Daedalus DA-1


The Daedalus DA-1 is a medium size floorstanding speaker that is exceedingly musical and a joy to behold. I recently had the opportunity to audition this loudspeaker at Response Audio in upstate New York. Bill Baker, who owns Response, is a tube and two-channel audio enthusiast who designs and builds his own amplifiers and demonstrates the DA-1's with enthusiasm and integrity. I recommend his shop to anyone in the Northeast as a source of off-the-beaten track gear and honest, helpful service.

The DA-1 is made from solid hardwood, using old world handcrafted techniques such as dovetail joinery. The speakers come in oak, cherry and black walnut, with the baffles made of the latter material regardless of finish. They are simply stunning to look at--I found myself rubbing my hands upon the surface as I would a fine piece of furniture. The speakers are also "proportionally correct" in that, while clearly a large and full range floorstander, they do not and will not dominate the room by their sheer physical presence. Lou Hinckey, who designs and builds the speakers, has also incorporated some interesting geometry by making the inside panel narrower than the outside one and sloping the baffle slightly to time align the drivers. The result is a unique and attractive package that is said to minimize standing waves inside the cabinet.
Lou is a musician who builds acoustic amplification PA systems and therefore entered the world of high end speaker design via a side door. He brings his musicians ear and determination to reproduce acoustic instruments faithfully--and this he has surely done. In fact, this is perhaps the most attractive aspect of the DA-1's sound. Obeos, violins, guitars, cellos, etc. are reproduced with flesh and body. The ability to distinguish between clarinet, oboe and basson is as easy as when you are sitting in front of an orchestra. This, I have found, is a rare quality in many audiophile designs. Instruments tend to sound thin and homogenous, with much of their communicative cues lost. This, for me, strips away much of the emotional quality of the listening experience. The DA-1's are fully engaging, drawing you into the performance in a way few speakers are able to do.
Lou also talks a lot about listener fatigue and has designed the speaker to be a winner over long listening sessions. I can confirm this having spent about 4 hours at Bill's shop. The DA-1's are highly listenable, with a slightly recessed midrange similar to the BBC dip found in brands like Harbeth and Spendor. The DA-1's don't dump the music in your lap, they draw you into the performance without sacrificing detail and clarity. How Lou was able to design and build a high resolution speaker that does not offend over long term listening, I don't know--but he has. While the DA-1's may not be as revealing as some speakers, they are fast, dynamic and highly resolving.
The DA-1's do not image as precisely as some speakers. The soundfield is not huge despite the size and multiple drive units. Images are somewhat diffuse (due, perhaps, to his use of two tweeters slightly offset to enlarge dispersion). This did not bother me in the least, as I am not "into" soundstaging and imaging per se. However, some may be disappointed in how the speakers localize instruments if that is your cup of tea. Rather, the DA-1's sound like live music in that the presentation is bold, dynamic and the sound like that you would hear at a live concert.
High frequency response is good, not great. The tweeters do not spit or misbehave but the speakers lack the last bit of air and definition that some comparably priced speakers produce. This may have been due to inadequate break in time. The speakers do have a two position adjustment for the tweeter output and this was set at "high" during my listening sessions.
The bass response was also not to my liking. There was good authority but in Bill's room (which is very large and not really well designed for music reproduction--he is in the process of renovations which should yield better results) I found the bass lacking pace and timing. It also seemed as though part of the lower regions was being emphasize over others. My discussions/correspondence with DA-1 owners suggests to me that the room was the culprit but I am reserving judgement. Anyone care to weigh in here?
In the end, the DA-1's are, for the money, one of the best (if not best) loudspeakers I have heard in my search thus far (and some of you know how long I've been looking). With the exception of the bass, which I believe may be room incurred, and the slight lack of air and extension in the treble, you would be hard pressed to find a more musical and enjoyable loudspeaker. I strongly urge anyone who is in the market for a beautiful floorstander that is easy to drive (96db) and fun and involving to listen to to give Bill a shout and check them out. If you do, please post your thoughts and keep the dialogue going about a relatively unknown product of serious merit.

Here is the Daedalus website:

http://www.daedalusaudio.com/design%20notes2.html
128x128dodgealum
I want to jump in here as well. Bill, glad to have you aboard on the post as you have the most experience with this speaker. I hope a careful read of my initial post/review will reveal:

1. That I believe the DA-1's are an excellent speaker and have great potential that I may not have realized during my visit because.....

2. The speakers were placed in a difficult room and....

3. May not have been fully broken in. And....

4. That Bill and Response Audio are great to work with and are competent, honest and enthusiastic dealers for the Daedalus line.

Looking back, I wish I had waited for a second listen in a different location before writing the review. However, I was so excited about what I heard during my initial session that I wanted to get word out about this fantastic product. In all my years in audio I have not heard a speaker that provides such a natural, fullrange, detailed and non-fatiguing presentation of music. Only the Harbeth line can compete for sheer musicality and they don't go as deep or look nearly as nice doing it. Honestly, much of what is out there that passes for "high end" loudspeakers do not possess anywhere near the integrity of the DA-1's. I told Bill this when we talked briefly after my audition. I am looking forward with great anticipation to hearing the speakers again and resolving for myself the issues with the bass response. All signs point to a difficult room and Bill's recognition of this only seals the deal. I'm glad to see DA-1 owners stepping up to praise their speakers--they are worthy indeed. Sorry if my review left anyone with a bad taste in their mouth--I'll add to the post after hearing the speakers again within the next few months.
my daeadalus da1 are fully broken in. one reviewer states they dont have auiophile imaging. i agree they dont have pinpoint imaging, which i think this audiophile imaging is unreal in live music. the daedalus have excellent precise and real staging abilitys. you can pay alot more for that audiophile sharp imaging but it wont be realistic like the daedalus
>13' w x 17' d x 10' h)<

Response34,

That is an awfully small room for what is a somewhat large speaker. Hell, that's the size of my bedroom, and I would never think of putting anything bigger than a monitor in it. I'm not sure how you ever got them to sound right in such a tight space. Maybe you didn't realize their full potential, that is my guess.

Oz
Hi Dodgealum, funny that you mention Harbeth in your follow up, as I've been reading about Harbeth speakers and am impressed with their loyal following and history. This brings up an issue for me: Harbeth is a venerable, decades-old firm that has both the experience behind them to have refined their speakers, evidently, to near-perfection. Harbeth also benefits from a great deal of research and development facilities, both their own as well as from the BBC. They are a tried and true company. Daedalus is new to consumer speakers without the same trackrecord as Harbeth. I find myself just being more comfortable with Harbeth given their history. Perhaps the Daedalus speakers are the latest flavor of the month until owners tire of them and move on to, say, SP Technologies or another cult speaker company. Of course, the decision comes down to personal preference, but reviews and Internet audio sites can be confusing.