Hi Rleff,
As you may be aware, I am a very happy owner of the Daedalus Ulysses. I purchased them about four years ago, prior to the introduction of the v.2 changes, but including the all poly crossover which had just been introduced.
I use them in combination with a VAC Renaissance 70/70 MkIII amplifier, which employs four 300B power tubes per channel in a push-pull parallel configuration. Id of course expect that to result in a significantly different sonic character than would result with the Modwright solid state amplification Lou generally demonstrates with. With the VAC amp, at least, Id 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. Overall, a very nicely balanced speaker for my taste, with the classical music which comprises most of my listening.
The Ulysses combination of high efficiency, high power handling capability, and a flat, benign impedance curve makes them suitable for use with just about any amplifier in existence other than the really flea-powered types. My amp is rated at 65 watts, and with the Ulysses comfortably handles the 105 db peaks that occur at my 11 foot listening distance on a few of my symphonic recordings which have particularly wide dynamic range.
Ive never heard any of the Salks, but I would offer these comments:
1)There is a huge difference in efficiency between the two speakers. The Ulysses are specd at 98 db/1W/1m. The SS8s are specd at 87 db/2.83V/1m, which for their 4 ohm nominal impedance corresponds to only 84 db/1W/1m. Assuming the specs are accurate, that is a difference of 14 db, which is a factor of about 25 in power. Meaning that your 180 watt Audiovalve amplifier would have to put all of those 180 watts into the SS8 to produce the same volume as about 7 watts into the Ulysses.
2)Keep in mind that a possible downside of that high efficiency is that if the power amp is not quiet its hiss levels might become bothersome, or at least perceptible. Same goes for that part of the preamp circuitry which is downstream of the volume control, and also for any noise that may be introduced as a result of ground loop effects between the preamp and power amp.
3)As you may be aware, Lou offers 30 day return privileges, less two-way shipping and $300. Salk offers 30 day return privileges for lower priced models with a standard finish.
4)As Im sure you realize, the Ulysses cost in the rough vicinity of twice as much as the SoundScape 8.
5)You might also want to consider Coincident, which would have topped my short list if it hadnt been for the Ulysses.
Best of luck, however you decide to proceed. Best regards,
-- Al
As you may be aware, I am a very happy owner of the Daedalus Ulysses. I purchased them about four years ago, prior to the introduction of the v.2 changes, but including the all poly crossover which had just been introduced.
I use them in combination with a VAC Renaissance 70/70 MkIII amplifier, which employs four 300B power tubes per channel in a push-pull parallel configuration. Id of course expect that to result in a significantly different sonic character than would result with the Modwright solid state amplification Lou generally demonstrates with. With the VAC amp, at least, Id 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. Overall, a very nicely balanced speaker for my taste, with the classical music which comprises most of my listening.
The Ulysses combination of high efficiency, high power handling capability, and a flat, benign impedance curve makes them suitable for use with just about any amplifier in existence other than the really flea-powered types. My amp is rated at 65 watts, and with the Ulysses comfortably handles the 105 db peaks that occur at my 11 foot listening distance on a few of my symphonic recordings which have particularly wide dynamic range.
Ive never heard any of the Salks, but I would offer these comments:
1)There is a huge difference in efficiency between the two speakers. The Ulysses are specd at 98 db/1W/1m. The SS8s are specd at 87 db/2.83V/1m, which for their 4 ohm nominal impedance corresponds to only 84 db/1W/1m. Assuming the specs are accurate, that is a difference of 14 db, which is a factor of about 25 in power. Meaning that your 180 watt Audiovalve amplifier would have to put all of those 180 watts into the SS8 to produce the same volume as about 7 watts into the Ulysses.
2)Keep in mind that a possible downside of that high efficiency is that if the power amp is not quiet its hiss levels might become bothersome, or at least perceptible. Same goes for that part of the preamp circuitry which is downstream of the volume control, and also for any noise that may be introduced as a result of ground loop effects between the preamp and power amp.
3)As you may be aware, Lou offers 30 day return privileges, less two-way shipping and $300. Salk offers 30 day return privileges for lower priced models with a standard finish.
4)As Im sure you realize, the Ulysses cost in the rough vicinity of twice as much as the SoundScape 8.
5)You might also want to consider Coincident, which would have topped my short list if it hadnt been for the Ulysses.
Best of luck, however you decide to proceed. Best regards,
-- Al