Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Got this second hand Tempest, the phono section hums but the line section is nice and quiet. Sound is not bad and actually I enjoying how it performs. Since I have some electronics skill I opened the preamp to take a look inside. This is the original version of the Tempest: not shielded transformer and regular pcb. Components are of good quality and wiring is nice, what disapointed me are the quality of the pcb and the way component were soldered on it. The pcb is not of the industrial (standard) type, it looks like the one used for hobby constructions, soldering quality is low, components legs were not trimmed properly and are too long, and solder will not go all the way up thru the board to the components, I think the bad quality of the soldering is because the cheap pcb used. These will make the preamp not reliable with probability of failure or hum. I'm sure the new version with the new pcb will be better and the way to go.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I bought this thru Audiogon for $550. A pretty good deal. I've had no problems with this unit. The phono stage is excellent. Like other reviewers have stated, it is a little warm-sounding (that's good--I can understand why it gets compared to tube pres), and very pleasant to listen to. I formerly had a McCormack ALD 1, which was more detailed, with a more precise soundstage, but tiring to listen to. The ALD's sound was too "hard", and was light in the bass dept. The Tempest has more warmth, better bass, and is simply nicer to listen to for extended periods. I would have given it 5 stars, but there ARE better preamps out there, but probably not at this price point. Other pre's i've used were the CJ PV11, Dynaco PAT4, Carvin C4000, and a few others. Out of the bunch, I prefer the Odyssey.

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Odyssey Audio

Summary:
I'm no audiophile, but I do enjoy clarity of music and can recognize quality sound when it is heard. After deciding it was time to upgrade the older preamp I had, I shopped around a bit and stumbled across Odyssey in my 'travels'. I read everything I could and decided the Tempest was a wise choice for my needs. Around the beginning of 2006 I called Klaus and we chatted for a bit deciding that the regular Tempest was probably the best option for the time being, so I ordered one and waited. The wait was the worst part, but the gear finally arrived. Astounded by the heft of the box, it was unpacked and installed within a couple hours of it being in the house. I was completely impressed with the solid construction. When everything was ready, I turned on the music and was very pleased with what I heard. Going through several CD's, I did begin to notice a subtle buzzing that has been noted by others, in the silence between tracks and when there was no signal being sent to the speakers. It was quiet but present. I then popped on an LP and noticed a very obvious hum. This I assumed was due to a ground, but I was unable to eliminate it successfully. Over the next few days I called Klaus and we chatted for a while, deciding it best for me to send him the pre. I sent it to him and he looked at it and we discussed the numerous variables that could cause such noise with equipment. After a couple of chats, I decided to have him go ahead and 'Extreme' the unit. It was returned to me within a couple of weeks, reconnected to my other equipment, and it was immediately obvious that this was a completely 'different' preamp under the hood. Not a peep out of the speakers aside from the music that was supposed to be there. When I put on an LP, there wasn't so much as a mild hiss, just the pop and crackles from some of my less than stellar albums. The Tempest Extreme had made me happy. It has now been about 8 or 9 months that I've had the unit and it makes my Magnepan 3.5's sing like they should. I have an older Onkyo Grand Integra M508 amp, and in the several years that I've had it I have never been disappointed with the sound. Well, I'm still not and it partners well with the Tempest. I'm sure that a couple of Stratos Extremes would make an even more impressive compliment, but that's an option that 'isn't' at the moment. Needless to say, I wouldn't hesitate to by Odyssey equipment again.

Strengths:
Solid construction, superb sound, simple but 'masculine' looks.

Weaknesses:
Had the 'regular' Tempest buzzing issue originally, but Klaus took care of everything and I had him upgrade to an Extreme version, eliminating any doubt that the preamp was a keeper.

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Price Paid:  $600.00 from Audiogon

Summary:
This review is for the standard Tempest. There seem to be some rather polarized opinions on this equipment. My view is somewhere in the middle.

I found the Tempest sound quality to be good, but not exceptional. When combined with the Stratos, the midrange was a bit forward and exaggerated with some sibilance, highs reasonably crisp and clear, and bass lacking in presence and definition compared to truly fine equipment. The soundstage was not as realistic as that of better equipment, either. Based on the sound quality alone I would give the Tempest 3 or maybe even 4 stars, but given the transformer buzz and overall shoddy quality of construction I can't go beyond 2 stars.

It amazes me to read review after review in which users who have had trouble with this unit give it 5 stars. Apparently people have been conditioned to expect lower quality than what I consider satisfactory. In my opinion, inconsistent performance and poor quality control should be cause for alarm rather than for praising the manufacturer for actually standing behind the warranty. Sending equipment in for weeks at a time for repairs is a major inconvenience and most manufacturers do not make us do that with the apparently high frequency that Odyssey does. I sold my Tempest and Stratos and would not buy another Odyssey product because of my concerns about consistency and quality control. Two experienced friends and I also found that a cheap Harmon Kardon receiver sounded at least as good as the Stratos/Tempest combo. Not recommended.

Strengths:
Decent sound if you can find a used one with the bugs already worked out of it for $500.

Weaknesses:
Poor construction quality
Transformer buzz in many units
Bass not particularly well defined
Somewhat compressed soundstage

Similar Products Used:
Van Alstine
PSE
Harman Kardon

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Odyssey/Audiocircle

Summary:
I originally purchased a used Tempest from a member on AudioCircle. It sounded great but was picking up interferrence in my room. I called Klaus and sent the unit back to him. He repaired it and sent it back in about a week. This time it still had interferrence but it was reduced in volume. I called him again and he agreed to build me a brand new fully upgraded Tempest Extreme at a small additional cost. All of this took some time, but that is to be expected with any kind of product return. The fact that Klaus is willing to provide this kind of customer service for a product that has been owned by two different parties is amazing.

A lot has been said about breakin with audio products. The Tempest is no exception. Mine has been plugged in for about 6 weeks and played a for few hours a day. To be perfectly honest it didn't sound that great for the first month and a half. But as I was listening last week, all of a sudden it became very bass heavy. The next day it was all treble and tinny... The next day the Tempest settled down and now it throws a huge sound stage, the Treble is sweet and extended, the Bass is powerful and punchy. I'm a believer in the theory of breakin, but I've never heard it this dramatically with any component that I've owned. I can only describe the change in sound like the brekin period of my Shelter 501 mkII. If you've had one of these low output MC's, it's an entirely different cartridge (all for the better) at 100 hrs.The Tempest may breakin faster if you play music through it 24/7, but I don't know. I do know that if you don't leave the Tempest powered up for at least 6 weeks, you won't know the magic that this preamp can show.

I also own an Odyssey Stratos Plus amp. In my system the Tempest and Stratos sound amazing driving Meaowlark Shearwater Hotrod speakers. I hear that Klaus has discontinued the regular Tempest and is only selling the Extreme version, as well as lowering the price of the upgrade. This is amazing customer and product support. He even called me to rufund some of my upgrade money to keep it in line with the new pricing. I think you would be hard pressed to find that kind of dedication to customer service anywhere.

Strengths:
Smooth dynamic sound. Huge soundstage. Palpable imaging. Great build quality. PRICE.

Weaknesses:
Loooooong brekin period.