Dynaco A-25

[mhardy6647]

heh -- you can take the analytical scientist out of the lab, but... well, you know.

so...

I just searched completed auctions at eBAY for Dynaco A25. The average (mean) can be misleading; we have a cat which is grey on the average (the cat is black and white). The median (price at which half of the sales were above that amount, and half below) and the mode (most common price) are probably better estimators of the "typical" (base-case) value of Dynaco A25 speakers recently sold on eBAY -- given that the dataset is relatively small ("n" of circa a couple of dozen); and given a decidedly non-Gaussian distribution of data.

Looks like the mode (i.e, the most common price) for a pair, actually sold (and not counting shipping) from that marketplace is about $200.

(which, frankly, I find shocking. I'd say a pair of A25s, used, are a good $75 pair of speakers)

I can do a more thorough statistical assessment if (and only if) anyone's actually interested

http://xkcd.com/552/

 

[Guest105]

heh -- you can take the analytical scientist out of the lab, but... well, you know.

so...

I just searched completed auctions at eBAY for Dynaco A25. Looks like the mode (most common price) for a pair, actually sold (and not counting shipping) from that marketplace is about $200.

(which, frankly, I find shocking. I'd say a pair of A25s, used, are a good $75 pair of speakers)

I can do a more thorough statistical assessment if (and only if) anyone's actually interested

http://xkcd.com/552/

Thanks for the confirmation. I track the prices on these speakers (and about 20 others), and have been doing so for several years. And it's certainly not unusual to see that the value of something to a particular individual is different than the average value of that thing to the overall marketplace.

 

[Guest105]

Yes.

I suggest OP to have a listening session with them before buying.
If you like the sound, price is not a steal but not bad either.

Yes, as has been pointed out....the price is fair, but not a bargain, and then only if they are in good condition, with correct drivers and badges. And of course, their value to any one buyer is determined solely by that buyer.

He should certainly give them a listen to assure that they are in good working condition...but as I think most of us will agree, it is difficult to know just how well one is going to like a pair of speakers until being able to listen to them with one's own equipment, in one's own environment and over an extended time period. On the other hand, dislike of a pair of speakers can often be determined quite quickly!

 

[Mystery]

Yes, as has been pointed out....the price is fair, but not a bargain, and then only if they are in good condition, with correct drivers and badges. And of course, their value to any one buyer is determined solely by that buyer.

He should certainly give them a listen to assure that they are in good working condition...but as I think most of us will agree, it is difficult to know just how well one is going to like a pair of speakers until being able to listen to them with one's own equipment, in one's own environment and over an extended time period. On the other hand, dislike of a pair of speakers can often be determined quite quickly!

Yes.
That's the reason why I rotate so many speakers.
I find speakers that have great reviews here in AK so I bring them home after making sure they work but doesn't sound anywhere good at my place or to me.
So I don't like to overpay as I may have to sell them soon afterwards to recoup the money.

 

[Guest105]

Yes.
That's the reason why I rotate so many speakers.
I find speakers that have great reviews here in AK so I bring them home after making sure they work but doesn't sound anywhere good at my place or to me.
So I don't like to overpay as I may have to sell them soon afterwards to recoup the money.

I am certainly not advocating overpaying (that is, paying above a fair, market-based price). Hopefully we can all agree that if one pays a market-based price, one should be able to sell them at the same/similar price (with some small variance either direction, and assuming that the sales occurs within a reasonably short period of time from the purchase).

 

[mhardy6647]

Yes.
That's the reason why I rotate so many speakers.
I find speakers that have great reviews here in AK so I bring them home after making sure they work but doesn't sound anywhere good at my place or to me.
So I don't like to overpay as I may have to sell them soon afterwards to recoup the money.

"to me" -- thus the proliferation, past and present, of so many different loudspeakers and loudspeaker brands
(I feel the same way - except up in the rarefied atmosphere of Altec monitors and theatre speakers, RCA electrodynamic drivers, etc.)

 

[captouch]

There's two pairs here locally, for $300 and $350 on CL, but that's way too high.

I paid $160 for mine in very good condition and felt it was worth that, so at least in the Bay Area, $150-200 sold by people who know what they have is a fair going rate.

I know you can buy nice speakers for the same price new or lightly used, but personally I find something special about the A25's that I didn't find with other vintage models I tried.

 

[ymarko]

I just searched completed auctions at eBAY for Dynaco A25.

All this statistics means nothing because A-25 is collectible speakers, and as such, collectors would be interested only in, say top 5-10% of speakers presented on eBay.

They don't interested in $99 pair with busted cabinet and missing badges.
Some can make a case that busted cabinets and missing badges still sound the same.
But it doesn't matter, collectors don't bid on them.

 

[Warped Vinyl]

Wow. Thanks for all the responses! Sorry it took me so long to get back to this post. I've been operating on a mobile for a couple of days and it wasn't showing up for some reason.
Well, I pulled the trigger on these at $175. They were up on CL locally for $200.
My justification was this: I've wanted a pair of Dynacos since college, when I heard a friend's setup. At the time I was plugging along happily with some Bose 301 series 2.
Fast forward about 30-whatever years.
I still have the 301s, which are starting to sound a bit muddy. My current listening room is mid-century, complete with orange leather sectional (I swear, it's nicer than it sounds), my high school lava lamp, and all the vinyl I've been lugging around for decades. The Dynacos are a big improvement soundwise and look the part as well.
Original drivers, cabinets are in great shape, grill covers are both intact. Missing one badge but I see repros on Ebay.
As soon as I get them cleaned up they'll be paired with my Pioneer SX-626 and PL-518TT so I can sink back into my '70s groove.
Anyway, I'll post up some pics as I clean up the cabinets.
Thanks again for responses. They really do sound nice! I may not have the ear that true audiophiles have, I suppose, but I know what sounds good to me when playing what I like to hear. You confirmed what I was feeling about these. A fair, but not stupendous deal. I'm ok with that.

 

[captouch]

If you're happy with the sound and cosmetics and plan to keep them for years, and it sounds like you're good with all of the above, then you did good.

There's always a better deal out there, but how long you have to wait to find it and how much energy/time it takes you is often overlooked. At least now you can enjoy them and don't have to spend cycles looking for that better deal that will save you minimal bucks. Congrats.

 

[audiodon]

The woofers do have rubber surrounds and all that needs to be done to most is replacing one 5uf low voltage cap in the crossover.

I see them as good for someone who doesn't want do do anything with their system but turn it on and have the system occasionally take some loudness abuse. With that, I'll state that I recently refinished the cabinets on a pair, bought a grille cloth kit, recapped them, and gave them to my oldest daughter. No more subwoofers or entry to mid-level JBLs for her.

Another daughter, now a senior in high school, asked me to assemble a stereo and in doing so, do a pair of A25s up for her for when she goes off to school next year.

 

[Guest105]

I see them as also good for someone who wants a speaker that does everything pretty darned well (for the price).

 

[Warped Vinyl]

Wow. I guess I didn't realize how bad my 301s had gotten. These things sound great! Yes, I know that there are better speakers out there but for me and my needs I know now that I have made the right decision. Right now I'm listening to Bloomfield/Kooper/Stills 'Super Session' and man, it sounds so good.
Tomorrow I clean and oil the cabinets but tonight is for listening!
Thanks again everyone for the input!

 

[Wolverine]

Wow. I guess I didn't realize how bad my 301s had gotten. These things sound great! Yes, I know that there are better speakers out there but for me and my needs I know now that I have made the right decision. Right now I'm listening to Bloomfield/Kooper/Stills 'Super Session' and man, it sounds so good.
Tomorrow I clean and oil the cabinets but tonight is for listening!
Thanks again everyone for the input!

Congratulations!
They are a solid all around performer that you can use with about any type of music. Enjoy!!!