Odyssey Stratos and Tempest

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arthur

Odyssey Stratos and Tempest
« on: 5 Jul 2018, 02:05 am »
I’m having some $ issues, so unfortunately I have to sell my Stratos Stereo Plus and my Tempest not to go into major debt  :cry:.

After posting them on the Trading Circle here, a couple of people have recently contacted me asking if my amp suffers from any hum issues. I thought this problem was solved a long time ago. People who were having this problem figured out that they had hum because they had removed the light bulbs from the amp. As soon as they plugged them back in, the hum went away. Teaches us to mess with Odyssey design  :lol:

It’s been a while, so I’m not sure if this issue was cleared up here or on another site. I am posting it here since there are still folks who weren’t aware of this. Hopefully, no one has been living with hum without having been informed of the simple solution.

Bob2

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Re: Odyssey Stratos and Tempest
« Reply #1 on: 5 Jul 2018, 01:13 pm »
I’m having some $ issues, so unfortunately I have to sell my Stratos Stereo Plus and my Tempest not to go into major debt  :cry:.

After posting them on the Trading Circle here, a couple of people have recently contacted me asking if my amp suffers from any hum issues. I thought this problem was solved a long time ago. People who were having this problem figured out that they had hum because they had removed the light bulbs from the amp. As soon as they plugged them back in, the hum went away. Teaches us to mess with Odyssey design  :lol:

It’s been a while, so I’m not sure if this issue was cleared up here or on another site. I am posting it here since there are still folks who weren’t aware of this. Hopefully, no one has been living with hum without having been informed of the simple solution.

When my "new" Stratos arrived it had hum through the speakers as well as the amp itself. I found the transformer had not been tightened properly or perhaps loosened during shipping. I tightened the transformer and this helped for a short time with the hum from the amp but not through the speakers. Within a couple of hours use the transformer was again buzzing. Klaus did send a "used" transformer to replace the original. This transformer was quiet but the hum through the speakers persisted. I powered the amp with a cheater plug and the speaker hum disappeared.
Seems symptomatic of a ground loop. Odd that it appeared when the Stratos was added to my setup.
The stratos is plugged into the same outlet, sans the cheater plug, I used for my tube mono blocks which were dead quiet through the speakers.

I'm not sure what "light bulbs" you wrote of. I did not disable the front display...

arthur

Re: Odyssey Stratos and Tempest
« Reply #2 on: 5 Jul 2018, 01:45 pm »
Every time you introduce any new piece of gear, there is a chance that something might be off. Ground loops, house wiring, cable problems, etc. Lots of thing can go wrong that are not the fault of the manufacturer. But, of course, there are also issues with slight variations between parts that at times can add up to problems with the component. Luckily, mine has been put together like a tank - so dead-on consistent and reliable that I feel like it would survive a truck being driven over it. That’s why it’s so heartbreaking for me to sell my Stratos and Tempest - their sound is locked in so well that anyone who has heard it has been surprised by them (including Fritz from Fritz Speakers).

The bulbs that I refer to are the ones inside the amp that light up the Odyssey logo. I think they are LED now, but on older ones they are tiny incandescent bulbs that are somehow important to the design. Some folks who removed them to make their rooms darker, noticed a hum that they eventually cured by putting the bulbs back in. Covering the light from the outside is very easy by cutting a piece of black paper to match the size of the hole.

Bob2

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Re: Odyssey Stratos and Tempest
« Reply #3 on: 5 Jul 2018, 01:55 pm »
"Ground loops, badhouse wiring, cable problems, etc. Lots of thing can go wrong that is not the fault of the amp."

All true except in my situation. Perhaps you did not understand what I wrote...

Thanks for explaining the bulbs used in earlier amps.

arthur

Re: Odyssey Stratos and Tempest
« Reply #4 on: 5 Jul 2018, 02:06 pm »
Yes, sorry I was editing my message to address your situation right after I posted it, but you were quick to read it.  :green:

Bob2

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Re: Odyssey Stratos and Tempest
« Reply #5 on: 5 Jul 2018, 02:09 pm »
Sorry to read that you are selling your gear..