2. amps-preamps
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Odyssey Stratos monoblocks with Elac Adante AS-61

I'm currently using Elac Adante AS-61 speakers with Emotiva XPA-200 (power) and USP-1 (pre).
I really like the sound of Elac speakers but I think they will make better sound if I upgrade the amps.
So, I started to search for affordable monoblock power amps and found Odyssey Stratos mono.
http://www.odysseyaudio.com/products-stratos-mono.html
I've found so many articles about how good they are, so I'm pretty sure that they will be a good match for the Elac speakers, but I wanted to ask first what others think before purchasing the amps.

Do you think replacing the current power amps with the Odyssey monoblocks will make huge difference?
If I choose to purchase a tube preamp in the future, what would you recommend? ($1500 or below, new or used)

Thanks in advance.
henryjudy
henryjudy OP
18 posts
 
Thanks stereo5. Your comment was a great help.
rodman99999
6,125 posts
 
Pay attention to the upgrades, offered for the Stratos monos.   They take Klaus' amps to a whole new level(worth every penny).  
lwin's avatar
lwin
570 posts
 
I can’t speak to the match with the Elac speakers but I recently purchased a used pair of the Odyssey Stratos Extreme mono’s here on Audiogon. I liked them so much I sent them back to Klaus to convert to Kismets. At their price point the Stratos are a steal. I have had much more expensive amps that weren’t nearly as good.
jackd
1,067 posts
 
Another thing to consider that is in favor of the Stratos Mono's is the known poor sensitivity of all Andrew Jones designs from TAD to Pioneer to Elac.  They always tested out as being quite a bit less efficient than the specs claim.  In this case the 61's are specked at 85 db but if tested would probably be closer to 82 or less.  The  Audio Alchemy uses the lower level Hypex UCD modules from several years ago which would in no way keep up with the current delivery available from the Stratos Mono's on a speaker that is demanding. 
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,911 posts
 
 @stereo5 has it right.......
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