help with "speaker of the month" Infinity QLS-1, Kappa 9, Dunlavy SC-IV

[lakegville]

When i first started trying different speakers about a year ago the decisions much easier. I went off and sourced several pair of the "usual suspects" in the $100-$600 dollar range. I really think it is hard to make a bad decision in this range....yea the AR3's, JBL 4311's, and Heresys i bought all have a different sound but all sound good to me and if i am willing to take a little loss i can probably pass them on in time if i choose.

But with more expensive/heavier speakers bad decisions can have a greater and a little more lasting effect. So what i am asking for here is help and advise with my next acquisition. I know speaker purchasing is highly subjective and there are many different parameters to consider but i want to try and keep the decision as basic as possible. I have never owned any speaker by either of these two manufacturers. Same person has all three of these for $1,500 per pair. I know all three of these speakers are supposed to be "special" and i would like to catch at least one before they eventually got out of town....... but "none of the above" is an option also. If overpriced/overrated please let me know for i have noticed the seller is not having the easiest of times moving these. Thanking you all for advise it is greatly appreciated and it makes a huge difference to me with purchase decisions that i am unsure of.

Oh ps...i will be having a friend get them for me so i will not be able to "audition" before purchase. I will ask him just to check and see of functionality of drivers and condition.

 

[tubed]

As all three are very good speakers( only heard about the Duns) it boils down to the old "what sounds best to you" slogan.
So I'll say each pair probably needs a dedicated listening space of 400+ square feet to hear their potentials.
I think my QLS-1s are very special and would love to move them into a bigger space.

 

[Brindabella]

I am that same as you, I have all but given up trying to audition vintage speakers - some will say I am mad but when I first started buying vintage audio and I found a speaker or electronics that peaked my interest I would simply type in the model number followed by Audiokarma and read - if there was no or few posts I would generally move on - but if there was significant activity, discussion or even debate I would be confident enough to buy to listen for myself. To date regarding speakers I have not got a single pair I regret purchasing. Some people chase "a sound" til they reach their desired audio goal, I am different my preference is to hear a range of speakers/audio amp source combinations and respect the sound from the perspective of what the speaker/gear was designed to achieve. And lets face it you can usually sell whatever you have bought for what you paid for it if it really does not work out.

All of the above speakers are wonderful in their own right and represent the best the manufacture was trying to achieve at that price point at that point in history. If you are not chasing "a sound" but rather an experience and acknowledge they are not going to be your forever speaker but rather part of a bigger journey to build knowledge and experience then I can't see you would go wrong with any of the above.

Rob

 

[cjpremierfour]

Just my opinion. If my room was very large and had the right quality / wattage amplifier and good electronic on the front end, I would go for the Dunlavy SC IV's. I'm not really sure about the QLS-1 as I have not heard a pair but for $1500, I think that the Dunlavy's would be a "great buy"!

 

[lakegville]

I would go for the Dunlavy SC IV's.

i think i may be leaning that way but the other two are no slouches.

 

[turboyam]

Plus one for the Dunlavy's. They are very special. Do you plan on having a listening ''sweet spot''?, as they are very directive,
and it's part of their charm. Awesome technique involved, John Dunlavy actually put a lot into the development, with measurable
results.

 

[lakegville]

Do you plan on having a listening ''sweet spot''?,

No not really and i know that sounds bad. I just try and fill the air in the entire room with the best sound that i possibly can. I think that is why i tend to gravitate to speakers in the 150lbs + range. They seem to do a better job preforming that task. Maybe if i get these Dunlavys i will have to rethink things.

 

[rdka]

Well, a few things. Those QLS' sound best bi-amped. SS on bottom and tube on top. You'll need a 70 watt or so minimum tube on the top. A good one is not cheap. Do you currently have a bi-amp setup? If not, that bumps up the 1500 price a ton.

Also, in a bi-amp hopefully the amp you currently have can tackle the bass. Or, the mids. That way perhaps you only need to purchase 1.

The beauty of the Dunlavy is they are not a bi-amp setup. Plus, you can spend $$$ through time and update them to a IVa.

Also, what type of music you prefer and what your source is. What speaker cables you have? Infinity sure does like MIT. But they don't exactly give those away and used prices are hefty.

Another factor is parts cost. Dunlavy used off the shelf parts and Infinity did not. You certainly do not want to get caught replacing say 7 tweeters in those QLS columns, do you? The Kappa has the same issues, but to a lesser degree. A lot less speakers as well. But still pricier issues than the Dunlavy.

Me, I prefer the Infinity sound. But I do think it is definately a pricier journey to take. A lot depends on your current electronics and potential costs to convert. Your final cost is the one that counts.

Those QLS sure do look impressive, don't they? And a line array crossover setup. From 1976. But you could have bought a new car for what they went for new.

 

[pyite]

I own a set of Kappa 9's and they are great if you like bass-in-your-face. They actually sound best with strings IMO (e.g. Take 6 of "She's Leaving Home" sounds insanely good). I also have a ServoStatik 1 which has a cleaner high end sound and I prefer it at lower volume levels.

I spent 2x as much on the amps as the speakers (Parasound 3500 for low end, Nakamichi PA-7 for high end), of course!

The big complaint I have read about the QLS-1 is the mid bass integration (and the weight of course). Personally I like to hear some extra mid bass (great for Phish) so I would probably love them.