What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?

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mca

I just bought a used pair of Ulysses, they are at the factory getting some upgrades from Lou and I hope to pick them up in about a month. With that being said, I hope to get some ideas and opinions on amplifiers  :D

Right now I have a Butler 5 channel amp and pair of Will Vincent Dynaco monoblocks. I'm thinking they deserve something a little better to drive them.

What are you using and what do you like about the combo?

Berto

Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #1 on: 9 Feb 2015, 05:51 pm »
I've tried many amp and this was my favorite.  Sounds huge, dynamic, and intoxicating!  Tube Research Labs ST100 with Kt150s



shahed

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Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #2 on: 9 Feb 2015, 06:57 pm »
I also use the Tube Research Lab ST100 amplifier with KT150 tubes (with Lampi level 7 and volume control) albeit with Daedalus Athena V.2. This is by far the best sounding amp I have ever used. However, I previously owned Daedalus Ulysses and used ModWright KWA100SE. The ModWright is a great value for money and is a great choice if you are on a budget. There's a well known synergy between ModWright and Daedalus.

mca

Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #3 on: 9 Feb 2015, 07:38 pm »
There is a great deal right now on Agon for a KWA100SE. I know Lou likes the KWA150, but I don't know the differences between the two amps.

sunnydaze

Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #4 on: 9 Feb 2015, 08:44 pm »
Power output is likely the main diff.......100 vs 150 wpc.

aldcoll

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Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #5 on: 9 Feb 2015, 09:01 pm »
I believe the 100 is Mosfet powered.  Could be wrong :scratch:

From the Modwright manual.
KWA 100SE Upgrades:

·   Upgraded signal path capacitors – MWI Custom Oil-impregnated poly types.
·   Upgraded signal path resistors – Takman Carbon Film.
·   Total output power supply capacitance increased 100%
·   Total number of output devices (MOSFET Pairs) increased from 3 pairs to 5 pairs.
·   Sonic differences between KWA 100 and KWA 100SE:
o   Greater overall current available to output stage, translating to increased speed, bass response, resolution and micro-detail/dynamics.

roboss38

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Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #6 on: 9 Feb 2015, 10:27 pm »
I'm currently demoing a Pass Labs XA30.8 with my Argos, and it is a fantastic combo.

aldcoll

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Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #7 on: 9 Feb 2015, 11:02 pm »
Any body have any comments on the Wells out of Campbell CA and Modwright?   I noticed a couple Daedalus Owners have posted they are moving to Wells Innamorata I believe.

jonbee

Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #8 on: 9 Feb 2015, 11:41 pm »
I just bought a used pair of Ulysses, they are at the factory getting some upgrades from Lou and I hope to pick them up in about a month. With that being said, I hope to get some ideas and opinions on amplifiers  :D
Congratulations! Getting a pair used and upgrading offers tremendous value and killer sound. It is what I did with my DA-RMas.
I use my upgraded Hypex NC-400 NCore amp. It is lightning fast, very transparent and very powerful.
The Daedalus transparently display every little upstream change, so dialing them in over time is pretty easy, but everything counts, so expect to have a lot of fun fiddling with changes!
I've gone to Wywires Platinum speaker cables, a match made in heaven (Lou uses a wywires harness inside V2s).

fwinston

Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #9 on: 10 Feb 2015, 01:01 am »
I own a pair of Ulysses with all-poly crossover and V2 upgrade.  About a month ago I took delivery of a Wells Audio Innamorata Signature amp.  It's an excellent match to the Ulysses.  The Wells amp is as smooth, textured, and dimensional sounding as a tube amp along with the frequency extension, clarity, and control of a solid state amp.  I'm very impressed with its sound.

aldcoll

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Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #10 on: 10 Feb 2015, 01:09 am »
Might I ask what the Wells replaced?

fwinston

Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #11 on: 10 Feb 2015, 01:13 am »
The Wells amp replaced Manley tube amps.

jriggy

Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #12 on: 10 Feb 2015, 01:18 am »
Congrats mca!!!

Our audio paths have been similar a couple times and have crossed, gear wise and selling/buying wise, before. I am happy to hear of your purchase.


I owned the KWA-100SE with my past Ulysses. I liked it a lot! Im sure others can comment on how much better the KWA-150SE is. We know it is a better amp but I still loved the 100SE.

For a few reasons, I ended up moving to an integrated (well before Dan had his KWI-200 available, or I likely would of been there).
For room issues and other reasons not related, I have since moved to a pair of Argos V2's and was happy with my Accuphase E-560...then a friend brought down the Wells Audio Innamorata he was demoing. I got to keep it for a week or so and was...well, enamored.
I am currently breaking in a Wells amp.  Im sure one of us will report at some point after break-in and getting to know the amp, Nonexistent noise-floor and everything else in its place, its just sounds so right. and so smooth.
[looks like my friend mentioned here has posted while I was typing :thumb:]


aldcoll,

 I promis I will return your PM soon!

~J

Daedalus Audio

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Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #13 on: 10 Feb 2015, 04:12 am »
Congratulations! Getting a pair used and upgrading offers tremendous value and killer sound. It is what I did with my DA-RMas.
I use my upgraded Hypex NC-400 NCore amp. It is lightning fast, very transparent and very powerful.
The Daedalus transparently display every little upstream change, so dialing them in over time is pretty easy, but everything counts, so expect to have a lot of fun fiddling with changes!
I've gone to Wywires Platinum speaker cables, a match made in heaven (Lou uses a wywires harness inside V2s).

Just to clarify, we do NOT use any Wywires wire in our speakers. We may or may not do that in the future as the Wywires products are excellent, but at this time we source our own wires for our harnesses. Also while the Wywires platinum speaker cables are very good we highly recommend our own proprietary speaker cables (which Wywires builds to our spec), these are based on our internal speaker wiring.

As for interconnects I am a huge fan of the Wywires Platinum IC's!!! :thumb:

thanks,
lou


btw Jon, thanks for all the kind words and support, glad you like your DA-RMa's!!!

jtwrace

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Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #14 on: 10 Feb 2015, 04:24 am »
Do you still use DH Labs as listed on their site

Quiet Earth

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Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #15 on: 10 Feb 2015, 04:30 am »
I'm kind of curious why people are using such powerful solid state amplifiers for such efficient speakers. Do the speakers need to play at a minimum loudness level to sound good? I was thinking (from memory) that these speakers were something like 96dB efficient and an easy 8 ohms. Maybe I remember that wrong. The website doesn't work on my iPad so I can't check it out. I'm sure someone can straighten me out on the facts.

I'm only asking because I thought that these would be great speakers for single ended triode amps, say 300B or 211 amps of 8 to 17 watts.  Or maybe a small and simple pentode amp, like El84 or El34. Anyone using anything like that?

Daedalus Audio

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Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #16 on: 10 Feb 2015, 05:01 am »
Do you still use DH Labs as listed on their site?
absolutely NOT. We only briefly used DH Labs, it has been almost ten years since.

We use several different wires from a few sources, all very very good.

Daedalus Audio

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Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #17 on: 10 Feb 2015, 05:31 am »
I'm kind of curious why people are using such powerful solid state amplifiers for such efficient speakers. Do the speakers need to play at a minimum loudness level to sound good? I was thinking (from memory) that these speakers were something like 96dB efficient and an easy 8 ohms. Maybe I remember that wrong. The website doesn't work on my iPad so I can't check it out. I'm sure someone can straighten me out on the facts.

I'm only asking because I thought that these would be great speakers for single ended triode amps, say 300B or 211 amps of 8 to 17 watts.  Or maybe a small and simple pentode amp, like El84 or El34. Anyone using anything like that?

This is a very good question.  Just as there are many reasons for using efficient speakers beyond matching with low power amps, there are also many reasons for using high power solid state amps beyond needing power to drive the chosen speakers.
One is that usually there is more extension and control in the bass with powerful solid state than with tubes, (please note I said "usually" as in everything in audio there are always exceptions). Of course a primary reason is dynamics. Even with a fairly efficient speaker, having amplifier headroom can open up the dynamic range. I have a link on the site to a PDF from Musical Fidelity about amplifiers and dynamic range. Imagine you are listening on my speakers (95db-98db 1w/1m) and the amplifier is running at about 5 watts when there is a sharp hit on the snare drum and you need more. In a really well recorded piece with little compression the attack on that snare may be ten to fifteen db higher than the ambient level. That means for that moment you need not 5 watts but 50-200 watts. Granted a really good tube amp will give you a LOT more than rated power for those split second dynamics but if your taste runs to well recorded music with percussion and you like to turn it up then there is a reason for all that headroom. 
There are of course many reasons for each type of amplifier and it really revolves around personal taste but having efficient speakers just opens up the possibilities for all kinds of amplifiers.

To answer the question, the speakers are very consistent in their sound at any volume level... they do not NEED to be played loud.
I have people using these with flea power SET and with huge Class A, the speakers work very well with both.

One of the primary reasons for designing with efficient speakers is that they are FAST and effortless, that has always been the real beauty of horns and other efficient designs. An amplifier doesn't drive them, it unleashes them. With that speed and ease comes the subtle harmonics and trasients which to my mind are the life of the music.

I know I got a little windy here and I hope that wasn't at all pedantic?

aldcoll

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Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #18 on: 10 Feb 2015, 05:33 am »
I'm kind of curious why people are using such powerful solid state amplifiers for such efficient speakers. Do the speakers need to play at a minimum loudness level to sound good? I was thinking (from memory) that these speakers were something like 96dB efficient and an easy 8 ohms. Maybe I remember that wrong. The website doesn't work on my iPad so I can't check it out. I'm sure someone can straighten me out on the facts.

I'm only asking because I thought that these would be great speakers for single ended triode amps, say 300B or 211 amps of 8 to 17 watts.  Or maybe a small and simple pentode amp, like El84 or El34. Anyone using anything like that?

I have a pair of Pans and they are the least efficant at 95 db if I remember.  And as for the high power on the SS side, as I am looking for a SS amp the real quality ones start at 100 watts.
When I was at Lou"s listening to speakers via a Modwright 150se he thought we were only using 15-20 watts at what I would call my  loud level.

I personally am avoiding tubes for several reason and looking for a great SS that will last many years as I don't swap.  Crap its hard enough to get the Pans past the wife :nono: 
But I have to say meeting Lou sure won her over on the deal.  She truly liked the way he treated us both times we visited.

beaglebump

Re: What amplifier do you use with your Daedalus speakers?
« Reply #19 on: 11 Feb 2015, 04:08 pm »
I've been extremely pleased with the synergy bet. my Athena v.2's and Simaudio Moon W-5/P-5 combo for much the same reasons as Lou describes above.  With the Athena being as efficient as they are, the high power from the W-5 provides tons of headroom for an absolutely beautiful presentation at low amplitudes, which is where we enjoy most of our listening.  Sure, speed, transients, and dynamic spectrum are crystal clean, but the organic nature of the Athena voicing keeps it real.  That's not to say I've not often been "tube curious" or what an even finer ss power plant might provide, but frankly, I'm hard pressed to imagine how the presentation I'm currently enjoying could improve.