Cheap Thrills Dynaco A25 vs Sound Dynamics300ti?

Well, Fleshler. I couldn't resist trying one out. I just won a Sherwood 7100A on an Ebay auction for $20.50. I'm going to compare it to the Marantz 2220B through the A-25's. I'll keep you posted on the shootout.

I bought the Morel tweeters from Madisound.The folks at Layne Audio provided an upgraded crossover to balance the system. The stock A-25 (scanspeak) tweeter is great in it's own right. The Morel has better extension and openness. Thanks for the advice on the different Sherwoods.I have never tried the 7100 series, but you're right about the 7310. It was very constricted and unnatural. My Marantz 2220B is much more relaxed and tube-like.I would have probably kept the standard Dynaco tweeters but the seller sold me the pair with a tweeter blown and the guys at Madisound told me that they have had some A-25 customers having good results with the Morel MDT-20 as a replacement. They are $50.00/pr.I just modified a pair of AR-2ax speakers with a kit from Layne Audio which replaces all drivers and crossover parts. It required some cabinet mods to accommodate the new midrange drivers( a real pain) but it was worth it.An amazing transformation. They are much better than the Dynacos, so they are now the new bedroom speakers and the Dynacos are going into my son's bedroom. Total kit was about $175.00. I paid $100.00 on an Ebay auction for the stock AR-2ax so a total investment of $275.00 has provided a speaker that is extremely musical.Much better than the stock AR-3A's which is what I was first considering.For those who own the AR-3A speakers, Layne Audio has an upgrade kit for it as well.Website is www.layneaudio.com,but they don't answer their e-mails. You'll have to call them direct and hope you get through. You'll probably talk to Steve who is a great guy.

Forget any model of Sherwood other than the 7100 or 7100A. I've tried the bigger units with only the 7200A coming close. The 7300A is big and brash. The quad units and later units sound like... well a cheap solid state receiver. The 7310 is awful sounding. I like the advice of replacing the tweeters with a more open sounding tweeter. It has to match the impedance, sensitivity, cross-over characteristics, etc. for it to work. Do you know it the Morel MDT20 matches the necessary criteria. Thanks

Absolutely correct. I tried a Sherwood 7310 receiver with my Dynaco A-25's and then bought a used Marantz 2220B on Ebay for $41.00( I had to clean all the pots and switches) and the sound was so much better.I gave the Sherwood to a friend and now have the A-25's and Marantz in my bedroom system.I recently replaced the tweeters with a Morel MDT20 and they are much more spacious.I've heard that the Dynaco speakers sound excellent with tube gear, but the older Marantz 2200 series receivers are very tube-like.

I bought my parents, sister and daughter A25s matched with Sherwood 7100A receivers. They now enjoy audiophile quality sound. I have four sound systems at home, with Focus and Signature IIIs as my best speakers and A35s in the others. Dynaco speakers are always pleasant. I just sold a pair of Snell Type K for $180 on ebay (mint condition) which are also nice, but inferior to the A25s. I had the AR3, large Advents, etc. in the early 70s. I missed out on better sound by not knowing about the A25s when I was a teenager then. Luckily, there were 700,000 A25s made with replacement parts available. Go for it for a second system or medium size room at GREAT savings.

I have owned a pair of Dynaco A-25s for many years, since I bought them new in the early 1970s. (One got damaged a few years ago, but I was fortunate enough to be able to find a replacement.) While there are many other fine speakers out there, and doubtless a number with qualities which would be judged superior in many respects, the sonic quality of the Dynacos has stood up very well over time. They are neutral, natural, and musical in sound. One can listen to them for extended periods with no aural fatigue. They might not be the best speaker for high-volume rock, but they are excellent when played at moderate volumes in medium-sized rooms. After a short time, one stops listening to the speakers and simply listens to the music. When new, they were viewed as being in the same category as, and arguably superior to, speakers such as the AR-3a, the KLH 6 and the Larger Advent. I am very happy with mine. They might not be the latest or highest-performance equipment around. They are classic equipment, though, in the same way as a Martin D-28, a Gibson ES-175, an Ampeg B-15, a Leica M2, a Nikon F, an old Lotus 7, a 1964 Mustang, a Piper J-3, a Schweizer 1-23 or a Standard Cirrus -- not the ultimate in high performance, but simple, direct, straightforward, and offering enduring value. If you don't have lots of money, but you're lucky enough to find a pair of these in good working order with clean sound, don't haggle over the price, just buy them and take them home. You won't be sorry.

I haven't heard the 300ti's, but the newer discontinued RTS-3's (approx. $150) sound great for the money! I have a pair in my bedroom hooked up to some old Yamaha stuff and they still sound good. Check out the review(s)here on A'gon.I believe the 300ti's were supposedly even better.

Hope this helps some.

I just bought a vintage pair of Dynaco A-25's from an Ebay auction for $90.00 and unfortunately one of the tweeters was blown. I contacted the Dynaco speakers retrofit experts, www.madisound.com, and ordered a pair of the new Morel MDT20 tweeters. All I can say is " Amazing " ! These little speakers in my bedroom system have an incredibly seductive and musical sound.

A25 was a very good speaker, the the 300 should sound better, especially in the low end, a place where the A25 was lacking. The rest should be better as well, but the bass would be the 1st thing most would notice. It will be different sounding speaker though,and depending on how long you have listened to the A25's, you may not like the difference. Even if many others would prefer the 300's, you may not. I have decided there is a phenomonon that occurs in humans that I will refer to as "listening path burn in",
and they get so used to a way something sounds that even if something else sounds better, they still want to go back to the old sound, cause it has "burnt" an easy to hear path in theirs heads. I have just had this "discussion", with a person who has owned tri amped JBL L300's, using SAE gear, over 20 years. He thinks virtually nothing could sound better, and claims to have listened to other setups. That is part of where this theory developed. Anyhow, you own or will own two wonderful classics, not a bad thing to have in your life. Enjoy