Klaus Bunge of Odyssey Audio is impossible to miss. He’s big. He is passionately loud. He makes grand, sweeping statements. He is over-the-top in a larger-than-life kind of way.
And he also puts on the best demos at audio shows. The Odyssey Audio room is, for me, always a treat at any audio show I can find it at. And it is always an experience.
Words and Photos by Scot Hull
Here at AXPONA, Klaus had what seemed to be his usual recipe. Stratos mono block amps ($2900/pair), Kismet loudspeakers ($4,200/pair), a VPI Avenger turntable with a Graham tonearm, and Magnan Audio cables throughout.
This Odyssey room had it all. Mood lighting. Greenery. Audio gear spilled out into the room like a tipped-over cornucopia. “St James Infirmary” played at levels that will make the family complain. It was awesome! And the sound?
Harry Pearson may have been the one that coined the term “sound stage,” but Klaus Bunge was the one that gave that experience depth. For real — I have never heard a sound stage that deep and wide before. It was trippy — and an effect I think more of us would be delighted to experience at home and on the regular. Bass was very tight, and while not life-threatening, it was more than adequate, especially given that it was coming from a pair of two-ways. And that vinyl setup in the Odyssey room was dead-freaking quiet — could have sworn it was digital, had I not seen him drop the needle — and the sound oh my the sound. Rich. Full. Breathtaking.
This was best-in-show material — easily one of my Top 3 rooms at the show, and given the price, this was the most affordable by far.
I will offer that this isn’t the first time we have heaped praise on an Odyssey Audio demo. This is, along with a very short list of vendors, a pretty common accolade to be given Klaus. He’s won awards from TAS and others as a matter of routine — his designs are sonically worthy and priced competitively, and that is a hard equation to beat.
Anyway, this was a feast I’d sign up for, anytime. Glad to hear it — and see it — back on the circuit!
If you would like to hear even more coverage from AXPONA 2023, check out our recap report and highlights from our audiophile-oriented show The Occasional Podcast. You can stream the episode direct from the embed below, or from your favorite podcast platform including iTunes, Android, Google, Deezer, Spotify, iHeartRadio and more.
Also don’t forget to check out our collaboration to commemorate the event with our solid bronze record weight available only for a limited run. This 800 grams of solid bronze features the PTA roundel on the top with also acts as a 45 adapter. You can purchase direct from the PTA Approved Store here on the site.
While I agree having experienced this myself the analog front end is out of whack price wise with the other components. I’ll never forget my short conversation with Klaus when for some reason I mentioned Klipsch and he ask “Who is that ?”