Dahlquist DQ-10 Score - Very Impressed

[MATT0404]

Perhaps not a bargain, but for $350 this is one of my finest scores. The clarity and soundstage while listening to these play Dire Straights or Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds is astonishing. My wife, who's no audiophile but has a very discerning ear, remarked "It's like the band is playing right in front of you", and I have to agree.

I saw this pair pop up on eBay about 100 miles away from me for $425 obo. The ad described these as a mirrored pair in great condition with a re-cap and re-foam by Regnar. I'd been interested in these speakers for some time and decided to make an offer. The re-cap and re-foam made them more desirable to me than any other pair I had considered. The buyer accepted my offer of $350 and these now reside in my listening room.

Powered by my Adcom GFA-555 the following notes stand out: a bit bright; clean, tight bass; exceptional clarity; wide and deep soundstage. Closing my eyes and listening to the end of Dire Straights' Private Investigations, I find my eyes darting left/right and up/down behind my eyelids identifying different notes and sounds. A unique experience.

Anyways, on to some photos and more listening.

Dahlquist DQ-10 10 by Matt Krepp, on Flickr

Dahlquist DQ-10 by Matt Krepp, on Flickr

Dahlquist DQ-10 2 by Matt Krepp, on Flickr

Dahlquist DQ-10 3 by Matt Krepp, on Flickr

Dahlquist DQ-10 4 by Matt Krepp, on Flickr

Dahlquist DQ-10 5 by Matt Krepp, on FlickrDahlquist DQ-10 6 by Matt Krepp, on Flickr

Dahlquist DQ-10 7 by Matt Krepp, on Flickr

Dahlquist DQ-10 8 by Matt Krepp, on Flickr

Dahlquist DQ-10 9 by Matt Krepp, on Flickr

 

[jcamero]

I had the opportunity to borrow my friends 10's for a little over a week, (mind you back in the 80's) I was quite impressed with the clarity, and detail. I did not have a room to properly set them up to fully enjoy them. I gave them back to my friend, he sold them to another buddy of mine, and eventually they both ended up in a dumpster.

 

[MATT0404]

In the dumpster?! That's too bad. They are a difficult speaker to accommodate space-wise. I'm negotiating a room with more floorspace with my wife. We'll see how that works out.

Does anyone know what fuse should be used for the tweeters? Both speakers had 3/4A, 250v fuses that were blown. I put in some 5A, 250v fuses for now but I think 5A might be a bit too much. Are the 3/4A fuses factory spec?

 

[madmonda]

That's a good deal for an already recapped and serviced pair of 10's (the regnar caps alone will set you back a couple hundred). Glad you have enough bass also. Most complaints of not enough bass is usually because of the wrong amplification. I've found that the proton d540 will bring out the bass on these speakers in spades...no sub needed (and sounds good too)! Most amps/receivers won't cut it with these speakers. Wanna get really spooked? Throw some dark side of the moon on (wait until it's evening & dim the lights). Enjoy!

 

[dcmfan]

Does anyone know what fuse should be used for the tweeters? Both speakers had 3/4A, 250v fuses that were blown. I put in some 5A, 250v fuses for now but I think 5A might be a bit too much. Are the 3/4A fuses factory spec?

The input one is a 3 Amp and the tweeter one is a .8 Amp. Don't use "slow blow" fuses.

 

[BMWCCA]

The Dahl is one girl who is far more attractive with her clothes on than off!

 

[dc270]

Are those mirror imaged? Looks like an A1 recap job with TOTL caps! Congrats on a GREAT find! May your days be filled with long hours of blissful music.
DC

 

[motorstereo]

Wow niiiccce pickup for $350. Those dq's are amazingly clean. Normally you see the back sides covered in dust and especially the bottom of the speaker input is a real dust collector. Someone did a great job on both the recap and the detail cleaning.

 

[Wolverine]

Congrats!
I picked up my first pair of DQ speakers a couple of weeks ago which are much further down the line than yours which I like. I would love to hear a pair of 10's some day.

 

[MATT0404]

Wanna get really spooked? Throw some dark side of the moon on (wait until it's evening & dim the lights). Enjoy!

Thanks for the recommendation. Listening now .

The input one is a 3 Amp and the tweeter one is a .8 Amp. Don't use "slow blow" fuses.

Thanks!

Any jazz, and acoustic Alice in Chains are also phenomenal with them.

Alice in Chains, now there's one I haven't heard in a while. Thanks for the recommendation!

The Dahl is one girl who is far more attractive with her clothes on than off!

Couldn't agree more with that statement!

Are those mirror imaged? Looks like an A1 recap job with TOTL caps! Congrats on a GREAT find! May your days be filled with long hours of blissful music.
DC

Yes, they are a mirror imaged pair. Thanks!

Wow niiiccce pickup for $350. Those dq's are amazingly clean. Normally you see the back sides covered in dust and especially the bottom of the speaker input is a real dust collector. Someone did a great job on both the recap and the detail cleaning.

Thank you, I'm really impressed with their condition. The crossovers are dusty under the metal screen but not too bad considering I haven't touched them. I'll have fun keeping them clean .

Congrats!
I picked up my first pair of DQ speakers a couple of weeks ago which are much further down the line than yours which I like. I would love to hear a pair of 10's some day.

Thanks and enjoy!

 

[nclh77]

Those are the nicest looking 10's I've seen in a long time. Funny how the crazy driver placement and assortment can sound so good.

 

[dcmfan]

My wife liked the DQ-10s best of all the speakers I've had in the last twenty years. Very easy to integrate a sub if you want to pick up the last octave. I ran the DQ-10 at full range and crossed the sub in below 50hz to add just a bit of ooomph down low.

They're like a magic trick with those five drivers and odd shaped baffles, but it all works! They deliver some of the most lifelike piano I've heard. 350 is a great price, especially with the Regnar recap. Enjoy!

 

[elcoholic]

Nice score. A nice copy of Kenny Burrell's Midnight Blue will blow you away.

 

[gadget73]

I've heard two pairs "stacked" horizontally before. They image quite well, and with the horizontal spread there are times when you can hear things come from different speakers on each side. Makes for a very broad soundstage indeed.

 

[analoge4ever]

Now you are making me feel bad.

About a year and a half ago someone tried to sell me a set and I never even bothered to check them out. :-(

 

[MATT0404]

My wife liked the DQ-10s best of all the speakers I've had in the last twenty years. Very easy to integrate a sub if you want to pick up the last octave. I ran the DQ-10 at full range and crossed the sub in below 50hz to add just a bit of ooomph down low.

They're like a magic trick with those five drivers and odd shaped baffles, but it all works! They deliver some of the most lifelike piano I've heard. 350 is a great price, especially with the Regnar recap. Enjoy!

I'm running a Monitor Audio ASW-210 sub. I, too, found 50hz to be just about right to fill in the bottom end.

Nice score. A nice copy of Kenny Burrell's Midnight Blue will blow you away.

I'm really enjoying all the recommendations. I'll put this one on my playlist for tomorrow.

I did manage to find a little extra listening space. It's amazing how much these things will shrink a room. I think my next step needs to be acoustic room treatments. Hardwood floors (w/area rugs) and vaulted ceilings throughout this room. Any ideas? DIY panels or budget friendly commercial options?

 

[madmonda]

I'm sitting here wondering about your woofers. They appear to have been reconed. The ribs on the cones are a tell tale sign (but they appear to have the correct baskets/frames). Regnar rebuilt? If so (& I wouldn't doubt that someone serviced them, due to the regnar x-over job on em), double bravo! It seems someone went through a lot of trouble getting them up to snuff. I'm going to upgrade my previous remarks and say that instead of you getting a good deal on em, to:...you got a smokin, hellacious, good deal on your dahlquist!

 

[Blue Shadow]

First, those are the highest serial number I have seen for the DQ-10 in my admittedly fairly recent search. I bought my first pair a couple years ago and that is when I started to collect information on these. I sold DQ-10s new back in the day along with Magneplanar, DCM, Bose and Epicure. The next highest s/n I have on my list is in the 47000 range, yours appear to be 489xx, with the number on the speaker which happened later in production. Earlier models had white stickers on the hardboard near the tweeter. Your factory mirrored speakers have the correct L & R labels on them. They look nice and with the stands, refoam and recap are a good buy at that price.

My first pair were refoamed, recapped, reclothed and with the short feet. Used em for a while and then put the plastic caps in them as the recap was with PE 'ltyics, replacing old tired 'lytics. These were early serial number speakers. Enjoyed them but found out that they are designed for 95dB listening max, not really a LOUD speaker so when another pair showed up with the electronic crossover, sub, amps (2), preamp, tuner and turntable for only a bit more than the high price for the crossover I moved up to the double Dahlquist system gadget has heard. This second pair was filthy, I have pics. They got an identical cap treatment and I mirrored both pair. I still need to reclothe this pair and I have moved them aside for a bit (I needed the dining room chairs they were sitting on) and am listening to the new to me ADS L1590/2 speakers I got a few weeks ago. Yes, it is a disease. Today at my brother's for Christmas, there were comments that the neatest room in my house (clean and tidy, not cool, I don't think) was the soundroom, looking like a stereo showroom of old with more software.

Looking at your speakers, they have been rewired with the Regnar recap and that seems to use bigger wire. Their caps have their stickers over the cap info usually printed on caps, so no one knows what they are but you have the one 80µF lytic (back right, next to the two big resistors) and the rest some plastic caps. Looks well done and these should be good for years and years. These were probably made new in about 1987 based on my research (limited as I don't search for production dates to much, this is Orion Blue Book Data). And they look great.

The 0.8A fuse is correct for the tweeter. There is a bunch of info on the web, including the Dahlquist Yahoo Group but you have to wade through some of their other models, too. Wish I had the logos on the front of mine.

Enjoy

 

[MATT0404]

I'm sitting here wondering about your woofers. They appear to have been reconed. The ribs on the cones are a tell tale sign (but they appear to have the correct baskets/frames). Regnar rebuilt? If so (& I wouldn't doubt that someone serviced them, due to the regnar x-over job on em), double bravo! It seems someone went through a lot of trouble getting them up to snuff. I'm going to upgrade my previous remarks and say that instead of you getting a good deal on em, to:...you got a smokin, hellacious, good deal on your dahlquist!

Great observation and thanks for the info. What about the ribs on the woofers is indicative of of replacement?

First, those are the highest serial number I have seen for the DQ-10 in my admittedly fairly recent search. I bought my first pair a couple years ago and that is when I started to collect information on these. I sold DQ-10s new back in the day along with Magneplanar, DCM, Bose and Epicure. The next highest s/n I have on my list is in the 47000 range, yours appear to be 489xx, with the number on the speaker which happened later in production. Earlier models had white stickers on the hardboard near the tweeter. Your factory mirrored speakers have the correct L & R labels on them. They look nice and with the stands, refoam and recap are a good buy at that price.

My first pair were refoamed, recapped, reclothed and with the short feet. Used em for a while and then put the plastic caps in them as the recap was with PE 'ltyics, replacing old tired 'lytics. These were early serial number speakers. Enjoyed them but found out that they are designed for 95dB listening max, not really a LOUD speaker so when another pair showed up with the electronic crossover, sub, amps (2), preamp, tuner and turntable for only a bit more than the high price for the crossover I moved up to the double Dahlquist system gadget has heard. This second pair was filthy, I have pics. They got an identical cap treatment and I mirrored both pair. I still need to reclothe this pair and I have moved them aside for a bit (I needed the dining room chairs they were sitting on) and am listening to the new to me ADS L1590/2 speakers I got a few weeks ago. Yes, it is a disease. Today at my brother's for Christmas, there were comments that the neatest room in my house (clean and tidy, not cool, I don't think) was the soundroom, looking like a stereo showroom of old with more software.

Looking at your speakers, they have been rewired with the Regnar recap and that seems to use bigger wire. Their caps have their stickers over the cap info usually printed on caps, so no one knows what they are but you have the one 80µF lytic (back right, next to the two big resistors) and the rest some plastic caps. Looks well done and these should be good for years and years. These were probably made new in about 1987 based on my research (limited as I don't search for production dates to much, this is Orion Blue Book Data). And they look great.

The 0.8A fuse is correct for the tweeter. There is a bunch of info on the web, including the Dahlquist Yahoo Group but you have to wade through some of their other models, too. Wish I had the logos on the front of mine.

Enjoy

Wow, thanks for all the information! This pair has serial numbers 48,499 and 48,500. I've joined the Yahoo group and have been digging through all the information available there. I can't imagine listening to 4 of these at the same time. Nor can I imagine the size of the room needed to accommodate 4 of these things!

I've attached a photo of the right speaker which appear to still have the value stickers on them. I gotta say, Christmas morning music has never sounded so good!

 

[Blue Shadow]

Regnar does put the values on the caps but the label covers the manufacturer information if they buy caps that are not made without this info to keep the information proprietary. If you look at Regnar's site you will see their prices seem a bit high but they are a specialist and that comes with the territory. This is what makes your speakers a good purchase.

The woofers have a shiny finish to them in the pics. Although the Advent style woofer (12" basket, Masonite ring to make a 10" cone fit) has ribs, the cone has a flat sheen finish to them. The foam around the woofer is also new looking. Where are you located? Curious because these look professionally redone not some hobbyist using the Regnar kits.