Devore Nines and Daedalus Athena comparison?

Drubin, if you heard them with one of the Modwright amps, it is possible that the amp would play a part in creating that somewhat "soft" sound you are hearing. I think Daedalus and Modwright team up for these Audio shows. Interesting comment regarding the tweeter and I look forward to more comments from owners. A lot of great replies so far!

Dan, the tweeter is a high end Eton 1" soft dome, which I know Lou is particularly proud of.

On my Ulysses there is a three-position tweeter level switch on the back, which can be set to provide a slight boost or cut, the intention being to increase its adaptability to differing rooms. I don't know if the Athena has that same provision, but I would suspect that it does.

With that switch in the neutral position on my Ulysses, I have been sufficiently pleased with the overall tonal balance and with the integration of the treble and midrange that I have never bothered to even try the other two positions.

Yes, I don't think the treble would ever be accused of being etched or over-aggressive. And I would expect there to be some listeners who with some music and some ancillary equipment would find it to be slightly too soft for their tastes, at least with the switch set to the flat position. On the other hand, among a great many comments I have seen here and elsewhere from those who actually own Daedalus speakers, I can't recall ever seeing any misgivings expressed about their treble performance. And whatever small tendency there may be in the direction of softness does not seem to compromise the speaker's ability to accurately reproduce fast transients.

I'd expect there to be some Daedalus owners in your neck of the woods, Dan; as David suggested earlier in the thread consider contacting Lou to see if he can put you in touch with someone willing to give you a demo. Also, keep in mind that Lou offers 30-day return privileges, less two-way shipping and a $300 restocking fee.

Best regards,
-- Al

Disclosure: I own Daedalus Ulysses speakers. I auditioned the Nines in my system but my dealer couldn't supply a pair of Silverbacks to compare with the Ulysses which made my decision easier.

I have heard and like both products. Your are in a good spot: you are choosing between two terrific speakers. I could be extremely happy with either. As previous posts suggest, this is more about personal taste and system matching than 'better' or 'worse'. Listening in your system will be critical to making the appropriate decision for you.

I would not say I detect any recessed treble. The speaker is pretty neutral across the frequency range. What you don't get, as Al aludes to, is the etched harsh treble I find with many high end speakers, particularly Focal. Not my cup of tea at all. If anything it might be a tad base light, reflecting it's high efficiency, but I don't find it so. The base is tight and detailed.

The DA-RMa does have the treble adjustment toggle at the back, with 1db increase reduction or neutral positions. I am afraid I can't hear much difference.

The aim with the speaker, the design aim, as I understand it, is to make the speaker sound like live music, for me it is pretty successful at that

RE: the tweeter. In shows and in short listens it may note be as flashy as most, but in my friend's system, powered by Shindo amps, the high end is truly wonderful for long term listening. It doesn't call attention to itself, but ALL the detail, natural air and harmonics are there with perfect balance. I'm a big fan of ribbon tweeters, and while the Athenas don't have the ooh-ahh effect on listeners that my RAALs have, I believe the Athena's highs are more true to life, totally balnced and integrated.
Regarding the 9s - one of the members of our circle owns the 9s, and having heard the Athenas, was as jaw-dropped as the rest of us. He hasn't sold his 9s just yet, but he's doing some serious thinking. Just my 2c.