Dynaco A25

[Homey4uk]

Hello all. I am considering a pair of Dynaco A25 speakers. I am assured they are in mint plus condition. What would a fair price be? And I’m pretty new here so please be kind if this isn’t the right place or format or syntax or whatever else seems to offend so many folks that should be having fun talking about electronics and speakers and re-living our youth or enjoying collecting or even merely killing time. Thanks

 

[RTally]

We are in the same general geographic area. I paid $100 for my first pair 2 years ago. I drove from Knoxville to Asheville to get them. I paid $100 for my second pair and picked them up in Pittsburgh on a summer trip. Both pairs were in fair shape with the grills needing work. I have seen them locally go as high as $225, but I would not pay that much for them regardless of shape.

When I buy speakers, I consider if the speakers are as good or better than other speakers I could buy for the same bucks. For less than $225 I can, and have, bought speakers better than the Dynaco A25s. Actually, I've bought better sounding speakers for $100 and less. I like my Dynaco speakers, but not that much compared to others I have.

 

[AudioGMan]

I had a pair of Dynaco A-25 that I paid $65 for 6 years ago. I would rate them a 7.5 out of 10 in cosmetics. In my opinion the A-25 sounds VERY good. If they are in mint condition(10/10) and all original drivers and zero issues I would pay up to $300. But I mean they would have to be like brand new for me to pay that. I’ve seen them advertised for much more but I always base what I’m willing to pay for a pair of speakers on the condition as well as the sound quality. I don’t pay more just because they are vintage. I’ve read that Dynaco made over 600,000 A-25 so if that’s true then they are definitely not rare. There’s only one capacitor to upgrade so definitely do that if it hasn’t already been done.

 

[EastPoint]

I really don’t understand what “mint plus” means. They’re better than new?

I have sold a few nice pairs of A25s for $250 or $300 a pair, which is about market rate.

 

[Homey4uk]

I really don’t understand what “mint plus” means. They’re better than new?

I have sold a few nice pairs of A25s for $250 or $300 a pair, which is about market rate.

I’m using the seller’s own terms when I state “mint plus.” As I said (I think) I haven’t seen them yet, just going by his description. I know I own some things that are very old that I’ve owned since new and they actually are better than new. If aesthetically these are perfect, or very near (which they weren’t perfect when they were manufactured) and the capacitor has been upgraded then they might rise to the level as described. I am very skeptical, hence my questions here. Also, I use the term “new” or “like new” to describe something that is new, mint is the next level down. So mint plus would be between in the wrapper brand new and mint, looks like it just left the wrapper but the wrapper is gone and the calendar has turned several pages.

 

[Homey4uk]

I had a pair of Dynaco A-25 that I paid $65 for 6 years ago. I would rate them a 7.5 out of 10 in cosmetics. In my opinion the A-25 sounds VERY good. If they are in mint condition(10/10) and all original drivers and zero issues I would pay up to $300. But I mean they would have to be like brand new for me to pay that. I’ve seen them advertised for much more but I always base what I’m willing to pay for a pair of speakers on the condition as well as the sound quality. I don’t pay more just because they are vintage. I’ve read that Dynaco made over 600,000 A-25 so if that’s true then they are definitely not rare. There’s only one capacitor to upgrade so definitely do that if it hasn’t already been done.

Thanks a lot for your information. It is appreciated.

 

[Homey4uk]

We are in the same general geographic area. I paid $100 for my first pair 2 years ago. I drove from Knoxville to Asheville to get them. I paid $100 for my second pair and picked them up in Pittsburgh on a summer trip. Both pairs were in fair shape with the grills needing work. I have seen them locally go as high as $225, but I would not pay that much for them regardless of shape.

When I buy speakers, I consider if the speakers are as good or better than other speakers I could buy for the same bucks. For less than $225 I can, and have, bought speakers better than the Dynaco A25s. Actually, I've bought better sounding speakers for $100 and less. I like my Dynaco speakers, but not that much compared to others I have.

Knoxville has a trillion (unless I am still missing where they are hidden) times (I never exaggerate, haha) as much vintage gear available. Maybe it’s the university but we have plenty of schools in and around Johnson City. I do see a lot of things posted in Asheville but being over an hour away and restricted currently most sellers aren’t willing to hold something on a “maybe.” And I don’t blame them, cash in hand beats some guy might come in a week to listen. Thanks for your help!

 

[Blue Shadow]

Looks like free(price paid by a number of folks over the last few years) to 300 is the going rate. I had thought the top price was below 250 ($249.99) but apparently not. With that range you have an idea of what is a very good buy and what a high price to pay would be.

At the $300 point, I'm using NHT SB3 speakers in the same room as I have my A25s. So it depends on your goals.

 

[Homey4uk]

Looks like free(price paid by a number of folks over the last few years) to 300 is the going rate. I had thought the top price was below 250 ($249.99) but apparently not. With that range you have an idea of what is a very good buy and what a high price to pay would be.

At the $300 point, I'm using NHT SB3 speakers in the same room as I have my A25s. So it depends on your goals.

Thanks. Apparently I have waited 6-10 years too late to switch my addiction from watches and putter re-finishing to vintage stereos and speakers. Everything I read here smacks me like every time I walk in the liquor store and cry silently as I pass the 98 flavored and fake (don’t distill anything but “flavor” someone else’s product) bourbons and look where the Van Winkle used to sit covered in dust and the empty slots labeled “Weller” and “Blanton’s” and “Willett’s” and on and on. I pray the millennials move on to rum or gin or anything and leave my bourbon alone. Maybe vintage gear will fade away as well. I look things up on here daily and see so many posts from 6-16 years ago about people being given things for free or finding things on the curb. And I haven’t been a member long, but Barter Town is less than 2 pages of things for sale and most are either the worst thing someone owns and they need to dump it to get something better or it is nice but they want retail plus profit and refuse to ship. I really need to learn patience......but why isn’t it happening faster???

 

[Blue Shadow]

Knoxville has a trillion (unless I am still missing where they are hidden) times (I never exaggerate, haha) as much vintage gear available. Maybe it’s the university but we have plenty of schools in and around Johnson City.

I think that UT was a big reason there is more gear on Knoxville and well it is a more populated area. We sold a good bit to the folks working at ORNL, too along with the college crowd and a number of folks up and down the interstate to about half way to the next cities. Some decent gear went to Kentucky from the store I worked in.

 

[Blue Shadow]

Your comments about the market are correct. From 05 when I joined prices were up in winter down a bit in summer then up a bit more the next year. Continued until there was no summer dip (which came as the recession was truly ending) as the hobby got rolling. Now the prices are a good bit higher but putting a rig together or building a collection can still be done at reasonable prices but cheap options are farther apart.

Depending on what you are looking for, maybe put a WTB ad in BT and see what you can flush out. Shipping is a lot higher than 15 years ago but there are opportunities in your geographical area to make deals with cheaper shipping. The new BT only keeps ads for 7 days so it would be a quick experiment to see what you can shake out of the trees.

 

[Homey4uk]

Your comments about the market are correct. From 05 when I joined prices were up in winter down a bit in summer then up a bit more the next year. Continued until there was no summer dip (which came as the recession was truly ending) as the hobby got rolling. Now the prices are a good bit higher but putting a rig together or building a collection can still be done at reasonable prices but cheap options are farther apart.

Depending on what you are looking for, maybe put a WTB ad in BT and see what you can flush out. Shipping is a lot higher than 15 years ago but there are opportunities in your geographical area to make deals with cheaper shipping. The new BT only keeps ads for 7 days so it would be a quick experiment to see what you can shake out of the trees.

I placed a WTB ad. Said Sansui G7000, 7700 or equivalent. Even listed 7 or 8 other brands I would consider. Said I sell a lot on eBay and realize shipping is expensive. Was viewed over a 100 times, not a single reply. I have a MUCH worse story I will share in time about BT. EBay isn’t perfect, far from it. But you have a lot of buyer protection. Here you have someone who pays $25 and there is zero vetting. And most won’t ship and say they don’t want Paypal, so you have less than no protection. Caveat emptor on steroids.

 

[Blue Shadow]

I know it isn't perfect but none of the used gear selling locations is other than maybe a local place that offers a warranty of an acceptable length.

We have feedback but not everyone uses it. I have sold some gear recently, even packing a turntable with dust cover in a single box and shipping it across 80% of the country with no issues, it was a really good box, no post at all.

Finding a particular item is hit and miss on BT. The bay has a lot of folks some selling decent junk. Just gotta use all your avenues.

 

[RTally]

Knoxville has a trillion (unless I am still missing where they are hidden) times (I never exaggerate, haha) as much vintage gear available. Maybe it’s the university but we have plenty of schools in and around Johnson City. I do see a lot of things posted in Asheville but being over an hour away and restricted currently most sellers aren’t willing to hold something on a “maybe.” And I don’t blame them, cash in hand beats some guy might come in a week to listen. Thanks for your help!

Funny how perceptions differ. I have found some good stuff in Knoxville, but I don't think there is enough here where I have a good selection to choose from. I check frequently and have to wait a while to find good stuff. But I also check within a 200 mile radius. I've worked through enough equipment that I have a short list of equipment I would like to acquire.

Generally, I have to travel to get good deals. I've gone up to 200 miles away (Nashville) to get a lot of my equipment. Near you, I picked up a pair of KLH 6 speakers for $25 in Johnson City. I don't mind driving if it is something I want and it is not available closer.

 

[Homey4uk]

Funny how perceptions differ. I have found some good stuff in Knoxville, but I don't think there is enough here where I have a good selection to choose from. I check frequently and have to wait a while to find good stuff. But I also check within a 200 mile radius. I've worked through enough equipment that I have a short list of equipment I would like to acquire.

Generally, I have to travel to get good deals. I've gone up to 200 miles away (Nashville) to get a lot of my equipment. Near you, I picked up a pair of KLH 6 speakers for $25 in Johnson City. I don't mind driving if it is something I want and it is not available closer.

Do you find these things on the list owned by Craig? I see lots in Knoxville and your sounding area in there but it is rare to get a reply from someone. And in going to tell myself you got those speakers more than 3 months ago before I began hunting stuff so I don't cry in the corner for the next few hours.

 

[RTally]

Do you find these things on the list owned by Craig? I see lots in Knoxville and your sounding area in there but it is rare to get a reply from someone. And in going to tell myself you got those speakers more than 3 months ago before I began hunting stuff so I don't cry in the corner for the next few hours.

I found my first pair 2 years ago using CL. I made a 3 hour round-trip drive to pick them up. The seller had a treasure trove of stuff he was slowly selling. It seems Asheville has a lot of audiophiles. There is currently a Luxman for sale that I would love to buy, but I am not traveling 'cuz of the pandemic.

The second pair I found through Barter Town in May 2018. The seller was in Pittsburg. I had a friend that lived up there and he picked them up for me. I got them from him when I traveled that way several months later.

There are some audio speculators and some flippers in the Knoxville area. The speculators are dreamers asking a high price. The flippers are mostly asking on the high side of market price. Both types seem to take a long time to sell their wares. The secret to finding deals is to check often, look for the hidden gems (poor pics, bad description), contact the seller quickly to schedule a pickup, and be ready to walk away if they don't look good upon inspection.

 

[Homey4uk]

I found my first pair 2 years ago using CL. I made a 3 hour round-trip drive to pick them up. The seller had a treasure trove of stuff he was slowly selling. It seems Asheville has a lot of audiophiles. There is currently a Luxman for sale that I would love to buy, but I am not traveling 'cuz of the pandemic.

The second pair I found through Barter Town in May 2018. The seller was in Pittsburg. I had a friend that lived up there and he picked them up for me. I got them from him when I traveled that way several months later.

There are some audio speculators and some flippers in the Knoxville area. The speculators are dreamers asking a high price. The flippers are mostly asking on the high side of market price. Both types seem to take a long time to sell their wares. The secret to finding deals is to check often, look for the hidden gems (poor pics, bad description), contact the seller quickly to schedule a pickup, and be ready to walk away if they don't look good upon inspection.

Excellent advice, thanks. The issue for me is I have suffered a traumatic brain and spine injury. Some days I could fool you for a couple hours into thinking I was “normal.” Just a limp. Other days I might not be able to get out of bed or can barely make it to my “cave.” Sometimes I sit in the dark and can’t even turn on the tv or music. And quite often I can meet you today, and meet you again for the “first time” tomorrow. And in two weeks I would definitely swear I have never met you. Used to read 6-8 books a week. Haven’t finished a single book since 2013. I’m not whining, I should be dead or at minimum blowing through a straw to move a wheelchair. So I’m lucky in some ways. That’s a really long way of saying sometimes I can move quickly if I see something that interests me, most of the time it’s not an option. That is a big part of why I joined here. I asked if I should and received all these messages about members giving things away and how awesome BT is. There are barely two pages of things for sale right now. And as I mentioned earlier I couldn’t even get a response to my WTB saying “I have something I might sell in a few months” or “check out this website.” Oh well. The hunt continues. Oh, last question do you repair things yourself or only buy mint or have someone in Knoxville? I don’t even know of anyone around here that works on electronics.

 

[RTally]

Excellent advice, thanks. The issue for me is I have suffered a traumatic brain and spine injury. Some days I could fool you for a couple hours into thinking I was “normal.” Just a limp. Other days I might not be able to get out of bed or can barely make it to my “cave.” Sometimes I sit in the dark and can’t even turn on the tv or music. And quite often I can meet you today, and meet you again for the “first time” tomorrow. And in two weeks I would definitely swear I have never met you. Used to read 6-8 books a week. Haven’t finished a single book since 2013. I’m not whining, I should be dead or at minimum blowing through a straw to move a wheelchair. So I’m lucky in some ways. That’s a really long way of saying sometimes I can move quickly if I see something that interests me, most of the time it’s not an option. That is a big part of why I joined here. I asked if I should and received all these messages about members giving things away and how awesome BT is. There are barely two pages of things for sale right now. And as I mentioned earlier I couldn’t even get a response to my WTB saying “I have something I might sell in a few months” or “check out this website.” Oh well. The hunt continues. Oh, last question do you repair things yourself or only buy mint or have someone in Knoxville? I don’t even know of anyone around here that works on electronics.

Sorry to hear about your health. I am in the higher risk group for the pandemic and I am keeping to myself. I keep looking for stuff, but i am resisting contacting anyone to make a deal. This is a good time to look and learn, not to acquire.

The pandemic has slowed things tremendously. I've noticed CL and FB Marketplace ads have decreased a lot around here. I am sure the same thing is happening on BT (I've let my membership lapse). This is not a good time to be looking to acquire equipment.

I do my own work on equipment. I know of two places in the area that can repair equipment. One has more work than he can handle and the other is not interested in small jobs. If you have to hire someone to work on equipment, the allure of vintage equipment disappears. At least, the cost advantage is gone.

I do not like buying vintage gear that someone has already worked on. I do not trust others to do work to my standards. Unless you are capable of doing the work yourself, you likely do not have the skill to judge if someone did a good job restoring a piece of equipment. I've come across a lot of nice equipment that was basically ruined because someone thought they knew how to repair it or make it "sound better."

 

[goodolpg]

I placed a WTB ad. Said Sansui G7000, 7700 or equivalent. Even listed 7 or 8 other brands I would consider. Said I sell a lot on eBay and realize shipping is expensive. Was viewed over a 100 times, not a single reply. I have a MUCH worse story I will share in time about BT. EBay isn’t perfect, far from it. But you have a lot of buyer protection. Here you have someone who pays $25 and there is zero vetting. And most won’t ship and say they don’t want Paypal, so you have less than no protection. Caveat emptor on steroids.

Due to circumstances I had to quit subscribing a couple years ago.
Since I have an inability to sell anything it was my way of supporting AK as opposed to buying/selling.
I've recently read that BT has had changes to the format, no threads, all PM messages?
I wonder if that has hurt your search.
I did buy on there twice (I used to be GREAT at buying, selling not so great but I digress). Used PP and was willing to pay an extra 3% or whatever for protection though it did not become an issue. Both transactions went well and I got what I expected.
Only two pages of listings, used to be way more than that.

 

[Homey4uk]

Due to circumstances I had to quit subscribing a couple years ago.
Since I have an inability to sell anything it was my way of supporting AK as opposed to buying/selling.
I've recently read that BT has had changes to the format, no threads, all PM messages?
I wonder if that has hurt your search.
I did buy on there twice (I used to be GREAT at buying, selling not so great but I digress). Used PP and was willing to pay an extra 3% or whatever for protection though it did not become an issue. Both transactions went well and I got what I expected.
Only two pages of listings, used to be way more than that.

Two pages is generous. Three pages total but many are want to buy or want to trade. And lots of odd things for sale. But it is OK. Life goes on.