Mis-matched Dynaco purchase.......Help!

[Homey4uk]

Hello audio addicted friends and wise mentors. I made an embarrassing mistake I need advice on how to best remedy. I peruse the cesspool called Facebook almost daily, with 99% of the time spent to access the Marketplace and look at local gear for sale. Well, I saw a listing last week that didn't identify the manufacturer but had two bookshelf speakers for sale. I asked as many questions as possible and I think they told me what they believed to be the truth (I'm being charitable) but they probably just guessed and in my hyper hunt adrenaline fueled stupor I didn't take the time to fully examine the items. I just grabbed the cash in my pocket, handed it to them before anyone else showed up to offer full asking price, and loaded the speakers in my car. Once I got home and did some basic research on here and the old interweb I am fairly certain I just purchased two speakers that don't match or maybe even belong together......I'm fairly certain somehow these folks had one Dynaco A25 and one Dynaco A25XL. One grill would NOT come off at the seller's home and I was in a hurry and they were slightly freaking out because they were convinced they weren't designed to be removed. Once I got them home I realised one speaker has the "tabs" on the woofer and is attached with 6 screws but the other is a regular circle and only 4 screws were used. The grills and screws look different on the tweeters as well. Even the stain is different, with one speaker being significantly lighter. They attributed this to being exposed to more sunlight and I am gullible and as stated before was under the influence of adrenaline and the thrill of the hunt. With all of this said, I hooked them up to a Pioneer SX-780 and spun some "Hell Freezes Over" on my Sansui FR-4060 followed by some Bach on my Cambridge Audio CD player. They blew me away! I know, I know everyone says they are great, but everyone says coffee is great and wine is great and I hate both. But I love these little gems. So, do I waste a lot of money and find one of another to have a matching pair or leave the grills on after refurbing the cabinets to get them to match in color? I'll attach a couple photos in a minute. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

 

[Homey4uk]

Here are a couple photos.

 

[mikeybc]

Didn't Dynaco switch woofer manufacturers some time in their production ? Seas woofers with the tabs to Scanspeak ?.

maybe they were bought as a pair around the time Dynaco switched woofers....salesman just grabbed 2 random A25 boxes ?

You're not the first person i've seen posting about mismatched pairs of A25's

 

[Homey4uk]

Didn't Dynaco switch woofer manufacturers some time in their production ? Seas woofers with the tabs to Scanspeak ?.

maybe they were bought as a pair around the time Dynaco switched woofers....salesman just grabbed 2 random A25 boxes ?

You're not the first person I've seen posting about mismatched pairs of A25's

That is possible. But the label on the back of one speaker is white, the other is black. The baffle on one is brown, the other black. I can't imagine people didn't complain about that. I have read that SEAS changed the woofer design and the speakers look identical other than the tabs on one. I haven't attempted to disassemble them yet since the drivers are glued in place very well.......I actually like that the "mistake" makes them bookend with the tweeters on different sides. Maybe I should simply paint both baffles flat black and enjoy them.

 

[Freds.Bands]

How do they sound, similar or different?

 

[Homey4uk]

How do they sound, similar or different?

Thanks for your reply. I haven't played them much since I'm not sure what to do with them. But what little I played them they sounded the same. The drivers look the same other than the outer ring and mounting holes and the tweeters look identical, just the metal mesh grills are slightly different. But the cabinets are different stains and the baffles are different, one is stained to match the cabinet and one is painted black.

 

[crazy-in-az]

I'd pull the drivers and compare. If the only real difference is cosmetic I'd paint the baffles so they match, recap the crossovers and call it good.

 

[bimasta]

I've had mismatched A25's. Whichever name is on the drivers, they play together happily like good children. They're all made in Norway and often the companies (SEAS, Vifa, Scabspeak) sold drivers to the others, who just relabeled them. I've had 3 different looking Woofers — different magnets, different mounting arrangements — but all were fully compatible drop-in replacements.

 

[Freds.Bands]

You can fix how they look. If they are keepers, why worry?

 

[JRhoBurton]

Dynaco Dan (Dan Joffe of Update My Dynaco and Akitika) calls the tabs "horns". The horned woofers are earlier. Both versions are SEAS. I have 4 of each. I have tested them all with DATS and they vary somewhat in Fs, Qts, and Vas, but the variations don't appear related to horned vs smooth. I have a couple of big enclosures and will use all 8 for a DIY project. You should be good on the woofers.

I would guess the tweeter variations don't matter either, but could be wrong. Trust your ears. Might need to recap, and Deoxit the padding resistor switches before you do that.

 

[bimasta]

I have a couple of big enclosures and will use all 8 for a DIY project. I would guess the tweeter variations don't matter either, but could be wrong.

I had 8 woofers too, with the same intentions — with the paper cones, 9" size, rubber surrounds and high-sensitivity, the bass should be superb. But I stored them in a friend's garage, the roof had a leak he didn't know about. I could only salvage 2 of them. Que sera.

I had Dynacos with 3 different kinds of Woofers, but all the tweeters were the same.

 

[JRhoBurton]

I had 8 woofers too, with the same intentions — with the paper cones, 9" size, rubber surrounds and high-sensitivity, the bass should be superb. But I stored them in a friend's garage, the roof had a leak he didn't know about. I could only salvage 2 of them. Que sera.

I had Dynacos with 3 different kinds of Woofers, but all the tweeters were the same.

From 8 to 2? Bad luck indeed. Reminds me of 2 AR18 woofers I had on a high shelf. During the March earthquake, they fell off and one basket is pretty mangled. Oh well, not real important in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Homey4uk]

You can fix how they look. If they are keepers, why worry?

True. It would be easy to change mounting hardware (all black) and paint the brown baffle black. I don't really plan on selling them, but I realize one day I probably will (or my kids once I am gone unless they develop any semblance of taste in musical gear). I can spend a couple hours on the exterior and leave the grills on and they will be great. Don't want to kill the value and don't want to risk damage since the drivers appear to be glued in better than most automotive parts are attached. Thanks for all the input, everyone.

 

[Homey4uk]

True. It would be easy to change mounting hardware (all black) and paint the brown baffle black. I don't really plan on selling them, but I realize one day I probably will (or my kids once I am gone unless they develop any semblance of taste in musical gear). I can spend a couple hours on the exterior and leave the grills on and they will be great. Don't want to kill the value and don't want to risk damage since the drivers appear to be glued in better than most automotive parts are attached. Thanks for all the input, everyone.

Oh, and to be honest I was kinda hoping someone might say "I'm in the same boat and it driving me cray cray, let's swop."

 

[krautmaster]

Paint the brown baffle black, put in some new caps and call them good--you will have a very rare pair of "Mirrored" A25s (I have a mirrored set and the channel separation is better than the other pair with the tweeters in the same location)

2. Mirrored Pair Of A-25s

• krautmaster
• Jan 24, 2020

Dnynaco A-25's: rare mirrored pair

 

[Homey4uk]

Paint the brown baffle black, put in some new caps and call them good--you will have a very rare pair of "Mirrored" A25s (I have a mirrored set and the channel separation is better than the other pair with the tweeters in the same location)

2. Mirrored Pair Of A-25s

• krautmaster
• Jan 24, 2020

Dnynaco A-25's: rare mirrored pair

I love your speakers, but my drivers don't match. I'm not certifiably anal, but I am picky and the 6 point basket on one vs the 4 point on the other woofer drives me crazy. And yes, the covers are on but I KNOW what is behind them......oh well. Thanks.

 

[Blue Shadow]

Buy another pair! Not like these things are hard to find.

Sell the ones you have. Not like these don't sell quick all over the country.

Then you might have an OCD comforting matched pair...but check the new pair before selling the mixed set.

 

[Homey4uk]

Buy another pair! Not like these things are hard to find.

Sell the ones you have. Not like these don't sell quick all over the country.

Then you might have an OCD comforting matched pair...but check the new pair before selling the mixed set.

I'm keeping these. They sound great and I got them for less than half of the lowest price I've seen on any other pair. I do think I will buy more, though.

 

[Blue Shadow]

I got them for less than half of the lowest price I've seen on any other pair.

Just a few years ago these went for a wide range of prices. I picked up a sorry pair of working, not bad cabinets, broken grilles that were mismatched for free plus the 5 minute drive over to get them. I put the value of these speakers in by building grille frames, adding the cloth and some wood refinishing.

My first pair were part of my first or second CL buy with an SA-9500 and PD-4300 and that was real money. This gear was cleaner than my stuff and had boxes and and such. So maybe you will get lucky. I don't know of the dealers in the area that sold Dynaco that long ago but sold other brands in Knoxville 77-81.

Maybe another mixed pair owner will step forward as you had mentioned.