Arcticdeth, in order to answer your questions it is important that you understand that music consists primarily of an average power + dynamic bursts of power (for less than 0.1 sec) that are often 100 or more times larger than the average power. A good amplifier will be able to supply these bursts accurately providing an open and dynamic sound (if your speakers are up to the challenge). Suppose you have 4 ohm speakers with 90 dB/1 Watt sensitivity. Listening at loud volume levels will rarely exceed an average power level of 10 Watts, since 10 Watts will provide 100 dB from one speaker at a meter distance. That is really loud if it is continuous! Now, when the music calls for a short burst of 1000 or more Watts, that can only happen if the energy reserves in the power supply (capacitance) are sufficiently large and fast enough. This is where current becomes more important than average power. Large and fast capacitance (both of which the mono extremes have in spades) allows very high peak current (> 120 A) when the music calls for it. This translates to a massive 57600 Watts into a 4 ohm load! But it is only for a very brief instant, perhaps 10 ms, so it doesn't damage the speaker but instead gives music life and realism.
Finally, in my experience Odyssey amps offer excellent performance comparably to much more expensive amplifiers. They have excellent tone, very low noise floor, well-controlled bass, and are open and dynamic without a bit of harshness. I can't ask for much more from an amplifier. I own five mono extremes for my home theater setup
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