I own both a Classe DR 15 (175wpc), sold for 2995 in 1995. I also own an Odyssey Stratos Extreme + with the black board upgrade (150wpc) sold for 2700.00 ion 2010. I used the amps in the same system which consisted of a pair of Vandersteen 2ce speakers, a 3,500.00 Sony SACD player and a VPI Scout turntable. The Odyssey amp walked all over the Classe DR 15 amp. The Classe amp was/is very dark sounding where the Stratos has some nice sparkle in the upper registers. It's much easier to follow the bass lines of the music with the Stratos than the Classe.
Don't get me wrong, they are both good amps but the Odyssey is much better. It is so much better that it is now in my primary system, complete with Odyssey Kismet Reference floor standing speakers and a more expensive sacd player. I use the amp almost daily and a lot on the weekends. It has been mostly powered on in the 3+ years I have owned it and I have never had any kind of problem with it. You can listen to it for long periods of time without fatigue and the amp will really control the woofers in your speakers.
I still use the Classe amp daily as well as it is in the same room my computer is in so it is on pretty much whenever I am in the house. I listen to mostly FM radio through it and the Vandersteen speakers. I use a Modulus 3A tube preamp in this system. The system with the Odyssey amp uses the newer Modulus 3B tube preamp. The best sound will be with the Odyssey amp. If you like a really dark sound or have an extremely bright system, then the Classe would fit the bill.
Bob
