I did not mean to take anything away from the actual piece of equipment, just the marketing and attitude of the company.

Agreed, there.

However, I expect that from any audio company. Outlaw is a bit of an exception here.

But, if you are looking for a decent 150 W/ch class A/AB into 8ohm stereo amp, do consider the Stratos (in any of its various configurations in spite of the marketspeak voodoo -- it's also available in a monoblock 300W design, as well as dual mono (independent power supplies in one chassis). www.odysseyaudio.com is rather a bare (and dated) site. www.odysseyaudiosg.com offers more and better information, actually.

The amp is overbuilt, with a 400 W toroidal power transformer, 60,000, 120,000, or 180,000 uF of filter capacitors, heatsinks on the left and right side of the chassis, and balanced XLR inputs as well as RCA single ended inputs, with gold-plated WBT speaker terminals. Power switche(s) are on the back panel, and the unit is intended to be left on all the time. There is no provision for a trigger input.

I am extremely happy with the performance of mine.

Other areas where Klaus goes a bit overboard are the personalized nameplate stuck to the rear panel, and his praise for the isolating feet.

The nameplate comes off after a couple of days and really detracts from the professional build quality. And, I doubt the feet make that much of a difference. The manual, though technically complete, can best be described as stark: no diagrams or pictures -- rather something that kids starting a business in their garrage might produce in a hurry. Still, the amp is a steal at around US$1200. I own one, but I have no financial interest in the success of the manufacturer (they are a private company).

Klaus said he likes the nameplate to be a personal touch, that he builds the amps himself -- this is probably more true than not, given that he has "two and a half" employees. Odyssey amps have to be custom ordered (particularly if one wants one of the many cosmetic anodization treatments of the front panel and/or case), and are made to order. This is strictly a mom and pop shop that does final build and test on a tweaked licensed Symphonic Line design. I can appreciate the sentiment, even if I find the execution a bit cheesy -- I get the impression that Klaus builds amps like Lambourghini builds cars: one at a time (well, Lambourghini builds four at a time, the last time I checked, but you get the idea). The difference is that the Stratos performs like a sports car at the price of a family sedan.

Klaus likes to spend time with a prospective customer to determine their needs, present and future. For me, I'm slowly building a 5.1 or 7.1 system over time to replace my 20 year old stereo system, so I'll need amps and speakers as time goes on. I've just started with the 990 and the Stratos (replacing a Carver TFM-22, with a noticible improvement driving the 4 ohm Radia 520i speakers).

SteveCallas: if you like overbuilt amps, do consider auditioning the Stratos, if you can afford the $100 or so shipping costs if you end up returning it. In fact, if you call Klaus (it will take some time for him to return your call), he might set you up with a local owner, if possible, to check it out first. The biggest amp they make, power-wise, is their Stratos Mono Extreme: a 300Wpc class A/AB monoblock, with a damping factor over 800 and a distortion figure under 0.04%, IIRC.

Odyssey also makes a smaller amp, the Khartago, at 110 W/ch into 8 ohms in a stereo configuration and 160 W/ch into 8 ohms in a mono configuration. This design cuts costs: the speaker terminals aren't as good, and the input is strictly single-ended, to keep the price under $800. But, when I inquired, Klaus noted that he could upgrade the connectors and include a balanced input stage, if I wanted. (I'm considering it for surround speakers). You just won't get that kind of personal service at that price anywhere else.

Is the Stratos the be all and end all of amplifiers, a Krell-killer? No, of course not. But, in the $1000-range, give or take, it strikes me as excellent value. I'd be inclined to compare it to the Bryston's of old.