[FITZ]

Greetings to all,

I have been a silent observer on this site for some time now..... and greatly appreciate the very useful input and comments provided. Thank you to all concerned.

With so many positive comments on Odyssey products and Klaus B iI have decided to start working on saving for a long-term, entry-level audiohile music system based on Odyssey products. The equipment would be bought in stages. I am aiming for pre-amplification, amplification and speakers which I could still enjoy 10, maybe even 20 years from now in a dedicated listening room, but to achieve that, the equipment would have to sound as good to me as the end users here have experienced.

Now to my questions:

1) Would Khartago Mono Extreme be the amp to go for? The Stratos Mono Extreme seems to be simply too much for my budget. I also thought I saw a comment somewhere that Klaus B steered a client away from moving up to Stratos Mono Extremes in favor of the Khartago Extremes -- probably for very good reasons based on real client need and a strong sense of ethics, from what I can gather).

2) How much do the Khartago Mono Extremes cost?

3) Can the normal Khartago Monos be upgraded to Extremes?

4) Can the normal Stratos Monos be upgraded to Extremes?

5) What level of difference would my untrained ear notice if comparing the Tempest with the Tempest Extreme?


I have a Sony 777ES SACD changer with the Escient DVM100 Fireball -- both which I was very lucky to pick up very cheaply. Is that a decent enough source?

 Including the source equipment I already have (above) my planned system (prior to your input) is:

a) Odyssey Mono Amp (Stratos Monos or perhaps Khartago Extremes, if they fall within a planned budget of around US$3000-$3500 tops for amp/preamp section)

b) Odyssey Tempest Preamp (perhaps an upgrade later to Extreme if WAF is OK)

c) Norh SM 9.0 pair (with perhaps only one other option I would consider because of synergy - Odysey speakers)

Please note:  It has been a long, long time since I have listened to a truly audiohile system and I have never owned one myself, so my concept of audiophile quality listening is next to non-existent.

I want to get as close as I can on a budget to immaculate detail and "realistic" presence, but with that feeling of ample power/headroom/effortlessness mentioned by many Odyssey owners. I don't generally listen at high volumes, but it can happen.

I don't really suffer from the upgrade bug. I know if the setup I get with Odyssey really does what so many have commented (at both high and low volumes), I will look no further and simply start enjoying music..... I'll be satisfied.

Please note: I live in Mexico, so sending equipment to the US for upgrades later on would probably be impractical for many reasons.

As we are talking about what is significant $$ for me (a family man dealing with the WAF), these purchases I'm considering making over time will have to be each made once and once only.

Any comments, suggestions?

Thanks,

Fitz

[Haoleb]

Klaus would be the best guy to call. He knows more about his equipment than anyone else and also how it acts with other gear, and what to expect. The right amp to go for will depend on your budget and what your looking to get out of it. If you want the best klaus offers then the Stratos mono extermes would be the way to go. Im not 100% sure but I dont believe the Khartago case can accomodate the dual transformers that are in the stratos extreme. When I talked to Klaus I originally wanted the Stratos Stereo Extreme, Klaus reccomended the Khartago mono's with a few upgrades over the stratos because of the performance gains going from a stereo to mono amp. The regular mono versions can be upgraded to extreme versions later on down the road. I dont believe Klaus offers the Regular tempest anymore, only the extreme. You might also want to look at the new Candela preamp

Hope that helps a little

But as always Klaus is your best resource for deciding what you want. He wont try and sell you something more than you need or want.

[DMi]

I doubt that you'll be hurt by doing business with Klaus no matter what you settle on buying. The Stratos Stereo Plus cap upgrade I bought in 2001 has been turned on (except for power outages or moving it) since I purchased it and is still going strong.

My preprocessor is an Anthem AVM-30 and it seems to be a good match for 2 channel or surround sound to me with the Stratos stereo and Magnepan speakers. I am using a lesser Phillips model DVD/CD/SACD player that is about akin to your Sony and while one of the upgrades I plan to make is to a much higher end universal player at some point I enjoy the sound I am getting out of my system now.

You'll also need to consider having a twenty year warranty and a trade up program doesn't hurt Klaus either. It works so well that I have on order Mono Extremes and this stereo unit is going to become a three channel to replace some old Carver equipment I use for the surrounds. In my opinion the only downside is the waiting since everything Odyssey produces is custom. I have been waiting a bit for my order and I know Klaus is waiting on parts right now so I'm expecting eight weeks or so for my order last time it was about six. That is the most painful part but once you have it as others have said the wait is worth it.

For most of your questions call Klaus you'll find his phone number at Odysseyaudio.com and let him know what you're doing, what you're planning on spending and he will get you the most bang for the buck.

Doug

[FITZ]

DMI and Haoleb

thanks to both of you. I will call Kurt.

This feels like the beginning of an exciting and interesting journey which I hope my two boys (9 and 6, just starting to play the piano/appeciate music) will also benefit from.

Cheers,

Fitz