Some people claim that all amps sound the same… and my experience has shown that for the most part they do. The only difference that a very good amp makes is at the very edges of the musical performance – the transition spaces between sounds, the control of decay, the shape of the sound around the notes, etc. The bulk of the sound does sound the same, but for me, a large part of the emotional impact of music is not in its bulk but precisely at its edges. If this is also true for you, if you have to sit still and close your eyes for a while before feeling like you are “really” listening to music, and you have not more than $3000 to spend on an amplifier than I don’t think that you can go wrong with the Odyssey Stratos stereo amplifier. (If you have many thousands of dollars to spend on an amp, then please spend some time to reflect upon what is important in life
The specs of the Odyssey Stratos never impressed me, but after reading the reviews, which are overwhelmingly positive, I decided to give it a try. Now, after listening to it for over a year I can honestly say that I understand what Klaus (the manufacturer) means when he says “the music is not in the specs… an amplifier is a piece of art which is a product of the inventor’s ear and ability to shape sound through the manipulation of electronics.” Listen and believe your ears and not some numbers that someone jotted down. This amp is very musical and a solid performer – for the price I could not find anything that could beat it…. But yes yes, as any gear, please do break it in before forming an opinion about it.
System:
Legacy Classics
Odyssey Stratos with cap upgrade
Creek OBH 12
Scott Nixon TubeDac+
Pioneer DVD
some decent cables
