Dahlquist DQ 10 cross over help

[Taller Ants]

So I got a pair of these in nice enough shape. They were 350 local. The sound is much nicer than the Klipsch they were replacing. I have them running on a surround sound amplifier but I am considering power amps to run with my Dynaco Pas4 for that tube sound while still providing the wattage needed with the damping factor that these speakers have been said to like so much.

I was hoping someone could help me out and tell me what needs to be deleted from the X-overs to plug up these new Bohlender Graebener Neo3 Planar Tweeters that I got recently. To me the highs are a little piercing and I hope the upper end offered from the planar tweeters will be easier on my ears and allow me to turn them up a little louder with less fatigue effect.

I am not the best at reading schematics but I will include a one below. I am very new to these speakers and have limited knowledge on X-overs, but I have built a couple kit amps so I should be able to handle this well. I can take pictures of my X-overs if needed. It would probably really help to have a visual aid I could print showing where I need to cut what leads. Thanks for your time and thanks very much for any help. I can't wait to see how these sound with a smoother highs. All the best and happy holidays.

 

[Freddymac2]

Before you improve these fine speakers I strongly recommend that you, confirm the series that you have. I re-caped an old pair of these and changed my electronics and the end result was astounding. You may even be hearing your electronics, because they are not easy to drive. If you lived in southern N.Y. you could come hear what they can really sound like. After you have established that you are giving these a fair shake, you can modify the hell out of them. These are not listed as one of the top $700 speakers for nothing.

 

[StimpyWan]

I was hoping someone could help me out and tell me what needs to be deleted from the X-overs to plug up these new Bohlender Graebener Neo3 Planar Tweeters that I got recently.

Congratulations on the Dahlquist speakers. A nice find. But, if you have to ask questions like this, you need to leave the speakers alone. The BG tweeters are planar magnetic, and a completely different design to what's used in the DQ10's. So, there's nothing to 'delete' that could make the BG's work for you. You'd need someone to design a whole new crossover circuit, to make this work. And even then, it may or may not sound better?

Also, before modifying the drivers, you might want to consider recapping the speakers. That can improve the treble harshness you're hearing. You could replace like-for-like, from Parts Express or Madisound, or you could buy an upgrade kit from Regnar, which would provide the parts in the kit. A bit pricey, but it's parts known to be correct.

 

[Taller Ants]

Before you improve these fine speakers I strongly recommend that you, confirm the series that you have. I re-caped an old pair of these and changed my electronics and the end result was astounding. You may even be hearing your electronics, because they are not easy to drive. If you lived in southern N.Y. you could come hear what they can really sound like. After you have established that you are giving these a fair shake, you can modify the hell out of them. These are not listed as one of the top $700 speakers for nothing.

I would absolutely love to hear them. Unfortunately I live very far from there. Thanks a lot for such a friendly gesture, sincerely. I have supplied the pair with 100 watts per side with a Sony surround amp but I want go to a power amp with tube preamp. The Dynaco Pas 4 that I have is from the nineties and I outfitted it with some great Raytheon NOS tubes and the last capacitors the signal passes through before leaving the preamp have been updated with Mundorf caps. This preamp is goign to be a great fit and perhaps just what the doctor ordered but I need to figure out a reliable and lower priced power amp. Crown might be what I am looking for, though I am not settled. The wife says it has to be low budget, so hundred or two would be my high side. About the series identification, if there is a guide or any materials to reference and figure out the ones that I have it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[StimpyWan]

Good luck.

 

[Blue Shadow]

You want to know what you have and how to cut stuff out of the crossover to use some new tweeters.

Read that statement and see if you can make any sense out of your Exact Goals. I can't.

I would highly recommend that you provide us with info about your speakers serial numbers caps in crossover mirrored or not pictures anything so that those knowing something about them can help.

On to the tweeter install provide more about what you want to do whether replace the piezo or the piezo and dome. You have read a bit about doing this on the web and should be able to tell us more. Maybe one of the discussions you read has some details. Maybe the Dahlquist Yahoo group has some info or at least another place to ask.

Give us something to work with and we will see if we can help

 

[Taller Ants]

You want to know what you have and how to cut stuff out of the crossover to use some new tweeters.

Read that statement and see if you can make any sense out of your Exact Goals. I can't.

I would highly recommend that you provide us with info about your speakers serial numbers caps in crossover mirrored or not pictures anything so that those knowing something about them can help.

On to the tweeter install provide more about what you want to do jäger replace the piezo or the piezo and dome. You have read a bit about doing this on the web and should be able to tell us more. Maybe on of the discussions you read has some details. Maybe the Dahlquist Yahoo group has some info or at least another place to ask.

Give us something to work with and we will see if we can help

Thanks for the response. I didn't know the tweeter could handle the dome's duty. this is interesting to find out if it can. I guess the best way to figure out what I want them to do is to try one with the dome still in play and the other with the tweeter taking over it's job. My ears should be able to figure out what I like more. I will be able to take the grills off and snap some pictures soon. I also thank you for mentioning the Dahlquist y! group as I was not aware of such existing. Will find my way into it soon. I have some Polk Monitor 5's I am cleaning up and some other gear I am trying to list this weekend. When I get my "gones" ready for listing I will get into the Dahlquists and take some pics. Thanks.

 

[CopperWizard]

You say you are running them with a Sony surround sound amp right now? Maybe it is the problem.

 

[F1nut]

You can't get high end sound from a low end AVR or pro amp.

 

[Blue Shadow]

All you have to do is supply info. You haven't yet. But you can do the research many have already done about the DQs and you can do the research about whether the ribbons can or can not cover the range of the tweet and piezo. I know the ribbon in my magreplanars goes down to 3k. You're ribbons may be different and you need to know what the tweet and piezo do in the 10s.

 

[StimpyWan]

Audiogon member "cadet1" mentions in this thread, that he replaced both the tweeter and super tweeter, with the BG tweeter. He doesn't mention if this required any crossover changes? But it sounds like he disconnected the old tweeters, and wired the BG in as the new tweeter, as is.

 

[Taller Ants]

Audiogon member "cadet1" mentions in this thread, that he replaced both the tweeter and super tweeter, with the BG tweeter. He doesn't mention if this required any crossover changes? But it sounds like he disconnected the old tweeters, and wired the BG in as the new tweeter, as is.

From the link you posted. "I replaced the tweeter and supertweeter with a B&G Neo 3 PDR planer tweeter. Works very well after disabling the supertweeter crossover." Thanks!

 

[Taller Ants]

All you have to do is supply info. You haven't yet. But you can do the research many have already done about the DQs and you can do the research about whether the ribbons can or can not cover the range of the tweet and piezo. I know the ribbon in my magreplanars goes down to 3k. You're ribbons may be different and you need to know what the tweet and piezo do in the 10s.

I have looked for a serial number and the closest that I got was a small sticker on the back of one of the baffles marked 27491. I saw some red ink stamped serials in some pictures from other owners online, mine dont have that. Here is an attached picture of an X-over. These are not mirrored.

Edit: Almost forgot, I just want the tweeters that I got to do the job of the tweeter and the piezo. I have read that the mid range is really the lions share of the DQ 10's voice and I would rather play it safe on that and just do the higher range mod with the tweeter that I bought replacing the other two drivers mentioned.

 

[Blue Shadow]

Well we have some answers on what you have since you provided some needed information.

You have a non-mirrored, crossover upgraded, mid serial number set. Does other speaker have the same small sticker with a different number or is the sticker missing? That is the serial number of the speaker. The sub and late DQ-10s had the red numbers on the connection plate. The yellow film caps, some change em but they should be similar to when they were installed not like the blue electrolytic cap that is probably tired by now. Freddymac says to use a coke can sized plastic cap for this one and strap it on a leg to keep it attached. Most use a lytic as it is cheaper. The serial number you provided is the highest number I have in my list that is not mirrored. Nothing wrong with that and you can accomplish this in a couple different ways.

I believe you can slap that B+G in there to replace the tweet and piezo. Check that it will cover the range of those two drivers and then wire it in place of the tweet and piezo. I don't know exactly how that would be done but I expect it would be at the 0.8A fuse on the baffle next to the drivers to the input to C6 and bypass the piezo wiring to the resistor and such.

Someone has to know crossovers enough to be able to do this mod correctly.

 

[Freddymac2]

A 80uf Axion PP cap at C1 is about 1 1/2 " in diameter, and the lower frequencies are cleaner, faster and better detailed IMO. Please stop obsessing over your special tweeter for the moment, and put some electronics of good quality on them. Only then will you hear the magic that they can produce. They do need to be mirrored at some point, and that is a real pain to do right. The room you put them in is the other ingredient, along with there placement.

 

[Blue Shadow]

Correct mirroring isn't that hard but is a bit harder than the easy way. Just involves moving the crossover and swapping the two support structures for the baffles holding the drivers. Plugging the holes and replacing one pair of wires that aren't quite long enough in the new configuration. Some replace all the wire at that time, upgrading to bigger stuff.

I don't like the quick and dirty way that cuts one of the support legs for the baffles so that the crossover does not need to be moved to the other side of the cabinet.

 

[Taller Ants]

These are all fine answer, gentleman, but this questrion needs to be solved... and not solely because of me.... we need a solid understanding of how to delete the two high end drivers and replace them with a single ribbon so that we understand this process and how it works out. Thanks!

 

[Blue Shadow]

These are all fine answer, gentleman, but this questrion needs to be solved... and not solely because of me.... I need a solid understanding of how to delete the two high end drivers and replace them with a single ribbon so that I understand this process and how it works out. Thanks!

fify.

This may not be a drop in replacement. There is the sensitivity of the drivers involved to consider, you want the new driver to play close to the same volume as the original(s). We, as in You, are just waiting for someone that knows crossover design enough to tell you exactly what to cut and where to solder. I know I would try to do what I suggested but I also know I don't know enough about it to tell someone definitively to do what I said. I don't know crossover design enough for that. I sure could make recommendations on speakers where the crossover doesn't create a significant portion of the magic and one is not trying to replace two drivers with one.

You might be able to learn enough about crossovers on the web, you can learn anything on the web to be able to make this change without waiting for an AKer to come in and point out exactly what to do.

But you are struggling here so I'll see if I can help call in the reinforcements as I know @GordonW has talked crossovers before and maybe he will drop in since we sent out a broadcast for his help and he may be able to assist with either an answer or another call for additional assistance.

 

[StimpyWan]

Unfortunately, it will take real design work to accomplish this mod. Not an easy thing to do, especially with something like the DQ-10's. They used an extremely complex crossover, to tie these disparate drivers together. Jon Dahlquist and Carl Marchisotto knew what they were doing. Not an easy task to redesign their work.

The only other person I know, that maybe could do the work, would be Danny Richie, of GR Research. Danny designs aftermarket crossovers for many speakers. Plus, Danny designs a line of his own speakers, using BG drivers. You could ask about help in Danny's Forum. But, this wouldn't be a free service. This is how Danny makes a living.

 

[StimpyWan]

One other source for Tech-Geek speaker help, is the DIY Audio Forum. They have some very experienced modders over there. I'd bet someone has worked on DQ-10's there. It might be worth a search.