Anyone heard the Odyssey monos vs Plinius amps?

I had the Plinius sa-100 in my system as a demo for a week and it sounded very good. I also have owned new mcintosh equipment (MA-6500 integrated, and the mc202 amp), and also demo'd a Classe 201 amp. I ended up purchasing a pair of Stratos monoblocks new from Klaus at Odyssey audio. Overall, the monoblocks are every bit as good as any of the equipment mentioned above. These amps are smooth sounding, enough power for demanding speakers, convenience of the monoblock design, and 1/2 the price of anything mentioned above. I also got the 120,000 uF total capacitance option along with the custom faceplate. Each of my amps came with a personal plate indicating the amps were made for "my name". Nice touch. If I didn't purcahse these amps, I would have purchased the Classe CAM monoblocks.

Dannylw,

How many hours were on the PS HCA-2?

What power cord was used with it?

The HCA-2 changes dramatically during break-in and doesn't really sing until 200 hours. It is also very power cord dependent.

If you heard the HCA-2 with less than 200 hours and with less than a really good power cord, you haven't heard the HCA-2.

ADDENDUM TO MY POST: I am sorry that I neglected to add the ff: My brother had a Plinius SA-250 MKII which is the basis of my comparison. Of course, The MK IV could be different. But IMO, the Stratos Monoblocks sounds much better on my system than Plinius SA-250 MKII or the Stasis S500.

Klaus has also announced a new "Signature" edition for the monoblock with increased current and capacitance, and improved parts. You can check out the thread at: http://www.harmonicdiscord.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8608
You could get the new monoblocks for about $2600-2700 shipped.

I have heard your Plinius amp and I have the Stratos dual mono (single chassis equivalent of monoblocks), but they were in very different systems. I'm inclined to say that I'd love to have your amp, but would not pay 4X for it. That's a lot of music and the rest of my system doesn't warrant it!!

Where are you located? Perhaps you could find someone willing to bring over their Stratos. Harmonicdiscord.com has a pretty active Odyssey forum - you might be able to find someone there to help you out.

Also, give Klaus a call. He's a good guy and will give an honest opinion on your situation.

Good luck!
Beez

In answer to Fiddler regarding the HCA-2. I saw dramatic changes in the first two weeks of operation and none after that. In actual playing time. I think I had about 150-200hrs on the amp when I sent it back. I thought the amp was very good. In my system I used the stock power cord. And the stock power cord sounds better on the Odyssey amps than does the Odyssey power cord. I have dedicated lines for my audio system.