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