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I first became aware of the Odyssey brand over four years ago.
About the time I got my Rotel RB-1090 was when I was seriously looking at their power amp product line, however I never got past the point of browsing their web site before getting the Rotel (in fact, a dear friend and former member here had recently passed when his brother asked if I would be interested in purchasing the unit from the estate. It may seem quite morbid to some, but I think fondly of my missing buddy, Bob, every time I touch the power switch on the 1090.)
Then a few months ago at Capital Audiofest, I heard a complete Odyssey system which incorporated the Khartago mono amps. I, along with everyone in the room, was quite impressed with what we were hearing. But, when considering the entire system cost (<$6k), it was downright sobering & probably quite upsetting to a lot of audio enthusiasts who had already spent far more to produce far less.
Last night I was able to audition another offering from Odyssey, a factory upgraded version of the Khartago Stereo amp with the base model 60,000µF caps boosted up to 120,000µF.
Base model specs are as follows:
$ 895 USD
2 x 110 Watts RMS @ 8 Ohms
2 Ohm load stable
Class A/AB
2 - 400,000 Hz frequency range
40 amps current delivery
<0.04% THD (not audible)
>500 continuous damping factor
Input impedance 22K ohms
DC offset <1 mV
RCA inputs
400 VA Plitron transformer
Sanken Epitaxial Planar Transistors 2SA1216 & 2SC2922
Anti vibration dual thickness PCB
Power consumption when idle ±30Watts
4 internal fuses 250V/6.3A, 5x20mm, fast blow
It was most fortunate that the amp was installed in a system I am V familiar with. Dan’s (PewterTA) system consists of a Rotel RSP-1098 pre, modified Rotel RB-1090 amp, & B&W 802 Diamond’s. As reference point, the modifications Dan performed on both his & my RB-1090 amp produce improved musicality & tightening of the bass; more air, focus & depth in the mid, & reduction of what little harshness exists in the HF while improving its texture & timbre. There is an overall increase in the speed & sense of ‘life’ across the board. Also, the 1090 is basically a duel-mono design rated at nearly 400 watts per channel.
Continuous Power Output (20-20 kHz, < 0.03%): 380 watts/ch into 8 ohms; 700 watts/ch into 4 ohms
Total Harmonic Distortion (20Hz-20kHz, 8 ohms): < 0.03%
Intermodulation Distortion (60 Hz : 7 kHz, 4:1): < 0.03%
Frequency Response (±1 dB): 10Hz-100kHz
Damping Factor (20-20,000 Hz, 8 ohms): 1000
Speaker Impedance (combined load): 4 ohms minimum
Signal to Noise Ratio (IHF A network): 125 dB
Input Impedance/Sensitivity: 33 k Ohms/1.8volt
Power Requirements: 115 Volts, 60 Hz (USA); 230 Volts, 50 Hz (EC)
Power Consumption: 800 Watts
Dimensions (W x H x D): 440 x 240 x 398 mm; 173/8 x 91/2 x 153/4 in
Weight (net): 38 kg, 83.6 lb.
Simply going by the numbers, this does not seem to be a V even matchup, though a competition was never the intent. What is important is that we have an amp (the RB-1090) that we are V familiar with, in a room we are V familiar with, paired with equipment we are V familiar with.
There is a saying in the audio world that there is no more important watt than the V first watt. In fact, many are surprised to learn that the majority of time spent listening to music (nearly any music) at reasonable listening levels, the amp is under quite little load & outputting fairly little power. This goes far to explain the ability of some flea-watt systems whose amps are rated to as little as 3 watts max, albeit in Class A, to sound absolutely fabulous given the room & distance from the drivers is reasonable. So the ‘going’ notion is that if an amplifier can get the ‘first watt’ right, then when asked to delver higher levels of power, it will be up to the task. And, conversely, an amplifier that does not sound so good under little load would not be expected to get better sounding simply because it was capable of producing 300 watts MAX RMS @ 8 ohms. This seems a rational expectation the more one thinks about it. And in fact, over time I have found it to be quite true in the real world.
Ok, so now all the lead-up is behind, & the question of how this amp sounded seems to have already been hinted at.
Well, on the race track they also have a saying. And it goes, “There is no substitute for horsepower”. In the case of the Khartago, this is still a truism. On the most demanding transients, compared to the modified RB-1090, there is some missing dynamics. A tad bit of shyness, some coy response when in-your-face is what is on order. During ‘normal’ passages, with more even but still varying dynamics, it is still noticeable. How noticeable? Well, in terms of speed or quickness, a quality that often is reflected by an amp’s overall power & headroom, not very. The Khartago can out-draw the Lone Ranger. In fact, one of the first things you appreciate in this amp is its speed, and its detail. And its neutrality. Clean, quick, fun, detailed, but not clinical. Tonality & timber are spot on.
This is no brute, but it was never meant to be. With an advertised rating of 110 watts RMS @ 8 ohm, after hearing it, if the advertising literature said 200 watt, I would still say it performs above its rating.
So there you have it. Once again it seems urban legend, old wife’s tails & audio truisms along with old fashioned long division & algebra are not always to be relied upon when doing what you should always do……..Trust Your Own Ears!
About the time I got my Rotel RB-1090 was when I was seriously looking at their power amp product line, however I never got past the point of browsing their web site before getting the Rotel (in fact, a dear friend and former member here had recently passed when his brother asked if I would be interested in purchasing the unit from the estate. It may seem quite morbid to some, but I think fondly of my missing buddy, Bob, every time I touch the power switch on the 1090.)
Then a few months ago at Capital Audiofest, I heard a complete Odyssey system which incorporated the Khartago mono amps. I, along with everyone in the room, was quite impressed with what we were hearing. But, when considering the entire system cost (<$6k), it was downright sobering & probably quite upsetting to a lot of audio enthusiasts who had already spent far more to produce far less.
Last night I was able to audition another offering from Odyssey, a factory upgraded version of the Khartago Stereo amp with the base model 60,000µF caps boosted up to 120,000µF.
Base model specs are as follows:
$ 895 USD
2 x 110 Watts RMS @ 8 Ohms
2 Ohm load stable
Class A/AB
2 - 400,000 Hz frequency range
40 amps current delivery
<0.04% THD (not audible)
>500 continuous damping factor
Input impedance 22K ohms
DC offset <1 mV
RCA inputs
400 VA Plitron transformer
Sanken Epitaxial Planar Transistors 2SA1216 & 2SC2922
Anti vibration dual thickness PCB
Power consumption when idle ±30Watts
4 internal fuses 250V/6.3A, 5x20mm, fast blow
It was most fortunate that the amp was installed in a system I am V familiar with. Dan’s (PewterTA) system consists of a Rotel RSP-1098 pre, modified Rotel RB-1090 amp, & B&W 802 Diamond’s. As reference point, the modifications Dan performed on both his & my RB-1090 amp produce improved musicality & tightening of the bass; more air, focus & depth in the mid, & reduction of what little harshness exists in the HF while improving its texture & timbre. There is an overall increase in the speed & sense of ‘life’ across the board. Also, the 1090 is basically a duel-mono design rated at nearly 400 watts per channel.
Continuous Power Output (20-20 kHz, < 0.03%): 380 watts/ch into 8 ohms; 700 watts/ch into 4 ohms
Total Harmonic Distortion (20Hz-20kHz, 8 ohms): < 0.03%
Intermodulation Distortion (60 Hz : 7 kHz, 4:1): < 0.03%
Frequency Response (±1 dB): 10Hz-100kHz
Damping Factor (20-20,000 Hz, 8 ohms): 1000
Speaker Impedance (combined load): 4 ohms minimum
Signal to Noise Ratio (IHF A network): 125 dB
Input Impedance/Sensitivity: 33 k Ohms/1.8volt
Power Requirements: 115 Volts, 60 Hz (USA); 230 Volts, 50 Hz (EC)
Power Consumption: 800 Watts
Dimensions (W x H x D): 440 x 240 x 398 mm; 173/8 x 91/2 x 153/4 in
Weight (net): 38 kg, 83.6 lb.
Simply going by the numbers, this does not seem to be a V even matchup, though a competition was never the intent. What is important is that we have an amp (the RB-1090) that we are V familiar with, in a room we are V familiar with, paired with equipment we are V familiar with.
There is a saying in the audio world that there is no more important watt than the V first watt. In fact, many are surprised to learn that the majority of time spent listening to music (nearly any music) at reasonable listening levels, the amp is under quite little load & outputting fairly little power. This goes far to explain the ability of some flea-watt systems whose amps are rated to as little as 3 watts max, albeit in Class A, to sound absolutely fabulous given the room & distance from the drivers is reasonable. So the ‘going’ notion is that if an amplifier can get the ‘first watt’ right, then when asked to delver higher levels of power, it will be up to the task. And, conversely, an amplifier that does not sound so good under little load would not be expected to get better sounding simply because it was capable of producing 300 watts MAX RMS @ 8 ohms. This seems a rational expectation the more one thinks about it. And in fact, over time I have found it to be quite true in the real world.
Ok, so now all the lead-up is behind, & the question of how this amp sounded seems to have already been hinted at.
Well, on the race track they also have a saying. And it goes, “There is no substitute for horsepower”. In the case of the Khartago, this is still a truism. On the most demanding transients, compared to the modified RB-1090, there is some missing dynamics. A tad bit of shyness, some coy response when in-your-face is what is on order. During ‘normal’ passages, with more even but still varying dynamics, it is still noticeable. How noticeable? Well, in terms of speed or quickness, a quality that often is reflected by an amp’s overall power & headroom, not very. The Khartago can out-draw the Lone Ranger. In fact, one of the first things you appreciate in this amp is its speed, and its detail. And its neutrality. Clean, quick, fun, detailed, but not clinical. Tonality & timber are spot on.
This is no brute, but it was never meant to be. With an advertised rating of 110 watts RMS @ 8 ohm, after hearing it, if the advertising literature said 200 watt, I would still say it performs above its rating.
So there you have it. Once again it seems urban legend, old wife’s tails & audio truisms along with old fashioned long division & algebra are not always to be relied upon when doing what you should always do……..Trust Your Own Ears!
unk:
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