Heat is always usually a byproduct of how much Class A bias the amp output board has. If you are references the older generation Emotiva (Such as XPA-1 Gen 2), then the bias is a bit high (maybe 8-10 watts into Class A). I suspect the Odyssey is biased very low, probably less than 1 watt, so there isn't a lot of heat generated unless you push the amp really hard.
Also, the Emotiva amps do have a tendancy to sound bright, even with the older generation. The new Gen 3 amps do sound bright and do not have a natural sound, plus they have hollow sounding bass because of switching power supply. The Gen 3 amps also do not really get hot.
The older Gen 1 or Gen 2 amps have a full linear power supply. I think you are talking about these because they can get a little bit hot. They also are bright sounding stock, but this can be fixed with a fuse upgrade. The bass on these older amps are very strong and powerful.
The Odyssey amps are very simple amp circuits with a small amount of components and Klaus uses very high quality components (capacitors, etc.). The Emotiva line uses the cheapest caps/resistors/wiring it can obtain with a generally good design to get a "good for the money" result. It works in general, but the latest Gen 3 amps are more compromised than the older ones because of that dang switching power supply.
Also, the Emotiva amps do have a tendancy to sound bright, even with the older generation. The new Gen 3 amps do sound bright and do not have a natural sound, plus they have hollow sounding bass because of switching power supply. The Gen 3 amps also do not really get hot.
The older Gen 1 or Gen 2 amps have a full linear power supply. I think you are talking about these because they can get a little bit hot. They also are bright sounding stock, but this can be fixed with a fuse upgrade. The bass on these older amps are very strong and powerful.
The Odyssey amps are very simple amp circuits with a small amount of components and Klaus uses very high quality components (capacitors, etc.). The Emotiva line uses the cheapest caps/resistors/wiring it can obtain with a generally good design to get a "good for the money" result. It works in general, but the latest Gen 3 amps are more compromised than the older ones because of that dang switching power supply.