What to replace DQ-10s with?

This thread is a perfect example of why certain speakers are so musical (Dahlquist, Alon, Vandy)

Other speakers to make this list would be used Avalon Ascents, Eclipses, Proac 3's or 3.5's.

I have Dahlquist DQ-30i's with custom modded, external x-overs, they're staying here
till I'm gone.

i have been told that jon dahlquist used quad esl 57 as his reference when designing the dq 10.

having owned the quads and listened to the dq 10s many times, i would say there are significant differences between them. thus it would seem that if you want to upgrade, you might consider a panel speaker rather than another cone-based speaker.

Back in the '80's, I cut my teeth on the DQ10s, and I really liked the Randall Research modification back then. After a few years I "upgraded" to the Quad ESL63s, along with the Spectral amp and preamp. I loved the Quads until I played my first bombastic symphony on them. The Quads just lacked the dynamics of my DQ10s and made me regret selling them to a some degree.

If you love the DQ10s, I would recommend following the advice of tan43 and give them a thorough upgrade on drivers and crossover components. After all these years, I still miss them.