Erik, when you have time, tell us your impressions of the DQ-10. How do they compare to the Vienna Acoustics in terms of soundstage and imaging?
Tube amp recommendation for Dahlquist DQ10s
Hello,
Recently, a friend gave me a pair of DQ10s with upgraded caps that need refoaming. I’m wondering if it is worth my while to invest in an amp for these speakers as I have never heard them.
My current system is a modified Jolida 202a, Vienna Acoustics Haydn (not Grand), Hagerman Bugle phono stage, and a Bix turntable. I listen to jazz, rock, and electronic music at moderate to loud levels in a small room (11’ x 11’) with acoustic treatment. Overall, I am happy with my system, but eventually planned on upgrading to Vandersteens (love their sound) and appropriate amplification.
Since money is tight, I will probably sell the Jolida and Haydns and add a couple hundred so would have $1100 to $1300 to play with. Are there any recommendations for a used tube amp in this price range that would run these apparently power hungry speakers? I am also concerned about such a large speaker in my small room- am i correct in assuming that baffleless designs are fickle placement wise? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
Recently, a friend gave me a pair of DQ10s with upgraded caps that need refoaming. I’m wondering if it is worth my while to invest in an amp for these speakers as I have never heard them.
My current system is a modified Jolida 202a, Vienna Acoustics Haydn (not Grand), Hagerman Bugle phono stage, and a Bix turntable. I listen to jazz, rock, and electronic music at moderate to loud levels in a small room (11’ x 11’) with acoustic treatment. Overall, I am happy with my system, but eventually planned on upgrading to Vandersteens (love their sound) and appropriate amplification.
Since money is tight, I will probably sell the Jolida and Haydns and add a couple hundred so would have $1100 to $1300 to play with. Are there any recommendations for a used tube amp in this price range that would run these apparently power hungry speakers? I am also concerned about such a large speaker in my small room- am i correct in assuming that baffleless designs are fickle placement wise? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
6 responses Add your response
Mingles' response is right on target. In order to make those speakers sing, you need much more juice. Back when I owned DQ-10's in the 1980's, I used 250 watts per channel, which was very nice. I would say anything solid state north of 150W wwould be quite satisfactory. but, just as Mingles stated, go ahead and enjoy them with your current setup. That way, when you do upsize your amp, you will really appreciate the difference. |
The DQ-10s are inefficient and need plenty of power. Dahlquist never published their sensitivity rating, but it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 85 dB. Your Jolida 202a puts out 40 watts which should be able to drive them to a moderate level (97-100 dB). Why don't you live with this combo for a while and decide later if you need more power? Your room is relatively small which plays to your advantage. The 10s are not too finicky with placement. You'll have to experiment and find out what works best for you. I've had great results following Cardas's suggestions. |
I own the Dahlquist 20i speakers and have had them for years. (Actually my 3rd pair of them). You really need to run Dahlquist speakers with tube amplification, much better than ss. I run them with Von Gaylord monoblock amps and the sound is amazing: rich, warm, and detailed. I listened to many amps before I made the decision to buy mine and absolutely love them. They do have an integrated amp, I'm not sure how this would sound with your Dahlquists, you could probably call the company and they would recommend what's best for you without trying to oversell you. Their stuff doesn't come up used very often though. Another amp I liked was the McIntosh tube amps, although I never had them in my system. You can pick up used ones all the time, try Audio Classics. Sandra |
Unfortunately I cannot address the tube amp question, but I can give my 2-cents on the others. I have a pair of DQ-10's in a 9X12 bedroom powered by a Bryston 3B and I think they sound great. They do not overtake the small room and they are not at all harsh or agressive when powered by solid state amps (at least not with the Bryston). They do seem to need alot of power, but they are an 8-Ohm speaker so I don't think they are a difficult load to drive. When compared to my Magneplanar MG-1.6's the Dahlquists have slightly less resolution and bass, but to me they are a great sounding speaker and definitely worth the time to listen to. Thanks, Jason. |