I wanted a 3-channel amp for the L/C/R channels of my combo 2-channel and HT setup. Because of the lower price, I first went with the Omegastar 3-channel amp from Van Alstine. I was upgrading from a Rotel RMB-1066, which I ran bridged for 3 X 150. My speakers are Vandersteen 1C with a VCC-1 center. I ended up returning the Omegastar. While it seems well made and a decent value, in my rig, it did offer more detail, but at the price of more edgy sound in the upper-mid/lower treble range (to which I am very sensitive). I was rather surprised by this, although perhaps longer breakin might have helped. I tried it for about two weeks. Frank was nice about taking it back, although it was hard to avoid hurting his feelings. I know he puts a lot of work and love into his gear, and was clearly baffled by my reaction. My attitude with breakin is that if the amp doesn't sound at least OK out of the box, even when it settles, it may disappoint.
Although I did not have the Odyssey on hand for a side-by-side comparison, a short while later I got a B-stock Odyssey Stratos HT3 from Klaus. This particular HT3 has the newer circuit boards on the left/right channels, and the older one for the center. It also has the cap upgrade. Even right out of the box, the HT3 was obviously superior to both the Rotel and the Van Alstine. It improved noticeably over the first weeks and months I owned it. It excels in upper-mid/lower treble smoothness, macro and micro dynamics, and does a good job with detail. To me, its lack of solid state glare is its strongest selling point. The Odyssey has not been without its issues, however. I had to send it back for a cap replacement (under warranty, but it took a while and shipping - one way - was not cheap). Also, the left/right channels have an annoying LF hum that neither the Van Alstine nor the Rotel had. It was worse before Klaus had me clip a grounding wire inside the amp (he said it was over-grounded). The hum is just barely audible from my listening position 9 feet back, and does not modulate with audio signals. I know Klaus discourages using power filters, but I will have to try them at some point. It's just disappointing that this amp, which costs nearly 3 times what the Rotel did, has issues that the Rotel didn't.
Please note that I cannot comment on bass performance, since I use a pair of powered Vandy subs and a crossover that begins a 1st order rolloff at 80 Hz.
If you want to try an Odyssey amp, I would suggest a regular A-stock piece, not a B-stock like mine. Perhaps you won't have any of the issues I have had.
Although I did not have the Odyssey on hand for a side-by-side comparison, a short while later I got a B-stock Odyssey Stratos HT3 from Klaus. This particular HT3 has the newer circuit boards on the left/right channels, and the older one for the center. It also has the cap upgrade. Even right out of the box, the HT3 was obviously superior to both the Rotel and the Van Alstine. It improved noticeably over the first weeks and months I owned it. It excels in upper-mid/lower treble smoothness, macro and micro dynamics, and does a good job with detail. To me, its lack of solid state glare is its strongest selling point. The Odyssey has not been without its issues, however. I had to send it back for a cap replacement (under warranty, but it took a while and shipping - one way - was not cheap). Also, the left/right channels have an annoying LF hum that neither the Van Alstine nor the Rotel had. It was worse before Klaus had me clip a grounding wire inside the amp (he said it was over-grounded). The hum is just barely audible from my listening position 9 feet back, and does not modulate with audio signals. I know Klaus discourages using power filters, but I will have to try them at some point. It's just disappointing that this amp, which costs nearly 3 times what the Rotel did, has issues that the Rotel didn't.
Please note that I cannot comment on bass performance, since I use a pair of powered Vandy subs and a crossover that begins a 1st order rolloff at 80 Hz.
If you want to try an Odyssey amp, I would suggest a regular A-stock piece, not a B-stock like mine. Perhaps you won't have any of the issues I have had.