THE Show 2008

The Hallographic Dead (bad pun)

Posted Tue Jan 8, 2008, 10:55 AM ET — By Jason Victor Serinus

One of the highlights of RMAF 2007 was encountering Lou Hinkley's Daedalus Audio Ulysses loudspeakers ($8800/pair) in the ART Audio room. Here, paired with Gill Audio Designs Alana preamp ($5000) and Elise DAC ($6000), an Ensemble transport, Clayton M-200 power amps ($9500/pair), and relatively inexpensive Empirical Design cabling, the system was arresting in its transparency and three-dimensionality.

Equal credit, I feel, should go to Ben Piazza's amazing Shakti Hallographic Soundfield Optimizers and Shakti Stones, which respectively tamed the room and conquered EMI. (John Atkinson may be skeptical, but I use the Hallographs at home, and they work wonders, especially how they help clarify the midrange in very large, minimally treated listening area). On the first track of Marta Gomez's superbly recorded Chesky CD, Entre Cada Palabra, the clarity of percussion and woodwinds, and the soft beauty of the singing, were exemplary.

As I was leaving Jack Bybee had brought in a pair of his latest Quantum Noise Purifiers, which further highlighted detail and did wonders on the highs—Ben Piazza (left) Lou Hinkley of Daedalus (right), and Jack Bybee feel their products work extremely well together!

http://blog.stereophile.com/ces2008/010808shakti/

http://stereotimes.com/CES08CraigFa.shtml

Stereo Times
Craig Fitzpatrick

The timber man goes to Vegas. Lou Hinkley of Daedulus Audio is known for his high efficiency solid hard wood loudspeakers. He eschews derivatives such as MDF or composites and hand builds his cabinets from Walnut or other natural woods. Just introduced at RMAF 2007, the Ulysses loudspeaker (at $8,800.00) are a fantastic loudspeaker with impressive imaging, fine details, and a musical presentation that is just as beautiful as the cabinetry itself. Amplification was provided by the Clayton M-200 class A mono blocks ($9,500.00 per pair) connected to a Gill Audio Designs Alana preamp ($5,000.00). The Elise DAC ($6,000.00) and Ensemble transport were also used with cables by Empirical Design; interconnects $330.00 per meter pair, and loudspeaker cables $600.00 per eight foot pair. Shakti Innovations’ stones helped to reduced EMI and a pair of Hallographs were deployed to optimize the sound. This was one of the more musical rooms that had a pair of loudspeakers that will compete with some of the higher priced products that are currently available on the market. The presentation was as natural as the walnut itself.

Clement Perry - Stereo Times

One of the very first stops walking through the St. Tropez was in the Daedalus Audio room that featured their highly efficient (97dB) Ulysses loudspeakers ($8800 pair) in cherry wood. This was my first time hearing these at length and they sounded quite good and very coherent considering the amount of drivers visible. Electronics included an Ensemble transport, Gill Audio Alan preamp and Elise dac, while amplification was the glad-to-see-back Clayton Audio M200s. Shakti Hallographs and Stones kept AC noise and room anomalies low while all cabling was by way of Empirical Audio.

http://stereotimes.com/CES08CPa.shtml

Notes from T.H.E. Show 2008

Daedalus Audio