Great bass extension and articulation. Clean highs without any thinness. Transparency. A fabulous soundstage.

Getting the damn things in your rack is going to take some work.

I had been a proud owner of the stereo Stratos w/ the cap upgrade since March/April of last year, until a couple of months ago when I had the chance to upgrade to the Stratos Monoblocks. A friend of mine upgraded his monos to the Symphonic Line RG4, and I jumped at the chance to pick these up. I had heard them in his system numerous times and was waiting eagerly for him to upgrade, so I could snap these up. My system now includes, the monoblocks, Sonic Frontiers Line 1 preamp, Symphonic Line Legato/Lorelei speakers, Cary CD 303/200, Groneberg and Nordost interconnects and power cords. The monos are quite a bit of a jump from the stereo Stratos. Right of the bat, I noticed a huge improvement in the bottom end. The bass had much more extension and articulation. The first CD I put on simply made me smile at the sound of the bass drum. The soundstage also improved quite a bit - much more presence around the musicians giving that sense of their acoustical space. Having heard and enjoyed my Legatos with the stereo Stratos, these speakers now just loved the added power and dynamics. If I'd noticed any hint of slight upper end thinness of the stereo Stratos, they were now corrected by the monos. These just gave violins the correct weight and measure. As with the stereo version, the monos are quite revealing, they do not colour the sound in any way. All those people who find the stereo Stratos holographic (myself included), wait until you hear the monos. These amps will also give you gobs more detail than you heard before. One of my test CD's is Clark Terry's album One on One and the track 11. Once Billy Taylor begins his piano in the left hand side of the soundstage, that piano was just gorgeous - it had weight and it had musicality - and then when Terry enters with his trumpet from the right side, you feel as if you are sitting right in front of them at some jazz club. This track has a bit of background noise like Terry moving his chair, tapping his foot, smacking his lips. The monos are great with that low-level detail Some may not like this background stuff going on, but I happen to think it is all part of the music. Even though the CD isn't a live CD, it just puts you in the middle of a "performance", so to speak. On Patricia Barber's Cafe Blue album track 9 also makes a good test track. I have heard this piece numerous times on different systems.

Similar Products Used:

Stereo Stratos; Adcom: Parasound; Aragon 8008BB, amongst others.

Great detail and dynamics, but you'll need excellent speakers to obtain all of the benefits.

Limitations of your existing system. Also, Klaus misspelled my name on the upgrade.

This is a follow up review. The guy I purchased it from went by the name of Klaus Bunge, a chain-smoking, slightly exothalmic individual, who definitely is not a member of the ultra-rich Bunges. I just wanted to add that I'm now 95% sure that these units provide the detail of the Monarchy SM-70 Pros, when operating in fully, balanced mode. You'll need speakers to provide the details. Randy Green, a potential customer, challenged Klaus to a battle of the speakers. Klaus never accepted the challenge. Here was my entry from Parts Express: Parts from Parts Express: #300 – 704 - .22 cu ft cabinet #300 – 708 - .55 cu ft cabinet ( ½ in MDF) #091- 1245 - Dayton gold-plated binding posts #268 -030 - vinyl damping material #260 – 317 - Acousta-stuf Crossovers #260 – 142 - Dayton 2.5 kHz #269 - 342 - Exacta 2.5 kHz Crossover Speakers Woofer: #299 -182 - Peerless 6.5 in (91.5 db eff) Tweeter: #279-125 - inexpensive $8.80 silk dome #264-555 - Vifa XT25TG30 - dual concentric #276-514 - ScanSpeak 9900 revelator Aperiodic Vent #296-546 - ScanSpeak aperiodic vent Wire: 15 feet of Nordhost flat wire from Madisound I've listed three different tweeters, so you can build dynamite speakers from $200 - $600. If you choose the smaller box, you'll have enlarge the holes with a router. I recommend using the Scanspeak aperiodic vent, because the resulting sound is silkier.

Similar Products Used:

Monarchy SM-70, Van Alstine Omega Series, Berning EA-100s

Great sound. Solid construction. Cool operating temperature. Great looks. Great price. Klaus.

The wait. Plan ahead, its worth it.

I've had the Odyssey Stratos Monoblocks about 10 weeks. Before that I had the Odyssey Stratos Stereo with cap upgrade for about a year. I never reviewed the stereo here, probably should have, it would have gotten a 5/5. I spent several months deciding on the Odyssey stereo and was VERY pleased with it. I kept hearing that the monos were even better, even more of what I liked. I used Odyssey's upgrade policy of sending back my stereo and purchasing the equivalent of an additional stereo and got back the monoblocks. To me, this was a very nice option. I had been through the breakin period with the stereo and was expecting something similar for the monos. Right out of the box, these babies sounded better than the stereo. I had high expectations and they have been exceeded. The music is as pure as it get. A 30 day return policy takes the risk out of buying before hearing. A 20 year warrantry, how many amps have that? System: Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 cdp with opamp upgrade Creek OBH-12 passive preamp (for remote volume control) Odyssey Stratos Monoblocks Groneberg interconnects and speaker cable (also purchased from Odyssey)

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha 2095.

Not sure if strength or weakness, but badly recorded material sounds awful through these amps. On the otherhand, good recordings are positively magical. Lots of power when needed. No transformer hums or ground loop noises. Dead Quiet Sound Floor. 20 year warranty.

Product delivery does take a long time, but probably worth the wait, IMHO. Break in time - Definitely need a week or two before they settle in. Klaus needs to stop using UPS - They seem to damage all their heavy deliveries.

I'll try to keep this review as short as possible. With months of investigating, research, and listening behind me, I made the decision to purchase two Odyssey Stratos Mono-Blocks. After several weeks, the amps arrived safe and sound with no dents or scratches, although the boxes looked molested by UPS. Unpackaging the amps revealed a solidly built product that required some serious lifting, but looked absolutely awesome once I got a good look at them. I saw no indications of poor quality control. In fact, these amps my be the best built audiophile equipment I have owned. Sound Quality - I have roughly 150 hours on these amps so far and all I can say is "what amps?" I mean, they have completely disappeared, leaving only the music behind. I have my mono-blocks mated with a new Sunfire Theater Grand III and the noise floor is dead quiet and the soundstage is both wide and deep. These two pieces synergize well and sound great together. I was expecting improvement over my previous gear, but what I hear is remarkable for a Solid State amp. Previous owners state that the sound quality of the Odyssey's will continue to improve over time - Looks like I still have a great deal to look forward to. If you truly want audiophile sound, these amps are about as good as it gets for the money.

Similar Products Used:

Carver, Parasound, ATI, Onkyo, Denon

Solid build. In the mother of pearl, these babies reflect the sheen and look beautiful. Able to hit all ranges with absolute precision. Marry up so well with the Odyssey Stratos Mono Blocks

No speaker grill or grill cloth (this is only a weakness if you have small children and believe that a speaker's drivers act as an attractive nuisance. My kids know not to touch my equipment under penalty of death. It's their friends, however, that concern me.) The size of these babies in their packing materials - very unwieldy. I still haven't figured out what to do with the boxes, which must weigh 20lbs each.

Odyssey Lorelei Speakers - Ok, I'll admit it. I couldn't figure out how to write a review on these speakers under a speaker category. As such, I'm writing it under the mono block category. If someone can tell me what I need to do to set up a separate category, I'll move this review. Also, please see my reviews on my previously owned Stratos Stereo Power Amp and my presently owned Mono Blocks. So there I was, listening to my Meadowlark Shearwaters (Hot Rods) after having just upgraded to the Stratos Mono Blocks thinking that my system sounded pretty good. The problem was, it didn't really move me and I knew why. It was the speakers. Don't get me wrong, technicially, the Shearwater is a great speaker - just read some of the reviews. The problem is, I wasn't experiencing the music the way I had when I originally bought the little brothers to the Shearwaters, the Kestrels. I expressed my frustration to Klaus and asked him about the Loreleis. He, of course couldn't say enough good about them - and with the money back return policy, how could I not audition them. Well, since the moment they arrived, I haven't looked back. I was and continue to be totally moved by their sound. They are everything that Klaus said they would be and more. There is no way anyone would have ever convinced me that a two-way could sound this good or produce this much sound. Also, the Lorelei and the Stratos were designed for each other - and are perfect compliments to one another. My musical tastes run the gamt from jazz to rock and roll to new age to a fairly extensive collection of classical (both in vinal and digital formats). There is virtually nothing that the Loreleis can't reproduce with stunning accuracy and warmth. I can't five you the technical mumbo jumbo that I keep reading in The Absolute Sound and Stereophile as to why these things sound as good as they do. What I can say is that I will match their sound quality against any speaker costing 2 to 3 times as much. I can honestly say that I regularily spend a couple of hours in my listening room just listening to and experiencing the music that the Loreleis produce. I have never experienced listening fatigue. In fact, I am constantly looking for new pieces to listen to, just because I know the capablities of these babies.

Similar Products Used:

Meadowlark Shearwater - Hot Rod Version Additional equipment in my system: Odyssey Tempest Preamp Odyssey Stratos Monos Rega Planet CD Play (used as a transport) Nelson Link DAC III (Full Nelso

They sound fantastic (neutral to perhaps one shade warm/dark), price, warranty, power and speaker control, cool operating temperature, no audible hum or noise

The wait sucks. Klaus is executing a smart business model that controls inventory, capital commitment, etc., but this means you have to be patient. If you are willing to wait 1-2 months, you''''ll save $2,000-$4,000 by purchasing these incredible amps. They do not have balanced inputs, though they do come equipped with XLR inputs (bridged to the RCA inputs) for the convenience of those with XLR cables/preamp outs.

I recently purchased Martin Logan Ascents. The Ascents are extremely demanding and forced me to updgrade from my Yamaha RX-V995 Receiver. I ordered the Stratos Mono Blocks from Klaus because he offered a money back guarantee if the Mono Blocks didn''''t make the Logans sing as they did when I auditioned them at the dealer (the dealer powered them with a Krell preamp and amp). The Stratos Mono Blocks are fantastic amps and I''''m delighted I purchased them. I am skeptical about the extended break in period claimed by some, as my amps sounded great within a few days. The only problem I was having was a grainy, overmodulated sound in the vocal range. This problem was because I was using the preamp outs from the Yamaha receiver, it was NOT because the Stratos weren''''t "broken in." I am using an Anthem AVM-20 preamp currently and the vocals are now smooth and warm. This preamp sounds great with the Stratos and Logans. Klaus has been a joy to deal with, and with the exception of the 2 month wait, the experience with Odyssey has been outstanding. I just ordered another mono block to drive my center channel, and I also ordered the Stratos stereo amp to drive my rears (also Logans). I dread the wait, but the last 3 months have taken me from "enthusiast" to "audiophile" and I can say without reservation that if you want a great sounding, powerful amplifier at a reasonable price, it is prudent to audition the Mono Blocks. When auditioning the Logans I was listening to a Krell amp that probably cost 2 or 3 times as much as the Stratos Mono Blocks, and the Stratos Mono Blocks sound as good as the Krell amp in all respects. I am not knocking Krell, as the Krell amp driving the Logans sounded great. I simply wanted to match that level of quality without spending as much money. These amps are awesome. System: *Anthem AVM-20 Preamp/Home Theatre Processor *Odyssey Stratos Mono Blocks *Martin Logan Ascents (bi-wired) *Groneberg Cables and interconnects *Martin Logan Cinema Center Channel *Martin Logan Script Surrounds *Forthcoming: Odyssey Stratos Mono Block and Odyssey Stratos Stereo amp w/cap upgrade

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha, Krell

Too many to mention, see my two reviews.

None important.

After having the Stratos Monoblocks for 4 months, I have decided to post a follow-up. First, the equipment> Analog Linn Sondek Turntable with Lingo Power supply, Cirkus, Trampoline and other upgrades. Ittok tonearm. Van den Hul Grasshopper cartridge XLO Signature Phono Cable Linn Linto Phono Preamp Digital Kinergetics Platinum Transport Sonic Frontiers Jitterbug (two in series) MSB Gold Link DAC with Power Base 1000 Preamp Placette Audio passive HRS Harmonic Recovery System (Two: one with gain before the passive and one with unity after the passive. Which, in effect, constitutes a full line preamp when used in this way.) Amplifiers Four Odyssey Stratos Monoblocks Speakers Magnepan Magneplanar 3.6R Active Crossover Magnepan XO1 Digital Interconnects: XLO Signature Analog interconnects: XLO Signature and JPS. Speaker Cables: Groneberg TS Premium. After 4 months of constant use, the Stratos have shown their true colors. Firts, the sound has darkened compared with prior months. Liquid, sweet, detailed,holographic without being "impressive"as some commercial amps tend to be. I can tell where singers are in opera and oratorio recordings. Choruses are layered and you may distinguish individual voices. Symphony orchestras: you can hear each instrument even during fortissimo passages. Low level detail: lots of it. Cello solos: you can tell there is a large wooden instrument body being palyed by human fingers. Pianos: right there in your room with perfect sound. Voices: all kinds sound gorgeous, you can feel the breathing, the lips moving and the throats getting dry sometimes. I am listening deeper into the recordings than ever before and listening to more music. Sometimes I do not want to stop listening. The amps have helped me to stop worrying about the system and enjoy music more. It is a pitty that I can''t give them a 10 here as the toop is 5. They should be renamed Wotans instead of Stratos, or even perhaps Sigfrieds. Buy them, you will not go wrong. Thanks Klaus for an excellent product.

Similar Products Used:

See may original review.

Value, Customer service.

The wait, but definitely worth it!

After hearing about Odyssey from an audio dealer and reading reviews, I decided to buy the mono-block amps. I was so impressed with the way they sounded that I also purchased the Odyssey: pre-amp, speaker wire and inter-connects, and CD player. I can''t say enough good things about this company and about Klause Bunge (Owner). Klause is honest, helpful, knowledgeable, and offers, by far, the best value in audio equipment.

fast,clean,awesome power, and very detailed, very nice looking amps, and Klause was very helpfull before and after the sale.

long wait time, but worth the wait

I just received these monoblocks a couple of weeks ago and I love the way they sound. If you read all the other reviews about the Odyssey stratos monoblocks and their 2 channel amp, you will see that everybody loves the sound of these amps. They provide a clean, fast, powerfull, and detailed sound. You can hear every cymbal stroke, every guitar string pluk, each piano note, and fast and accurate bass notes without any smearing. I evaluated many different amps ranging from $3000 to $8000 a pair and I like the sound of these monoblocks better than what I have heard.

Associated equipment:
Odyssey Stratos Monoblocks
Sony 9000es sacd player
Classe 47.5 preamp
NHT 2.9 speakers
Audiotruth Opal 3x interconnects
Audioquest Slate speaker cables (bi wired)
B&O Beogram turntable

Similar Products Used:

Mcintosh separates, Mcintosh 6500 integrated, ATI 1505 used in biamp mode, Classe 200

Incredible bass, detail, and smoothness. Build quality is outstanding. Runs cold. Customer service.

Case is very deep and heavy

I bought these amps based on the many positive reviews on this site. I then talked to Klaus 3 or 4 times to gather more information. Klaus was extremely helpful and honest which I have found to be a rarity for dealers of audio/video products. He was also very knowledgeable.

The amps are based on the Symphonic Line products out of Germany, and apparently the design has been "perfected" over the past twenty years.

The amps are extremely well built and produce almost no heat at all. I leave them on all of the time and have never seen them heat up at all.

One of the first things I noticed when listening, is that the bass was much tighter and deeper than the 200 wpc Parasound amp it replaced. More details were present, and the overall sound was more balanced and smooth. Additionally, they drove my speakers much louder than the Parasound.

The difference on Home Theater was proably the most amazing. I was truly stunned at the increase in "slam" and force that was added. I will soon be adding an additional mono block for the center channel.

The best thing I can really say about this amp is that I have stopped looking or caring about any other amplifiers. I will upgrade by adding additional mono blocks to my home theater, but it would take a revolutionary product to make me consider a change at this point.

One last note: There is a reason that there is a 10 week wait to get these and that this is the highest rated amp on audioreview.com.