Help My friend wants to go with some DQ-10s

Phasecorrect: I won't argue the points that you brought up. They are all true.

As i had already stated though, i don't think that you could find a "conventional" speaker that could compete with the DQ's at the prices mentioned. That is, if you are willing to get your hands dirty. Not everything in life is as simple or convenient as sliced bread. This is especially true if you like something a little higher quality than what one can typically buy off the shelf.

I guess that this is why there are SO many different makes and models out there i.e. something to suite everyone's individual tastes and situations. As such, i would not try to discourage your friend but i would make him fully aware of what he's getting into and try to do so in a "balanced" manner. Sean
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Here is what one can get new or used for same amount of coin as the $500-600 DQs(factoring in upgrades/repair work)...Epos M12s,Spendor 3/5s,PMC tb1,Maggie MMG,Paradigm Studio 20,Triangle TItus,Monitor AUdio Studio 2s,B&W 601/602,Dynaudio 42/52,Meadowlark Vireo,Quad 11L,etc...all vastly superior in one way or another...I find that the mystique of the DQs is overly "romantic"...similiar to the contingency that simply wont let vinyl go...the Dq was a benchmark during its day...honoured as a Sterephile 100 product...and today is more of a novelty and curiousity than an actual competitive performer..

I had some DQ-10's years ago and at the time thought they were some great speakers. I had to buy a new amp after I got them, my 100 watt SAE amp would not push them very well. I don't think they went much below 40hz but as I recall what they did do they did well. The stands were really cheap made.

Your thoughts (Phasecorrect) are fine, but if your friend wants DQ-10's, talking him out is not the right thing to do. You are friends and he might continue to think about these speakers after buying something else. You can give him your thoughts but, let him decide what sounds good to him! I owm a pr of DQ-20, which I upgraded the coils and capacitors and new wire, rebuilt the woofers and midranges and bought new tweeters, the speakers are better than new. They still take a back seat to my Vandersteen 3A Sig w/ 2wq. Associated equipment does make a difference especially here. I've mated the Vandy w/ Classe CA 300 & ARC LS25MII. The DQ-20 w/ Magnum Dynalab MD208. I like classical with the DQ-20's and just about everything else with the Vandy's.
I never consider changing the vandy's, the sound is that good. I would consider changing the DQ-20's maybe for something out of the new JM Labs line next year!
Thanks for the thread and Happy Holidays...

Phasecorrect: Please explain to me how your rebuttal here:

"Here is what one can get new or used for same amount of coin / all vastly superior in one way or another."

differs from what i stated here:

"You can probably beat them with newer products in any given category, but probably not in as balanced of a manner for the same amount of money."

As such, i'm not suggesting that the DQ's are the end all or the most perfect speakers that one can buy. I simply think that they can be made to compete with newer versions quite well for not a lot of money. If one is handy and knows how to shop, one should be able to purchase a "solid" pair of 10's and replace the caps and internal wiring for less than $500. This is not to say that this speaker won't have drawbacks after the upgrades are done ( it will, believe me ), but that it will offer pretty balanced performance for the amount of money invested in it.

Then again, if your friend wants to raise the roof, listens to a lot of rock, etc... i would agree with your assessment. These speakers are not made for doing anything like that. They were designed to perform reasonably well with a wide variety of musical selections and i think that they do that, even moreso after modification. To each their own. That is why we have different makes and models to choose from.

Having said that, have you ever thought that maybe your friend's hearing and personal tastes differ from yours ? Let the person buy what they like and work with them from there. I know that we all want newcomers to get the most out of their investment right off the bat, but sometimes, people have to learn for themselves. Along the way, they develop their own strategies and tastes and learn to live with the decisions that they've made OR they change them as they go along. This is no different than what most of us have done here, so why deny them the fun and experience of that part of the journey ??? It is better to be slightly more "passive" and a help than to be a "guide" and cause friction. Sean
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