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The best amp or improvement for Dahlquist DQ-10's

I have been looking at and listening to many speakers but every time I come home to my DQ-10's I still enjoy them most. Their flaw, and the reason I'm looking, is the bass driver and/or the bass enclosure. The sound is not "tight" or "punchy" enough. I've read that this can be alleviated with certain amps. (Although I am skeptical). I've even contemplated changing the bass driver and bass enclosure.

MY QUESTIONS: Is there a speaker out that has the same mid's and high's but with "tight" bass? Is there an amp that really could tighten this "loose" bass? (No suggestions over 2k used market).

SETUP: I have a Rega Planet cd player and Rega 25 turntable feeding an Audible Illlusions 3A pre-amp with Amperex gold pin 6922's going into a Rotel 980BX 100 watt per channel amp.

ALL HELP APPRECIATED - THANKS
imin2u
phasecorrect's avatar
phasecorrect
2,013 posts
 
I was in the same boat not too long ago...but found the dqs bass slow, tubby, and ill-defined...and even with adequate power...we are still talkin about 30 yr old Advent paper drivers here...for a speaker that still has that very "open" midrange but with real bass...Vandersteen 1b or 1cs come to mind...the bass is not the fatest on the planet...but it is clean at lower volumes...and retains the boxless/phasecorrect integrity of the DQs...
danlevy
34 posts
 
I replaced my DQ-10s only recently, after owning them since 1976.

Over the years as I improved my other components, including cables, I found the Dahlquists had a lot more good, solid bass than I ever thought they could have. It was a great experience to see how much I could get out of the Dahlquists, while buying me years and years to enjoy their strengths, invest in other components, and audition other speakers.

Ultimately, I succumbed to some Kharmas not long ago, but I appreciate the DQ-10's allure. All of the suggestions in this thread make sense to me. You do need a lot of power to make them sound their best.
a_hayman
43 posts
 
I owned a pair of DQ-10's (mirror imaged) from 1978 (when I bought them new) until 1994, when they were damaged by the Northridge earthquake. I was very happy with them while I had them. Instead of getting them fixed, I replaced them with Thiel CS3.6's, which are a major improvement., and which I recommend. They have similar power and space requirements; I'm driving them with an Aragon 8008BB (200W/ch into 8 ohms, 400W/ch into 4 ohms).

Good luck!
k100riderbbc5
1 posts
 
Everyone has offered some fine advice so far excepting one very effective modification which will cost you much less money than a new amplifier and at the same time dramatically improve your overall sound. Get your self a second pair of DQ-10's and stack them one atop the other (4 lengths of 3/4" square aluminum tubing works perfectly as a frame). Wire the speakers in parallel (4 ohm load) and your amplifier should double (or nearly so) it's output wattage. 200 watts into stacked Dq-10's is SPECTACULAR! I have been listening to mine that way for over 10 years. Hope this reaches you in time.

Al B.
smw30yahoocom
154 posts
 
I own the Dahlquist 20I speakers and have mated them with Legend Audio Design monoblock amps. They are above your $2,000 mark, but they also have an integrated for much less, although I can't remember how much it is. There is plenty of bass for my tastes. I personally don't like booming bass, it overpowers the rest of the music. It took me a long time to find the right amps and I think my speaker/amp combination sounds phenominal. It is very detailed, dynamic, yet silky smooth. I have also listened to the McIntosh tube amps (not solid state) and they sound very nice also. You might also try Rogue.
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