Daedalus Ulysses

I have heard the Ulysses a couple times in different settings and other Daedalus models many times at shows, most recently at the CAF yesterday.  I would say the Daedalus sound is an acquired taste.  Some people love them; others don’t.  I am in the latter category.  

Every single time I have heard a Daedalus I hear a plastic-sounding coloration in the bass that bothers me.  This clearly does not bother everyone since there are many very happy Daedalus owners.  

If you like the Daedalus house sound, I think you would be very pleased with the Ulysses.  It has good extension in the bass and highs, is pretty detailed and coherent sounding, and has good imaging.  It is also fairly efficient although I have doubts about its rated sensitivity (96db as I recall).

Interesting comment salectric, Can you expound upon your comment? Not sure I get what you mean by "plastic-sounding coloration". I do appreciate all comments favorable or unfavorable.

Thanks for the mention, Kijanki.

Yes, I have owned Daedalus Ulysses speakers since 2010. I continue to be delighted with them, and I have no plans to replace them in the foreseeable future.

My pair was one of the first that were produced with an “all poly” crossover, meaning that polypropylene capacitors are used in the crossover network. Previously electrolytics had been used. More recently the present v.2 version of the Ulysses was introduced, incorporating various other changes, but I have been sufficiently happy with my version that I have not felt motivated to incur the risk, downtime, and expense that would be involved in sending them on what would be a 6000 mile round-trip to be retrofitted.

For context, my listening is about 90% classical, 5% rock and pop, and 5% miscellaneous. My room is 22 x 13 feet, with the central third of the rear wall opening to another room. The speakers are about four feet in front of the short wall. My listening distance is 12 feet. Many of the classical symphonic recordings I listen to have particularly wide dynamic range, and consequently an amp/speaker combination that cannot cleanly produce an SPL of 105 db at my listening position would be a non-starter for me. The Ulysses have no trouble accomplishing that with the Pass XA25 I presently use, as well as with the VAC Renaissance 70/70 MkIII I previously used. Designer/manufacturer Lou Hinkley often demonstrates with higher powered ModWright amplification, with which I have no experience.

I agree with Salectric’s characterization of the sound of the speakers, except that in my room I have never heard anything resembling a plastic coloration in the bass. I would characterize the sound as rich, full-bodied, dynamic, fast, and detailed, but with no hint of excessive brightness, and perhaps even a bit of rolloff in the treble.  Owners often refer to Daedalus speakers as being non-fatiguing and natural sounding. Overall, it is a very nicely balanced speaker for my taste.

I would also emphasize that the Ulysses’ combination of an exceptionally flat and benign impedance curve, relatively high sensitivity, and high power handling capability makes them extremely versatile with respect to choice of amplification.

Regarding sensitivity, btw, the v.2 version of the Ulysses is spec’d at 97.5 db/2.83 volts/1 meter, with a 6 ohm nominal impedance. The version I purchased was spec’d at the time as 98 db/1 watt/1 meter, also with a 6 ohm nominal impedance. 2.83 volts into 6 ohms is about 1.33 watts, which is about 1.2 db more than 1 watt. So the present 97.5 db/2.83 volt/1 meter spec corresponds to about 96.3 db/1 watt/1 meter.

Finally, I'll add that Lou Hinkley is a pleasure to deal with.

Regards,

--Al

P.S: Tom (Falconquest), I received your message. I would just add to what I wrote above that I have no experience with Legacy speakers.

 

@falconquest I am on my third pair of Daedalus Audio speakers, having started with the original DA-1's, then the DA-1.1s (sent back twice for upgrades) and now the Apollo's. I good friend had the Ulysses for a while before going to a Wheelfi horn system. He had them in a large dedicated room with top flight equipment. My experience with the Ulysses mirrors Al's. I loved them. Compared to my DA-1.1s they provided more specific, yet holographic imaging. I am not a fan of the stands which are typically used to elevate the Ulysses to the appropriate listening height. Though attractive and designed to match the speakers, I'm not a fan of putting tall, relatively narrow towers on top of small narrow boxes. Maybe because I have a young child, but even without kids if I owned them I would be constantly worried about someone knocking them off the stands. Not sure if you are looking at purchasing a used pair or new but Lou has made some significant upgrades with his Apollo series and he is using a new tweeter throughout his entire range that is significantly more extended than the model it replaces. So, while Al correctly (IMHO) describes his Ulysses sound as slightly rolled off on top the same cannot be said for models with the new tweeter, which is MUCH more extended, detailed and yet equally non-fatiguing. If you are seriously considering Daedalus I would reach out to Lou and see what model he recommends at your price point. You can also PM me or post that information here and I'm sure myself and others would be happy to make a recommendation.

Well, I have to be real here. I'm sure the Apollo is a wonderful speaker but spending $23,000 for a pair is not possible for me. What I would be concerned with is the ability of the Ulysses to produce the tonally accurate, crisp and articulate sound of a cymbal played delicately. I want to be able to discern one cymbal timbre from another. Can they do that?