Magico VS Daedalus VS Marten VS Spendor

Your electronics would work very well with the Daedalus. You probably know that Dan Wright uses them as his references. All these are fine speakers, but the Daedalus have all the detail, yet are very comfortable and... well, natural. The sound more like real music than anything I've heard. I've never heard of anyone regretting their purchase.

Another happy Daedalus owner here. Would be worth arranging an in home demo with Lou.

The speakers you listed are all very different, so you really need to hear the candidates in person before making any decision. I have had Spendor SP-100 speakers for over 10 years so I am partial to the Spendor sound, especially the Classic series like the SP-100. I have heard the Daedalus Athena and Ulysses at audio shows but never in my own system. Each time I heard Daedalus speakers they tended to be rather lean in the midbass, but I don't know for sure if this was due to the small hotel rooms or is an inherent quality of the Daedalus speakers. That is something I would want answered before making a purchase decision.

You are spending a significant amount of money so really you must hear them even if it means doing some travel to a place that stocks them.

I would also look into Rockport speakers as well - personally I think they are better than those on your list especially Magico which IMHO are way overpriced for what you get. By this I mean they are nine times the cost of building them.

Thanks
Bill

As you probably know, choosing speakers is the most important of all in putting together a satisfying system. It is also a highly personal one since we all hear differently and have unique preferences when it comes to great sound. You also have a listening room that has its own acoustic qualities which will have a big impact on what sound you actually end up with. Also, it is highly unlikely that anyone will respond to your post who has heard each of the speakers you list in a controlled environment. So, (sadly) little that is posted in response to your question will be of much help with your decision. Having said that, JMBATKH is correct regarding the synergy between Dan and Lou's gear and I can personally attest to this since I am a Modwright/Daedalus client. Since the amplifier-speaker match is quite critical, if you are confident and happy with your Modwright electronics and in the absence of a demonstration of each speaker this might give the nod to Daedalus. But as Bhobba suggests, demo you must if you are really determined to find long lasting peace. I don't know about the other brands but Lou does have a trail purchase option that would allow you to hear his speakers in your room on your equipment. This is IMHO the best way to make a truly informed choice. If you do go Daedalus, I would suggest the Athena's given your room size. The larger Argo will likely over power a space that small and will limit your ability to position the speakers away from the room boundaries. Though I have not heard them I am quite familiar with Lou's "house sound" having owned the DA-1.1's for several years and heard the Ulysses at a friends house many times. As such my experience does not correspond with Salectric's, as I find the Daedalus sound to be slightly to the warm side of the spectrum overall and pretty darn full through the midbass. Salectric may be influenced by the sound of his SP-100's, which I owned some time ago and which to my ear have a slight boost in the midbass characteristic of the BBC "house sound". This is not a knock on the Spendors (the S-100's are one of finest speakers I've owned) or Salectric. However, compared to the Spendors the Daedalus (particularly the Athena) will likely read slightly lean when compared to the full midbass bloom offered by a BBC style speaker. Again, when all is said and done you really do need to do some listening (preferably in your own room) to make the right choice for you.