Sounds wonderful Great power reserves in one component Easily drives low impendence speakers Cool looks Built like a tank Audiophile sound without breaking the bank

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After doing much research I purchased my HT-3 with cap upgrade in mid-June of this year. It is now fully broken in and I can write a final review. I use this 3 channel amplifier to drive the center and front speakers which are Infinity Prelude MTS. These are very accurate speakers that were rated Class A by Stereophile a couple of years ago, and I was looking for the best possible amplification to power them. Initially I was using a Denon AVR-3805 (7 channel) receiver to drive all of my speakers, and after a couple of months I decided that the sound coming out my front speakers would be improved with an upgrade. I liked the receiver's processing immensely, and although I found its power output to be plenty adequate for movies, I thought it a little lacking for serious music listening. The fact that my speakers are rated at 4 ohms, and per the specs are capable of handling up to 500 watts, were additional factors that pushed me towards buying a more stable power supply that I thought would make movies even more dynamic but more significantly add realism and depth for serious music listening. Well I'm here to report that I think I made the perfect choice to fit my needs, as my movies and especially my music has never sounded so good. In fact when friends and family come over and listen they are blown away at how good it sounds. I have also rediscovered my music collection, which before adding the Odyssey had largely gone unused for years - 2 channel music now sounds that much better. I continue to use the Denon to power my 4 surround speakers (and send the LFE signal to my 2 subs), so its power is not going unused. This is a very nice solution IMO if you already have a quality AVR - add the highest quality amplification possible for the front channels (which output ~90% of the sound you hear for HT) rather than live with a mediocre 5 or 7 channel amp - and pay as much or more money for it. Then send 2 channel music straight through your AVR (on my Denon I use the Pure Direct mode) and let the Odyssey bring out all of the details in the music. As an aside, this past week I completed my system by buying a much better source for my music, a Denon DVD-3910 universal player. Compared to my previous player, this also has made a tremendous difference in what I'm hearing. As you would expect, a great-sounding source likes this makes the amplifier sound that much more musical still. I now have a very well balanced system for both music and HT, and the Odyssey plays a critical part in it. With its extremely solid build quality and a 20 year guarantee, I have no doubt that it's also the one piece that will outlive all of the other components and not become obsolete.

Similar Products Used:

First separate amp, but wanted to get the best that I could afford

Klaus Sound Service Built Quality Value Warranty

Poorly Recorded CD's The Wait

Inline with the Stereo Stratos, this amp is awesome. I don't think there's much to be said that hasn't already been posted on the Stereo thread. For the price, I don't think you can beat this amp. It (along with the Stereo) does everything I ask and more. They are cool running and quiet. They bring out detail in music I've never heard before, and HT is a no-brainer. I did, however, have a problem with blowing fuses, but it was my own fault. As it turns out, I had my 4 conductor speaker cable wired differently at the amp and the speaker. This also produced a nasty buzz in the whole system. It took me a while to figure this out but Klaus was kind enough to send me a bag full of fuses at no cost! Luckily, I only had to use half the bag until I thought to check my work. After that, and some time spent with Klaus on the phone, it was clear sailing.... Klaus is easy to deal with and a breeze to get on the phone.........He answers all calls to Odyssey and is extremely helpful and sincere. These are Great Amps......

DESIGN: Very Rugged... BUILD: First Class Parts...Did I say I was an Engineer?...took a peek at them. Faceplate is 3/8" thick, black anodizing is excellent, faceplate center window reads "odyssey"...soft blue light...nice touch. Bass Control: Excellent...My Vandersteen's never get loose or tuby Mid-Range: Tight, delineated, excellent speed. Highs: Never rolled-off...nor extended..very natural Imaging: Very precise Soundstage: Width & Depth excellent, never extreme. NICE FEATURE: I moved from stereo to home theater.....really had a hard time finding an amp that would blend with my Rogue Mains.....plus the Vandersteen's....center channel being critical....Odyssey is really marvelous blending with Tube amps and speakers that need control like Vandersteen....very pleasant surprise and nice discovery.

Very Heavy....bad for those with a bad back...get help handling amp...not made cheap or flimsy. Depth Longer than standard rack mount unit.

This is a not really a follow-up review...but a new review about the amps that replaced my HT3. I owned one of the very first production model HT3...it had problems....blowing fuses....not overly surprising with first article production....I sent it back to Klaus several times.....Klaus and his staff were unable to characterize the problems....but did Klaus give up and leave me stranded?...NO...as a working Design Engineer I understand when things just can't be sorted out....I greatly appreciate Klaus going the extra mile to ensure I was happy with his product....Klaus called and asked would I be able to handle two amps rather than one HT3....Klaus was very aware of how long it was taking to find answers and he didn't want me inconvenienced any longer than necessary...since rebuilding the HT3 would take more time and he had some other new models just out of burn-in.......he replaced the HT3 with a stereo unit and a mono unit.....very nice idea!....now the kicker.....he even made sure that the amps had the latest caps, upgraded transformers and upgraded wiring.....greatly appreciate his sense of style.....other Electronics manufacturers would do well to emulate Klaus.....I deal with less professional electronic houses on a daily basis unfortunately. My System: A/V Pre-Amp: McCormack MAP-1 Amp: Left/Right Front: Rogue M120 Magnum (Tube) Amp: Center Left/Right Rear: Odyssey Sub-Amp: Ampzilla (Old but works well...been at this awhile) DVD Player: Toshiba 9200 CD Player & DAC: Cal Audio Labs Tape Player: Nakamichi Dragon Speakers: Left/Right/Center/Rear: Vandersteen 3A Signature Mains/All Others Signature Also Subs: 2 Hsu (1220) Pioneer Elite 720

Similar Products Used:

B&K, Bryston

Soundstaging, robust and taut bass, outstanding quality build, low heat from being on 24/7, and, of course, Klaus.

Can't take this to the beach.

All the raves for the stereo Stratos apply equally for this three channel edition! I was using a Denon AVR 3600 HT receiver with the amp portion of a Classe CAP 151 integrated amp for home theater. I added an Audio Research LS 16 tube stereo preamp with bypass to improve the music and the front two channels for HT. Replacing the Classe with the HT3 improved the two channel listening and the HT experience. As much as I loved my Classe, I was impressed with how much more more soundstage, resolution, and tighter my bass got. Well recorded CDs like Wynton Marsalis' box set of Village Vanguard performances sing through the HT3. The soundstage makes me feel like I'm standing in front of the stage. I close my eyes and I can "hear" Wynton moving his horn left to right and back as he's spraying notes out into the night club! That's resolution and soundstage at its best! Another favorite CD is opera singer Renee Fleming's "Beautiful Voice" CD. I don't know squat about opera but I know I'm in awe when I hear this recording and with the HT3 I hear the dynamic range of her gorgeous voice ranging from buttery soft to passionately elongated notes in a clearly defined soundstage. The HT3 puts me in the center second row!

Impressive build quality, great service

Long wait after ordering & there is a noticeable & long burn-in. Worth the wait.

Between the HT3 & Stratos reviews it's pretty much all been said. I've been very satisfied with the build & sound quality of the HT3. Klaus has lived up to his reputation for service, providing remarkably unbiased advice, including recommending NOT buying one of his products for my specific application in favor of saving $1k+ on what would have been a marginal improvement. He also went out of his way to get my amp delivered before a holiday weekend by hand carrying it to his local airport & shipping it as cargo on Southwest Airlines, saving me money & time. Unlike many purchases, I've never had any regrets on this one & find no reason to ruin a perfect rating. Thanks Klaus.

Similar Products Used:

1st separate amp, previously used HK AVR65 receiver, Klipsch KLF series speakers.

Quality, Value, Look and Feel, Definitive Sound, Customer attention, 20 year warranty.

Makes badly recorded CD sounds like card board.

This review is based more on my subjective listening experience rather than a technical analysis. I finally broke in my HT3 after more than 3 months of use, and my system sounds fabulous. The HT3 has all the strength of the 2-channel Stratos and more without giving up anything. In 3-channel, the movie soundtrack is well defined and easily draws you into the movie. Whether it is the opening thunderous battle scene in Gladiator or the haunting voice of Lisa Gerrard at the closing scene, the highs, mids, and lows were clear, smooth, and with authority. The dynamic and sound stage were without compromise. In 2-channel mode, my CDs never sounded better. George Winston''s piano in "Autumn" puts me in New England''s back road with each notes like the fiery red leaves falling from the trees. Ottmar Libert''s finger comes alive as his flamenco guitar streaks across my living room inviting me out of my chair to move with each pluck of his guitar string. Handel''s water music gave me a front row seat next to King George as he sailed up the river. Choir arrangements sounded like live music, and Billy Joel sounded like he was singing in my living room. And yes, it can rock as well. So, do you find upgrading your A/V system to get better power or sound each year? Instead of spending 3K to 2K on the high end A/V system. Get yourself an HT/3 amp and a mid-end A/V system. You''ll now have a much better system and the basic building block to a great A/V system or plain old 2-channel system should you want both. I was so impress with the HT/3 that I ordered from Klaus his new duel mono Stratos to drive my L and R. Now if I only have more $$ to get a nice pre/proc with pass thru. (Klaus, when is it coming?!? I can''t wait that long) Gears: Sony DVD Player Onky CD Player Denon A/V Reciver Stratos HT/3 Sonus Faber and B&W Speakers

Musicality from the lowest bass to the highest highs, lifelike speed and tonality, separation of instruments, clean and crisp presentation. Build quality and style beyond all expection for the price. Runs barely warm at all levels. Klaus Bunge and the entire Odyssey crew.

Large size and weight may not fit all racks but not an issue at all with me.

I didn''t think I needed another 3 channel amp or even an amplifier for that matter with my set up since I had always believed the speaker was the ultimate weak link in my set up. Went through an impulsive upgrade from B&W P6 to a DIY ScanSpeak MTM kit from Madisound and found the improvements (dynamics, speed) marginal at best with set backs in certain areas (midrange articulation in particular). It took me a while to be open-minded again to possible improvements beyond baby steps. My friend reintroduced me to the Odyssey Stratos of which I had a prior vague interest. After doing research of this product on this site as well as others, I decided to give Mr. Klaus Bunge a call. This fellow is like an old friend who happens to be an audio consultant... very pleasant and tells it like it is. To make a long story short, I took delivery of the Stratos HT3 after doing my time (waiting period). I got the cap upgrade of 60,000 uF per channel and Symphonic Line upgraded caps to the stereo channels. After the initial burn-in of two weeks, the amp openned up big time! Soundstaging ability puts me outside the boundary of my listening area. Bass had a rock ''em sock ''em speed and impact that''s been missing in my set up. Highs are extended, airy and very natural without edge or harshness. Midrange is very organic and without glazing effect of my previous amp and those of other solid state amps I''ve heard. Ultimately, musicality is what counts and the whole is greater than the sum of all its excellent contributing parts as mentioned above. Needless to say, I have listened to all my CDs and DVDs with renewed appreciation and insight not to mentioned enjoyment. Bottom line: this is the ultimate 2 + 1 channel amp in one nicely packaged chasis. I consider the extra channel a bonus for home theatre application. This is not a compromised 3 channel amp by any standard and absolutely does justice to any decent set up in both 2 channel as well as HT duty. Highly recommended without any reservation. I could go on and on with its attributes but decided that it still does not compare to a listening session with a fully burn-in unit on a decent setup with proper source material. You go Klaus!

Similar Products Used:

Various models of B&K, ATI, Denon, Adcom, Krell and various others.

The same strengths as the Stratos stereo or monoblock. Very musical, great detail and excellent micro and macro-dynamics.

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The HRT3 carries on in the tradition of the Stratos amps. If you've got the room for this 3-channel amp (same basic chassis as the Stratos stereo), then you will be rewarded with wonderful sound quality. My home theatre(s) have never (before) provided such enveloping performances. Dialogs are clear, crisp and dynamic, and the two front channels sound just as wonderful, thus providing a broad panorama of detailed sound coming to your ears...just as it sounds at a good movie theatre (if not better).
An added bonus is that if you are listening to a CD, then you get almost all of the musical qualities of the Stratos stereo amps. So, I could envision that someone could setup and very nice home theatre system (using the HT-3), which could give one immense satisfaction for just listening to 2-channel music, as well. In fact if I don't want to fire up my main audio system...then I use my main HT system for background music.
I enjoyed my first HT3 so much that I purchased another one to setup a HT in my bedroom. It makes falling asleep during movies...very cozy indeed!
Klaus is still a joy to work with, but business is booming so be patient...it will be worth the wait!!!

Associated Equipment: Main home theatre

Odyssey HT3, Odyssey Stratos stereo, Aerial 10T's, Aerial CC3, Aerial 7B's, Marantz DV18, Marantz AV9000, Groneberg interconnects and speaker cables.

Similar Products Used:

Combinations of Audio Research and Marantz mono amps