Trelja,
Really you believe it was revelation, I have found them very unrefined, coarse sounding, one of the worst. I'm not kidding.
For me revelation was Wavac, BAT (Sound&Singer) on the cheaper but still not cheap side: VAC,Manley I know they are much more expensive, and it could be heard... They were revelation I cannot afford (at least now), Oddyssey I could but I would not be able listen to it, sorry. |
Yes, I have heard it on HE2004 and I believe on HE2003 too.
In both cases I did not like it, but I do have some kind of aversion toward SS, I do not find musical even Mark Levinson gear, Krell is just putting me off :)
It is very subjective of course and it is only my opinion, it sounds this way to me. Only musical SS I have heard it was Jeff Rowland and I believe Bluenote form Italy on CES2005. I was surprised because I have come to believe to SS is just not able to play music to my ears. Why it was so disappointing to me because I have heard so many good things about Stratos (some kind deal of the century according to so many), sorry its struck me as very unrefined. But it is cheap, I do not believe that one can have good refined sound for below 7-8k$, it would be the miracle, you got what you have paid for, and it can be heard.
I used to have $1500 SS amp from MF A300, never like it very unrefined too, all cheap SS amps sound that way to me. It is my curse I guess. I would love to hear music from cheap amps, I could spend many on travel instead :) |
I agree it is personal preference, and I do not care if amp have 1% or 0.000001% of distortion or if it have 1F capacitance or only 100.000microF, what I care if it sounds like music to me. And Odyssey did not, like so many others. Most musical amps I have heard so far have been tubed but some was SS too. |
"if you don't have anything positive to add, don't say it!"
I could not agree less !
this way products would have only positive reviews like in Stereophile ? Because even mediocre products would finally found somebody who would like it. I personally know somebody who really loves his $100 worth audio. Does it mean it is great. No it is subjectively great for him, as Stratos are for you.
This is free forum. I have read 200 positive review of SPONY 9000ES, I wish somebody would have written one negative review it would make me listen to it first before purchase, I would have avoided big disappointment.
I understand that you like Stratos, that is Ok, as it should be that others do not like it.
maybe you should publish list of equipment which nobody should criticize :),
I do not think that anybody was trying to distroy anything. |
"It is known that the Odyssey Stratos garnered many excellent reviews"
so did SONY, Krell, and I do not like any of them, I used to care about what reviewers had to say about equipment, but after a lot of listening , audio shows I'm free man now. When something sounds to me like crap I have courage to admit it to myself (and others) even if everybody around seems to like it and oposite way too. I hate OTL amp for example :) they sound lifeless and weak to me. But it is very subjective, I have friend who hate my sweet sound and like his stinging sharp Krell sound.
His comments about my sugar Supratek are not uncivilized to me (only funny) but could be to others. Critique is good thing if you know how to take it.
So do not take it personally but I was excited when I noticed Stratos in 2004 and 2005 in NY (read so many great reviews about them, more nearly order them based on price and common love to them), so I was so disappointed because their sound I identify with mid-quality audio I used to have for 15 years.
And this is not objective statement but MINE subjective impression. And there is nothing in the world what would change my impression.
As a consolation I really did not like on HE in NY "Atma-Sphere - weak, lifeless", "Bel Canto - bizarre sound", "Spectral - powerful but souless", "TACT - superb imaging but I got headache".
Is this bashing product or person - I do not think so.
I loved VAC, Manley, Jeff Rowland, Viola, (system with Cox speakers). |
How do you know that Odyssey are great components ? Maybe instead of keeping bunch of cables and preapms would be enough to replace Odyssey ? I believe that manufacturer did great job to find right pre, cdp and cables to present them to audience of HE 2004, 2005.
And even that I did not like them, to say delicately, not that I liked any equipment in that price range. |
"but your not really free until you can be satisfied with one system & maybe you are"
Not yet, I'm not free in that department, still looking, far from it..., But I can say that with Spratek/Clayton I'm much more satisfied (with previous MF A300 I was extremely unhappy even Streophile glorified it and I bought it to my latter dismay !!!), but I still do not own decent cdp (bought Sony SACD after glorifying reviews - what a piece of c...), so there is long way in front of me,
"not everyone can go to audio shows " sometimes I'm not sure if going to them is good thing, after show I'm not able for a month to listen to anything, and after every show bar is rising, you are becoming more demanding dreaming about VAC, WAVAC ... (having SS nightmares :) |
"don't attend too many audio shows"
Why not (I have attended at least one yearly since 1997), not so many years ago I thought that I like SS that tubes are obsolete, that future is in digital amps and SACD, shows can be true ayes openers :)
I only wish that small companies could be present on the shows, because big companies sometimes want big money for big nothing (my subjective opinion). |
It is common knowledge that SS have better bass, but Conrad Johnson on HE 2004 have bass equal to the best SS I have heard, with exception to Spectral (I have never heard anything like this before it was vulcanlike rumbling). But musicality of tubes will be hard to beat for year to come if ever possible. As for Digital Amp they were able to make Grand Utopia to sound mediocre on HE 2003 it is big achievement, the some speakers years earlier with Lamm monoblocks mesmerized me, I could not believe my ears, IT WAS MUSIC, MUSIC!!! |
you are right, audiophiles are positively crazy and able to get the best from the component :) |
