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How to spruce up Dynaco A25 cabinets

V

vintage4

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I've been listening to the Dynaco A25's and EPI-100's for the past several days . Turns out I prefer the sound of the EPI 100 more . They have a monitor like quality to them , especially on the high end . The bass is even deeper and punchier . The Dynaco A25's are more friendlier in their sound , aka softer sounding . Not a bad speaker but in a shootout with the EPI 100's they fall short to these ears . Anyway I would like to spruce the walnut finish on the Dynaco speakers before I sell them . What's a good single product that I can purchase to bring back the original shine to their cabinets ? I'm not a wood finisher , just looking for a single product that will bring back some of the luster to their cabinets . Comments appreciated .
 

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Just for fun, before you get rid of the A25 speakers, try them stacked with your EPI 100s. Awhile back I compared both speakers. The Dynacos have a easy polite non-fatiguing sound but seem a bit deficient at the high end for my ears. The EPI speakers are a bit more in your face, but the high end is stellar. After auditioning them separately, I stacked them and played them together. VERY nice!!
 
I used Howard Restor-A-Finish and Feed-N-Wax on mine with pretty good results.

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Dave
 

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Ohighway said:
Just for fun, before you get rid of the A25 speakers, try them stacked with your EPI 100s. Awhile back I compared both speakers. The Dynacos have a easy polite non-fatiguing sound but seem a bit deficient at the high end for my ears. The EPI speakers are a bit more in your face, but the high end is stellar. After auditioning them separately, I stacked them and played them together. VERY nice!!
Click to expand...

How are they stacked? Dynaco or EPI on the bottom. and what on top? I'm curious because I have both and have a similar reaction to them as the OP.

You can listen to the Dynacos all day long--good for background music, but the EPIs have a punchier bass and more detailed high end.

--Relaximus, wonderful work on the cabinets there. Have to get some of that for my Dynacos but the grill-cloths are pretty dirty as well?

cnh2
 
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I have often heard Howard's Restor-A-Finish to be a good product for making the finished to improved! I never used it but have always opted for the sand/stain/ varnish method of finish.
Good luck- those are nice classic speaker for sure.
DC
 
I primarily use Watco Danish oil (have walnut type), Formby's Tung oil (low or high gloss depends on the speakers) and sometimes just good ol' Orange oil if they aren't too bad off. I tend to stay away from re-staining if I can...
 
The SEAS H87 tweeter has a VERY rolled off top end

Madisound (among others), sell a replacement SEAS tweeter for the Dynaco speakers, that is a direct drop-in replacement.
MUCH more extended high end. :yes:

Steve
 
Since the A25's have a natural finish I would use Howards Feed and Wax. Applying it with steel wool will give a little nicer finish and then hand buff with a soft cloth.
 
Just for the heck of it, recap both speakers crossovers, and see how they sound then. Both are simple crossovers, and IIRC, the Dynaco was 5uf and the EPI 10uf. (Some Dynacos were different, so check both first.). Caps are fairly inexpensive, and you may find you can't decide which is better. Or it may be obvious. But when referring to the top end on such vintage speaks, better to know the XO caps are both up to par.

Without altering the OP's question too far, I'm curious what music you played on each to come to a decision. Did you listen to several cds or LPs of multiple genres, or just your fave album that you know well? Or...?
 
gearhound said:
Madisound (among others), sell a replacement SEAS tweeter for the Dynaco speakers, that is a direct drop-in replacement.
MUCH more extended high end. :yes:

Steve
Click to expand...

That's my main gripe with the Dynaco speakers is the rolled off high end . The Dynaco speakers have a much nicer midrange than the EPI 100's . I love listening to Ray Obiedo smooth jazz guitar on them . It's just that lack of airiness that the Dyns have in comparison to the EPI speakers . I'm definitely going to look into those new Seas tweeters .
Heck ! I just might be keeping these after all .
 
ZeroG said:
Just for the heck of it, recap both speakers crossovers, and see how they sound then. Both are simple crossovers, and IIRC, the Dynaco was 5uf and the EPI 10uf. (Some Dynacos were different, so check both first.). Caps are fairly inexpensive, and you may find you can't decide which is better. Or it may be obvious. But when referring to the top end on such vintage speaks, better to know the XO caps are both up to par.

Without altering the OP's question too far, I'm curious what music you played on each to come to a decision. Did you listen to several cds or LPs of multiple genres, or just your fave album that you know well? Or...?
Click to expand...

I'm mainly into jazz and classical CDs . The Dynaco speakers clearly has a better midrange than the EPI speakers . I also have an extensive vinyl collection and the Dyns did sound better than the EPI's on this . The EPI's had their caps replaced but the Dyns didn't . I figured since they were still playing just keep the old ones in . They still have the original square caps .
 
Those are probably the resistors, not the caps. I think each resistor corresponds to a click on the tweeter level pot. There should be a single can shaped electrolytic cap that would make quite a difference when replaced by an audio grade metalized polypropylene film cap.
 
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I wish I still had mine. They were very enjoyable to listen to. Mine cleaned up great but were in decent shape to begin with. I usually clean them good with mineral spirits and 0000 steel wool working with the grain. Then I wipe them down and touch up any nicks or scratches that are usually lighter in color with a Q-tip and a generous amount of Watco danish oil (walnut not clear). Stain works good here too. I let the nicks and scratches soak the oil up a while and then go over the whole speaker with the oil and more 0000 steel wool. Use a generous amount of oil working with the grain still. I'll let it soak after the rub maybe 10 min and then wipe down with a soft cloth. They looked great at this point and I didn't wax them but any good paste wax for wood would be ok. If they are pretty scuffed up, the sand, stain and wax route mentioned above is the best bet.

Good luck!

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gearhound said:
Madisound (among others), sell a replacement SEAS tweeter for the Dynaco speakers, that is a direct drop-in replacement.
MUCH more extended high end. :yes:

Steve
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Any of the decent dome tweeters with an FS less than 600hz will really perk up the Dynacos...even tried an Advent Fried Egg Orange tweeter one time sitting on the top of the A-25s and it was superior to the original!
 
How about a model number for those replacements? Nothing I see there looks to fit at all...same issue with my A-25s...and Advent Laureates, too, actually...the ADS tweeters blow them totally away. What is FS?

I sanded with 200 and a vibrating sander and then restained with Minwax English Chestnut. Superb look, now, especially considering how scarred and scratched they were. But then, that's why they were free. Just need to recloth the grills, then some pics.
 
actually...the ADS tweeters blow them totally away.
Click to expand...

If the crossover caps have not been replaced yet I'd reserve judgment about the stock tweeters until then. It really brought mine back to life. ;)
 
I've used Watco, and I've used Howards.... Howards is a much superior product. Most the furniture in my home is either old antique wood, or new wood, and Howards works equally well on both. Howards had done miracles on some of the older stuff we've bought. I've had pieces that years ago they would have refinished because it would have been the only way to make it look good again... Howards saved me from refinishing.

No, I have no financial gain in saying this, but I sure wish I had a stake in Howards.. the stuff is amazing...
 
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