[DCU]

Klaus,
 Leave that idiot in the dust. Don't let him bother you. I purchased  a pair of Odyssey SE Extremes from a fellow in California, who has yet to ship, based in part on your stellar reputation as a fair and honest man. There are few such people around these days. The current culture is obsessed with bottom-lines, both personal and business, so ethics goes right out the window.
 Onto a happier topic, what can you tell me about the so-called "Glass Ceiling" mod/upgrade?

Thanks and chin up,
DCU

[lazydays]

Klaus,
 Leave that idiot in the dust. Don't let him bother you. I purchased  a pair of Odyssey SE Extremes from a fellow in California, who has yet to ship, based in part on your stellar reputation as a fair and honest man. There are few such people around these days. The current culture is obsessed with bottom-lines, both personal and business, so ethics goes right out the window.
 Onto a happier topic, what can you tell me about the so-called "Glass Ceiling" mod/upgrade?

Thanks and chin up,
DCU

really pretty short!
Maybe the best solid state amp I've yet to hear. As good as the "SE" upgrade is, the so called "glass ceiling" upgrade is a new world to explore. I think it's a little more musical, and has much more control. They are much faster than any sold state amp I've yet to explore, but are also very smooth. As bad as the SE's beat up on Krells, these new amps will make you put Krells on Ebay!! Upper mids seem to be more linear. Have not noticed all that much difference in the highs, except the are bigger and smoother (even less glare than before). The bass is tighter, but also a touch warmer (similar to an 18" wood bodied drum). Sound stage is deeper, but don't see a lot of difference in width. I think the best thing I've noticed so far is the way they do stringed instruments.
    So what's not right about them? Taking into the fact that I have about 325 hours on mine; I've noticed that the tenor sax is still lacking in warmth and maybe a half octive short. Also the piano is still a little bright, but not much. Won't notice this till you compair it with a Stienway grand. This is strange as everything else seems tobe just fine. But with my old SE's it took them forever to get that last octive. I figure I have about two hundred more hours to go before they fall in place.
    Now with all the above in mind, I must say that I've have done little other than tweak the speaker toe in. They are reay at their best with an analog system (we all know analog rules anyway). Everyone that's sat down and listened to them has noticed the difference in sound quality (most of them are not audiophiles by the way). I'm going to make two major changes in that system this summer; a new phono stage and a better power supply for the amps. Know right off the bat that both will make a difference, but how much is yet to come.
gary

[loki1957]

I must agree with everything lazydays said. The one thing I must add is the amps now have way, I mean way more resolution. I no longer need the up sampling dac I used. This up grade is worth every penny. I gave up all my expensive tube gear. Bravo Klaus.
I'd like to offer to anyone in the Milw. WI area that would like to hear these fully upgrade amps. Please, only if your truly interested. I'm not looking for tire kickers or people with some odd agenda. I f anyone is interested PM me and we can talk about it.

[pfradale]

Living in Japan the cost of shipping my Mono Extremes and a Tempest back to Klaus would be... intimidating... to say the least. About how much is the GC upgrade, if it is not a state secret?

[lazydays]

Living in Japan the cost of shipping my Mono Extremes and a Tempest back to Klaus would be... intimidating... to say the least. About how much is the GC upgrade, if it is not a state secret?

actually Klaus prefers to talk money in person and never second hand. Just about the first thing he ask me to do after we powered up my new amps was to never speak in dollars and cents. I fully accept his wants, and trust the price is worth every dime spent. That is if you want to hear John Lee Hooker drop is guitar pick on the floor!!!! Mine just plain K.O.'d my mono SE's right out of the box.
gary

[pfradale]

never speak in dollars and cents.

I have had no reason to complain about my experiences with Klaus nor my Odyssey gear which I have had for about four years now; that said, a little more transparent pricing would be nice. The sentiment in the quote above makes my hackles rise, no matter who says it. I think the benefit of transparent pricing vis-a-vis configuration is the option for customers to consider whether or not an upgrade is even within the realm of reasonable without having to bother a very busy Klaus. Ah well, my 'extreme' gear will have to suffice, I suppose. 

[Eric]

What exactly is the "Glass Cieling" upgrade?

[satfrat]

What exactly is the "Glass Cieling" upgrade?

A simple search of glass ceiling (spelled correctly that is ) in the Odyssey Circle came up with your answer,,, read on.  

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=50829.0


Cheers,
Robin

[Arlequen]

... They are reay at their best with an analog system (we all know analog rules anyway)..
gary

I agree Gary , that's the first impression I had when I bought Stratos & Tempest .. they really sing with analog

[pfradale]

we all know analog rules anyway

Do we, now? I for one will take SACD or even well-done PCM over vinyl, and SS over tubes, any day.

[lazydays]

we all know analog rules anyway

Do we, now? I for one will take SACD or even well-done PCM over vinyl, and SS over tubes, any day.

bring you digital eqipment to my house, and when you leave I'll sell you a turntable. Better yet ask Klaus as heard heard both analog and digital in my system. When folks that are not all that much into audio just come right out and say that the turntable smokes any digital source I have I think we know the answer.
gary

[pfradale]

When folks that are not all that much into audio just come right out and say that the turntable smokes any digital source I have I think we know the answer.

Most novice wine drinkers, according to recent articles in the press, prefer cheap, simple wine to more complex, expensive wine in blind tests. Does this mean that cheap, simple wine is superior?

Most car owners who are not all that into automobiles prefer comfortable-riding sedans over sharp-handling sports cars. Does this mean a Camry is superior to a 911?

There are more Windows users than Mac users. Does this mean Vista is better than Leopard?

No--in all cases, it is preference. I did not claim digital was superior--I merely said your "we all know analog rules" statement is an opinion, not fact.

I do not appreciate hiss, flutter, pops, degrading s/n with repeated play, etc. Others find that the "warmth" of analog, which is to me mid-bass bloom and even-order distortion, pleasant, and so overlook the above issues. Other people, and I would venture you are in this group, probably find digital "cold" or "harsh", and do not find the increased dynamic range, lower noise floor, and consistent response that digital offers worth the trade. That's fine, we all have our preferences. I take exception, however, to  blanket statements such as your analog comment.

If analog always trumps ss I would suggest that you sell your amps and go back to tubes. The fact that you love your glass ceiling mono extreme Stratos amps makes my point for me: SS/Analog is a preference, not a law from heaven acknowledged by all.

[pbrstreetgang]

The age old argument SS vs tubes and vinyl over Digital. I am very suspicious of those that hold steadfast claims on the superiority of one over the other. I am also nearly write off those that say with XXX mod or update is a whole nother ballgame as if the other is trash and nearly unlistenable. You would suspect some of these original pieces barely play at all

[lazydays]

When folks that are not all that much into audio just come right out and say that the turntable smokes any digital source I have I think we know the answer.

Most novice wine drinkers, according to recent articles in the press, prefer cheap, simple wine to more complex, expensive wine in blind tests. Does this mean that cheap, simple wine is superior?

Most car owners who are not all that into automobiles prefer comfortable-riding sedans over sharp-handling sports cars. Does this mean a Camry is superior to a 911?

There are more Windows users than Mac users. Does this mean Vista is better than Leopard?

No--in all cases, it is preference. I did not claim digital was superior--I merely said your "we all know analog rules" statement is an opinion, not fact.

I do not appreciate hiss, flutter, pops, degrading s/n with repeated play, etc. Others find that the "warmth" of analog, which is to me mid-bass bloom and even-order distortion, pleasant, and so overlook the above issues. Other people, and I would venture you are in this group, probably find digital "cold" or "harsh", and do not find the increased dynamic range, lower noise floor, and consistent response that digital offers worth the trade. That's fine, we all have our preferences. I take exception, however, to  blanket statements such as your analog comment.

If analog always trumps ss I would suggest that you sell your amps and go back to tubes. The fact that you love your glass ceiling mono extreme Stratos amps makes my point for me: SS/Analog is a preference, not a law from heaven acknowledged by all.

Once again you need to come to my house an listen. I have two completely different systems. One is all tubed, and the other uses solid state amps. I've yet to hear but three solid state amps I could stand, but have heard many tubed ones that were nice. I base what hear on what the group really sounds like in person.
    and to end this, let me allow you to know that as I write this I'm listening to a small eight watt tubed monoblocs and a tubed preamp being driven by a sacd player into one of the last pairs of Dennis Had built monitors. Just depends on where I'm at and what I'm in the mood for.
gary

[klaus@odyssey]

Well,

As many of you know,  I am always game for custom wishes.  Unlike many other gear,  we don't have our stuff pre-build in China,  but instead have every piece / metal / finishings etc. done here in Indy,  and hand-populate and solder and test,  etc.  every single piece ourselves.  Thus,  and having a really small family business,  we have been in a 4 weeks non-stop  backorder position for over 7 years now.  This also allows us to flow requests into any piece of gear that we make,  since at the time of ordering,  it doesn't sit around in a box waiting to be shipped,  but still has to be made.  We are VERY  flexible for our customers.

As a result,  we have quite a different array of special amps,  and realistically,  not too many "SE" or special tweaks amps are the same either.  It's a continuous process.
With the "glass ceiling" or whatever you want to call it,  we simply have the best of the best in there at this moment.  However,  the road of continuous  improvement does hit a wall,  or "ceiling" at some poiunt,  and I think we're just about there.  At this point,  I would put those buggers up against pretty much anything out there up to 10 K,  but,  as always in this hobby,  synergy is still the overriding factor.

Now,  with so many options available to the customer,  it would be ridiculous to put that on paper.  I have to explain the different stages to the customer in person,  and more so,  I have to check on his system,  budget, taste, etc.  first to see what makes sense and what doesn't.  Thankfully,  pretty much all of my customers trust me,  so indeed I have mostly free reign in tweaking the amps to that particular system and taste.    It would also be silly trying to put prices in writing,  since my cost structure of parts and labor is as different as the tweaks themselves.  So,  yes,  I like to talk to people individually,  and I like to talk to each one of you confidentially as well,  and I am very pleased that all of you guys and nearly 100 % of my customers agree with me,  honor me,  and still love their amps.  After nearly 1800 Extremes there are some,  older and newer,  that creep up used,  but 99.5 % of owners are very happy.  Thank you.


Klaus

[loki1957]

  After nearly 1800 Extremes there are some,  older and newer,  that creep up used,  but 99.5 % of owners are very happy.  Thank you.


Klaus

I've owned my Jadis amps since 1995 and 1998. And still do but they're in a corner collecting dust.I don't turn over gear much. I know what my system sounds like. The set up has been dialed in for the last 8 years or so. I was fortunate to pick up a set of Extremes used. Didn't know if I'd keep them. I was a tube and only a tube guy. After hearing my "glass ceiling" amps I've totally changed my mind and my system. I quite by accident found a total system synergy. Different speakers, CDP straight into amps, also phono stage straight to amps.
It's kinda like having my 2001 Audi TT 225 horse reprogrammed to 275 horse and 50 more lbs. torque. Much more fun. The amps now have more finesse, resolution, and musicality.
What I'm trying to say is these amps will be in my system till I reach my late 50s or 60s when my hearing starts to fail. Then I'll sell everything and retire.
So give Klaus a call, you'll be happy you did.
Bravo Klaus