So it's been about 14 months since I first opened the magic white cardboard boxes from Odyssey containing my Extreme Monos and Tempest; since then I've moved from Hawaii to Japan and changed my source from an entry-level multiplayer to a Sony SCD-1. I can say that my components are well-burned in by now and I feel comfortable offering my listening opinions.
First, my room is 11 1/2' x 18 1/2', wooden floor with a central throw rug, no room treatments. Small, but for Japan it is quite large. I've installed vertical slatted blinds along a side sliding glass door, accordian-like to disperse the waves. I use the system for audio primarily, but also for HT in conjunction with a Sanyo PLV-70 projector.
Source out I have the aforementioned SCD-1 fed into the Tempest and then the Mono Extremes. The Tempest has the numetal transformer found in the Extreme version. I am using DIY ICs and standard ripcord speaker wires.
My speakers are DIY towers using paralleled Lambda Acoustics TD15X 15" mid-basses (300Hz XO) and 700g passive radiators with Lambda Acoustics Unity Horns handling the mids and highs. The Unity uses a B&C compression tweeter with four coated Pyramid mids. Unities are constant-directivity horns. The horns and mid-basses have a passive first-order XO, nominal resistance of 4 ohm and a sensitivity of 94 dB.
During HT use and day-to-day listening I have the speakers tight in each corner along a short wall, toed in to the listening chair. They have to be to sit on either side of the 8' screen. The C/D nature of the horns controls early reflections, at least, and there is some reinforcement of the bass. For dedicated listening the speakers are moved in and forward, though I do not do this often since the speakers weigh 400lbs each. I am thinking of putting them on casters of some sort to facilitate movement in future.
I listen primarily to jazz, much from the 50s and 60s. I also love Steely Dan, and am becoming interested in classical music, having heard some on SACD that blew me away. I have a fair bit of 70s rock but I don't listen to it nearly as much as I used to do. My wife enjoys world music so that gets played a bit.
Ok, enough background. I could simply tell you that I love my system and would not part with it. Period. I'm sure there are amps and other components that would best my system but I believe they would be unrealistically expensive and would not offer enough improvement to warrant the investment.
System synergy is often mentioned here; I have it in spades. The Odyssey components are brutal in that poor recordings have nowhere to hide; the flip-side, though, is that good recordings, particularly SACD, literally give me goosebumps.
The bass is very tight, never boomy, and quick as well. Sharp kick-drum thumps hit with visceral impact and clear attack. Cello ranges from thoracic-cavity thrum inducing bass to achingly liquid mid-range decay. Jazz bass never sounded so good outside a live venue. Each note is distinct, never late, never muddied, immediate and vibrant. This system makes you tap your toes.
Massed strings never overwhelm the components nor does violin fatigue the ears as I've had happen with other amps. The soundstage is wide and deep with spot-on imaging. The mid-range deserves special mention. Voices are _there_ in the room, palpable. The attack and decay of a piano are stunning. Sax and trumpet are warm, velvety almost. You can hear the keys working, the breath on the reed, everything.
The highs are open, airy. On lower-quality CDs the system is silvery; not objectionable but a bit bright. On good recordings and particularly on SACD the high- frequency timbral quality is jaw-dropping. So open and free without ever being harsh, you can listen for hours.
When the hammer is down the amps never even break a sweat; you can really pump symphonic pieces to live levels and still avoid clipping much of the time. Clipping, when it does occur, is nothing like other SS amps I've had, and happens so rarely at normal listening levels that it is a non-issue for me.
From before the purchase to the replacement (and comp upgrade!) of my Tempest transformer, Klaus has been nothing but the best experience I have ever had with a company/individual's customer support, bar none. Even my wife, who views most companies with disdain has nothing but praise for Odyssey.
Future upgrades/monkeying...well, a local audio nut is making a balanced/unbalanced transformer for me to try from the Sony to the Tempest. He swears it will open up my highs. We'll see. I have toyed with the idea of Groneberg ICs and speaker cords. I plan on being in Singapore in September and will see if Alex is available. I'd like to do some A/B testing. If I can hear a difference in the shop I'll likely grab them and install them at home.
Anyway, I love my audio system. I look forward to coming home every day and listening, and don't see that changing any time soon. The Odysseys perform so well that I am spoiled. Anyone considering them should go for it.
