Review: Dahlquist DQ-10 Speaker


Category: Speakers

Hello fellow audiophiles, I want to share with you my listening experiences of Jon Dahlquist's complete speaker system.

Many times you read reviews of the DQ-10 speakers and they most always comment on the lack of low-end and power hunger of the speakers. While true, this does not provide a true representation of what the complete Dahlquist speaker system is capable of. For those familiar with the Fulton Mod-J system, it would be like critiquing this system without its base module.

The complete Dahlquist speaker system consist of the famous DQ-10 main speakers; the DQ-1W subwoofer, the DQ-LP1 electronic crossover (and DQ-ST10 speaker stands for proper main speaker positioning).

The DQ-10 is a 5-way, open baffle, time-aligned speaker; the DQ-1W is a passive 13" subwoofer; and the DQ-LP1 is an electronic crossover that features a passive, distortion free high-pass section and a freq/gain adjustable low-pass section.

Several years after initial introduction, Dahlquist modified the main speaker design to mirror image the left and right speakers. This provided symmetry and widened the soundstage even further. If you are looking to buy a set, this is the version to get!

After 30 years of ownership the Dahlquists system still takes my breath away. The sound stage is extremely wide, I can close my eyes and picture the musicians playing, with each instrument precisely located across the front of my listening room. The accuracy and clarity is stunning, piano notes are clear and true; symbols ring with purity; acoustic guitar strings sound crisply plucked; and drum beats are powerful and tight.

The 5-way crossover network is the reason for the speaker's power hunger, it has several power resistors in it that really heat up. But what you get in return for this design is accuracy (purity of note) and clarity (distortion free) of sound because each speaker driver only has to work in a limited frequency range. This is especially true of the DQ-10 woofer driver which only has to work down to 60hz with the electronic crossover in the setup.

Because of its power hunger, it is extremely important to drive the Dahlquist system with ample power. I drive the main speakers with a Bryston 4B and the subwoofer with a Bryston 3B in mono mode, a total of 800 watts. What is important for any amplifier to achieve powerful and tight base is to not be current limited. This is the case, as with the Brystons, when the amplifier doubles its output power output when the speaker impedance is halved (i.e. 200 watts @ 8 ohms, 400 watts @ 4 ohms). Plus, the amplifiers must have a high dampening factor (i.e 500+) to ensure that the speaker driver has a single, fast excursion for a drum beat, without ringing.

With this setup, there is no one who would say the Dahlquist system lacks low-end. The frequency range is very wide, something like 25hz - 30khz. The adjustability of the DQ-LP1 crossover allows for completely seemless integration of the subwoofer into the mains. You cannot tell that the low base notes come from a seperate speaker box from the mains!

Given today's market prices, you can acquire a nice set of DQ-10s for $500, a DQ-1W for $200, and a DQ-LP1 for $300 = $1000 for the complete system. I venture to say that you cannot buy another full range speaker system for this price that will beat the Dahlquist system. You would have to spend multiples of that price to try to come close.

I certainly recommend them!

Associated gear
Click to view my Virtual System
jjh92
I just picked up a pair of original DQ 10 (mirror imaged version) Dahlquists and put them into my system this afternoon. WOW!!! My current speakers are Magnepan 20R's which are no slouch. My amp(s) are either a Spectron Musician iii SE MK II (with V-Caps and Bybee mods) or a pair of vintage Conrad Johnson Premier 8A monoblocs putting out 275 watts per side of pure tube power. My preamp is a Supratek Chenin. (Source is a California Audio Labs Alpha 24/96 DAC) The DQ 10's just blew me away. What incredible transients, bass and imaging. I also got the sub and passive Xover with my purchase and will be putting them into the system tomorrow, biamping with my Bryston 10B active Xover. Will most likely put the CJ Premier 8A tube monoblocs on the top and use the Spectron for the sub. Anyway, just wanted to add my experience to the chorus above about the super sound of the DQ 10's. My gut feeling is that if you have enough horsepower you can truly hear how magnificant these speakers truely are.
I want to add my own recent experience with a different Dahlquist speaker. Just for fun, I bought a used pair of Dahlquist DQM9 compact monitors here on Audiogon. I remember when they came out in the eighties, and I was curious because I had read a couple of brief raves- which of course are unreliable because you don't really know what the "raver" is comparing them to. Anyway, I am shocked by the live feel of these speakers. They are definately worth wire, crossover and binding post upgrades, and that is what I am doing. This particular model is a 3 way using 3 drivers by Magnat. Even though it is a traditional box enclosure, the midrange driver is enclosed in a tube within the enclosure. And though the execution at that time may have not been as good as it can be today, I believe that it shows that a designer's voicing of a speaker is a very critical factor in the success of the final design
When considering older equipments , we must consider there hasnt been any real technological achievement specifically asociated with speakers.Speakers have been refined over the years but basically their the some old boxes with drivers that we have had for so many years.Better drivers and crossover and better designed cabinets make for better sound reproduction.At the time the Dalquist DQ-10 were a technological achievement and their sound bears this out.If I had a pair I know that I could live with them.Even considering the modern alternatives we have today.Their that good.
I have a very modest system that my DQ-10s are the star of... Sansui 9090 receiver and a modified (Parts Connexion) Onix XCD-88 CD player. What strikes me the most about the DQ-10 is how "right" they are. I have them in my studio and listen to them for hours each day with no ear fatigue whatsoever. I have the later mirror imaged large yellow capped version DQ-10s. I haven't modified them except to decouple the piezzo tweeter. I've owned quite a few quality speakers (and still do), but these are my favorites. I also second the stellar opinions on using them as fronts in an HT system... AWESOME! I just wish they were smaller and less awkwardly shaped. lol
I remember the spring of 1976 and I was listening to one of the very early imported DQ10s here in Italy. Nothing in the shop came close to that sound experience and I am talking about the Acoustat X with their dedicated tube amplifier in the rear and the Magnepan Tympani of the time, two great loudspeakers for sure but nevertheless the DQ10 to my ears were simply superior.
Needless to say that at the time I could not afford them, because they were so expensive as well as the electronics needed to let them sing properly.
Some years later I had a real job and realized my dream, my first High End system including big Counterpoint electronics and gee what a gorgeous sound!!!
The neighbors were very mildly upset about the S.P.L I reached in my apartment but nevertheless nobody of them complained about the almost absence of both IM distortion and a dwarfed and restricted soundstage :-).
And those musical transients, they were really sharp like razors and real lifelike. The DQ10 were the first loudspeakers I have experienced which really opened a big window in the midrange, the house of music.
I am still in love with them.
What an incredible musical instrument they really are! They are truly iconoclastic because changed for ever the way to design high accuracy loudspeakers (think of the time alignment pioneered by Dahlquist and used by all the actual high end loudspeaker manufacturers).
Thank you Jon and Saul for this wonderful piece of audio art!