[rikhav]

Hi all
I am having a Stratos Extreme as a power amp in my setup with DIY Pass B1 pre built by a friend for me.
Sound is very good, has good extension at both ends and excellent mids

So basically I am satisfied w.r.t. sound. Ofcourse there is always something better out there but this setup is satisfying enough

The main issue is warm up time and when the Stratos is not warmed up it sounds really not that good comparing when it is fully warmed up (about 2 hours or so)

Its not possible for me to keep the amp all the time and due to work I am not sure when I return home. So basically whatever time I should listen to music it goes into warming up the amp and I end up listening to very less music.

Is there any way where in the warm up time can be reduced? Maybe by increasing the bias or something else?

The sound of the stratos is very good but the long warm up time is holding me back from enjoying the music

It would be great if someone can provide me a solution

Hoping to hear from Klaus

[mresseguie]

Hello, rikhav.

I don't own an Odyssey amp, but my amp has a 'standby' or 'idle' mode that keeps it warm while using just a few watts. When I want to listen to music, I click the switch to activate the amp into full on mode. Is there such a feature in your amp?

Michael

[Rubbbq]

Turn it on, walk away, never look back.....

[rikhav]

Hello, rikhav.

I don't own an Odyssey amp, but my amp has a 'standby' or 'idle' mode that keeps it warm while using just a few watts. When I want to listen to music, I click the switch to activate the amp into full on mode. Is there such a feature in your amp?

Michael

Hi michael
No, there is no standby mode in the odyssey stratos amp
Also even there was I would prefer completely powering off the amp so the amp is not damaged if there is massive electricity fluctuation
We generally dont have a problem but still there is a risk of having a bad fluctuation. So for peace of mind I would prefer powering off the whole setup I.e. cdp, amp and pre

[rikhav]

Turn it on, walk away, never look back.....

I wish I could do that but not possible due to factors given in my last post

[mresseguie]

Hi michael
No, there is no standby mode in the odyssey stratos amp
Also even there was I would prefer completely powering off the amp so the amp is not damaged if there is massive electricity fluctuation
We generally dont have a problem but still there is a risk of having a bad fluctuation. So for peace of mind I would prefer powering off the whole setup I.e. cdp, amp and pre

Given those power problems, have you considered adding a power conditioner to your system? I recently purchased a Pi Audio UberBUSS and it has made a significant improvement in my sound quality. I'm considering buying a second, smaller unit to use in my vacation home. [I'm very enthusiastic about my UberBUSS! ] Talk to Dave (Pi Audio) about your issues. I'm sure he can offer helpful suggestions.

Link to website: http://www.piaudiogroup.com/products.html

Michael

[Early B.]

You're right -- they take a while to warm up. Odyssey amps are designed to be left on. If you're concerned about electrical fluctuations, then a power conditioner is a good choice, as Michael suggested. However, a decent power conditioner will likely cost you as much as you paid for your Odyssey. That said, it might be worth assuming the risk and leaving the Odyssey on. Your amp will still require time to warm up, just less so.

 

[rikhav]

Hi early b and michael
Thanks for your replies

Yes, power conditioner is a logical solution but as pointed out a good power conditioner will cost as much or more then the stratos

Electricty as such is niggle free but once in a blue moon it does act up. But apart from electricity supply issues I have other reasons for not keeping amp on all the time

Sometimes I dont get time to listen to music for 3 or 4 days at a stretch. I am not comfortable wasting electricity

Second most important isssue is my bros kid who is very eager to mess with the setup. He is a 3 year old
Keeping the amp on is inviting trouble for me as he somehow has already learnt how to switch on the pre and cdp. Insert a cd and turn the volume knob to max 

So once done with listening I remove plug from the wall socket

Very laughable situation but thats what it is

[stereo5]

My Stratos Extreme+++ with the black Kismet boards, upgraded cabling, 2 power transformers, etc. was delivered to me in March 2010.  I turned it on and haven't touched it since.  It's been on constantly for 4 years now and no problems, amp doesn't even get warm, has gone through numerous thunderstorms and blackouts with never, ever a problem.  My electric bill went up something like $3.00 a month, maybe or maybe not.  Seriously, I don't see any problem.  I don't use my system every day, sometimes it's only once a week.  Even if your 3 year old nephew can turn the system on, does he know how to unmute it?  How can a 3 year old know how to run someone else's complex stereo system when my 61 year old wife of 37 years with a PHD, can't even figure out how to turn the volume down??  Your nephew is truly a genius!

[Rubbbq]

Stereo5 and Early B are both right. Odyssey amps are designed to be left on. And that leaving them on, even through blackouts, shouldn't be a real problem. I had a set of Mono Extreme Glass ceilings that I very rarely turned off, only to change out equipment and I never had one problem. I have had a few piece of equipment that have been on almost constantly for 30 years through storms, blackouts, power flickering on and off with zero problems...

[rikhav]

Okay
So the only solution is to keep amp powered on all the time.
Many of you have done that and there are no issues even under extreme condition

I am not sure if I have mentioned it before, but I am from India. So what I fear is if anything goes wrong it will be very difficult to get the amp repaired here. Even the distributor os in some other city far away from where I am
But I will give it a shot as many of you have done it

About my nephew, yeah he grasps things very fast. he has seen me operate the setup many a times so maybe picked it up from that
All I can do is have a complete separate connection for the power amp so I can keep the other components unplugged.

[klaus@odyssey]

Well,  yes, the amps are indeed designed to be left on continuously,  appr. the same draw as a 30 W light bulb,  BUT:  and here is the big but;  if you are that off the beaten path in India no less with their notorious power problems,  then definitely do what is the safest,  I agree....now ,  as for warm - up,  you'll have that in all real high end units.  Anybody telling you different is full of shit.  Guess it is your call.   Let me put it this way,  if you'll do casual listening,  turn it off before....if you know that you'll be in for a nice night session,  leave it on the day before or at least several hours before...common sense.

Late.....

[rikhav]

Well,  yes, the amps are indeed designed to be left on continuously,  appr. the same draw as a 30 W light bulb,  BUT:  and here is the big but;  if you are that off the beaten path in India no less with their notorious power problems,  then definitely do what is the safest,  I agree....now ,  as for warm - up,  you'll have that in all real high end units.  Anybody telling you different is full of shit.  Guess it is your call.   Let me put it this way,  if you'll do casual listening,  turn it off before....if you know that you'll be in for a nice night session,  leave it on the day before or at least several hours before...common sense.

Late.....

Thanks klaus
Got the point about the warm up that there is no escaping it

Right now all my components are plugged into a power distribution box. Maybe what I can do is that give a dedicated wall plug to the power amp.
That way I can tell anyone at home to switch on the amp once I leave from work. Becomes easy for them to know how to switch on the amp
For weekends when maximum listening happens, power it on in the morning of saturday and keep it on for next 2 days

Thanks again and thank you all for your replies

[G Georgopoulos]

warm up time is useless with class-b amplifiers,it only works with heave class-ab and pure class-a amplifiers,because they take some time to stabilise bias thermally...

[klaus@odyssey]

True enough for thermal stabilization,  but nope,  every single component that has any power supply caps need some time....

[MaxCast]

If and when you do decide to leave it on you can always unplug the preamp or source to nix your nephew.

[lazydays]

you have to remember that the huge power supply doesn't come up to speed instantly. You turn the amp off, and it may take hours or even a day to come to life. Interestingly the glass ceiling amps seem to come back much quicker than my older Stratos SE's did. Should be similar, but at my house there is a difference.

Now my amps have been turned off about three to five times since Klause lugged them into my living room. Never turn them off unless it's a must. I have turned them off during some really hard and close lightening strikes. Then there is the issue of surge protectors and the amps. I don't use a fantastic surge protector (one of the better Monsters), but I do use the high current locations in it. Klause told me once that it was minimal in current output. I need to get a stronger one, but it has saved my butt a couple times when I wasn't home and lightening hit very close by (twenty feet away).

Leaving the amps turned on kind of makes them live longer in my book, but maybe a complete shut down a couple times a year might help them; I don't know for sure. Yet leaving them powered up means that I only have to wait for the tubes to come to life in the preamp and a couple other pieces of source equipment. I can tell a difference for about ten minutes. Regarding tubes, I've got equipment with the same tubes in them for five to six years, and some others that go thru a set every year. I never leave tube equipment powered up.
gary

[rikhav]

If and when you do decide to leave it on you can always unplug the preamp or source to nix your nephew.

Yes that's even a good idea
No need for a separate wall plug for the power amp
Thanks

[rikhav]

you have to remember that the huge power supply doesn't come up to speed instantly. You turn the amp off, and it may take hours or even a day to come to life. Interestingly the glass ceiling amps seem to come back much quicker than my older Stratos SE's did. Should be similar, but at my house there is a difference.

Now my amps have been turned off about three to five times since Klause lugged them into my living room. Never turn them off unless it's a must. I have turned them off during some really hard and close lightening strikes. Then there is the issue of surge protectors and the amps. I don't use a fantastic surge protector (one of the better Monsters), but I do use the high current locations in it. Klause told me once that it was minimal in current output. I need to get a stronger one, but it has saved my butt a couple times when I wasn't home and lightening hit very close by (twenty feet away).

Leaving the amps turned on kind of makes them live longer in my book, but maybe a complete shut down a couple times a year might help them; I don't know for sure. Yet leaving them powered up means that I only have to wait for the tubes to come to life in the preamp and a couple other pieces of source equipment. I can tell a difference for about ten minutes. Regarding tubes, I've got equipment with the same tubes in them for five to six years, and some others that go thru a set every year. I never leave tube equipment powered up.
gary

I have to worry about lightning for about 4 months in a year , (June to September), that's when we have proper monsoons. This is also the time when we have sudden power cuts due to heavy rains
Otherwise electricity is stable. In fact where I live has the most stable electric supply in the whole of India. But there are times when voltage would jump or down drastically for a second or two, or keep on happening for a few minutes

Can anyone of you suggest me some budget solution so the amp withstand such situations whenever they may occur and I am not home to power it off
Are the spike guards by Belkin enough for it?

I somehow don't believe in them and feel they will do nothing good specially for a high current amp like Stratos

Also do I risk shortening the life of internal parts of the amp drastically If I keep it on for long periods?

[charmerci]

Frankly, if there's a storm nearby, I unplug my equipment. There is no surge suppressor that's going to protect your equipment from a nearby strike surge. A lightning strike is 120-300kiloA (Terawatt - 10 to the 12th watts).