Amps.. Is Odyssey worth it?

Driving a B&W 802 F ?

Odyssey amps are a bargain for their price, especially used.

I’ve had both, a tricked out Khartago and a Stratos which I added (4) 22,000 uF caps. The Stratos is a direct copy of a higher end German Symphonic Line amplifier. Very well made. 

Your speakers are at 91db?

Either amp should easily drive them. Personally, I'd go with the Stratos. I'm a proponent of more power is better, and it's built to a higher standard than the Khartago.

No. I had a Stratos amp, a Tempest preamp and a Candela preamp. Two of them developed either a hum or spurious noise. I could not get them fixed correctly by the owner. After two years of back and forth shipping to Odyssey Klaus eventually bought them back at a big loss to me. He stated I had bad AC in my home. Never again. By the way, he lended me a Symphonic Line integrated while I waited for my equipment. It worked beautifully and it was very used.

Your first time posting here??? Interesting.

I had Klaus’s  top of the line Kismets mated with Rogue RP 7. Sold them and wish that I didn’t. Currently have a Coda CSiB but certainly doesn’t have the magic that my prior set up had. 
I have had a Candela pre and a few other Khartago configs. It can be frustrating dealing with Klaus as communication can sometimes be challenging. 
He is a one man show and not getting any younger so service down the road may be in question. Also his packaging is probably the worst in the industry. Considerable damage to 3 different pieces that I have had shipped/received. 

Khartago line is very much worth it...never heard a Stratos

Worth what?

Are they worth it - meaning - Are they a good buy, sound quality for the cost?  

Thank you. Anything is only good for the cost if you like the sound quality and the component fits sympathetically into your system, so an audition or blind buy is probably required to determine that.

Last year, a friend of mine was selling his Stratos, and I borrowed it for a few weeks. It was not to my taste, but material value was there, nicely built, completely reliable, at least for the time that I had it. If I listened to material value I would still have it. I would add that he liked the SQ very much, so these are all just matters of system matching and taste.

Are they worth it - meaning - Are they a good buy, sound quality for the cost?

This totally depends on what specific improvements you’re looking for and what sound characteristics are most important to you.  What amp are you using now, what’s your budget, and are you looking for new or used?  No amp is a good buy if it doesn’t deliver the sound/improvements you’re looking for. 

Soix responded.

Are they worth it - meaning - Are they a good buy, sound quality for the cost?

“This totally depends on what specific improvements you’re looking for and what sound characteristics are most important to you.”

I would respectfully disagree with this assessment. This takes you 1/2 way down the road. If the equipment is not reliable and the maker is not very responsive, would one still want the chosen audio equipment? If the cost goes up considerably because of shipping it back to the manufacturer then that cost adds up. And if it needs fixed? More costs. What if you need to resell it at a loss? More costs. I found out the hard way to dig deeper with my research. 

All these amps were released over 20 years ago.

Good amp design does not age, but has there been any updates to the product in this time?

@2psyop  I’m really sorry you had such a bad experience and that sucks, but you’re literally the only one I’ve ever heard mention reliability problems with any Odyssey products so it does not seem to be a widespread or common problem.  If it was I’m sure we’d know about it by now after all these years. 

I still have my 22 y/o Stratos+ driving Dynaudio 82s and it has never skipped a beat. Great amps for the money and you can talk to Klaus when you need to.

Odyssey also offer numerous upgrade options on each model, as well as customizing to meet your requirements...mine were totally reliable over a number of years...

Soix

I have to disagree with you again... sorry man. If you go to audiocircle.com and go through his own Odyssey Audio thread you will find all the problems. Has he gotten new suppliers for his transformers? Who knows.

For all here who did not have any issues with the gear, I am happy you had a great experience. I am telling you about my experience and my opinion which is what the OP is asking. Again, I am happy for anyone who has trouble free equipment regardless of who made it. That was not my experience.

Not to bad mouth Odyssey, but I had a few problems and finally decided to just wash my hands with the brand. The Kismet mono blocks were excellent amps, but other issues were there that I could not overlook. 

There are better preamps to be had but Klaus' amps are audio gold for the price.

My Kismet is dead quiet, sounds resplendent and never leaving the house ...

I had similar issues as per giantsalami and 2psyop. Got rid of it at a loss and never looked back. Much happier with the class D monos that replaced it. 

My Kismet amp in a Khartago case has been pretty awesome sounding although I could never get it absolutely silent and in my treated studio that is an issue.  I think it may be partially due to the high sensitivity of the amp but can't be sure.  I don't notice it on my main system but in a silent room a slight buzz from my speakers is barely audible.  I had to go Pass Labs in order to find a "better" sounding amp.  The XA30.8 has been a revelation.  But also costs 3.5x as much as I paid.  I'm selling my Kismet amp if interested

Im my case, yes.

As is common with Odyssey amps, mine is  custom made by Klaus. A moded Kismet. I dont know how much of an effect it has, but he asked me for multiple voltage readings from my house service so he could tweak the bias. It is cool how he will work directly with you for your set up. As is always mentioned, call him after 10pm cst. He's nocturnal.

This is definately a quality built amp. Makes the build of my other componets look cheap, but their not.

Sound wise, Im quite happy. No desire to upgrade although Id have Klaus convert it to a mono block and buy a 2nd if budget allowed. It drives my low efficient Magnepan 1.7i s fine.

If you go Odyssey and want to save a bit, look for a used one and send it in for an update. Shipping might bite you. I picked mine up directly from Klaus and got a very good deal.

I would stay away from Odyssey Audio. Better sounding and more reliable budget power/pre amps are available. The stale audio show set up reminds of P.T. Barnum meets Shirley Maclaine.

Looking at the posts, it's time for me to comment and clarify a few things here:

1. As is normal, people with negative experiences always keep posting. Over the past 27 years (and a total of 37 years when you count in German Acoustics) we have built in excess of 11,000 products, over 7800 of them amplifiers. This doesn't take into account the huge number of upgrades and / or pieces of secondary owners that I took care of. This means that I have in excess of 7000. customers !!!!

2. Even though with 11,000 + products out there you're lucky if you can find 5-8 pieces on the used market. This is a ridiculously small percentage. This also means that I have a massive amount of happy customers out there. If even a small number of them would post here, they would drown out nay sayers big time.

3. As a matter of fact, I have more repeat customers than customers who sold their Odyssey unit (s) in the first place....be it an update, upgrade, mono conversion, a separate unit, Groneberg cables, etc. Right now at this moment I have 50 + amps here in the shop just for upgrades, mostly Kismet upgrades. (and for my original customers, I'm doing the upgrades for cost + 20 % !!!!!!!!!!!!!) This is an unreal factoid in this industry.

4. However, I also have to admit that over the years I have had my challenges and problems as well....for example the power supply of the Tempest preamp. We only got it under control when we used all Symphonic Line components internally...another issue was that of some batches of amp transformers that over time in the field started acting up. I scratched the designs and / or changed supplier to rectify this situation. And yes, there were times when I screwed up as well, but I always tried to make it right.

5. It is also true that things got sideways at times with some people....and yes, again, I also have to be blamed for some of the situations being created. When you deal with so many people over so many years unfortunate things happen. I'm also not a person who takes crap from others. However, these really bad situations were rare, maybe a couple dozen in total.

6. As for posts here.....put yourself in my shoes: a customer has multiple Odyssey products and has some hum issues. I have them shipped back. Re-working them and / or actually replacing them completely. Sound and measure perfectly. Shipping them out. Still a problem at the customer. Do the same thing over again. Sending customer an expensive amp so that that customer is not out of music. Redoing everything again. Checks out ok. Shipping back, and still the same problem. Customer approaches me with the idea of buying back the equipment. I'm not in business to buy back my own products, but do it anyway and agree with his numbers. In the end I have also spent massive amount of time and money here as well. Checking out products when they came back, and sold them as used b-stocks. The new customers have zero issues and were happy. What else can I possibly do ???

7. Looking at this and similar situations, and nearly 40 years of experience, and having had literally 100 -150 components of other manufacturer over the decades, I know that certain products don't work in certain systems. And this is not about synergy, but it is indeed environmental. Are my products more sensitive than others ??? I don't think so. If there is a design problem, then I would have been out of business a long time ago.

8. Apropos design: yes, the amps are indeed $ 7-8 K German true high end Symphonic Line designs. I love the poster who didn't 100 % liked the sound of the Stratos but was impressed with the parts quality. This is fair and highlights the efforts that I made with all parts. All of them. Military spec resistors, special silver micas, Nichicon's, Sanken and Toshiba transistors, Wimas, etc. etc. etc.

9. Let's get real: I build high end amps by hand here in the USA with high quality parts spe'd mostly from the US and Germany (and 0 from China) . My amps have been awarded dozens and dozens of awards, including golden ear and product of the year awards from TAS ( 3 times !!!) best-at-shows, and are being used for development, tweaking and tuning and even demoing by over 20 speaker manufacturer. And we STILL start pricing at under $ 1,000. Get real. So no, I certainly don't have to prove anything to some of the rude and ridiculous posters here.

10. Over the decades we have also provided 2 universities, 3 industrial manufacturer / researchers, and the Navy. These were not for audio purposes, but are used purely because of the ultra high bandwidth with < 1 Ohm stability as tools.

11. Finally, let's get back to the original question: Khartago vs. Stratos is only a difference in the case design. Since I've been back ordered at least 3 weeks since January 2001 (yes, continuously) I learned how to customize every aspect for my customers. In fact, I can make you about 65 + different versions of the amps. Every model is interchangeable within the cases except for the 3-channel, where I need the larger case to accommodate the 2 boards.

12. The Kismet boards are my absolute best currently. Again, it's the board and not the case. And yes, I have improved all models constantly over the years. What I didn't do is naming them Mk2, Mk3, Mk4 etc. Thi is inherently unfair to the customer.

13. I base the built on 2 main facts: the speakers being used and the customer's budget. When you build that many thousands of amps by hand and have that massive amount of feedback, you learn a thing or two. I also optimize every single amp that goes out the door. It's all about custom biasing. This is the MOST important part of the final adjustments. Every amp has to be biased, and every amp has it's sweet spot in terms of maximum performance based on the bias setting. If you're off by a certain range, then the amplifier will simply sound off as well. In order to optimize our amps I also require voltage measurements of our customers outlets since the bias is directly dependent of the voltage itself. For example, if I set up an amp at (usually) 19.5 – 20 mv @ 120 V, but your voltage is actually 118 or lower or 122 V or higher, then this will be audible and pushed out of the optimum performance envelope. Again, all amps have to be set up, and most tube owners know everything about it …...

14. Yes, all of this for a handmade high end , product of the year and best of shows awarded amp for $ 1,000 !!!! However, there is also a down side to this maniacal attention to detail. The amps are setup for the original owners. If an amp hits the used market and the original owner had, let's say 119 V, and the new owner's voltage is in excess of 124 V then the amp simply sounds like crap. But I also offer free check-ups and re-biasing for 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th or whatever owners as well.

15. Alright...let's get to some of the posts here: you had problems with my products ? I'm very sorry about that, but I always try to make it right ….you don't like my products ??? OK, fine. There are soooo many options out there, I hope you'll find something that makes you happy. You bad mouth my products but have never experienced them or had any contact with me ….or you insult me as a PT Barnum and obviously have never been in one of my rooms at a show ???
    
    Seriously dude ????

     

I’ve had my Khartago mono blocks for 15 years and they still sound great.

A man who has true passion for his product. Not many business owners would take so much time out of their busy schedule to submit such a detailed comment.

The man accepts hes not perfect, WHO IS, but he'll do everything he can to help his customers.

Im just a customer not a friend of his, but kudos to Klaus.

I have to disagree with you again... sorry man. If you go to audiocircle.com and go through his own Odyssey Audio thread you will find all the problems. Has he gotten new suppliers for his transformers? Who knows.

@2psyop  Odyssey has been in business for 36 years so if there have been significant ongoing and widespread problems we would’ve certainly heard from many more people here over those many years, and it just strains credibility to think otherwise — complaints on Audio Circle notwithstanding.  As Klaus clearly explained and admitted above there were some hiccups along the way as there are with any business, and he detailed how he’s tried to handle and correct them (including how he bent over backwards in your specific situation).  And realistically speaking, if reliability and customer service was really that bad Odyssey would’ve been out of business many years ago.  The evidence here indicates strongly that while there were undoubtedly some people affected by some issues over the years, there are many, many more who had no problems and have been thrilled with their equipment and highly recommend it to others.  Again, that you and some others unfortunately had a bad experience sucks but the vast majority have not, and that Klaus clearly cares and stands behind his products speaks well of the company as many audio companies these days do not. 

Having read this far in the post, including the very thorough response from Klaus, I find myself thinking:

1. I would really like to talk to this man

2. How can a small variation in the AC line voltage have such a significant difference in an amp’s performance?
 

In my understanding, and experience, the utility company is obligated by law to provide power that conforms to a nominal voltage +/- 10%. Meaning that the voltage coming into my house can be between 105 to 135 VAC. I have measured such swings in a house I once lived in occurring in an interval of less than 30 minutes. I have since moved, and I am now served by a much better utility company.
 

So, on the one hand, I have been lead to believe that a good power supply for any electronic gear, be it computer, stereo, or what-have-you should be able to handle such fluctuations on the input with affecting the power delivered on the outputs, while on the other hand, Klaus is saying the source voltage determines the amount of bias on the output tubes. 
 

My follow-up question might be if this is a design feature of Odessey amps only, or do all designs share this sensitivity to the supply voltage?

If the latter is true, it would certainly justify the cost of a regenerative power conditioner, which I’m told is some cases is itself an amplifier of sorts. 
 

Thoughts, anyone?

Odyssey has been in business for 36 years so if there have been significant ongoing and widespread problems we would’ve certainly heard from many more people here over those many years, and it just strains credibility to think otherwise

I can’t imagine why you felt the need to slam @2psyop, who had bad luck with Odyssey, with a lecture parroting what klaus just stated a few posts before.  

I can’t imagine why you felt the need to slam @2psyop, who had bad luck with Odyssey, with a lecture parroting what klaus just stated a few posts before. 
 

@jetter  I was responding to a statement he made to me earlier, and you’ve completely misinterpreted my statement so just save it.  I’m not “slamming” him and acknowledged and sympathized with his misfortune.  I was pointing out that anecdotal evidence over many, many years strongly suggests that his experience is in the minority and shouldn’t necessarily stop someone else from exploring these products if they’re interested.  

I am not an Odessey owner. I have visited Klaus’ room at many CAF shows. His room always sounds great. He always plays interesting music and sets the mood for pleasurable listening. He is easy to talk to as long as you’re polite. 
 

These are great traits for a HiFi company.

To Klaus,

I wish you well. I do not intend to hurt Odyssey or your business. Clearly you are doing well. You have your fans and the people who truly like your products. You bought back the equipment from me and you stated over and over, you don’t usually do that. No issue here except my loss was bigger than yours. At the time I bought Odyssey gear I was spending blue collar money and trying to afford my first hi-end pieces and the facts are, I lost a fair amount during the long period of shipping equipment back and forth and finally selling it back to you. Nothing wrong with my AC or issues with my electrical connections which while scratching your head … you told me I must have. That was long ago. Now it’s really a lot of mud under the bridge. My experience is valid and true. I congratulate you on your success and I have been happy with other equipment I have now. Perhaps one day I will meet you and buy you a beer. And leave the messy situation behind us.

To soix,

I have shared my negative experience with Odyssey products more than a few times when there have been forum topic questions about Odyssey. I did this because, again, my encounters and experiences are as valid as anyone else. When this has happened (just like in this thread) people who like Klaus and his products share a positive experience and many come to his defense as if he is getting attacked. This, in my opinion, has created more sales and interest for Odyssey Audio, not less. The fact is that I have not damaged his reputation, I have helped it. Something to think about…

For me, Klaus was easy to reach (so much so that I was initially confused!) He was very patient with me and all of my questions. He asked a lot of questions about my system, what I listen to, my room, etc. He actually recommended I buy something less expensive from him than I was originally thinking about! When I called a third time to explain with embarrassment that due to things in my personal life I would not be purchasing a pwr. amp, after all the time he had spent with me Klaus remained polite and even gave me a few tips before the call ended.

None of us is perfect; Klaus is a mensch (that’s Yiddish, and a very high compliment).     

Are they worth it - meaning - Are they a good buy, sound quality for the cost? 

Yes definitely.  In this relatively expensive high-end audio hobby there are very few sonic bargains aka fantastic performance/price.  Odyssey is one of them.  They're so good that Alon at Magico (one of the best speaker brand commonly matched with top electronics) occasionally uses them.

I have a Khartego with Kismet boards and upgraded caps, a Candela, and a Suspiro phono pre. When I got the Khartego, there was a problem. I sent it back and it was fixed and sent back in short order.

I am impressed by the quality of the products and the level of service.

I have been doing this for a long time and have both owned and listened to a lot of equipment. I think it you would be hard-pressed to find anything better for anywhere near the price! My Odyssey pieces aren't going anywhere, and I have absolutely no urge to upgrade.

As an added bonus, talking with Klaus is a hoot!

I've had the pleasure of doing business with Klaus at Odyssey and it's always been a pleasure.  When I was having trouble finding something that would drive some modded Magnepan speakers someone mentioned Klaus so I  called him.  Apparently others had already had the same issue and he gave me several options with various costs.  I chose some Kismet in Stratos cases for an absolute fantastic price and he guaranteed that they would have no problem driving the Maggie's.  When I heard of the parts he had planned to use being sourced from Symphonic Line, I couldn't refuse.  And I wasn't disappointed.  Everything I was missing from the system came to life after trying several amp and preamp combos.  Since the initial purchase I've had an issue that Klaus fixed with no problem and no cost to me.  I've also sent them in for some upgrades and was very happy when they were returned.  I truly believe some people may shy away from his products because of the low cost but his amps compete with equipment costing 2 and 3 times the price.  I have talked to Klaus recently and there are some new plans in the works for a design that sounds very interesting.  Many years I've known the man and never have I had nothing but pleasant and informative conversations.  

There are almost endless options in boutique producers globally to choose from.

1. Klaus is in the USA and actually picks up his phone.

2. He services everything

3. Value is great. Just go from the 500k rooms at the show to his room and you will know.

4. Owned Karthagos and kismets as well as kismet speakers which I will never sell.

5. Sound is an individual judgement, but price/value/American made. Not easy to beat.

soix

04-29-2025 at 12:55pm 

Are they worth it - meaning - Are they a good buy, sound quality for the cost?

This totally depends on what specific improvements you’re looking for and what sound characteristics are most important to you.  What amp are you using now, what’s your budget, and are you looking for new or used?  No amp is a good buy if it doesn’t deliver the sound/improvements you’re looking for. 

Good qualifier to the question. To answer:

I originally had a GFA1*, which as it aged, hit that point that the sound quality went sideways.  I replaced it with a PS Audio Two C, which is a good sounding amp, however it does not have enough power and find it lacking, when pushed at high volume levels or with significant base. I listen to rock/easy listening, classical and Gregorian chants - so somewhat varied. 

By good sounding to me: meaning it does not color the music and allows details and transparency to show at reasonable to louder sound levels.  

So, need more power that will drive a somewhat efficient speaker (90db).

Also, the current price point of most better sounding equipment is outside of my budget.  The Khartago+ is a stretch, from a budget perspective, but the feedback I have seen indicates it is at a good price for the performance it delivers.  It also has a good step up in output - wattage/current.

*before anybody diminishes the GFA-1, this one appears to have been something of a unicorn, as compared to the GFA-1A, which I also own, the GFA-1 sounds open, allows details to show and is much more transparent than any other GFA-1/GFA-1A I have listened to.

I"m happy with mine. I have a pair of monos and a Candela pre amp running a variety of larger speakers in my second system and have a stereo Odyssey running a pair of 805D4 in my living room, they all sound and work great. 

Absolutely! My Khartagos drive a pair of Aerials which require huge current for power and control. They replaced an Aragon 4004 MkII, another great amp, but it had intermittency issues with one of its channels (and was used in a much larger room).

Klaus discusses your needs, and together you come up with a product to satisfy your requirements. Perfect? Nope. Really high performance per buck? Totally!

Good luck on your hunt!