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Who remembers the Dahlquist DQ-10's?

My first pair of "high-end" speakers.  Power hungry critters but what I would give for an updated pair.  I powered these with a Peavey CS-400 and a Maccomack Deluxe Line drive passive preamp!!  Those were the days!  Young and dumb I suppose?
128x128kenny928
georgeatcarolina
5 posts
 
After KLH and Bozak 301 I moved up to a used pair of DQ-10s circa 1977, mirror imaged, factory tweaked x-over and a M&K sub. Technics DD turntable, Grace 707, Shure V15 yada yada. The acoustics in the living room were good too.
Every scratch, every speck of dust, or static drove me nuts. That piezo electric tweeter made me give up on HI-Fi for a number of years. I sold the whole thing and found temporary happiness with pedestrian Infinity RSBs, Thorens and Stanton 681.
edstuart
1 posts
 
213cobra Phil,

Hi.  I used to live in Pittsburgh and visited Opus One frequently.  At that point, I just couldn't afford what I wanted and then they ended up going out of business.  From what I remember, Tasso powered DQ-10s with a Kenwood L-07M and a Kenwood L-07CII.  However, I can't remember what subwoofer he used.  Was it an Acousat?

Thanks,
Ed
statman's avatar
statman
282 posts
 
I certainly do.  I had bought Magnaplanar MGIIB's and was so smitten with them. I went over a friend's house (Donald) who had Dahlquists DQ10's and it was the first time I heard them in someone's house instead of the showroom floor. I always loved the somewhat similar physical resemblance to the original Quad electrostatic speaker. Neither speaker had dynamic slam but imaged well and had great soundstaging when set up properly.
parabolic
99 posts
 
@emailists it's possible we bumped into each other from time to time.  I knew the fellas at Eardrum fairly well back in the day, and we often kidded the owner (Artie) that his radio ads sounded like they were done by Tom Carvel.

I still own a pair of DQ10's with walnut sides that were refoamed, recapped and mirrored by Regnar.  I've retired them now in favor of my recently acquired Martin Logan reQuests, but they still do their magic.

If anyone is in the Northeastern PA area (zip 18337) I might be persuaded to drag 'em out, if you bring the beer.

sunnyjim
884 posts
 

I remember the DQ-10.  I was a salesman in the 1980's in a mid to hi-end audio dealer,.  Good speakers; but, somewhat awkward to set up, and the their stands were crap and did not support the speakers very well.

By way of suggestion, don't get caught up romanticizing a speaker whose design is close to 40 years old.  Occasionally ,  . you will see ads on AG for updated versions of the DQ-10's, or even the so-called DQ-20 ( or DQ 30?)  which was more or less a flop. 

Use that 2K to 3K money looking for a used pair of Vandersteen  3A's  or Acoustic Zen Adagios, or one of the lower tier Dyanudio Contour speakers,  a (used) pair of the newer Quads speakers, or Martin Logan models "Aerius",, "Ascent" or "Vantage"  They should provide superior  sound quality and much better tonal accuracy than an updated version of the DQ-10's 

Good Luck

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