Help My friend wants to go with some DQ-10s


which were probably good back in the days of cheesy disco...but these things sound like a wet towel has been placed over them...and the bass...well..it is slower than a broken down bus...and the dealer is asking $500 for the pair! To be fair, they image pretty good...but so does every other decent speaker nowadays...this is his first attempt at entering the world of hifi...and as a friend...think he can do much better...I have tried to enlighten him...but he is mystified my the Dq-10 heritage...and a smooth sales rep...any thoughts on persuading him to a modern design?
128x128phasecorrect
Hello,

The DQ-10's were my first speakers and you really need some current and watts to drive them. There were several mod's available to improve the crossovers and that did help. Also, you can run them with a sub to capture some of the lost bass. Not a bad speaker, especially if they have had the mod's done to them. I enjoyed them for many years.
Buy a ampzilla amp and the original DQ subwoofer, with the cross-over, bur two pairs of DQ'S, RACK MOUNT THEM,for totally allsome speaker system, maybe a vintage high-end B.AND O. TURNTABLE, WITH THE PROPER CARTRIDGE and direct wire the speakers, by-passing the fuse or just get the up-gradesfor the cross-overs and a Rotel c-d single play, and a high end G A S pre-amp Chuck
Here's a Dahlquist model rarely seen, the DQ-30I's, I've owned them for nine years, and people come over to hear them and can't believe how good they sound, or look, for that matter. Captain, Sean & Elgordo have good ears, there's a special presentation and magic to these speakers few have. My short list of speakers happens to be identical to Captains.
look at a pair of vandersteens 2ce ( if he has the room )
or
pair of alon II's ( again if he has the room)
or
vandy 1b and dump the rest of the money into the electronics.

the dq10's arent a bad speaker, but once you get them upgraded you are in the alon II arena.

the alons are a fantastic speaker if you drive them with very good gear., they are one of few dynamic speakers that sound like a magneplanar ( but with bass & dynamics). please keep in mind they are VERY demanding of placement and elcetronics. the vandies are a little more forgiving but also less transpearent.

hope that helps !!!

Mike
I purchased a used pair of DQ10's. My friend was an electronic engineer and completely revamped the crossovers into two separate modules: one for the bass with huge chokes and one for the midrange and treble also with very large chokes and all with very high-quality capacitors and resistors. All the wiring was redone with teflon Straightwire and heavy gauge for the bass. All the defractions were completely done away with by using special felt to build-up layers from each driver. The man who originally owned the DQ10's now owns Avante Guards said maybe he should have kept them. I am driving them with monoblock B&W amps, with a Krell preamp, a Sony 9000 ES SACD player, two original subwoofers driver by a Hafler 500 and Straightwire/Crescendo Speaker wire, etc.

These upgrades and accessories have dropped the jaws of a number of discriminating audiophiles, and if I can improve them anymore--well, lets say I'd have to be able to afford the very best to give these babies up.