odyssey amp's how do they compare to others

Some of the pioneer tuners are starting to be recognized as top tuners, where before they were asleep. I know someone is going to differ with me, but I never could stand pioneer products (personal experience). What people seem to judge things by (not discluding myself), are not fool proof formulas. I am trying to enjoy what I have, so I can focus on school.
There doesn't seem to be a way of measuring sound, yet there are these percieved differences, that do make a difference to me, but because I may not know as much as I seemed to have thought that I did, I tend to get caught up in a lot of hype and not knowing which direction to take.
I never heard the Odyssey, but I tend to write it off as
something within it's price range. A $600. tuner (Luxman T 117) at TIC stood above tuners costing many $$ more. A $1200. (now $400. used) Sony 333es made stereophile class A, where players costing way more weren't even mentioned. Still the reviews at Tuner Info center were someone's own subjective views. Still I see that it is hard to not pass things by, because they do not cost as much. It is confusing. I just am trying to enjoy my system, and I really do like it. I would love to hear an odyssey stratos after reading these threads. I also get real good feelings about some McCORMACK products.

The T117 was an average sounding tuner with very good sensitivity and selectivity. The audio sound performance was just average though. This tuner, like so many on the market, employed the standard do-it-all op-amps in the audio section yielding the standard op-amp results (thinness and haze).

The Pioneer 9800, on the other hand, was an excellent sounding tuner. It also had all the sensitivity and selectivity of T117 but with much better sound. Full, extended and no haze, grain or thinness. One of the biggest mistakes I ever made was selling mine. I have had many tuners and the Pioneer 9800 was my favority. I still look for one on the used market but to no avail.

So Pioneer does, and did make some nice products but they are few and far between. I don't think the 9800 tuner would have drifted off to sleep if Pioneer had made it longer. They were in such a hurry to cash in on the digital craze and, of course we were the loosers.

Sorry to get off the subject of Odyseey and McCormick. Both of these amplifiers are highly lauded and, in some iteration, are still in production. I don't think either of these will drift off to sleep anytime soon. Digital amplifier technology may eventually threaten their sales but I doubt emerging analog technology will render them to the flea markets since this technology in amplifiers has historically moved very slow.

At the Tuner Info Center it (T 117) is in third place, right below the TU X1, among 25 tuners. I have never heard it, but these people have trained ears, and even though I don't agree with them altogether, they altleast know more than I probably do. I have an accuphase T 100 that I learned about here at audiogon from reading.
I have always wodered about certain amps, after hearing so much about them. The citation 7.1 also sounds like a good amp, but I now have heard that it isn't really all that, yet still nice.
Go Odyssey!!

Well, I guess it's time that I weighed in for the what it's worth department. I've known Klaus for over 2 years now (although we haven't met in person), having origially purchased a Stratos power amp and a Tempest pre (which were ordered in December 2000). At the time, I was looking to get into separates and upgrade from an Arcam integrated I had. During all the time I've dealt with Klaus, he's never attempted to up sell me - I've always been the one coming back to him. Why? First, I'm convinced that the products he's selling into the market are the best value in high end today. (One can read my review on AR). Second, I have never received the level of customer service I receive from Klaus from any other dealer. He's never rude, has never talked down to me - and never degraded any of the other components I have in my system.

I upgraded from the Stratos to monoblocks - which were heavenly. I have since upgraded from the Odyssey monos to Symphonic Line RG4s. Not once had Klaus suggested that I upgrade. It's been more like getting the next fix - the sound quality of the predecessor product was so incredible, that I just wanted to go to the next level. I'm convinced I'm set for life, and convinced that no one can go wrong with the Odyssey line of products.

I have the stratos with a 100,000 cap upgrade. This was what Klaus had left over before he went to the 120,000. I have never had a problem with this amp and I am proud to say that I have given great reviews on this amp and a couple on audioreview. I saw the bogus review and I look at it as someone who wants to just be the one who can ruin a perfect review or he is just plain jealous! That amp they also reviewed in TAS didn't have the cap upgrade. Klaus wanted to see what he could do by keeping his amp under a grand. With the cap upgrade which would have taken it barely over a thousand dollars, there wouldn't have been a competition with these other amps that cost 600-1000 more than the basic stratos. Klaus has always been a gentlman to me and most audiophiles. He doesn't push his products and as a matter of fact will always recommend other manufacturers preamps to go along with his Stratos amp. I have had numerous amps including tubes which I owned for years. I don't go out comparing every one's amp to the stratos anymore. Guess that means I am happy with what I hear and that is what this hobby is all about!