M1

Reviewer: Srajan Ebaen
Financial interests: click here
Main system: Sources: Retina 5K 27" iMac (i5, 256GB SSD, 40GB RAM, Sonoma 14), 4TB external SSD with Thunderbolt 3, Audirvana Studio, Qobuz Sublime, Singxer SU-6 USB bridge, LHY Audio SW-8 & SW-6 switch, Sonnet Pasithea, Laiv Audio Harmony; Active filter: Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box 2; Power amplifiers: Vinshine Audio x Kinki Studio Dazzle & Gold Note PA-10 Evo in mono on subwoofer; Headamp: Enleum AMP-23R; Phones: Raal 1995 Immanis; Loudspeakers: Qualio IQ [on loan] Cables: Exact Express Flame, Furutech; Power delivery: 2 x Kinki/Vinshine Tai Hang on amps and source stack, Furutech DPS-4.1 between wall and conditioners; Equipment rack: Artesanía Audio Exoteryc double-wide 3-tier with optional glass shelves, Exoteryc amp stands; Sundry accessories: Acoustic System resonators, AudioQuest FogLifters; Room: 6 x 8m with open door behind listening seat; Room treatment: 2 x PSI Audio AVAA C214 active bass traps
2nd system: Source: FiiO R7 into Soundaware D300Ref SD transport to Cen.Grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe with POW; Preamp/filter: Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box 2; Amplifier: Kinki Studio EX-B7 monos; Loudspeakers: Virtual Hifi Cobra [on loan]; Subwoofer: Zu Method; Cable loom: Exact Express Earth; Power delivery: Vibex Granada/Alhambra, Akiko Audio Corelli Corundum & Castello Solo; Equipment rack: Hifistay Mythology Transform X-Frame [on extended loan]; Sundry accessories: Furutech cable lifts, Furutech NFC Clear Lines; Room: ~3.5 x 8m
2nd headfi system: DAC: Cen.Grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe with POW; Headamp: Cen.Grand Silver Fox; Headphones: Raal 1995 Magna, HifiMan Susvara
Desktop system: Source: HP Z2 work station Win11/64; USB bridge: Singxer SU-2; DAC/preamp: Audalytic DR701; Headphone amp: Audalytic HP70; Speaker amps: Topping B200 monos; Loudspeakers: Virtual Hifi Viper; Headphones: Final D-8000, aune SR7000, FiiO FT7
Upstairs headfi system: FiiO R7; Headphones: Meze 109 Pro, Fiio FT3
2nd upstairs speaker system: Source: FiiO R7; Integrated amplifier: Simon Audio Lab i5; Loudspeakers: ModalAkustik Musikboxx with Dynaudio S18 subwoofer
2-channel video system: Source: Oppo BDP-105; All-in-One: Gold Note IS-1000 Deluxe; Loudspeakers: Zu Soul VI; Subwoofer: Zu Submission; Power delivery: Furutech eTP-8, Room: ~6x4m
Review component retail: €6'850/pr monitors, €3'695 sub, add €1'000 for motional feedback, €1'600 for upgraded AudioTechnology woofers

D for Dutch 'n' dipole. I'd just published a syndication for Hans Beckeringh, on their MOB3 speaker written up by Warsaw correspondent Dawid Gryzb. The response was unexpected. "I read in your reviews of the Qualio IQ and ModalAkustik MusikBoxx speakers that you too are enthusiastic about Mundorf's AMT dipole. We also use that in our C1 model. We use the larger version in our High-Line models which we consider even better—and designer Andreas Rullmann agrees as he thinks it his finest tweeter design. We combine this amazing dipole 25D AMT with a custom-made AudioTechnology mid/woofer also on an open baffle combined with a very fine passive filter—a bit like the Qualio but deliberately with a somewhat smaller baffle. We currently sell our High Line systems mainly in the Netherlands because we consider it important that our loudspeakers be properly installed and driven accompanied by sound acoustic advice to the clients. At the moment we just haven't yet found international dealers who really understand open-baffle systems and are willing to promote them with proper care. We are however looking into how we could start selling our High Line models internationally and are currently gaining experience with the MOB models. Personally I think that our M1 monitor/subwoofer system might very well align with your preferences given your IQ and MusikBoxx ownership. That's why I am curious whether you would be open to reviewing our Daudio M1 system. This link is presently in Dutch only but you can translate it in your browser. I look forward to your response."

That was easy: "Yes³!"

1/ I already had experience with Mundorf's bigger dipole air-motion transformer in Virtual's radical Cobra monitor. 2/ I love open-baffle mids. 3/ I'm sold on stereo 2.1 with active bass. Hence my affirmative in triplicate. After three decades on the audio beat, I know what I like and what best works for me. If you're still hazy on the 'd', perhaps thinking it short for dubious or daft, here's my take. Lose the box. With it, say good-bye not only to enclosure resonances but undue pressurization on the cone's rear plus the propensity for its inward radiation to leak back out through the membrane smeared in time. Stop murdering half the generated acoustic energy with an expensive Magico-type sealed box. Instead allow it to freely play the room like a musical instrument. Benefit from figure-8 lateral out-of-phase cancellation which eliminates your side walls as reflective sound sources. For a classic sub, shun ports or passive radiators. Go with a force-cancelling twin-woofer design like my Dynaudio S18. For an exotic sub, go RiPol aka Ridthaler Dipole as I do downstairs with a sound|kaos of twin 15-inchers each driven by 700w/4Ω mono power. For ultimate dynamic expression and resolution in the upper ranges, apply an active high pass to the monitors. By neither doing nor seeing any low bass, those now should really be visually compact and attractive. Et voilà, 'd' for delicious, discerning, discriminating—and Daudio M1 dipole.

The many reasons why a 2.1 music system isn't dumb but decisive include that active adjustable bass beats passive fixed bass. With a dipole's acoustic short circuit where wavelengths long enough to wrap around an open baffle cancel out, raw cone surface becomes the antidote to lesser room gain. The late Siegfried Linkwitz still added DSP compensation. As with horn speakers forced to operate into the bottom octave, full-range dipoles get big—they need big even paralleled big woofers—and tend to soak up power to extend low. Reaching for a classic sealed alignment across the bottom 2-2½ octaves shrinks the required cone surface. Activating it with a dedicated bass amp adds adjustability whilst reducing load burdens on the main amp driving the upper 2/3rds.

With Daudio's à-la-carte M1 concept including options for motional feedback and upgraded 10" AudioTechnology woofers, my Jane Austin needle of sense 'n' sensibility was redlining. Add the white dress code shown. Now you have all my reasons for accepting this solicitation with a great sense of personal excitement. 'D' for do me. If you're not yet 'D' for due diligence, revisit Dawid's prior review. Study the brand's background story. It'll spare us 'D' for duplication. To extricate a personally salient detail, Daudio's principals weren't born yesterday. Respectively, they are from the model years '62 and '64; like me. They've been around the block a few times. To me it suggested maturity beyond youthful excess and bookish idealism. It suggested hard-earnt experience and ability to differentiate what matters after you've tried plenty and along the way discarded less effective or ultimately flawed solutions. Add Dawid's most positive MOB3 findings. This gig was really looking ever more promising.

At left a glance at Daudio's maiden model, the W1 with wire-suspended dipole AMT and RiPol bass system turned 90°. My eyes call that impeccably groomed simplicity and clever integration of important decisions executed to a very high level. Back on the M1, filter frequencies are 120Hz and 2'400Hz with 89dB sensitivity for the monitor whose passive filter uses Mundorf silver/gold/oil caps and matching silver/gold/copper hook-up wiring. Dimensions for this 8.4kg stand-mount are 20x4x30.6cm. The 31.2kg sub is a 36cm³ cube. The motional feedback option is based on a 1970s' Dutch Philips concept which I first heard in a modern adaptation in Grimm's subwoofer. Again, to me everything about the Daudio M1 made perfect sense to appeal to a very unusual degree. As always, the proof would be in the listening. But my real question was, what had taken me this long?

The sequence of events leading up to it now were entirely unchoreographed. Dawid had accepted an Aalborg invite to Børresen's launch party for their €1M flagship speaker. He subsequently wanted to replicate some of the experience with a radically smaller wallet and room. It had him approach Daudio for an open-baffle loaner. His write-up had led to the syndication request. That had triggered me being pointed at the M1. 'S' for Srajan and synchronicity? Superb. 'D' for Dawid. Thanks to our man in Warsaw!