Odyssey Kismet Reference series.

Glad I found this thread.  My HT3 (with cap upgrade) crapped out - bad caps, I think - and I sent it to Klaus for repair/upgrade.  He made me a good offer for the full Kismet upgrade on the left and right channels (center is for HT use only, so just a repair on that channel).  Klaus hopes I will get my amp back by the end of the year.

Interestingly, I posted a similar question on the Audio Circle Odyssey Audio circle, and got very little response.

@waynebosz:  I use a McIntosh C220 (out of production, but available used), which is a hybrid tube unit.  I really like the combination.  If you want to try it, Audio Classics should have them for sale, and they offer a 14 day return option, IIRC.

When I had my Odyssey amps, I ran them with both an Audible Illusions Modulus 3B and a Rogue RP-5.  You could also get the Rogue RP-1 for half the money with 85% of the performance of the Rogue RP- 5.

I am running a pair of Kismet Mono Blocks in the Stratos case powering my Maggie 3.7 speakers in parallel with my Maggie DWM woffers on each channel. I guess this is what you might call Kismet extreme as I also have the Symphonic Ref Caps, Dual Toroid Transformers, Wbt connectors , low noise resistors, and the upgraded wiring. With the 3.7s in parallel with the DWM woofers the impedance on each channel is approx. 2 Ohms. These amps have no issue powering the Maggies to gloriously loud levels. The sound is open, only stident when the program material is, and throws a fantastic sound stage. The Maggies are flanked by REL subwoofers which helps in the low end. These amps are wonderful. Maggies at a 2 Ohm load pose little problem at all.

Well, it has been a long, bumpy trip, but I am finally enjoying my Kismet (the left and right channels upgraded in my Stratos HT3 case).  Initially I was very underwhelmed with the sound, but it turned out that my outboard crossovers were not operating properly.  They are in for repair, and I am using a temporary set of crossovers.  My initial impressions are very good.  Even at lower volume, I am hearing dramatically improved dynamics, more extended, smoother, cleaner treble with that filigree quality that I crave.  I can't fully evaluate the Kismet upgrade until I get my repaired crossovers back, but, so far, I am very pleased.  I will followup when I get the crossovers back and broken in.

I have upgraded my Odyssey Khartago SE+++ to the Kismet with the 850va toroid and 200,000 uf of symphonic filter capacitance, the Kismet board and high-end speaker binding posts, all stuffed into the Khartago chassis. Before I mention how it sounds, know that the 850va transformer extends up to the top of the chassis cover resulting in the rear of the cover not sealing on the rear of the case. I wanted the Kismet electronics placed in the Khartago case to save money. That said, the cover is held by four screws and safely slides on and off fairly easily. I would suggest ordering the Kismet in the Stratos chassis. I prefer the sleek look of the Khartago.

So, how does it sound?  After burning it in for 7 straight weeks, it sounds awesome!  I loved my tricked out Khartago, but the Kismet is even more effortless sounding. Bass goes deeper and with more muscle. The amp just sounds right. A runaway bargain compared to the mega-buck power amps. You really might find yourself asking if spending 10k for another amp is worth it. For me, the Odyssey stays as the centerpiece of my modest, yet system that punches WAY ABOVE its weight. A flat out killer solid state bargain! A keeper for life.