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Dunlavy Audio Labs Archive - From the mind of a "Legend"!

theophile said:
If the new concern(Dunlavy in name only) pay as much attention as JD certainly did, the price tag attached will be in the multiples of tens of thousands. His former customer base had better start saving their pennies.
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I'm happy with my Dunlavy SC IV's they work fine and don't need to be re-foamed. Crossover sounds good enough for me. Run's well on my Pioneer SX-1980 1nd my Pioneer SX-1280. I'll soon be trying them out on my Pioneer SX-1250. I want to see if I can hear the difference. Not likely I am a Philistine and an oaf! I'm a savage beast any old music will do! LOL!
 
theophile said:
If the new concern(Dunlavy in name only) pay as much attention as JD certainly did, the price tag attached will be in the multiples of tens of thousands. His former customer base had better start saving their pennies.
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I'm hoping my SC-V will be the last speakers I ever need.
 
Ok and thank you very much. This is good to know. When I come here it is mostly to learn. I won't lie and say I am an expert in any of this. I love the way my Dunlavy SC IV's sound. I love their immense and imposing size. I have them powered by my Pioneer SX-1980. My Dunlavy SC-IV's really bring the musical flavor out in my beast of a receiver.

I found the original documentation for my set of Dunlavy SC IV's and got the actual date of final manufacture. The date on all the documentation is November of 1995. These are an original pair with the number 772-A and 772-B. According to records Dunlavy Labs made the change to VIFA woofers in SC-IV speakers in March of 1995. I have Dunlevy Labs documents with hand written results showing my speakers were made a solid 8 months after the change.

I also found that the Dunlavy SC-IV's nice as they are weren't even the best speaker of this generation. Turns out the Dunlavy SC-IVA's were a better speaker because of a new and improved tweeter used in that updated speaker. What shocks me is how much care went into making sure each Dunlavy Speaker met exacting standards of quality well in excess of what I see today. The documentation has rows of specs signed off on by many different people that is given to the buyer.

Just shows me how seriously true audiophiles take their listening pleasure. Me I'm a beast. These Dunlavy SC IV's even with all their supposed flaws are the best speakers I have in my house. Heck these Dunlavy SC IV's are the best speakers I've ever owned. I've added a picture of my Dulany SC-IV woofers so you can see them exactly as they are.


Again all my thanks for the piece of mind your answer gives me.

Dunlavy SC IVs.jpg
 
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THEWEREWOLF said:
Ok and thank you very much. This is good to know. When I come here it is mostly to learn. I won't lie and say I am an expert in any of this. I love the way my Dunlavy SC IV's sound. I love their immense and imposing size. I have them powered by my Pioneer SX-1980. My Dunlavy SC-IV's really bring the musical flavor out in my beast of a receiver.

I found the original documentation for my set of Dunlavy SC IV's and got the actual date of final manufacture. The date on all the documentation is November of 1995. These are an original pair with the number 772-A and 772-B. According to records Dunlavy Labs made the change to VIFA woofers in SC-IV speakers in March of 1995. I have Dunlevy Labs documents with hand written results showing my speakers were made a solid 8 months after the change.

I also found that the Dunlavy SC-IV's nice as they are weren't even the best speaker of this generation. Turns out the Dunlavy SC-IVA's were a better speaker because of a new and improved tweeter used in that updated speaker. What shocks me is how much care went into making sure each Dunlavy Speaker met exacting standards of quality well in excess of what I see today. The documentation has rows of specs signed off on by many different people that is given to the buyer.

Just shows me how seriously true audiophiles take their listening pleasure. Me I'm a beast. These Dunlavy SC IV's even with all their supposed flaws are the best speakers I have in my house. Heck these Dunlavy SC IV's are the best speakers I've ever owned. I've added a picture of my Dulany SC-IV woofers so you can see them exactly as they are.


Again all my thanks for the piece of mind your answer gives me.

View attachment 3536016
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The SC-IV/A has the same tweeter (Vifa D27TG-35-06), but ScanSpeak woofers which cost 4x that of the Vifa woofers (Vifa M26WR-09-08). He also made some changes to the crossover to get the drivers to better blend, and better cabinet bracing. The early SC-IVs used a Vifa D26TG-35-06; he changed to the D27TG-35-06 at the same time he changed from Morel to Vifa woofers, changed binding posts, and bracing about a year into production.

I own SC-IV pair 842-A/B. I started off with SC-III, then only 6 weeks later found the SC-IV. 1-1/2 years later I bought a pair of SC-V. I still have them all,
 
Brent71 said:
The SC-IV/A has the same tweeter (Vifa D27TG-35-06), but ScanSpeak woofers which cost 4x that of the Vifa woofers (Vifa M26WR-09-08). He also made some changes to the crossover to get the drivers to better blend, and better cabinet bracing. The early SC-IVs used a Vifa D26TG-35-06; he changed to the D27TG-35-06 at the same time he changed from Morel to Vifa woofers, changed binding posts, and bracing about a year into production.

I own SC-IV pair 842-A/B. I started off with SC-III, then only 6 weeks later found the SC-IV. 1-1/2 years later I bought a pair of SC-V. I still have them all,
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You my good sir are one lucky fellow. I'm not blessed with much space in my place so my Dunlavy SC IV's are at the upper limit of what I can afford in both price and space. Did you get the booklet that came with your particular set of Dunlavy speakers. I got the original booklet that came with my speakers and was astonished by the detail and care that went into every one of these speaker pairs.
 
THEWEREWOLF said:
You my good sir are one lucky fellow. I'm not blessed with much space in my place so my Dunlavy SC IV's are at the upper limit of what I can afford in both price and space. Did you get the booklet that came with your particular set of Dunlavy speakers. I got the original booklet that came with my speakers and was astonished by the detail and care that went into every one of these speaker pairs.
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Only the SC-V (second pair) are in my living room. The first pair of V along with the III, IV and SC-IICC are all sitting in the basement in storage. Unfortunately I didn't get manuals with any of them; I wish I'd gotten them.
 
THEWEREWOLF said:
$28,000 and $12,000 for a set of speakers ok. Let me say I LOVE MY Dunlavy SC IV's. I paid $3,000 for them and even that I figured was almost highway robbery but they are huge and sound fantastic. But $28,000 for the modern day 2025 set of Dunlavy Tower Speakers is insane. Who has ears that good and pockets that deep? I remember someone on this site chastised me think I thought I was all that for my piddling tiny collection of 3rd tier nice vintage audio. I said at the time I knew darn well my collection was not all that even though I love it. They told me there were people here that could buy my whole collection without breaking a sweat to which I answered I know.

ANYONE who can buy even one set of Dunlavy's 2025 floor standing big speakers at $28K a pair know only that I respectfully stand astonished. If I had 5 Million Dollars in the bank on profitably invested and owned everything in my life free and clear I doubt, I'd be rich enough to spend $28K for a set of speakers. I am amazed. Who has ears that good?!
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I seriously doubt that the impulse response with that tweeter and that type of treatment around it will be anything like decent. It just seems like a clever marketing ploy to me. I'm a technician, and even though I used the same tweeter that John Dunlavy used and the same type of felt treatment, it took me nine months to get a crossover that allowed me to take instrumental measurements similar to the original DALs (which you can see on my website here ). For this reason, I'm very skeptical of the products offered under this brand these days.
 
Just stumbled onto this post. I owned Duntech Princess speakers from 1990 to 2009, the longest I kept any audio product. I sold them to a friend for practical reasons (pending long distance move) so not for any displeasure. I continue to feel they were the best overall speakers I've owned, and that is a goodly number over nearly 60 years in this hobby.

Also I was able to chat with John Dunlavy a couple of times at audio shows. He was a vary interesting guy and a talented engineer.
 
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