Hmm, I'm a Californian and I pronounce daemon as demon, understanding the first vowel as the same vowel as for Aesop. Indistinguishable from the vowel in "beam" and "niece".
But I pronounce the first vowel in aesthetic differently. For me, it's somewhat in between the vowels in "bed" and "bad" but closer to the former.
…TIL how to pronounce “Aesop”! Thanks for saving me eventual embarrassment - now I know why other people don’t mix up Aesop Rock and ASAP Rocky!
As a fellow Californian, I’d say we have authority anyway - I was taught in school that Ohio has the least specialized dialect, but that’s based on newscasters and such. The 21st century is the Californian century!
…that is, assuming Brussels’ English is out of the running, I suppose ;)
But I pronounce the first vowel in aesthetic differently. For me, it's somewhat in between the vowels in "bed" and "bad" but closer to the former.