I am looking to upgrade my current speakers. (Ultra highend guys no laughing)currently I am using a set of Dahlquist DQ10's. For me the sound stage is great with an excellent dimension width and depth as most albums and CDs the vocals and music seems 10-15 feet behind the speakers.
The main problem is the footprint size and second, they are not efficient. I currently run muse 150 mono blocks (SS) with a Quicksilver full function tube preamp thus the efficiency is not that much of an issue however as I move around alot physical space is becomes an issue more often. I would like to find a replacement that that is much thinner in size but doesnt hit me in the face with sound, and ofcourse I would NOT like to spend $15,000.
After several years of enjoying and hauling around the DQ10's I remember what the previous owner said to me as I bought them from him "I love the sound and unless you want to spend 5 grand or more you wont find anything that can compares for the money...but I just dont have the room for them anymore". Well I am not there yet and I could spend 5 grand or more but dont want to be disapointed with the stage and so on... just to save some floor space and spend alot of money. So like I started this any ideas would be great as I would like to find a higher end used pair but will consider all options. I would like to spend 2K but will spend up 5k as my amps are only class "B". Please give me your thoughts and thanks for reading.
Sell your SS poweramps and replace them with tubed power amps.The fact that you have a tube pre doesn't matter the staging you want comes from tube power amps honest. I went thru this painful and costly effort myself. I know this runs contrary to the popular belief that all you need is a tube someplace in the system. It just isn't true. The SS amps flatten the benefit of the tubes. Any speaker will do as long as it maintains a reasonable impedance. You would be shocked to hear very few watts driving big speakers if the amps have good trannies. I would recommend trying Merlin Vsms as an example of a good staging speaker that do well with Bobby Palkovic's (Merlin's owner) preferred Ars Sonus amp which is only 30wpc. You can find a pair of VSMs used on the Gon for your budget. No I am not selling any and no affiliation ,I have heard them many times.
Try second hand Energy Pro 22 or 22.3...this will bring your soundstage more forward (not so recessed in the mid range)....it won't cost you a cent as you can find these second hand for the same price as your DQ10.
Honestly, I can't think of much at 2 K price range these days that gets you as much speaker as this legend...inflation I guess on the wood work etc.
Many Alons for sale here are good buys. I've recently seen Dahlquist 20s on ebay go for $275 which are also a steal. Your preamp is not a tubish sounding preamp to begin with. Your amps are fine to drive these speakers but the preamp is limiting your sound.
Thanks all, gives me some extra thoughts. Seems the great debate about ss vs tube amps pops up as always.....I just wish the DQ 10s were not so large. I was suprised to hear that one thinks the quicksilver preamp is a limiting factor. What is the overall opinion on the quicksilver?? Any ideas? Thanks again to all who responded gives me more to chew on
Excellent choice on the DQ-10's! I had a pair back in the 70's wish I had never sold them.
I ran them with a GAS Son of Ampzilla and Thoebe preamp.
I did my own mirror imaging and crossover part replacement. Make sure you get some stands. They came with stands later on (too low for my taste). I put them on stands that got them up about a foot or so. I still have the stands, I'll get the height if you want it.
I sold them because I wasn't gettting enough bass in the room I had them in. A bi-amped sub-woofer setup was too expensive for me at the time (1976-77.)
Here is another plan for you to consider. A pair of used Magnepans. I just got an SMG, and there are a lot of MMG's here on A'Gon. They have the same open midrange as the DQ-10's, if not more open. It's been a while since I heard any DQ-10's. I just got my Son back from a complete rebuild today so tonight is going to be great.
BTW .. GAS never built any tube equipment, it was all solid state.
Good luck in your choice. I'd buy DQ-10s again today if I could find a pair I could get into (with local pickup). I've been looking for a while and bought the SMG's on a whim. The 70's were a better era than the 80's!
I can recommend Tyler speakers, such as the Linnbrook Signature. I currently own the Woodmere 2 speakers, which are very nice, although a bit out of your price range. I loved my old DQ-10's, as they did sooooo much right. The footprint of the Tyler speakers is quite small, and they give you the great dynamics, imaging and smooth, natural sound of the DQ-10's, with a better bass to boot.
Ok so here is what I have done so far, kept the DQ-10s but they are in the upstairs room, bought a pair of Alon's from the gone......excellent sound! great! and smaller foot print. sold one CJ tube preamp, kept both of my Quicksilvers tube preamps......still trying to decide what do with that and thinking that I cant ever sell the DQ 10s and the stands that I have for them (the ones that sit them up about a foot). Maybe the next thing will be a tube amp who knows.....thanks for all the help guys I just figure later in life I will hate that I sold a mint pair of DQ10s so now they sit for ahile
Good job, Growler. While in college, I jammed my DQ-10's into my apartment bedroom, rejecting the notion that they were too big. At the time, I had to listen from my bed! I soon discovered my most fruitful pickup line for the college chicks: "Want to hear my stereo system?" Now that's a sweet spot!
You can tell that I still miss them quite a bit... and those memories too.
great pick up line for the ladies, and I have decided not to sell the DQ 10s, I do like to alons as well though, but the clut following and the sound and look of the dqs shall stay for along time with me as they roll my second system......my stands are orginal thus they sit up about a foot. hey what do you guys think of my quicksilver preamp? how about my amps? will talk to you all in a few G
(http://www.avguide.com/products/product-3762/) Check out The Absolute Sound's review of the Magnepan 1.6 and see if the description of it's imaging doesn't match what you are used to from the DQ-10s(Search for Stereophile's review as well). DON'T EVER apologize for your love of the Dahlquists. They still have quite a following in the "musical truth" cult, a number of people offer upgrades (cross-over/LF driver/ribbon super-tweeter/etc), and the original designer/builders still offer support (they call themselves Regnar now). The (now classic) design incorporated ground-breaking ideas like time alignment, phase array, corrective cross-overs, and (eventually) mirror-imaging that are still being explored/developed in today's industry. The Maggies won't save you much as far as the footprint, but you'll never be disappointed by a lack of musical truth. Sometimes they are available used on this site for far less than what you've got budgeted.
Well Growler- Since you've opted to keep the DQ's: Here's a page of reviews to peruse that mention some of the mods that Regnar(www.regnar.com) performs.(http://www.audioreview.com/cat/speakers/floorstanding-speakers/dahlquist/PRD_119369_1594crx.aspx) I think you've made a good choice! Happy listening!
rodman thanks for the updates......I guess I am lucky to have held onto the them (dq10's) The alons are doing jsut fine.....I will be reasearching the magnepan asap. I was thinking of going to an all tube system IE going to tube mono blocks and getting rid of my SS mono blocks just wanted to know what you think thanks
I have a pair of DQ 10 fully upgraded by MillerSound in Lansdale Pa and they are indeed amazing. I have Magnepan 20Rs as my main speakers for comparison and I obviously love the type of sound they both give. And they both benefit from mega power and current. I am driving them with a pair of CJ Premier 8As with the rhBackert conversion, and V-Caps producing 200watts per side of all Class A NOS RCA 6550 tube power, with phenomenal results. As far as the footprint of the DQ 10s, I just picked up a pair of Audio Physic Virgo II's. They are every bit as good as the DQ 10s in openess transients etc and scarily close to the MG 20's FWIW.
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