I recently imported a Phaedra unit at a good price and with great service from the folks there - but have just more or less finished setting it up - so haven't done more than a few test cuts yet. So far, looking good.
I pondered the dust problem for some time... the shroud idea is difficult for my 12" Bosch sliding Compound saw as the slider would demand a huge box.
However, I have tried another idea with some success - a funnel that delivers a high proportion of the dust to the vacuum system attached to the dust chute under the motor. You can see the short PVC pipe I have attached to the end of the chute, ready to be connected to my mini-cyclone vacuum system which is not in the pics. (The mini-cyclone plans and details are on the Aussie Woodworker's Forum. It's a dust collection gizmo powered by an ordinary vacuum cleaner. It saves filling your vac. with dust - rather, the dust ends up going thru a cyclone-like action which deposits it in a closed bucket. Done properly, only air goes into your vac. bag.
By the way - domestic vacuums have superior suction for these small-pipe applications. The big workshop collectors with 4" pipes won't work well on 1"-2" pipes as they are designed to move huge volumes of air - which they can't do through small pipes).
Now, this is my first attempt at uploading pictures anywhere - so I hope this works!
The first two pics show an ordinary oval-shaped funnel - the type used for motor oil, etc... just a bit of hacking, a couple of screws plus small wood scraps and liquid nails to hold it in place and silicone to fill the gaps...
It's not perfect and requires some more tinkering - the blade directs the dust towards the chute but some dust gets thrown right into the upper corners of the funnel (on either side of the chute) and out again, so these should probably be blocked off flush with the entry point of the dust chute, so that all dust is directed into the airflow instead of being able to find those dead-end upper corners.
A couple of close-ups may help...
When the saw is dropped fully down in the cutting position, the funnel does touch the table, squashes up a little and thus widens itself with the pressure (the plastic is fairly soft and pliable) - thus catching even more dust.
Hope that's helpful to a few dust-covered drop-saw owners.
Rod