PAF 2022

Daedalus, VAC, Lampizator, & WyWires = One Smooth Combo

Jason Victor Serinus  |  Aug 2, 2022

Show co-creator Lou Hinkley proudly stood alongside his new Daedalus Audio Apollo11 v.3 loudspeaker (starting at $27,500/pair). Variously depicted as "a whole new version" (in the room sheet) and "pretty complete makeover" (by Hinkley at the show) of the Apollo, the 52"-tall speaker boasts a larger midrange and an entirely new array design. "The lower three woofers function more like a point source, and the additional tweeter delivers more stage height and width," Hinkley said.

Asked why, if the speaker was so different from early versions, he had not renamed it, designer Hinkley replied," I'm a real American. I'm never gonna junkpile the Apollo 11!"

That'll teach ya, Serinus.

Lampizator USA was showing off the Lampizator Pacific ($25,950) their former top-of-the-line tube DAC. and fairly new, Linux-based Gulf Stream music server ($7000). The Gulf Stream has a Roon interface, bespoke power supply, and proprietary Linux kernel.

WyWires, in turn, touted their new Diamond series cabling, which features new refinements. Neither last nor least in the system, the imposing VAC Statement 450i iQ integrated amplifier ($150,000) contributed to a sound, that on a Red Book file Queen Latifah's "Simply Beautiful" with Al Green, radiated lovely tube smoothness.

COMMENTS
Archimago's picture
Submitted by Archimago on August 2, 2022 - 7:47am

Jason,
Wondering which day you listened to this system? I was there on Day 1 Friday and there was something wrong with the playback with quite a bit of distortion on the peaks - not subtle! I was discussing this with a few attendees and they also noticed.

I mentioned this to one of the Daedalus employees and likewise he admitted "they're having difficulties in the room". Anyhow, hope they fixed that by Saturday and Sunday.

Jason Victor Serinus's picture
Submitted by Jason Victor Serinus on August 2, 2022 - 8:53am

I visited the first day.

My show reports are not reviews. I always make allowances for the myriad difficulties encountered in a new space.

Archimago's picture
Submitted by Archimago on August 2, 2022 - 10:15am

It wasn't a room issue...

romath's picture
Submitted by romath on August 11, 2022 - 3:56pm

I first visited Friday morning and find agreement with the title of this report. A few industry and non industry people I spoke with also commented positively the room and recommended it. Don't know about later in the day, although I don't think it sounded as good Saturday, which was the opposite of most rooms.

As someone who has switched over to almost all WW Diamonds and a couple of Platinums, that the Diamond is a new series or has been updated is news to me (and apparently to Alex too).

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