Duntech repairs?

Hi Sugarshed. I happily owned a pair of Duntech Princess speakers for 19 years. They remain one of the most musically satisfying speakers I know of.

I had to replace two woofers (yes, Dynaudio) in mine following a DC pulse from a misbehaving amp. That was several years ago and at that time Dynaudio would only sell replacements to manufacturers, not individuals. I tried Madisound since they once sold Dynaudio drivers but they could not help. Eventually I got assistance through a manufacturer friend and found original replacements. Perhaps stories like mine are why you found a Vifa in your Marquis? I understood all woofers in the Duntech Classic line (not for Dunlavy Audio) were Dynaudio but I can't be certain.

As for removing your woofer, they are installed with an adhesive as well as screws to ensure they remain air-tight. After removing all the screws, use a wide blade screwdriver or stiff putty knife blade and gently work your way around the basket rim (use a stiff, thin object underneath to avoid pry marks). Pry just a little at a time and move along a few inches. That should work the speaker loose.

I'm very disappointed to hear of your response from Duntech. I believe they have new owners and that is no way to carry on the original reputation for customer support.

Sugarshed, I'm not familiar with the Marquis but I assume it has 2 woofers per speaker in a D'Appolito array since John Dunlavy favored that design. I would examine the other three woofers to identify their brand and model number, then find a replacement based on that.

Duntech made a big deal over matching and measuring individual drivers and keeping that information on file. This would allow them to match any given driver if a replacement was necessary. I suspect, but am not certain, that crossovers were then tailored so that response measurements fell within their specs. Fortunately for you, this may be less important for a woofer than for a mid or tweeter.

So the point is, even without matching the original woofer for factory specs, a replacement should at least be the same brand and model as the original. Your odd matched woofer is likely compromising the potential sonics of a fine speaker.

From what I know, Millersound is as good as any speaker repair facility you can find. But I would not bother replacing the surround on one driver that didn't match the other three.

I would send a note to both Madisound (since they previously sold Dynaudio) and Dynaudio, asking about the model numbers. The similarity of the numbers suggests they are all the same manufacturer.

If all else fails, you might contact Millersound, explain the situation, ask if he will evaluate all four woofers, and then rebuild as necessary to make two matched pairs.

This may all seem like a great deal of trouble but I suspect you will find it worthwhile once you have your speakers performing up to spec.

This is all quite unfortunate.  As I recall, Duntech has not had an importer in the US since around the time John Dunlavy opened DAL.  And since DAL has been closed so long that can be a problem for those owners as well.  Also, as far as I know Duntech and DAL used different drivers in sibling models so that can further complicate repairs.

I can only add that I was friends with violin and heard his Princess speakers after Legall repaired them.  Bill took two steps and the result was worth it.  First my friend already had his woofer surrounds replaced, but Bill found the replacement was not the same as in the original Dynaudio drivers.  So that may have provided the wrong support or stiffness.  He had the proper surrounds to duplicate the originals.  Second, when reassembling he balanced the cones.  Anyone with general knowledge about racing engines will understand what that can mean.  Then the cones could move out and in with even, smooth motion.  True it wasn't an A/B comparison but the resulting bass was impressive.

Anyone having problems with either brand, I would add my encouragement to consult with Legall.