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).

“Plastic sounding bass” is a bit ambiguous I understand but that’s the term that pops into my mind when I hear Daedalus speakers.  “Synthetic” is another term.  Perhaps this relates to the cone material or perhaps to some unevenness in the response or perhaps some resonances.  I don’t know.  All I know is that I hear this coloration when I listen to Daedalus speakers.  

For some context, my speakers at home use vintage paper cone 15” woofers.  These sound fast and detailed and to my ears are less colored, but they do not go as deep in the bass as Daedalus woofers.  

I just spent 30 minutes typing a post which disappeared when I tried to post it.  Grrrr!!  I will try again later.

I am not surprised that a number of Daedalus owners disagree with my characterization.  As I said before, many people love Daedalus speakers, but some do not.

My suggestion is that you listen carefully to a pair of Daedalus speakers (any model) before deciding to buy the Ulysses.  If you aren’t bothered by the bass, then you will likely love the Ulysses.  But if you do hear problems, you can expect to hear them in the Ulysses too.

That’s the Cliff Notes version.

Falconquest, let us know what you decide to do.

Not to derail things further, but I wanted to clarify that my 15" woofers are actually Jensens (the model used in the Jensen Imperial horn), not Altecs.