Well, I know @salectric ’s tastes (he’s a good customer) and I get what he’s saying.
Take both his and my comments with a grain of salt. I’ve never heard anything that moved me the way an alnico 15" Altec woofer does.
I have to however, maintain at least one "mainstream" listening room for my clients, and the Ulysses fill the bill nicely.
My Ulysses are quite a few years old and are updated only to the point of the polyester cap replacement. I run them with the maple base plate but without that silly riser box for reasons stated earlier. I found the maple base plate to work better in my room than the outrigger feet Lou started supplying. Different rooms / different strokes.
I’ve run them with as low as a very weak 2A3 amplifier (Serious Stereo ... more like a 45 in terms of output - 1w), and am currently driving them with my NiWatt 300B amplifiers.
While they’re nowhere near the claimed 96dB, they’re an easy drive for a tube amplifier. If I were to guess, I’d say they’re a real world 92dB.
They are not imaging champs, but they do OK in this regard.
Tonally, I’d say they have a BBC balance, which is why many would say they don’t have an extended top end. They’re a very fatigue free speaker that delivers the goods, with plenty of insight into the musical performance. If you’re not unraveling complex musical lines through your Ulysses, then something else is wrong with your system.
Lou Hinkley is one of the good guys in hi-fi.
Do I prefer a serious pair of horns with a 15" driver? You bet, but then again, I’m in the minority with respect to most tastes.
Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier Design