AudioCircle

Industry Circles => Daedalus Audio => Topic started by: Bones13 on 22 Feb 2020, 06:07 pm

Title: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: Bones13 on 22 Feb 2020, 06:07 pm
I have been working on what will be (hopefully) my final system upgrades as I work toward retirement. I investigated all sorts of speakers in the under 15K range. I have a small room 9.5x14, and the speakers need to be close to the rear wall due to a hall entering near the back wall. I finally realized that I listen predominately in the "near field" setting, which helped me with my choice. I have enjoyed Zu Audio speakers for the past 10 years or so, and I find the high efficiency to be a real bonus, both for amp choices, and there is something more "alive" in the high efficiency speakers for me.

Placed my order with Lou for the Muse Studio speakers. Excited to order some truly terrific speakers which are pretty much made for my room.

3 months to wait. Happy to know that Lou is that much in demand though. He was fun to talk to, and very helpful with my choices.
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: mresseguie on 22 Feb 2020, 06:38 pm
YES! Excellent choice in my not-so-humble opinion. I have no doubt you'll be delighted with your new Muse speakers. Now, the waiting begins...

What finish did you choose?





Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: Bones13 on 23 Feb 2020, 12:41 am
All walnut with a stripe in the baffle. I think he will inquire after finishing a bit later in the build. I don't know the stain/varnish options at this point.
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: A_shah on 23 Feb 2020, 09:23 am
Congratulations ,  and you made a good choice for near field listening ! Yes Lou is a busy man , I finally decided to to upgrade my 2 year old Poseidon Speakers with new  Tweeter upgrade & new  mid range rings-  the time frame given to me  is the 1st week of May ! , I will also be visiting Lou at the same time .
Man I do dread packing these things,  :duh:Luckily  I took pictures of my unpacking  and have saved the original boxes I will still need help  so  I
 have requested a good audiophile friend to help   :popcorn:

Asghar
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: dodgealum on 23 Feb 2020, 04:32 pm
Welcome To the cult bones! The driver array on the studio muse (and my Apollo’s) creates a super cohesive presentation at near field so you will be thrilled. I’ve had my Apollo’s in two different smallish rooms set up on both long and short walls and never more than 8 feet away from the listening chair and have always been pleased with the sound. The ability to listen close also allows you to pull them out from the wall behind to the max possible so you get a nice stage even in a tight space. Congrats!

Ash—I feel your pain on the box and send. Did it twice with my DA-1.1s and worried the whole time. End of the day totally worth it! No damage (lou’s packing is great) and each time the improvements were well worth the time and money invested. BTW, the new tweeter, IMHO, is a real game changer. Best top end I’ve ever heard—super fast, articulate, natural and ZERO fatigue. Why more manufacturers don’t use the Eton is beyond me—and the reason so many people are on the endless merry go round—sounds so detailed at the audition and with your best recordings at home but ultimately fails to satisfy over the long haul.
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: Bones13 on 24 Feb 2020, 03:22 am
Yes, I did all the upgrades, so I would not be sending them back for upgrades anytime soon. I got grills, Duelund/Mundorf upgrades (Duelund resistors, and fantastic Mundorf capacitors). I got spikes, but have too thick carpet/ padding for trying to balance on DiDs.

Still stoked, but settling in for the wait.
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: dodgealum on 24 Feb 2020, 06:10 pm

Sorry, Bones--my comments on the upgrades were for A_Shah. You will not need to worry about this with your Apollos!
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: rbbert on 24 Feb 2020, 10:31 pm
Congratulations ,  and you made a good choice for near field listening ! Yes Lou is a busy man , I finally decided to to upgrade my 2 year old Poseidon Speakers with new  Tweeter upgrade & new  mid range rings-  the time frame given to me  is the 1st week of May ! , I will also be visiting Lou at the same time .
Man I do dread packing these things,  :duh:Luckily  I took pictures of my unpacking  and have saved the original boxes I will still need help  so  I
 have requested a good audiophile friend to help   :popcorn:

Asghar

What company are you using to ship these?
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: A_shah on 25 Feb 2020, 03:35 am
What company are you using to ship these?


I am going to get quotation both from Fedex and UPS Freight, I would prefer to ship them on a Pallet  they  are approximately 56 " tall , I have the original boxes that lou shipped them in .
Their is also a  2nd option I discussed with Lou,   Lou would provide  the shipping labels from his shipper and I would pay him  :thumb:

Asghar
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: A_shah on 25 Feb 2020, 03:49 am
@dodgealum
Thank you ! for your kind words ,  and encouragement your views on the new tweeter's are definitely a great encouragement to me, rest of the upgrades Dueland resistors and mundorf capacitors  and wiring were already done to these speakers when I purchased them in Feb. 2018 I do believe new XO would have to be placed    for the new tweeters .
Only reason I did did not send them in earlier was that I enjoyed  listening to them as is  !  plus like I said, dreaded ! the idea of shipping them

Asghar :thumb:
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: Bones13 on 26 Feb 2020, 01:03 am
Replaced a fuse in one of the MC60 monoblocks today, restoring its function. Fiddled with gain and hum pots. I had turned the gain down a bit, and then a bit more due to hum. Today I found that the hum was mainly at the midway point of the pot. I put the both full blast, and now minimal hum! A very pleasant afternoon listening to music.

These amps should do well with the Muse Studios, until I start looking at amps...
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: Bones13 on 10 May 2020, 01:22 am
Starting to get excited. Lou says I’m still in window for on time delivery, despite having sent his shop help out. They will get here, whenever they get here. The left MC60 monoblock burnt a fuse again today. I brought out my first DIY project, an AudioNoteKits L4 amp - EL34 push-pull 45 watt. Sounds a bit sedate compared to the Macs, and there is a tad of hum with the “97db” Zu Druids.

My focus has been a new mono block DIY set of FirstWatt M2x build. Putting them in a pair of cases I had for a build that never finished. Still waiting on the input transformers before I can start finishing them up. Got the power supplies done today.

If I end up sticking with mono block amps I will need to get a wider component stand for between the speakers. Or just make do until next year, and get one of the many amps I’m spending too much time looking at.
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: Bones13 on 14 Jun 2020, 02:07 am
Got notification that my speakers will ship soon. I am excited.

I got my DIY M2x monoblock amps completed a few weeks back, they are wonderful.

Going to be a great summer!
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: mresseguie on 14 Jun 2020, 05:00 am
It's going to be an EXCELLENT summer for you.... :thumb:

 :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: Bones13 on 16 Jul 2020, 01:51 am
They are done! Shipping tomorrow. Yes, I’m excited.
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: Bones13 on 25 Jul 2020, 01:06 am

(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=212285)

They arrived this morning, I hauled them home from the office, and unboxed in the garage. Then I man handled them up stairs. Quick listen, then attached the feet and DiDs, and gave them an oiling.

Simply magical, already opening up.

Thanks Lou!
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: Sébastien on 25 Jul 2020, 06:33 am
They are magnificent  :thumb:, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful days of the year for you. It is a moment of intense emotion when we discover these magnificent pieces. Very good listening and stay careful.
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: advanced101 on 25 Jul 2020, 12:47 pm
Awesome
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: Ice10 on 25 Jul 2020, 01:38 pm
Those are beautiful speakers. In the ‘70’s I was fortunate to be able to hang out with some artisan woodworkers. The Daedalus cabinets take me back to those days only with, what I imagine, much better sound.
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: vinyl_lady on 25 Jul 2020, 03:34 pm
 :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: MKJM4 on 23 Sep 2020, 03:08 am
Fantastic speakers in an awesome room.
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: Bones13 on 24 Sep 2020, 12:27 am
Fantastic speakers in an awesome room.

Thanks! These are opening up well. Nice bass in my small room. Some additional tweaking in progress with the amps, and a few other improvements. A new picture in a month or 2.
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: ArthurDent on 24 Sep 2020, 02:51 am
Congrats, you'll only enjoy them more as time goes on. Have a great fall.  8)
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: stlrman on 25 Sep 2020, 02:16 am
Nice speakers !! Take off the grills , show those drivers .
Title: Re: Joining the Daedalus Family
Post by: rbbert on 25 Sep 2020, 02:48 am
It's interesting, I like the look of my Ulysses with the covers off, but so far like the Apollo 11's better with the covers on.