2. amps-preamps
  3. 1269982508

Best Match for Dynaudio Contour S3.4?

Amp Budget $2400. Peachtree Nova Preamp/DAC, Ocos II speaker cables, and a short list of amps as follows; Odyssey Stratos Mono Extremes, Spectron Musician III MkII Se, Plinius P8 (modified), Mark Levinson 331.

I loved the sound of the Plinius 9200 paired with the Dyns, but I was not using the preamp section so I sold it. Might be regretting this... But now I am seeing if I can do the same or better for under $2400.

Who has some experience with any of these combinations that could opine here about their preferences and why. I listen to a lot of soft rock and blues mostly (Steely Dan, John Mayer, Buddy Guy, SRV, etc) as well as female vocalists (from Patricia Barber to Joss Stone and Sarah Vaughan). Well recorded jazz is cool, but classical is not my thing.

Thanks!
fredorama
tvad
9,467 posts
 
Odyssey amps come up used fairly regularly.

I owned a pair of Odyssey Extreme Monos with red boards.

Having spoken with Klaus on several occasions, I know that he can be very persuasive. I bought a used pair for slightly less than what he was proposing for a new pair. When I sold the Odyssey amps, I still lost a fair amount of money.

Just my experience.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
...btw, the amps that replaced the Odyssey Extreme Monos in my system were Belles 150A Reference monoblocks. I thought they had better tonal balance than the Odyssey amps (which were a bit bass heavy, IMO), and both the highs and upper mids had less grain.

Eventually, the Belles amps were replaced with Pass Labs XA-60.5 monoblocks, which were another level above. Had I not changed loudspeakers, I'd still own the XA-60.5 amplifiers.
missioncoonery
732 posts
 
Appears your trying to convince us your mindset is correct even though most disagree with it.Buy the mod amp and get back to us when ya sell it or need service.Personally I tend to follow advise from those who have hands on experience with what I want to know,seems to work better..Enjoy the amp!
tvad
9,467 posts
 
Fredorama, have you ever considered a Moscode 401HR? Great amplifier. Not as large as a Plinius or Pass stereo amp, and runs cooler...
fredorama OP
46 posts
 
Tvad - and others, thank you all for your comments. I am off the modding thing. It does not appeal to me any more. What I did was order the Odysseys, which now I am concerned about, based on TVad's comments, and the fact that I do see them come up used fairly often. Klaus is VERY persuasive, but I have chosen to believe him that this pair of monos is special. (I looked in the mirror just to be sure the word "sucker" wasn't imprinted on my forehead). Hope it doesn't appear there any time soon. I do have a 30-60 day evaluation period. So if I choose to return them, I will be out $250 in shipping. Cost of evaluation = not great but only way to know.

Now I am considering an ARC 100.2 @ $1600, and the Plinius SA-102 @ $2400. I would like to hear all three but can't afford the cash flow hit to do that. Would like to get two out of three in my home though. And so my dilemma continues....

and I am going to buy one more amp to compare them against - either the ARC 100.2 or the Plinius SA-102.
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