Budget amp for Dahlquist DQ-10's

Thanks guys/gals for the support and suggestions. I guess one of my worries is that the McCormack DNA-1 with 180 wpc might not be enough. I've heard these things like 200 wpc as a minimum. I know I should be worried about current output but am I going to regret not buying something bigger? I guess I can always buy another and run as monoblocks when I get more cash.

When I had DQ-10s, I drove them with a Threshold 400A which is 100 watts/channel with plenty of current. It was more than enough power. The McCormack will probably be fine.

i have a pair of the alon II's. a cousin to the dq10's ( they are pigs when it comes to power requirement- to say they like current is a understatment)

i would not go any less than 200 wpc with a high quality design.the aragon should do fine but alot will depend on how much you want to spend.

they can get buy on a quality 100 wpc but really they really open up and breath with 200 wpc. the sound is very effortless and organic.

here are some options:

muse 160 stereo mk II($600- $625 used) and add another( the muse has a very nice top end that is a good match for the dq10's)and that would put you at $1200-$1300 for 2 near state of the art amps.

or

2 muse stereo amps- $375 each or 2 pse studio IV stereo amps($325 each) - $ 700 - $750 for 2 stereo amps

or

4 pse studio v mono blocks - $500 - $600 pair - $1000 - $1100 for $5000 (retail) of very quality amps (this is the route i went). the pse's studio V monos are very hard to come by.

the lower price pse studio V and muse 100 are very good amps( $1k range new ) but lack the last bit of sonic refinment when compared to their more $$ counter parts. the muse 160 mk ii was a $2k amp and the pse studio V are a $2500 pair amps

you do have some choices - the speakers will sound very good if you have a tube pre in the system.

hope that helps,

mike

Hafler

DQ-10's have a really wild impedance characteristic and dip as low as 2 ohms at one point. This makes them amp hogs. You don't really need a super high wattage large amp, but you do need one with a very high peak amerage capability. Or an amp that doesn't get broken up when it sees that load that it can't put out enough amps for.

I drive my DQ-10's with a GAS Son Of Ampzilla with GAS Works mods. I've also heard amps with twice the power rating sound terrible trying to drive the DQ-10s. I would think that NADs might be a good choice for a read ecomomy speaker for the load.

In a small room I've heard DQ-10s not sound too bad driven by a Dynaco Stereo 70. It couldn't put out many amps, but it didn't get all broken up and put out lots of hash due to it's tubes and transformers.