Mike:
Here is what I posted on the AC a few weeks ago:
Just a quick post to chime in on this thread now that my DA-1.1's have returned from Washington with the new V2 upgrades. The speakers arrived just before the holiday (great timing--thanks Santa, uh, I mean Lou) so I had plenty of time to let them settle in and do some extended listening. I'll try not to repeat what has already been said here and will try to put together a much more long winded "review" when I have more time but I would certainly agree that this is a "game changer" for Lou's entire lineup which pushes his speakers into an exalted status far, far beyond the price point. I have been fortunate to have had the AP upgrade completed several years ago and that was a big jump in performance--more speed, dynamics, agility and effortless sound without any loss of the tonality that makes Lou's speakers so very special. To my ear the V2 upgrades offer as big a gain as the AP crossover network but of a different type. This is all about refinement and purity, with an added touch of high frequency sparkle and heightened spatial cues--again, all brought forth without any downsides. With the V2 upgrades I find performance much more compelling as the subtle nuances of both voice and instruments are brought to life in my living room. This is really about both the unique qualities of the performers voice and singing style and the way in which instruments sound when played live, with the initial transients and subsequent decay faithfully preserved. For example, one track I played several times was Lyle Lovett's "Highway Kind" from his "Step Inside This House" covers of Texas songwriters. To listen to him sing and play this song is truly a thing of wonder. The guitar is so real, so live sounding that it knocks you over and then he starts to sing and his entire being simply appears before you in the room. At the end of the song he must lean forward or back because you can hear a creak as the guitar strap rubs on the body--spooky, and just like it would sound live. I'm also getting a bit more energy up top with the V2 upgrades--again, with no downside fatigue or lack of coherence. Just a bit more extension and sparkle that sounds more real and natural that before. I listened to a number of well recorded jazz LPs and was completely stunned by the shimmer and decay of the cymbals--again as you would experience them live. I am also shocked by the dimensionality of the sound with the V2 mods in place. The speakers completely disappear and the music emerges from a void in total 3D--eerie to the point where I found myself laughing out loud with my eyes closed--fun! I could go on but will stop for now and say that I could not be happier with the magic Lou has pulled off here. To be able to get this kind of performance jump without having to move up the line and abandon the beautiful custom cabinets that Lou built for me back in 2008 is phenomenal and a testament to Lou's dedication to his clients--many of whom, like myself, consider him family. This is a no brainer for all Daedalus owners and for those who are considering joining the family I cannot think of a reason on earth why you wouldn't want to pull the trigger, given the price to performance ratio and variety of models to choose from. Thanks again Lou--it has been a great ride and I am grateful for all your support and assistance along the way!
As to the technical aspects of the upgrade, Lou is a little tight-lipped about these things. I do know that there are modifications to the crossovers which are designed to eliminate phase anomalies as well as changes to the internal wiring feeding the tweeter which are designed to let that driver communicate more effectively.
Bottom line: These are very appreciable upgrades to the sound of an already fabulous speaker. Highly recommended!
Always good to hear from you, Mike!
