ODYSSEY KHARTAGO INTEGRATED AMP WITH WADIA TRANSPORT, IPOD, AND DECCO AMP

 At the beginning of this year I set up a Luxman 550AII Int. Class A amp using  an IPOD classic out through a Wadia transport through a Decco amp, using the Decco to convert the Digital to analogue, and then powering a pair of Sonus Faber Cremona floor standing speakers....I wasn't complaining when I heard the sound...but did wonder what the more high powered Luxman at 30 watts a channel Class A would have sounded like...more punch...bigger bottom? Anyway, I read TAS's oddball review of Odyssey's Khartago Int. Amp, and ordered a custom model with every upgrade except a different color. It comes with a manual in a binder, a great guarantee, and a mention of break in times. Of course, one doesn't wait too long to check out a new amp, and I was amazed at the difference in the bass immediately. Lots much punch and bottom...just a bigger, meatier sound overall. Jeez..the Luxman cost me almost 5 grand, and here is this Khartago for around $1300. with upgrades. However, sitting on top of the Luxman is my Oracle Mark III turntable with a couple of different cartridges...MC and MM, and the Luxman is set up for both types....no such help from the Khartago or the Decco, even though the Decco can also be used as a pre. By the way, The Decco used as an amp (about 50 watts per channel 8n ohms) is rather wonderful, and drove the Sonus Fabers easily.So, after a few weeks of gassing my friends with the Khartago I found out that the IPOD EQ was set at small speakers, and when you look at the EQ graph....the bass is curved way up. No wonder my Barry White tunes (Staying Power) were grooving so deeply....So, first, I recommend trying this setting....you may really like it....especially when you turn things up.The other thing is...with the wadia supposedly pulling out pure aiff full size music files in their original Digital form, bypassing the little DA in the IPOD, what does it mean that I can still change the EQ on it while it outputs through the Wadia? So now, I've added a couple of cables from the pre out of the Luxman to two inputs on the Decco and can play my records through the Khartago using output from the Decco...playing around with it's volume out and the Luxman volume out...leaving them both about twelve o'clock. THere are no volume knobs on the Khartago. So, by the way, if you want to break in speakers, the best cut to cycle on them that I have found, that really massages them and tunes them up, without question, is Barry Whites' Don't Play games...second cut on his Staying Power CD. It's also a great cut to play to demo gear with...one week of that tune will completely transform shrill new speakers.