Goldenear Triton 3 Plus vs. Dahlquist DQ-10'S

[chrisnp85]

I know you are looking for more speakers and I hope you find what you are looking for. I know you say you like imaging so what I would suggest is find a least another DQ-1w and an LP-1. I have found that stereo subs more than anything else help increase imaging. You could also check out these guys about a custom electronic crossover.
https://www.marchandelec.com/electronic-crossovers.html

It's funny you mention getting another DQ 1W because I've thought about it alot. When I do find one, people want crazy money for them though. Probably just because they aren't common thing find everywhere. I got lucky with mine and the guy had the entire set and kept them pristine. I can never find the LP-1 either. I'll give that site you linked a look. I was up in the air with idea of adding another dq1w though because sometimes I don't even need the one I have. The 10's do a pretty dang good job in the bass department on their own when properly driven and properly setup.

 

[Audiofreak71]

What are you using for a preamp? Are you using a stand alone Dac ? Transport? Cables ? . I mention all of the above because it sounds like your pretty happy with your speakers but your not quite getting the most out of them and it could be that you you could get there by changing up some of your other gear .

Now if your just wanting something different for the sake of being different I get that and if you want a full range speaker that gets better as you upgrade your equipment I would look at Vandersteen. Specifically in your price range the 2ce Signature ii’s which I own and the 3A Signatures which are slightly above the high end of your price range . But both have everything your looking for , you do have to set them up properly so if your a set it and forget it person then look elsewhere, otherwise for the money I don’t think it gets much better .

Audiofreak71

 

[JLange2010]

The 814v’s were an older model and were an odd duck at that. Apparently someone had Focal build a special run of what was mechanically a 716v and put it into a gloss black cabinet ala the 800 series. Accessories4less ended up with them and for a while they were available at a pretty remarkable price. That’s where I purchased them. I had listened to a couple of their then current standmounts, the 706 and 807, I want to say. Really liked them both but I have a big room (14x40) and I discovered the 814’s existence, so took a chance. They were my first speaker purchase in my “modern era”. I’ve been pretty satisfied, I enjoy the Focal sound. I am neither a particular or skilled listener, though. I can just tell you that I like them. I have heard a few other speakers over the past few years though that really impressed me. (A Revel and a Martin Logan model) Different environments, and I don’t know if they would have impressed me as much if they were in my crappy listening space. They were considerably more expensive than my Focals and they were very well situated, so it isn’t surprising. But I still regret letting the Revels go; they were offered to me at a darn good price at the time.

 

[Blue Shadow]

I can never find the LP-1 either.

three sold on the bay since Jan 1 and one was on BT for a day last week. They are out there.

 

[frommerstop]

I agree with the Vandersteen suggestion. I’ve had DQ-10s, and 20s (preferred the 20s), and as good as they are (were) I think you can do better for 2500+. Vandersteen is a good start, frankly a pair of KEF R107s are more detailed, go much deeper and have better driver integration than your DQ10s, but then again we are talking about a decade of evolution and a much higher priced speaker.
As much as folks love to wax on about Dalquists, speakers have moved on, particularly if you have a bit of cash to spend.

 

[chrisnp85]

What are you using for a preamp? Are you using a stand alone Dac ? Transport? Cables ? . I mention all of the above because it sounds like your pretty happy with your speakers but your not quite getting the most out of them and it could be that you you could get there by changing up some of your other gear .

Now if your just wanting something different for the sake of being different I get that and if you want a full range speaker that gets better as you upgrade your equipment I would look at Vandersteen. Specifically in your price range the 2ce Signature ii’s which I own and the 3A Signatures which are slightly above the high end of your price range . But both have everything your looking for , you do have to set them up properly so if your a set it and forget it person then look elsewhere, otherwise for the money I don’t think it gets much better .

Audiofreak71

I'm the kinda guy that spends what some would consider too much time fiddling with placement and gear, cables etc. I am pleased with my current setup but like many folks here on AK, I want more even though this setup sounds excellent. To answer your question about what I'm using, it's not the highest end of the crowd but good stuff nonetheless. For amplification I am running the 10's with a Sunfire 300 two and the DQ 1W with a Threshold 400a(overkill, I know). I have run the 10's with the Threshold as well and the results were good but the Sunfire delivers the power the 10's seem to like. I have used the Dahlquist configuration with the MX1 using both amps and I like using a dedicated amp and active crossovers for the sub better. I'm using an older EV xeq2 for the sub that an audiophile friend had a stack of laying around. For a preamp I'm using a Vincent SA-31 which I like alot better than my old NAD, Audio Refinement, Acurus and a couple others I've tried. The Vincent sounds fantastic. Current dac is a dac/streamer in the Cambridge Stream Magic 6. I've used an Emotiva xda2, Music Hall, Musical Fidelity and a couple others as well. Cambridge, to me, is about a tie with the MF as the best I've used. I'm using a Monster line conditioner for everything. Cambridge phono stage but that's about to change soon which is why I wanted to keep the speaker purchase around $2500 to leave room for an upgrade to a couple cables and phono stage. For cables I'm using Analysis plus speaker cables from both amps and some audio quest ic's minus one pair that I haven't changed yet. All of my used gear is all recapped and fully serviced with upgraded parts so I have no issues there. Like I said, I'm not displeased I just want more lol. Want another toy. With all that said, it's funny you mention the Vandersteens because early I thought to myself, "what about Vandersteen?". So I looked and I didn't know they still made the 2c's and 1c's. I was just looking at the 2Ce Sig 2's and they are around $2700. I've heard the older 2c's and loved them just never had an opportunity to get some. Someone else mentioned Martin Logan's too. Was looking at them as well earlier. Any thoughts on the ESL's? Are they "head in a vice" speakers as Paul McGowen puts it?
I've had those kinda speakers before with my Apogee's and it's annoying really. They sound absolutely stunning, in one spot and one spot only. Basically this is just solely for the purpose of playing and hopefully finding something that to me, bests the DQ10's.

 

[chrisnp85]

I agree with the Vandersteen suggestion. I’ve had DQ-10s, and 20s (preferred the 20s), and as good as they are (were) I think you can do better for 2500+. Vandersteen is a good start, frankly a pair of KEF R107s are more detailed, go much deeper and have better driver integration than your DQ10s, but then again we are talking about a decade of evolution and a much higher priced speaker.
As much as folks love to wax on about Dalquists, speakers have moved on, particularly if you have a bit of cash to spend.

I had a chance at some KEF 107's a couple weeks ago. It didn't work out. I've heard them and love them. Even though I felt like I could have set them up better than the person who had them. I have some older Kef C80's and they sound pretty dang good for their size. They need some new caps now though. Haven't got that yet.

 

[chrisnp85]

three sold on the bay since Jan 1 and one was on BT for a day last week. They are out there.

I prob just looked when they weren't up. I know it's a patience thing.

 

[Audiofreak71]

I'm the kinda guy that spends what some would consider too much time fiddling with placement and gear, cables etc. I am pleased with my current setup but like many folks here on AK, I want more even though this setup sounds excellent. To answer your question about what I'm using, it's not the highest end of the crowd but good stuff nonetheless. For amplification I am running the 10's with a Sunfire 300 two and the DQ 1W with a Threshold 400a(overkill, I know). I have run the 10's with the Threshold as well and the results were good but the Sunfire delivers the power the 10's seem to like. I have used the Dahlquist configuration with the MX1 using both amps and I like using a dedicated amp and active crossovers for the sub better. I'm using an older EV xeq2 for the sub that an audiophile friend had a stack of laying around. For a preamp I'm using a Vincent SA-31 which I like alot better than my old NAD, Audio Refinement, Acurus and a couple others I've tried. The Vincent sounds fantastic. Current dac is a dac/streamer in the Cambridge Stream Magic 6. I've used an Emotiva xda2, Music Hall, Musical Fidelity and a couple others as well. Cambridge, to me, is about a tie with the MF as the best I've used. I'm using a Monster line conditioner for everything. Cambridge phono stage but that's about to change soon which is why I wanted to keep the speaker purchase around $2500 to leave room for an upgrade to a couple cables and phono stage. For cables I'm using Analysis plus speaker cables from both amps and some audio quest ic's minus one pair that I haven't changed yet. All of my used gear is all recapped and fully serviced with upgraded parts so I have no issues there. Like I said, I'm not displeased I just want more lol. Want another toy. With all that said, it's funny you mention the Vandersteens because early I thought to myself, "what about Vandersteen?". So I looked and I didn't know they still made the 2c's and 1c's. I was just looking at the 2Ce Sig 2's and they are around $2700. I've heard the older 2c's and loved them just never had an opportunity to get some. Someone else mentioned Martin Logan's too. Was looking at them as well earlier. Any thoughts on the ESL's? Are they "head in a vice" speakers as Paul McGowen puts it?
I've had those kinda speakers before with my Apogee's and it's annoying really. They sound absolutely stunning, in one spot and one spot only. Basically this is just solely for the purpose of playing and hopefully finding something that to me, bests the DQ10's.

Nothing wrong with wanting something different just because, we all do it or have done it . Sounds like you have some solid gear and is well taken care of . I don’t think the threshold is overkill at all , in fact as far as Vandersteens go Richard told me one time to give my Vandys the most clean Watts I could afford and yes there still making the 2 series and 3 series and they sound better than ever imo. They love power and sound better and better the further you go up the chain . I started with 150wpc and now running them with a Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista M3 Integrated that has been upgraded from the factory so now putting out 305wpc and my Vandys just love that amp , I have it paired with a MF Tri-Vista 21 Dac and it’s the icing on the cake so I think the threshold would so great . I haven’t heard the ESL’s personally but have heard great things about them and people seem to really like them so may be worth a try as well . I can tell you that Vandersteens customer service is excellent as well and sometimes Richard himself will pick up the phone and he loves to have conversations . All I can say is experiment and have fun , there are many people on here with all different types of gear and you can get an idea of that gear form them , but only you know how it will sound when you get it in your house . If you have any questions on the Vandersteens by all means hit me up and I’ll be more than happy to give you all my info on them .

Audiofreak71

 

[chrisnp85]

Nothing wrong with wanting something different just because, we all do it or have done it . Sounds like you have some solid gear and is well taken care of . I don’t think the threshold is overkill at all , in fact as far as Vandersteens go Richard told me one time to give my Vandys the most clean Watts I could afford and yes there still making the 2 series and 3 series and they sound better than ever imo. They love power and sound better and better the further you go up the chain . I started with 150wpc and now running them with a Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista M3 Integrated that has been upgraded from the factory so now putting out 305wpc and my Vandys just love that amp , I have it paired with a MF Tri-Vista 21 Dac and it’s the icing on the cake so I think the threshold would so great . I haven’t heard the ESL’s personally but have heard great things about them and people seem to really like them so may be worth a try as well . I can tell you that Vandersteens customer service is excellent as well and sometimes Richard himself will pick up the phone and he loves to have conversations . All I can say is experiment and have fun , there are many people on here with all different types of gear and you can get an idea of that gear form them , but only you know how it will sound when you get it in your house . If you have any questions on the Vandersteens by all means hit me up and I’ll be more than happy to give you all my info on them .

Audiofreak71

Sounds good. Appreciate all the feedback thus far. I'm honestly really considering giving the Vandersteens a go. Ive heard them before and have some knowledge of them and I think you are right. I think they may be the way to go. So here is a quick question, are the 2Ce sig 2's bi ampable? I have multiple ways I could run them if so. See the Sunfire 300 two is a unique amp and great sounding. It has two outputs per side. One pair is a voltage output and the other a current output. It's actually designed for biwiring that way. The idea is run the current side out to the mids and tweets and run the voltage out to the woofers. Or I could obviously use both the Threshold and Sunfire to bi amp in two different configurations. Got any recommendations on a phono stage at or under $1k? I use mm. Haven't gone to mc yet and don't plan to for awhile. Using a Rega P3 table. RB 303 "moth" tonearm. I play with carts. Have a Shure, ortofon 2m red and blue, Pickering, clear audio and a grado to fool with.

 

[Audiofreak71]

Sounds good. Appreciate all the feedback thus far. I'm honestly really considering giving the Vandersteens a go. Ive heard them before and have some knowledge of them and I think you are right. I think they may be the way to go. So here is a quick question, are the 2Ce sig 2's bi ampable? I have multiple ways I could run them if so. See the Sunfire 300 two is a unique amp and great sounding. It has two outputs per side. One pair is a voltage output and the other a current output. It's actually designed for biwiring that way. The idea is run the current side out to the mids and tweets and run the voltage out to the woofers. Or I could obviously use both the Threshold and Sunfire to bi amp in two different configurations. Got any recommendations on a phono stage at or under $1k? I use mm. Haven't gone to mc yet and don't plan to for awhile. Using a Rega P3 table. RB 303 "moth" tonearm. I play with carts. Have a Shure, ortofon 2m red and blue, Pickering, clear audio and a grado to fool with.

The 2se Signatures are most definitely bi amp and bi wire friendly and is highly recommended. As for phono stages I really like the sound of the Graham Slee’s and you can also check out PS Audio and Musical Fidelity phono stages all are highly regarded . Feel free to PM me if you want any details on that equipment.

Audiofreak71

 

[StimpyWan]

If the Dahlquist speakers still satisfy, and you want to upgrade, don't forget about Alon and Nola speakers. Designed by Carl Marchisotto. A former Dahlquist employee, that helped with the DQ-20 design. Alon/Nola's are very worthy speakers. The demo pair I heard at CES, had the best drum sound, tone and timbre, of any speaker I've ever heard.

 

[nerdorama]

I've never owned Dahlquist speakers. Heard them back when. I have Goldenear Triton 1's and Triton 2's and Martin Logan Aerius speakers. I like the Goldenear speakers very much and they work great with no/low feedback tube amps. As a matter of fact in the shops when they were demoed they sounded pretty mediocre with a high-end home theater amp and with an expensive feedback type integrated amp. I could sense the possibilities which panned out for me when I got them home. The treble at the shops was the worst as it was sharp and wiry sounding but I thought they imaged very well. You have to be careful of the associated equipment which I know applies to most things audio.

The Goldenear speaks can be had on the used market for good discount.
John

 

[chrisnp85]

So a little update. After hours and hours of research on many different speakers....I ended up buying something I didn't even initially consider. I just bought a pair of Aperion Verus Grand III's and a Bravus 10" sub. The speakers look stunning and I couldn't find one negative thing regarding the sound. The whole package ran about $3200. Should be here in about 4 days. Anyone have any experience with Aperion? I'll post my own review of them when I get them and again after break in. Got a 60 day in home trial so that's a big plus!!

 

[chrisnp85]

If the Dahlquist speakers still satisfy, and you want to upgrade, don't forget about Alon and Nola speakers. Designed by Carl Marchisotto. A former Dahlquist employee, that helped with the DQ-20 design. Alon/Nola's are very worthy speakers. The demo pair I heard at CES, had the best drum sound, tone and timbre, of any speaker I've ever heard.

If these Aperions don't pan out...I'll give them a shot maybe. I'm actually going to look into them right now. Thanks for the tip

 

[chrisnp85]

Well, the Aperion's arrived this morning along with the sub. These speakers are very nice indeed. The finish is very very nice. Piano Rosewood. Everything about the cabinets is very detailed and very high quality. As for the sound ....I've only been able to listen for about 30 min so far as I've been busy with kids. I let them play since 10 am and will do so til Thursday to ensure a good break in before I really sit down and critique them. Right out of the box with a few hrs of break in ....they sound fantastic. Better than I expected really. The imaging is very good and the soundstage.....well let's just say there is a band setup from wall to wall in my room. I haven't even really properly set them up either. Just put em right where my Dahlquist's were. Bass extension so far is very good. I haven't hooked the Aperion 10d sub yet
Still waiting on my Audioquest cables to get here. I feel like these will be keepers and replace the Dahlquist's in my main setup. Will experiment with bi wiring after the break in and then I will pull out the Threshold 400a and give em a bi amp session. Btw, they were packed very very well. No cut corners at all with these. Already a fan of Aperion. Magnetic grilles and they very sturdy. Come with bases and spikes and discs and rubber feet for hard floors. They even included two very big cloths for keeping prints off the cabinets. One for the sub too. If anyone has ever considered or wondered about Aperion.....so far... excellent value for what you get. So far these already sound as good as speakers that cost twice as much. I've heard alot of them and had them to compare to. I can only imagine what these will sound like after a couple days break in.

 

[chrisnp85]

Here's a few pics of them