Dunlavy SCIV - What amp are you using?

Hello Opus88,

Thank you for the kind words. Although my Dunlavys have always kept the primary residence in my reference listening room, I have also tried other speakers from my other systems in this room. As good as they have been, none have eclipsed the Dunlavys. That is not to say there aren't better speakers out there than these beloved SCIV's, but only that I haven't had the pleasure of hearing any that I enjoy more than what I currently have.

One brand that has my curiousity, that I personally haven't heard yet is the Horning loudspeakers. I'm planning on hearing them this fall at the RMAF in Colorado.

By the way, Opus88, what amps have you enjoyed using with your Dunlavys?

Thanks again for your comments.

Hello Polyglot,

Thank you for sharing your choice of amplification with us in regards to the Dunlavy SCIV.

As to your question about the VR6....the best thing you can do is try to audition a pair and let your ears decide. What sounds great to "me" might not sound quite as appealing to "you" and vise versa. Our ears and how we each hear things are as individual and unique as the speakers that we are discussing.

But in another effort to try and answer your question. My catalog of source material consists of several hundred pristine vinyl albums and are split pretty evenly between classical and jazz. I feel the SCIV's excell with classical music....everything from solo and sonatas to the big full orchestral pieces as well as small combo jazz groups to the big band swinging of Duke and Basie. I have not found a speaker that does these types of music better in terms of getting the tone, micro and macro dynamics, soundstaging, etc better.

If the SCIV's fall short anywhere, I think it would be in the rock, or rap genre's....but for me, that really isn't "my" cup of tea anyhow.

I only heard one pair of Von Schwikert's and it was a long time ago, but was at a time while having my Dunlavys. I can't remember the model number, but it was their reference at that time. I didn't feel they were in the same league as the Dunlavys. That's not to say they havn't improved over the years.....I haven't listened to their offering since.

Give them a listen and let us know what you think.

Hello again...I just caught these latest additions to this thread. No regrets: In response to your question about what other amps I've tried with my SC-4s, years back I recall using two Moscode 300 hybrid amps, one for each of the speakers. Prior to that I had used a Conrad Johnson Premier 4 tube amp. Though I enjoyed both, I preferred the sound from the Moscodes, which gave me a bit more dynamic life and up front presence. But since I've owned the Air Tights I've had no desire to go with anything else. The only things I changed with them were their stock tubes, the EL34 AEG Siemens' and the 12au7s and 12ax7s whose brands I don't remember. For quite some time I've been using Tesla E34Ls, Mullard "boxplate" 12au7s and Brimar 12ax7s. In synergy, these tubes are the antithesis of hi-fi super clean, with a very musical, life like concert hall sound.

Incidentally, mention was made above about placing spikes or cones under the Dunlavys. I tried that on a carpet over concrete floor many years ago. While I can't remember exactly how the sound compared with no spikes or cones, I do know I preferred the Dunlavys' sound without them.

I've been using a Marsh A400 for many years after trying various amps. The Marsh is a revelation and a wonder.

I once visited John Dunlavy at their shop in Colorado Springs and he domoed his speakers with Spectral amps and a passive pre-amp (don't recall the brand). For what it's worth.

Happy listening...