Daedalus

My system uses Lou's Ulysses speakers being driven by Pass XA100.5 amps being driven by a ModWright LS36.5/PS36.5 preamp. I also use a pair of Art of Sound Jazzmon subs in an 18' x 23" room. These are 12" subs using an ACI driver in a closed cabinet. I have used them successfully with both Beauhorn and double stacked, Wayne Picquet re-built, Quad 57 speakers. Both of these were easier to blend with the subs than Ulysses and this is with the subs doing only below 27Hz via a Marchand X over and being operated with very little gain.

With almost all of the music I listen to, I don't need the subs and this particular night, as we were comparing the sound of my Marantz SA7S1 CD player with that of a Berekley DAC being driven by the Marantz and driving the amps directly, I didn't use the subs. The folks that were over hardly believed that the subs weren't on and we listened to everything from jazz, to rock, to classical and to solo guitar. My listening room is 18 x 23 and the sub doesn't add to the sound of the system, unless there is content there, which there usually is not.

These speakers do not need subs to sound great. Really, Lou's DA-RMa speakers don't either. My subs are fast, but if you ask them to do even 35Hz and turn them up even a little too much, they slow the sound down with Ulysses. This tells you one thing about Lou's speakers and that is that they are fast. They are also warm, dynamic, detailed and the most natural sounding speakers I've heard or owned. They are also beautiful and get even more so as they age.

I had to stop by Dan Wright's new workshop in Amboy. He had a pair of Lou's RMa's there (per my previous post). We listened to them in Dan's gorgeous listening room with Dan's new amp and a very modest digital front end with a handfull of program material. Like Lou's other speakers, the RMa's sounded great. They are definitely a full-range speaker, but they did not reach the lows that the larger speaker I heard at RMAF was able to reach. Very understandable given the volume difference and the additional drivers. These are damn fine speakers, seamlessly integrated and go plenty low overall (being driven by 150w into 8 ohms of SS power in a moderate to large room). I would have guessed they were dropping off at the high 20's. I would say only a real bass head would want a sub with them. On the warmer side of neutral I'd say, and fast enough to keep up with whatever is thrown their way. All the characteristics of the larger speakers I heard. As with the larger speakers these reflected the same gorgeous, solid build quality I'd seen at RMAF. They are unique in this respect..not your typical hard-edge, modern veneered glossy box...these look like a classic piece of furniture. The craftsmanship is peerless.

I have had some E mail contact with lou, who has been very helpful. I am planning a trip to RMAF to hear whichever speaker he brings this year. I have a couple of questions for Daedalus experts:
Firstly, with a cluttered 20 by 20 ft room with the speakers, of necessity, about 18inches from music racks behind, should I consider the DA1.1 or Da Rama floor stander, both of comparable price. The Ulysses is definitely bigger and I would'nt get it past the management in my house.
I enjoy all musical forms, especially Opera I suppose, but really everything.
Secondly, I usae a 22 watt Viva Solista 845 SET at the moment, not necessarily for ever. There has been a lot of discussion about power requirements. Bound For Sound, an online magazine I have great respect for, claimed you needed power. Yes with 95db + sensitivity, they could be run on 10 watts, but with multiple drivers, they really responded and deserved, a lot of power, 200watts plus. If I get the Daedalus, it will probably be my last speaker, yes I know we all claim that, but I mean it, I think. So what is the ideal match to Daedalus speakers, integrated and tube, if possible.
Thanks for any opinions

So what is the ideal match to Daedalus speakers, integrated and tube, if possible.
Thanks for any opinions

Man, if anyone could answer that question, Lou would be the man. He knows his own speakers best. Being a musician himself I'd put my faith in what he had to say on the subject.

When I heard the Ulysses at RMAF '07 (I'm pretty sure it was the Ulysses - his largest at the time) I believe he was using a SET amp (I can't recall whether it was Art Audio or WAVAC, but ask him). That pairing (RMAF '07) was outstanding. Very lifelike in scale and impact...beautiful soundstage....he pushed them pretty hard for us and they never seemed to break a sweat, nor did they become harsh or fatiguing in any way at all...They seemed to do everything right as far as the music I'd brought to listen to. I'm sure we spent the better part of an hour in his room listening. It was a very nice combination.

In an entirely different pairing off; I just learned that Dan Wright (Modwright) is considering getting a pair of Ulysses for his listening room at his workshop. They'd be his main showroom speakers. I can tell you the RMa's made for a great pairing with his new 150 watt SS amp there...can't wait to hear the Ulysses in that room! One other note in reading my RMa observations above...the Ulysses also have a more impactfull midrange from recollection, without giving up any purity of midrange that the RMa's also offer. Damn fine speakers, both!

The short answer, since I've become too wordy as usual, is that they occur to me as versatile speakers since they could sound great with both low powered SET and 150 watts of refined SS power. It's been too long since the RMAF experience to state my comparisons are spot-on, but I did make some notes on the experience then and remember it well. I hope these general impressions are of some help.

David,

My speakers work best with amps which can deliver good current, a 20 watt amp with high current will outperform a 200 watt amp with low current. My older designs such as the original DA-1 needed more current than the DA-1.1 and other present models. One of the many changes in 2007 was to reduce the system insertion loss, this improved the compatibility with amplifiers, sensitivity, extension and sonic openness. The DA-RMa is probably a better choice for low watt tube amps, though David Gill of ART AUDIO has a pair of Ulysses and loves them with all his amps.

Hope this helps

Thanks,
Lou