[Ulisse60]

Dario,

Wow! Now you've got me wondering how it might sound in my system. Hmm. I know a SimAudio dealer (90 miles/145 km away from my home) who could provide a demo amp, but any such demo on my part will have to wait until June at the earliest.

Thank you for sharing your impressions. 

Michael

Hi
If you manage to listen to the Moon power amps, I think it could be a very interesting and rewarding experience. Yesterday evening I was reading Stereophile's review referring to the Moon 860 A V2, in which 2 bridge power amps are used, and the reviewer writes things that are very consistent with my listening, of the small 760 A, in many respects I identify very much with the review, and the best comparison is Dan D'Agostino's mono power amps. I don't know if you can link to other sites or magazines here, but if you look for it it's easy to find also because it's very recent, just a few months ago. . .
It is true that reviews are always to be weighed, but if you have the opportunity to listen, given that you have a shop close enough to you, it will then be interesting to hear your point of view.
Greetings , Dario

[Ulisse60]

Good morning everyone
in test final amplifier Simaudio Moon 760A.
It's warming up in the sound system, until Tuesday to evaluate its sound qualities in my sound system. I have good expectations, I've always read very well about Simaudio, and even if the GamuT does an excellent job, after 12 years in my system, the desire for a different sound prompted me to evaluate a different power amp.
Greetings , Dario

The plays are over, I really liked the Moon 760 A, I decided to keep it and after 11 years to replace the GamuT D 200 i .
It expresses a sound that satisfies me very much, full, rich, complete, but without forcing or imbalance, a very coherent and complete sound flow, with truly splendid female voices !!
With electronic music and non-linear recordings the sound becomes a little aggressive, but with Jazz, acoustics and classical, it's a real pleasure to listen to works that I have known and appreciated for many years.
For the really high quality of the CD work, both for the technical and artistic profile, I would like to point out this title, good music to all
Dario

[Ulisse60]

Several days have now passed since the definitive installation of the Moon in my audio system, I confirm the goodness of the amplification, both in my chain where it has inserted itself very well, and absolutely for the enthralling musicality it expresses, the very rich and full but without any flaws, unbalance or preference towards some frequencies to the detriment of others, definitely a sound machine of great class and quality, finding small defects is not possible for now, I'm listening to progressive rock, 70s folk, Jazz, acoustics, voices , some classic pieces, among my best known and appreciated over the years, I feel only improvements in the way of delivering music, stage, presence, cleanliness, definition and even very delicate nuances, truly extracting further small sound implications that were less evident and precise before .
I can't imagine what the tops of the brand express, and I'm curious how the Simaudio preamplifier would fit into my context, it being understood that the Emm Labs PRE is an absolute point of reference, and, for me, the preamplifier is the heart and brain of any well-set audio system, my personal beliefs but also the results of tests and listening done in numerous contexts. Where there is a performing chain, a good pre leads to a more balanced, harmonically rich, complete sound, and with a better defined and three-dimensional soundstage, all to my personal preferences, of course. . .
Dario

[mresseguie]

I've never heard an Emm Labs PRE, but judging by its price <gulp> it must be wonderful sounding. Enjoy!

[Ulisse60]

I've never heard an Emm Labs PRE, but judging by its price <gulp> it must be wonderful sounding. Enjoy!

I have enjoyed Emm Labs sources for over 12 years, had the CDSA SE and then the XDS1 , two single chassis CD players with great communication capabilities, and I have 2 dear friends who have the CDSA SE and are very satisfied with them, plus one who has I got my XDS1 when I upgraded to the Esoteric K01x last fall.
In 2014 I had the chance to try the Emm Labs Pre 2 , which did very well with the CDSA SE , a great quality match, the Pre 2 replaced a VTL 6.5 i , and the gearbox was very impactful on speed, the cleanliness, the dynamics, and on the detail and micro-detail that have emerged in a clear and evident way. At that time I still had the ProAc Future 0.5 , then followed by the Harbeth SHL5 40th Anniversary and finally the Graham 5/9 . . .
Three years ago I had the opportunity to try out the new Emm Labs PRE, and it was lightning, immediate love, more fire, more extension, a granitic and highly articulate bass, a pre that seems not to exist in the signal path. definitive for me. . .
Yes, the price list is absolutely unwatchable, and it's a bit of a trend that is involving many Hi End brands and brands, certainly overestimated, and I won't tell you in Italy how much higher it is compared to the USA !! But after the audition I couldn't go back, the gap that divides the more than 10 years of life between the 2 electronics is too much, who says that there is no evolution and change in Hi Fi objects, or doesn't listen to them in the right conditions , or has never been able to appreciate them in real life, because they are 2 preamps with the same philosophy but with a very important performance gap.
My components usually have life cycles in the audio system of about 8-10 years, with some exceptions more or less, I'm not a compulsive in buying and changing, but when a component enters that does very well, and better, I try to conclude and look forward, obviously if I can afford it.
And the Emm Labs sources, which I've loved for over a decade, capitulated to a player like esoteric, which was a great sonic revelation.
Dario

[audiotom]

Ulisse60
Welcome

My brother lives in Anzio outside of Rome

The Daedalus have very high efficiency so will work wonderfully with both low watt and high watt amps
I am running Apollo 11s with a 12 Watt Per Channel Single End Triode and it is marvelous
I have my older Ulysses in my home theater and I run them with several 40-80 watt tube amps and a hybrid Moscode 250 watt amp
Both sound great

What are the dimensions of your room?
Is there a short wall / long wall scenario?
You might want to try both

Lou’s speakers are not as sensitive as others in being close to the wall behind them but the more you can get away from being very close to side walls the better.

Also you could probably use some dispersion behind the speakers  to complement your absorption room treatments
Several household items can do this

All the best

[Ulisse60]

Ulisse60
Welcome

My brother lives in Anzio outside of Rome

The Daedalus have very high efficiency so will work wonderfully with both low watt and high watt amps
I am running Apollo 11s with a 12 Watt Per Channel Single End Triode and it is marvelous
I have my older Ulysses in my home theater and I run them with several 40-80 watt tube amps and a hybrid Moscode 250 watt amp
Both sound great

What are the dimensions of your room?
Is there a short wall / long wall scenario?
You might want to try both

Lou’s speakers are not as sensitive as others in being close to the wall behind them but the more you can get away from being very close to side walls the better.

Also you could probably use some dispersion behind the speakers  to complement your absorption room treatments
Several household items can do this

All the best

Hi, thank you for your contribution to the discussion
I was in Rome for 3 days for work, I only got back yesterday. . .
As I already wrote on the first presentation page, the room is dedicated but very small, it certainly doesn't enhance the potential of the Ulysses, but I have to be satisfied for a few years, until I can move out to the provinces to a house where I will have a room music consistent with my sound system.
As an amplifier I have just inserted the Moon Simaudio 760 A power amp, about 130 watts, the first 5 in class A, and the result satisfies me a lot, it goes in the right direction of richer voices and some more harmonics, my system, with Esoteric had become a thin edge in the middle of the spectrum, the Moon gave a sense of greater richness and color without creating slowness or swelling, a good result for my taste
I redid the music room in the summer of 2020, and on that occasion I turned my system from the long side to the short side, and I removed the rack that was between the speakers, also starting an environmental treatment. I am aware that the distance between the speakers and the listening point is not optimal, ditto of the speakers between them, let's say that the sound stage is not the best considering the audio system, but in fact the distance from the wall does not penalize the Ulysses too much, it was worse with ProAc, Harbeth and Graham, on the other hand the timbre is valid, the extension is good, the focus and dynamics are very satisfying, in short, for now I'm satisfied and I try to make the most of what I was able to assemble with a sound objective, of truthfulness and coherence, which remain distant from the event of live music, but it seems to me that they respect the content of the recordings a lot, even comparing my system with that of some audiophile friends with excellent systems in rooms that are certainly more complete than mine .
What do you suggest as objects to help dispersion behind the speakers?? Thank you in advance for your answer
Dario

[figcon]

While Lou's speakers are high sensitivity, for those that have seen the crossover networks in person, as I have, you would see that there's a lot there and because of the parts count, they like a lot of power and reward you for this. Perhaps if one listens at relatively low volumes, and/or in a small space, low powered amps would work well. The bottom line is whatever floats your boat, is good.

[Ulisse60]

While Lou's speakers are high sensitivity, for those that have seen the crossover networks in person, as I have, you would see that there's a lot there and because of the parts count, they like a lot of power and reward you for this. Perhaps if one listens at relatively low volumes, and/or in a small space, low powered amps would work well. The bottom line is whatever floats your boat, is good.

Hi Figcon
I very much agree with the need to have an amplification with an adequate reserve of power, because the musical signal is very complex and puts a strain on the response capacity of an amplifier. I have a small room but I've never thought that a few watts were the solution, also depending on the musical genres and the speakers being driven. Up until about 2 years ago I had English speakers that weren't particularly efficient, today the Daedalus can be driven with just a few watts, but if there is a reserve of power behind it, I think the music flows more naturally, less constrained and far from hardening or clipping.
I've never seen the Ulysses crossover and I don't know its components, from the data on the plate they seem driveable with very few watts, but the fact that I have a hundred, good ones, allows me to make the electronics and speakers work in peace and in synergy, without forget the importance of connections, which I would like to talk about calmly in future interventions.
I am always convinced that letting the electronics work far from their limits is essential, as is taking care of the electrical interfacing and full compatibility between the elements of the audio system, and in this I believe a good preamp is fundamental, which is the heart and the brain of a well-set sound system.
greetings, Dario

[rbbert]

While Lou's speakers are high sensitivity, for those that have seen the crossover networks in person, as I have, you would see that there's a lot there and because of the parts count, they like a lot of power and reward you for this. Perhaps if one listens at relatively low volumes, and/or in a small space, low powered amps would work well. The bottom line is whatever floats your boat, is good.

I find it impressive that Daedalus speakers maintain their high sensitivity with these crossovers.  I also note (perhaps parenthetically) that the complexity of the crossover may be why my Apollo 11's are just a little (1.5 dB) less sensitive than my Ulysses; when I went in to upgrade the Apollo's I was surprised that high sensitivity is maintained despite this.

[figcon]

Ulisse60, you have very good insight as to what it takes to make great sound. There are several reasons for the high sensitivity of Daedalus speakers, with the big one being that the drivers, especially the midrange and bass drivers, are all designed to be high sensitivity from the get go. As a professional musician, Lou knows his stuff and the Eminence and midrange drivers are high sensitivity to begin with and his use of an Aperiodic loaded cabinet also helps with the sensitivity, while providing excellent damping for tight, tuneful bass. On the single tweeter versions, I don't know how Lou gets the sensitivity, but he does just that. I suspect it's in the crossover, which, again, is very substantial. The cabinets are works of art in terms of substance and style. Great sounding loudspeakers.

[Ulisse60]

I find it impressive that Daedalus speakers maintain their high sensitivity with these crossovers.  I also note (perhaps parenthetically) that the complexity of the crossover may be why my Apollo 11's are just a little (1.5 dB) less sensitive than my Ulysses; when I went in to upgrade the Apollo's I was surprised that high sensitivity is maintained despite this.

Hi Rbbert
I searched the net for info and photos of the crossovers of the Daedalus speakers, but I didn't find anything, it would be interesting if Lou gave some information on the philosophy of the crossover and on some choices that make the most of such good rating data, i.e. ease of driving, high sensitivity , constant and friendly impedance etc.
Maybe there are discussions and information that I haven't seen, actually I discovered Daedalus just over 2 years ago. . .
Do you have any information and insights on the setting of the crossover?

greetings, Dario

[Ulisse60]

Ulisse60, you have very good insight as to what it takes to make great sound. There are several reasons for the high sensitivity of Daedalus speakers, with the big one being that the drivers, especially the midrange and bass drivers, are all designed to be high sensitivity from the get go. As a professional musician, Lou knows his stuff and the Eminence and midrange drivers are high sensitivity to begin with and his use of an Aperiodic loaded cabinet also helps with the sensitivity, while providing excellent damping for tight, tuneful bass. On the single tweeter versions, I don't know how Lou gets the sensitivity, but he does just that. I suspect it's in the crossover, which, again, is very substantial. The cabinets are works of art in terms of substance and style. Great sounding loudspeakers.

Thank you, after more than 30 years of music and Hi Fi, I've got my own idea about music reproduction, and I've grown a lot thanks to live listening and dealing with some great audiophile sound systems here in Northern Italy, which they have very high profile systems.
The whole audio system must be taken care of, but the loudspeakers are the real interface between the signal and the environment, and if they are not complete and authoritative, much of the physical and mental sensations that listening to music offers are lost.
I also have a pair of ProAc Tablette 10, but it's another, very different way to listen to music. . . !!!
In fact, Lou's entire project, starting from the solid wood, from the profile of the speakers where the walls are not parallel to each other, from the choice of a non-reflex but aperiodic loading solution, all go in the direction of a speaker with great potential, certainly a little limited by my environment, but I hope in a few years to move to a more favorable location!
greetings Dario

[rbbert]

Hi Rbbert
I searched the net for info and photos of the crossovers of the Daedalus speakers, but I didn't find anything, it would be interesting if Lou gave some information on the philosophy of the crossover and on some choices that make the most of such good rating data, i.e. ease of driving, high sensitivity , constant and friendly impedance etc.
Maybe there are discussions and information that I haven't seen, actually I discovered Daedalus just over 2 years ago. . .
Do you have any information and insights on the setting of the crossover?

greetings, Dario

Only the schematic and the physical appearance of the crossovers during my upgrade.

[Ulisse60]

Only the schematic and the physical appearance of the crossovers during my upgrade.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qy4u0T2L-BweVatf5mPsjQYDLCFi_L0A/view?usp=drive_link

Thank you rbbert, I 'm not an expert on the subject , but I will try to compare myself with a couple of enthusiasts who have a greater electrical and electronic culture , it will still be interesting nonetheless


greetings, Dario

[Ulisse60]

After a long time I'm back to writing, thanks to the courtesy of 2 audiophile friends I was able to compose a power signal chain with Skogrand cables, and I'd like to convey some impressions about listening to music with this which I consider to be a real upgrade in many respects.
I think Skogrand is not very well known, at least here in Italy I don't know if there are many pieces by this manufacturer, I was lucky enough to listen to a chain with Tchaikowski cables, and I was impressed by its realism, impact, dynamics, sense of completeness , great timbre and fluency of the musical message, and therefore I tried to find used cables of the brand.
I start by saying that I have always paid attention to the electrical part, with a dedicated line from the meter, Furutech current distributor, well-made power cables and above all with a project and geometry behind it, and I have had many signal and power cables from different brands notice .
So when I have the opportunity to listen with quality accessories and cables, I hardly hold back !!!


Beethoven Skogrand signal cables between CD Esoteric and PRE Emm Labs

[Ulisse60]

My listenings were made with known CDs, well recorded songs, Jazz, voices and music that I have been using for years to evaluate any new addition to my audio system.
The sense of realism that immediately emerges is the first element that strikes me in the way of proposing the music, great fire, amount of subtle and hidden details, clean sound lines, precisely outlined, you can follow all the instruments without overlapping or masking sound, I would say cables that do not alter, equalize or color the musical message.
Speed, linearity, extension, silence superior to my already valuable references, but here we have the perception of a decidedly natural and coherent amalgam of sound.
Only listening to a Stealth Sakra V 16 inserted between CD and PRE struck me for its extreme cohesion and naturalness, perhaps a little better than the Beethoven Skogrand, but we are talking about subtle differences.

[Ulisse60]

The way of presenting the musical program appears to me as more realistic and engaging, even if in some moments it almost seems that the information is really a lot, almost to put my ability to follow the music that flows in the environment to the whip, almost a sort of slight listening fatigue, but on balance better a few hours of deep immersion in the sounds than prolonged but not very emotional listening !!

greetings, dario

[Randy]

You must be about ten hours ahead of the east coast of the USA.

[Ulisse60]

Good morning everyone, after the summer break, thanks to the very heat and the holidays, the audio system was often turned off, and after interesting listening to the Skogrand cables, really valuable, I had the opportunity to try a final in class at , the Gryphon Essence, as per the attached photo. Truly an excellent amplification, which has fitted very well into my audio system, and is making me think that 50 watts of this level could represent a definitive arrival point with the Ulysses. . . Some experience regarding Gryphon and any advice on the power cable, it is a C20 and I have never had C20 sockets, on a base on which to place the amplifier which is now on the floor, and any other considerations on driving and characteristics of the amplifier mentioned, thanks

regards, Dario