I concur with most of the posts regarding the Daedalus. I have DA-RMA V2s, very similar to the Athena v2. All the Daedalus sound very similar, but the Ulysses sounds larger than the others, as it is, of course.
In addition to the sensitivity, dynamics, imaging, balance and detail, all of which are extraordinary, there is something else which I'm still struggling to understand, and that is the sense of musical realism. Simply put, music sounds less like recordings and more like live music.
It is not euphonic coloration (there is none that I hear), it is something else. Read the show reviews. Phrases like tonality are thrown around a lot, but the end result is they make you want to keep listening to them, just to enjoy the wonder and beauty of the musical performances laid out before you.
I've been in this hobby for 46 years, and have owned about 250 pairs of quality speakers, and these are the end of the road for me. The heirloom quality handmade hardwood cabinets are part of the sonic story, of course, and to me also set them apart from other me-too designs.
Most Daedalus owners feel the same way about them, and rarely let them go.
Good luck!
In addition to the sensitivity, dynamics, imaging, balance and detail, all of which are extraordinary, there is something else which I'm still struggling to understand, and that is the sense of musical realism. Simply put, music sounds less like recordings and more like live music.
It is not euphonic coloration (there is none that I hear), it is something else. Read the show reviews. Phrases like tonality are thrown around a lot, but the end result is they make you want to keep listening to them, just to enjoy the wonder and beauty of the musical performances laid out before you.
I've been in this hobby for 46 years, and have owned about 250 pairs of quality speakers, and these are the end of the road for me. The heirloom quality handmade hardwood cabinets are part of the sonic story, of course, and to me also set them apart from other me-too designs.
Most Daedalus owners feel the same way about them, and rarely let them go.
Good luck!