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REVIEW: Daedalus Audio DA-RMA Speakers

72.213.183.58


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Model: DA-RMA
Category: Speakers
Suggested Retail Price: $6500
Description: monitor speakers
Manufacturer URL: Daedalus Audio

Review by Audioclyde on May 25, 2009 at 06:43:28
IP Address: 72.213.183.58
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for the DA-RMA


OK, my DA-RMa's now have a good 2 weeks on them, probably a total of 150 hours or so. This isn't intended as an exhaustive review, just a quick assessment of my initial reactions. The DA-RMa's have taken the place of my JM Lab Micro Utopia's (Micro's are the original version, modded with all Cardas wire and solder which smoothed their potentially hot top end a bit). In summary, I'm very pleased with the DA-RMa's sound. I'm certain I don't have things optimized as far as room placement, sub x-over etc., but these guys really sound natural and musical. I've just left the sub's x-over at 36hz, with very minimal gain--I'm not a basshead by any stretch of the imagination, but for me with minimal supplement by the sub, the bass is
fine, very tight & quick also.


Material listened to covers a broad range---female vocalists, jazz, country, 70's rock & pop. I'm an admitted midrange nut, and love good female vocalists of almost any genre. Following is a sampling of heavily demoed cuts: Eagles--Hotel California; Over the Rhine--Drunkard's Prayer; Mark Knopfler; Norah Jones; Rebecca Pidgeon--Spanish Harlem; Shakira--Illegal; Allan Taylor--Brighton Breach; etc. :)!

The Micro Utopias that the DA-RMa's replaced are very nice in their own right, but the DA-RMa's just sound more like live music, less 'electronic' for lack of a better term. As I noted on a different site, the Micro Uotpia's excel at high end detail (even tho mine have been modded to smooth the top end out a bit), but I've found that I haven't lost any detail with the DA-RMa's, yet the overall resolution of the DA-RMa's is significantly better....don't know if that makes sense to anyone else, but its my best attempt at describing that particular phenomena :)! To me, part of the high end detail I heard with the Micro Utopia's was slightly obscuring other areas. The mids and treble with the DA-RMa's are to die for, with great resolution as noted, but NEVER fatiguing (completely in line with everything I've ever read about Daedalus spkrs).

Soundstage is bigger, more 'air' between instruments. Overall pinpoint imaging of instruments/singer within the soundstage is about the same I'd say--maybe a slight nod to the DA-RMa's due I'd guess to the better overall resolution throughout the frequency range.

I've swithched back and forth between my Cary SLI-80 integrated and my Pathos Classic MkII integrated quite a bit this weekend. Both are very good with the DA-RMa's, but my overall preference is with the Cary. I will say that the DA-RMa's easily let me hear differences in various NOS 6922's used in the pre section of the Pathos.

I have the ebonized walnut premium finish; IMHO the fit and finish of these are stunningly good. Very high WAF factor!!

Again, I'm no reviewer :), and certainly don't have 'golden ears' (I can't tell you how many times I've spent $ on different cables/tubes, tweaks and really WANTED to hear a difference and justify the expense and couldn't!), but the above is my somewhat feeble attempt to provided what little insight I can about the DA-RMa's sound.

Happy listening!


Product Weakness: Maybe lower bass for bassheads and/or orchestral (?)--I just don't know.
Product Strengths: Resolution; great midrange and treble. Not fatiguing in any respect. To me, sound is very coherent==sounds organic like live music. Accoustic guitar is portrayed very realistically!


Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Cary SLI-80; Pathos Classic One MKII
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): none
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Modwright Transporter
Speakers: Daedalus DA-RMa's
Cables/Interconnects: Soundstring; Purist Audio Museaus; TG Audio SLVR and Black Sand pcords; Empirical Audio spkr cable
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Material listened to covers a broad range---female vocalists, jazz, country, 70's rock & pop. I'm an admitted midrange nut, and love good female vocalists of almost any genre. Following is a sampling of heavily demoed cuts: Eagles--Hotel California; Over the Rhine--Drunkard's Prayer; Mark Knopfler; Norah Jones; Rebecca Pidgeon--Spanish Harlem; Shakira--Illegal; Allan Taylor--Brighton Breach; etc. :)
Room Size (LxWxH): 21 x 16 x 16' cathedral
Time Period/Length of Audition: 2 weeks
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Equitech balanced pwr cond.
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: Daedalus Audio DA-RMA Speakers - Audioclyde 06:43:28 05/25/09 ( 3)