2. amps-preamps
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My Amp is good but probably the weak point

I have an Odyssey Audio Khartago Stereo. It’s got the larger tranny, upgraded wiring, RCA and Speaker posts. It might have one step up from the baseline circuit board (I don’t recall). It’s the first piece I bought and it’s been great. 
but as my system has come together I feel like it’s a choke point though I feel the sound of the system is superb.

So with that I began researching and feel like the Coda #8 would be a strong contender to replace it. My research has also included a JC5 and sending my amp back to Klaus to upgrade to Kismet level.

As of now:

sl1200GR (KAB damper, Isanoe feet)

AT33PTG/II

Sutherland 20/20 MK1 (+ LPS)

Denafrips Athena line stage

Odyssey Khartago

Klipsch Heresy IV

Rythmik L12 (pair)

RCA, XLR, speaker and power cords are Audio Envy

anyine have thoughts? I feel like a part of me wants to go Kismet but that’s 2-6 months to get that done. I have a Vidar as a backup amp but it’s not anywhere near as good as the Odyssey.

$5k limit and looking used. Solid state only.

gochurchgo
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
3,837 posts
 

The coda is a Great amp, and preamp excellent they don’t advertise but I find them  Best Buy a shoot way above their price point ,and 3 amplifier power choices 

their best effort is their pure class A 100 watt amp. But not cheap that being said 

their amplifier is a no brainer  , the biggest potter transformer out there3000 Va all others are not even potted super low noise ,and 10 year warranty over 120 amps on demand for incredible Dynamic control, Dale and Co were all engineeers with Nelson Pass at Thresholds classic Stasis . 
i own their latest CSIB integrated amp and  very happy !!

fatdaddy2
367 posts
 

Amazing how it's always the folks who say they hate Klipsch who are th first ones to recommend getting rid of your Klipsch speakers!  (I could say the same thing about beryllium tweeters, but hey, that's just me...)

gochurchgo OP
891 posts
 

@thecarpathian  I do very much. Which is why I’m still pondering upgrading the crap out of the amp.

 

@audioman58  no doubt the Coda is amazing. I’ve been eying a #8 and also a S5.5 (all class a). It’d be a big upgrade but wondering if it’s the upgrade I’m looking for.

@fatdaddy2  100% agree

@clearthinker  no wife happy life

ghdprentice
6,358 posts
 

OP,

 

You needn’t know what characteristic you want to improve. This typically simply means you like all aspects of your current sound. That is a good thing.

I have been improving the sound of my system continually for fifty years. Many times, I have simply wanted all aspects to improve… dynamics, detail, soundstage, sound floor… etc. Moving to better equipment will do that. Once you have one piece of much better equipment, then upgrading others to that new level is likely to follow. Hopefully, falling on a great and higher plateau you are happy on for a long time.

 

Occationally an upgrade will move your system a bit too far in one or more aspects. Then you will have reason to change some particular aspects… could be tonal balance, too harshly revealing… more bass… who knows.

curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
4,124 posts
 

@gochurchgo 

Maybe a Denafrips Hyperion to go with your Athena?

Usually preamps and amps in the same company play very well together.

All the best.

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