Soundstage is striking, beating some of the best sub-$5,000 speakers I've heard. It's a truly great value from the used market. There are folks to help rebuild and replace parts and know what they are doing when you need it (Regnar.com).

Invest in a powerful and fast power amp to make them shine. I'm not sure it's the flatest response curve out there.

The reviews at Audio-Review were helpful in helping make by decision to buy the DQ-10 after listening to them many years ago. I was not disappointed. I was looking for a rich, full sound-stage, and excellent imaging. I was sold . My previous B @ W 704 speakers were cheerfully replaced and moved to the secondary system. I proceeded to replace the power amp to a Aragon 4004 power amp. I also found two (stereo), line-wired B&W 300 subwoofers a great help for the low end. I just recently replaced the caps in the speakers with a kit from Regnar.com. I was happy before, but now I'm listening to music all over again while in the process of breaking in the new caps. The caps are clearly the best investment I've make for the improvement in sound returned. I was happy before, but the new caps put more tone and flesh around the bone of a beautiful sound-stage. The speakers are just more musical. I'm writing to concur with many previous writers that love the DQ-10's, but I also want to recommend a good power amp and the cap upgrade kit. It's hard to believe that a speaker of this age would be this much better than a modern speaker at a much higher price. There is something special about the presentation of the music. Some speakers may be more accurate or flat in their response curve. I think my B&W's are., but if you love a musical presence, the DQ-10 are special. While I'm always looking for something new, these are staying!

Similar Products Used:

B&W 603, 704 speakers, Polk SDA-2's

Soundstage is striking, beating some of the best sub-$5,000 speakers I've heard. It's a truly great value from the used market. There are folks to help rebuild and replace parts and know what they are doing when you need it (Regnar.com).

Invest in a powerful and fast power amp to make them shine. I'm not sure it's the flatest response curve out there.

The reviews at Audio-Review were helpful in helping make by decision to buy the DQ-10 after listening to them many years ago. I was not disappointed. I was looking for a rich, full sound-stage, and excellent imaging. I was sold . My previous B @ W 704 speakers were cheerfully replaced and moved to the secondary system. I proceeded to replace the power amp to a Aragon 4004 power amp. I also found two (stereo), line-wired B&W 300 subwoofers a great help for the low end. I just recently replaced the caps in the speakers with a kit from Regnar.com. I was happy before, but now I'm listening to music all over again while in the process of breaking in the new caps. The caps are clearly the best investment I've make for the improvement in sound returned. I was happy before, but the new caps put more tone and flesh around the bone of a beautiful sound-stage. The speakers are just more musical. I'm writing to concur with many previous writers that love the DQ-10's, but I also want to recommend a good power amp and the cap upgrade kit. It's hard to believe that a speaker of this age would be this much better than a modern speaker at a much higher price. There is something special about the presentation of the music. Some speakers may be more accurate or flat in their response curve. I think my B&W's are., but if you love a musical presence, the DQ-10 are special. While I'm always looking for something new, these are staying!

Similar Products Used:

B&W 603, 704 speakers, Polk SDA-2's

SoundStage
Clarity
Apperance

Nothing worth mentioning.

As so many have mentioned, I too fell in love the first time that I auditioned the DQ-10s back in the late 70's. I have recently been re-assembling my former system from the ‘70s. I had never owned a pair of Dahlquists; however, I recently aquired a pair on EBay. I am still experimenting with placement etc., but I have a question to those of you that have experience with different power sources with the DQ-10s.
I currently have a Kenwood Model 600. I have always been extremely happy with that unit, so I never replaced it. My question is this: How would you rate the 600 (130 rms/ 8ohms - 150rms/4ohms) against other amps? From my investigation, the Kenwood does not appear to be a "high current" amplifier that is so highly recommended with the DQ-10 - even with it's four 18,000 microfarad output caps. Since I do not have anything to compare with, would anyone care to offer their opinions/recommendations?

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JVC FS-100 (maybe someone remembers those?)

Able to hear each individual note of each instrument. With the DQ1W and conservatively rated 250W/channel from the power amp, there is more than adequate bass. DQ-10's also respond well to the Carver sonic holography circuit.

A tumor took my right ear, so I have to let visitors appreciate the sonic holography effect.

I shopped for speakers for over two years before I first heard the DQ-10's. I bought my DQ-10's new in 1978. In early 1980, I bought the DQ1W subwoofer and the passive crossover. I also installed the mirror-image kit, as they were originally identical speakers. I currently drive them with a Carver CT23 preamp and an A500x power amp. I've always loved how they sounded. Last year, I had to have the woofers in the main loudspeakers re-coned. Luckily, I discovered Regnar (former Dahlquist employees that share the passion for these speakers). While they had them to recone, I installed Regnar's wiring, capacitor and binding post upgrades. After a reasonable break-in period on the woofers (about 72 playing hours), the DQ-10's are at least as good as they ever were. NOTE: When we were looking at houses, I told the realtor more than once, "this house won't do... lousy living room". She asked what I meant. My reply was that the acoustics and/or shape of the living room wasn't suited to my stereo. She asked if I was serious, buying a house to suit my stereo? My wife interrupted and said that I was completely serious on that point. Damned near got a different realtor!

Customer Service

Regnar - Regna - Regnar

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Never found any speaker that compares.

Complex, detailed soundstage.

none - anymore
power hungry is not a weakness ! ! !

I bought these in 1980 for $1200. No need to repeat what's been said about these gems in the past. I recently purchased a kit consisting of audiophile grade wire and replacement components for the crossover networks. Instead of replacing components, I rebuilt the crossovers from scratch in a RFI screened enclosure. Jon used high quality parts, but that was 25 years ago.
DQ10's have been compared to loudspeakers in the $4000 to $5000 range. I've found that to be true. With the new crossovers, I cannot make a comparison, because I have never heard anything even close. It's like I've pulled a blanket off of them. The complex soundstage with separation and depth between instruments is striking. For $400 (kit price), you need to upgrade your DQ10's. Of course a good Boston sub corrects their only weakness. Driven by some high quality tube gear and cables costing more than two pair of speakers, I have discovered what the 10's where intended to sound like.

Soundstage Slam Detail Bass

Bring juice

Purchased a pair of DQ-10s from their original owner in 1991 or so; gentleman was a Macintosh user, so they were in pretty good shape when I got them. I always loved the soundstage, but the quality of the low-end had slipped as the years went by. Their ability to reproduce vocals had not degraded, but their ability to go deep had waned. I heard about the folks at Regnar, and deceided o go te whole route and ship them the speakers so they could test then and let me know what they could do. They did the woofers, the caps, the posts, upgraded the wires installed the upgraded tweeters and did some other stuff as well. Not an inconsequestial sum of money (almost $1500), but WOW. They maintained the same character and stage that they exhibited before, but their presence and punch were nearly unrecognizable. They now have slam that puts you back in your seat, while still being able to show the delicacy that they had previously exhibited. They also can go much deeper than before, but they require SERIOUS power to get it all out. I had originally been driving them with a Hafler DH200, and they sounded sweet. I now drive them with a Rowland 112, and DAMN. Unless you listen to a lot of orchestral, or are a a kettle drum devotee, you do not need a woofer, provided you give tem enough quality power. (The M112 is probably the best bang for the buck amp in the world, by the way, IMHO. They show up on Audiogon for less than 3 grand with some regularity, and nothing under 6 grand touches them). I have auditioned a bunch of would-be replacements over the last year or two (B&W, Silverline, Totem, among others), and I can't outperform them for less than 4 or 5 grand. I am in the process of incorporating them into an HT setup, as they have been strictly 2-channel up til now, but I'm pretty sure they can handle movies as well, with the right center.(any ideas out there?) Can't say enough great things about the speakers, and about Regnar.

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B&W 803 Totem Wind

Clarity. Complete lack of coloration. Astounding vocals. Stereo soundstage (image).

Need lots of power from a HIGH CURRENT amp. Need to be at least 3 feet from a wall, and elevated. Most definitely need augmentation from a subwoofer.

I purchased the DQ-10's direct from Dahlquist in 1977 at an industry insider's "accommodation" price of $500 for the pair, plus $100 for the stands. (Both prices reflected a "50% off retail" price.) I absolutely loved the DQ-10's from the moment I heard them, and used them exclusively until 1983, when I purhcased a "better" speaker: the B&W 802F Special. In my listening room then, and in rooms since, the 802's did indeed sound better than the DQ-10's, but, in my current listening environment, and with the associated equipment I'm currently using, the DQ-10's are unquestionably the better sounding speaker. That is, they are the better sounding speaker NOW that I've had the woofers rebuilt by Regnar (for a rather steep price of $139.50 each), and since I've effectively "de-coupled" them from their stands. I did this by affixing black weatherstripping along the back of the stand (with the raised lip toward the rear) so that the speaker "rests" within the foam, and is in no way touching the stand, and by using metal cones, or spikes, to elevate and lift the speaker completely off the front of the stands, and to tilt it upwards so that the speaker "projects" the mid and high frequencies towards the listener's ear, and not his or her chest. Whether it's the newly rebuilt woofers and/or the decoupling from the stands, I have to say that I've never heard these speakers sound better. The clarity, depth and astonishing image continue to impress the sh** out of me, and all of my friends and acquaintances who've heard them. And indeed, in playing both records and and CD's I've played dozens and dozens of times before, I can honestly state that I'm hearing things I truly never have heard before. I have to also state that these speakers were what Dahlquist employees back then referred to as "Show Models." What that meant was that special, mylar caps (green - not yellow!) were used in the crossover and that other factors (never explained) were "tweaked" on such units. Perhaps I do have a "better than stock" pair of DQ-10's, but, whether I do or don't, I sure love the way they sound! I've done nothing at all to the speakers, other than have the woofers rebuilt. They're not even mirror-imaged, but as I get a rock-stable stereo soundstage, I'm not anxious to start messing around with the components within these enclosures (though, I suspect that the upgrades from Regnar would surely improve what is already some truly magnificent sounding speakers.) I do still need a subwoofer, and am using a Definitive Technology SP-15, 15" 500-watt powered sub with them. I had originally been using a Dahlquist DQ-1W along with the Dahlquist Electronic crossover and a superb Rotel power amp, but have to admit the Definitive Technology unit goes far deeper than did the Dahlquist unit, and "blends" in quite well with the newly repaired DQ-10. Its crossover also has a far sharper cutoff than did the Dahlquist crossover, so there's less "muddy-ing" of the bass. I fell in love with the DQ-10 upon hearing Joan Baez singing "Diamonds and Rust" back in '77, and while the record I had warped beyond playability, my newly-acquired (and, definitely, superior sounding) CD of that record still makes these speakers sing. Vocals are very definitely the speaker's strongest point, in my opinion, and large orchestral works with large choruses result in sonic splendor: the precisely spaced sopranos, altos, tenors and basses, while going from left to right, is nothing short of remarkable. Despite owning these speakers for over 28 years, they've never sounded better, and indeed do sound vastly superior (at least in my present listening location) than the significantly more expensive ($4,000 the pair) B&W's. To me, that says it all.

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None

Image, image image. Did I mention image

Lacks deep base without a sub.

I purchased these classics new in 78 and unless you have spoken with the fine folks as Regnar/Dahlquist (WWW.REGNAR.COM) 631.289.6559 I can assure you that you have never heard this speaker. Their upgrade components & re-coning service defines First Rate. These people literally wrote the book, (Owned by Former Dahlquist employees). After installing the upgrade kits they provide, you can expect a significant broadening of the sound stage in height, width & depth. Mid bass becomes more defined & the lower limit slightly extended. If you like deep base a Sub is still required & as indicated in the majority of the other reviews these things LOVE High Current/High Power amps. If you have the opportunity compare the sound between Tube & Transistor Amps on these puppies & you'll finally understand what all the tube hype is all about. Current System: Audio Research SP-10 Pre Amp AudioResearch EC-21 Electronic Crossover Audio Research D79b Power Amp to DQ-10 Audio Research D110 Power Amp to two RH Lab RH-1 Subs. 18 X 21 ft lstening room/carpet/textured ceiling.

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Have compared with Maggies, B&Ws, Quads, Infinity's

Sound staging, detail, depth, smoothness, and life-like reproduction of music. They just do things right.

Depending on source material, the DQ10s can sound a tad "thin" at times. A subwoofer takes care of this, such as the Dahlquist DQ1W.

I have owned my DQ-10s for 23 years. Remarkably, they still compare favorably with speakers employing new, current technologies. My system is composed of a Classe Omega amp, Spectral preamp, and Mark Levinson NO.390S CD processor. I alternate between the DQ10s and a pair of Magnepan MG20s. The DQ10s compare very favorable with the $12,000 MG20s in detail, imaging, depth and sound stage. Recently, my woofer surrounds broke down (not surprising after 23 years!). I found a company, Regnar / Dahquist, that repairs the DQ10 woofers. In addition, they offer wire, polycaps, binding post and potentiometer upgrades. Regnar also rebuilds the woofers, not just replace the surrounds as many repair companies do. I installed all of the upgrades. With the upgrades, the DQ10s sound better then ever. Absolutely awesome!! I also have to recognize the wonderful help Regnar gave me. They were superb. They answered all my questions about the installation of the upgrade package, and provided me with many insightful tips for the installation. If you have a pair of DQ10s, get the upgrade kit - you won't be disappointed. If you are fortunate enough to find a pair of DQ10s for sale, don't hesitate to get them, and contact Regan and get the upgrades. It is difficult today to find better speakers. The DQ10s are a timeless classic.

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I have auditioned Kanton, B&W, Klipsh, Aerial

I've owned these things since 83 when I bought then new. All the silly numbers be damned... I just love how these things sound... In fact I will go further and and say that I've listened to them for so long I now believe that this is how music should sound... in other words... I'll never switch.. Imagine my dismay when my woofer surrounds finally gave out last year... I searched all over for replacements... I would have gladly spent $5K to replace them... I wound up rebuliding then myself and I could not be happier!!

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Vandersteen 2C's