Daedalus Athena

Jazzdoc,
You summed up very well the essential difference between the Devore and Daedalus.  Both are very good and of course a matter of taste.  I find Daedalus generally a bit more authoritative and dynamic in character. System synergy is always a factor. Daedalus compared to a Wilson or Magico? Purely a preference call as one would expect. Daedalus Ulysses (I'm more familiar with this model) has a natural sound/organic character.  Magico based on the several models I've heard are IMO  analytical.  Many would say they're simply accurate, neutral and very resolved.  We all have some degree of bias. I consistently prefer natural to an  ultra resolved type of presentation. Undoubtedly YMMV.
Charles 

@charles1dad , Magico speakers can be tamed by choosing smooth, organic sounding amps & cables such as Vitus Signature series & Jorma Design. Some tube amps like Absolare and Vac IQ series also sound glorious. That’s the thing, those speakers demand the best accompanying gear.

Hello Melbguy1,
I've heard the Magico in  a audio dealer showroom and CES x4, RMAF x1 and Axpona. I've listened to the Q 3, Q 5  and the Q7 as well as the S1, S3  and S5. The S5  driven by the Absolare Passion Signature amplifier was the best sounding Magico demonstration I've heard. I didn't care for the Q models driven by the Soulution amplifiers.  In fact the Q range was better when paired with the Constellation amplifiers. 

I don't doubt what you say and I'll concede that you have more intimate experience with Magico than I.  I can only report on what I've actually heard. I feel the Q series is more analytical in character than their S series.  No question that electronics, cabling and acoustic room treatment can certainly impact the end result to some extent. 
Charles 

How would you compare the sound of Daedalus Athena with the other non high-efficiency speakers (used) in the same price range?

I can’t speak to that in terms of experience with recent models, and I’d be hesitant to do so anyway because it would inevitably come down to the specific models being compared and to personal preference. But as a Daedalus Ulysses owner (since 2010, and with no interest in changing to anything else in the foreseeable future) I will add the following points to what I consider to be the characteristically perceptive and accurate comments Charles stated above:

1) I would expect the Daedalus models and many of the Devore models to be considerably more versatile with respect to amplifier selection than the medium efficiency models you mentioned, and with respect to most others in the medium (or low) efficiency category. While the Daedalus and Devore speakers will certainly be revealing of the amplifier’s intrinsic sonic character, their benign impedance characteristics and relatively high efficiency will eliminate sonic issues that can result with many amp/speaker combinations due to impedance interactions, and will make it easy for most amplifiers to perform at their best.

2)The higher efficiency of the Daedalus models and most of the Devore models, relative to the kinds of alternatives you mentioned, means that a higher percentage of your amplifier dollars can go towards quality rather than watts.

Good luck. Regards,
-- Al