Budget amp for Dahlquist DQ-10's

Hafler

DQ-10's have a really wild impedance characteristic and dip as low as 2 ohms at one point. This makes them amp hogs. You don't really need a super high wattage large amp, but you do need one with a very high peak amerage capability. Or an amp that doesn't get broken up when it sees that load that it can't put out enough amps for.

I drive my DQ-10's with a GAS Son Of Ampzilla with GAS Works mods. I've also heard amps with twice the power rating sound terrible trying to drive the DQ-10s. I would think that NADs might be a good choice for a read ecomomy speaker for the load.

In a small room I've heard DQ-10s not sound too bad driven by a Dynaco Stereo 70. It couldn't put out many amps, but it didn't get all broken up and put out lots of hash due to it's tubes and transformers.

typo on above sorry..

the lower price pse studio IV and muse 100 are very good amps( $1k range new ) but lack the last bit of sonic refinment when compared to their more $$ counter parts. the muse 160 mk ii was a $2k amp and the pse studio V are a $2500 pair amps

Thanks for all the great suggestions. Although, I would have liked a used DNA 2,Threshold, or a Classe CA300 ect.. economics reared it's ugly head and I've got a late model Bryston 4B pro on the way. I've heard that the highs on these amps are a little much so I'm hoping that my cheapo Superphon Revelation II pre works out OK. It's ugly as hell but supposedly isn't a complete POS (but then again I may be wrong). If not, any suggestions for a low cost tube or ss pre that might mellow things out a bit? Thanks again.

You may be fine with the old Bryston, I don't remember my DQ-10's as ever being a bright sounding speaker. It's been a lot of years..don't the DQ-10's have Mid/Treb. controls on them that allow some adjustment? I may be thinking of another pair of speakers I used to own. Anyway, let us know when you get the Bryston hooked-up. The speakers may need some break-in if they have not been in use for a long time also.

Dave