case. I don't think anything was ever said about a Kismet case, though that's the only other case I can find any information on doing Google searches. All I know for a fact is that it will have the face plate with the etched glass in it. As far as the rest of the "upgraded" case is concerned, I have no clue. 

[JackD]

I bought my first Odyssey amplifier in 1999 when Klaus still sold through dealers. Since then there has always been an Odyssey amplifier in-house.  There is no finer product with that level of customer service available in the audio industry.  You will get something worth the wait, even though the wait is hard.  Just be patient and you will be pleasantly surprised.

[Chops]

Okay, just got off the phone with Klaus again.

I really was not calling to check on the status on the amp, but I did need to know where Klaus was on the build only because I wanted to add a few more things to the list before it was too late. I ended up adding in the TOTL WBT binding posts and another set of four Symphonic Line caps. In short, after this last call, I now have a full-on Khartago Kismet Stereo amp on the way. It will be finished either later tonight or sometime tomorrow, then to the "burn-in rack" it goes until Monday when it should be shipped out.

Oh, and as for the "upgraded" case, it's the standard Khartago case but with the glass window. So at least now I know exactly what I'm getting. 

[firedog]

I also bought a Kismet stereo in a Khartago case. Fantastic amp. You won't be sorry.

[Arcticdeth]

Okay, just got off the phone with Klaus again.

I really was not calling to check on the status on the amp, but I did need to know where Klaus was on the build only because I wanted to add a few more things to the list before it was too late. I ended up adding in the TOTL WBT binding posts and another set of four Symphonic Line caps. In short, after this last call, I now have a full-on Khartago Kismet Stereo amp on the way. It will be finished either later tonight or sometime tomorrow, then to the "burn-in rack" it goes until Monday when it should be shipped out.

Oh, and as for the "upgraded" case, it's the standard Khartago case but with the glass window. So at least now I know exactly what I'm getting. 

  VERY nice looking amplifier !!!!

still in saving mode for mine...........
still trying to find a 4 ohm speaker..........

looking at the axiom, buut heard they are very cheaply made, and really dont sound good.....BUT that was a few opinions, ill give some a listen once i get the amps....as they do have a nice return policy if not happy

[Chops]

I also bought a Kismet stereo in a Khartago case. Fantastic amp. You won't be sorry.

I know I won't be sorry. It's just funny that I went through two upgrades just to get to the full Kismet.

  VERY nice looking amplifier !!!!

still in saving mode for mine...........
still trying to find a 4 ohm speaker..........

looking at the axiom, buut heard they are very cheaply made, and really dont sound good.....BUT that was a few opinions, ill give some a listen once i get the amps....as they do have a nice return policy if not happy

Why are you specifically looking for a 4 ohm speaker? To me, there's no point.

When shopping for speakers, you should be concentrating on sound quality. A lower impedance doesn't mean the speaker is better in any way. If you want to shoot for any other goal after sound quality, then maybe look at efficiency. Again, higher or lower efficiency doesn't mean a speaker is better or worse. It just gives you an idea of how much power you might need in order to reach a certain volume level you want to listen to.

[Arcticdeth]

i want to run the amp in 4 ohm, to  get more power, warmer, better sound ( inkow i know )

i have always ran my amps at 4 or 2 ohms, they sound better to me.

that 8 ohm 200 watt is not even close to driving any set of speaker i want, and at the spl i want

[Arcticdeth]

i had for a short time that krell ksa 250 - and it had BO BALLS like i had experienced with other amps, and most were hundreds & hundreds less than the krell, so that 200w or even 250 rating is very low for me. since then i have never dipped below 300wpc at 8 ohm, even then i had 4 ohm speakers. like my ol trusty cerwin vega D-9's at 4 ohm, buut they didnt have the finesse i was looking for, sure great for rattling windows and such, .

search still continues for the nice 4 ohm speaker that will sound  great AND have great sound

[Chops]

i had for a short time that krell ksa 250 - and it had BO BALLS like i had experienced with other amps, and most were hundreds & hundreds less than the krell, so that 200w or even 250 rating is very low for me. since then i have never dipped below 300wpc at 8 ohm, even then i had 4 ohm speakers. like my ol trusty cerwin vega D-9's at 4 ohm, buut they didnt have the finesse i was looking for, sure great for rattling windows and such, .

search still continues for the nice 4 ohm speaker that will sound  great AND have great sound

This is going way off topic from my thread, but...

The CW D9's are 8 ohms and rated 101 dB @ 1 watt. My old Conrwall's were "only" rated at 98 dB @ 1 watt and they could easily blow you out of the house with 8 watts of 300B tube power, even more so with the 50 watt McIntosh MC250 I used to have on them normally.

But anywho...

[Wolfman]

Glad to hear things are finalized and into production pipeline, congrats.
Kismet anything should be very nice. Not surprising that the case upgrade is the window, logically the Kismet case is the top'o'line and those cases would be saved for those applications($$$).
As Klaus has stated recently, he's got 20 or 21 levels of refinements/upgrades available to match the owners particulars as best he can. Hence, really no two are exactly alike which is neat, but frustrating when trying to compare or give info to possible new owners.
I misunderstood what you were saying in an earlier post, obviously if phone reception is bad, someone is going to use any and all manners of communication to make contact, especially when thousand of dollars are involved, I over reacted, my apologies.
Hell, get Klaus in "work mode" with 3 Lattes in him and and good luck to anyone trying to keep up with him on the phone!   

Be sure to post impressions as you work em thru break in, enjoy!

[Chops]

Glad to hear things are finalized and into production pipeline, congrats.
Kismet anything should be very nice. Not surprising that the case upgrade is the window, logically the Kismet case is the top'o'line and those cases would be saved for those applications($$$).
As Klaus has stated recently, he's got 20 or 21 levels of refinements/upgrades available to match the owners particulars as best he can. Hence, really no two are exactly alike which is neat, but frustrating when trying to compare or give info to possible new owners.
I misunderstood what you were saying in an earlier post, obviously if phone reception is bad, someone is going to use any and all manners of communication to make contact, especially when thousand of dollars are involved, I over reacted, my apologies.
Hell, get Klaus in "work mode" with 3 Lattes in him and and good luck to anyone trying to keep up with him on the phone!   

Be sure to post impressions as you work em thru break in, enjoy!

No need for an apology. 

Yeah, I guess there's really no baseline as far as the Odyssey amps are concerned. I think all of them leave Klaus with some kind of upgrade. And with so many options at so many different price points, there's an upgrade for pretty much anyone really. Heck, I didn't expect to end up with a full Kismet, and that's a huge jump up from the original lightly upgraded Khartago. Well, it wasn't lightly upgraded, but it sure wasn't a Kismet either.

Just out of curiosity, is there a link about those 20 to 21 levels or upgrades? Also, what is this Kismet "Extreme" I've seen mentioned here and there?