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QUAD/DAHLQUIST vs MITSUBISHI/SNELL/KLIPSCH

r887661

r887661

Active Member
Firstly, I appreciate you opening this thread and I sincerely look forward to your responses.

The components in my current system that I am thinking about changing out are:

Mistubishi DA-C20 Pre-Amp/Tuner
Mitsubishi DA-M10 Power Meters
Mitsubishi DA-A15DC Dual Mono Block Amp 150w RMS/Channel at 8 Ohms
2 x Snell CV Speakers
2 x Klipsch KG4 Speakers with full Bob Crites Upgrades

I am considering replacing them with:

Quad 405-2 Amp 100w RMS/Channel at 8 ohms - Fully Serviced and Calibrated
Quad 34 Pre-Amp - Fully Serviced and Calibrated
Quad FM4 Tuner
2 x Dalquist DQ10 Speakers - Refoamed and NOS MKIII Crossovers fitted

I'm in a real quandary here. I fully appreciate that it all comes down to a road test but you chaps out there understand the deeper implications of such a big move.

The Mitsubishi pieces are true sleepers and the Quads have such style and class.

I'm coming up 67 and have a 17' x 10' x 23' music room. My music preferences vary from Anna Kowalska on lute, through Floyd, Zep on to Audiomolekule Trance via DMT trip simulations and Beats. Nothing defined.

Im very interested in your views on this.

Best wishes,

Ian
 
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In before the more power crowd for the DQ-10s. Many think you need hundreds of watts for them.

I'm very happy with 50 tube watts on the DQ-10s but I have the DQ-LP1/DQ-1W with a 100 watt amp driving that woofer. I'm not peeling plaster but can play it loud. The big ss amp I have won't play it much louder at all. Don't let those 200 wpc minimum guys sway you.
 
I pick up the Quad 405-2 from Cherish 44 Audio Lab tomorrow. After a complete refurbish it was tested at a conservative 96w RMS @ 8 ohms. Currently the Mitsy DA-A15DC runs the Snell CV and Klipsch KG4 speakers at 1/3 volume and it is about as loud as I would ever want it to be. The DQs do seem to need a little more oomph before reaching that level. But I agree with you, I am not in it for the watts...I'm in it for pure sound reproduction and that is what Quad hang their hat on...
 
IMO, 90% of the differences you hear will be due to the speaker change. You are going from a "they are here" speaker to a "you are there" speaker, according to Mr. Dahlquist himself, btw. It is quite a difference in perspective. No harm in having both! If you can afford to, hang on to the old system until you are sure of your new direction.

:)
 
sqlsavior, what an interesting perspective...I'll ponder that tonight when i'm in the "zone"

I am trying to make my life a little more simple as I approach retirement; gone is the Pioneer SX 5580, 980, 950 and 780, the Marantz 2325 and 2235b, Sansui G9000, the Mcintosh MR78 tuner, the Onkyo m-504 and P-304 and the the various big Kennies. I am so impressed with the Mitsubishis, sleeping giants in my mind...this is all costing me a fortune in speaker wire :naughty:...
 
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I had lots of Quad 57 electrostatic speakers. The Quad II tube amps were divine partners.

I thought the Quad 303, 405, and 405-2 SS amps were mediocre — with all speakers. I had a Quad 34 preamp and found it lifeless. Very pretty but all op-amps. Took it back to the store.

If you can, borrow the Quad amps and compare to your Mitsubishis before shelling out $.
 
bimasta said:
I had lots of Quad 57 electrostatic speakers. The Quad II tube amps were divine partners.

I thought the Quad 303, 405, and 405-2 SS amps were mediocre — with all speakers. I had a Quad 34 preamp and found it lifeless. Very pretty but all op-amps. Took it back to the store.

If you can, borrow the Quad amps and compare to your Mitsubishis before shelling out $.
Click to expand...

G'day,

Well I picked up 405-2, 34 and FM4 with all cables and literature for $360 so it is more an experiment than a real desire. To be honest I have yet to beat my Mitsubishi set up and that includes G9000, SX5580 and 2325 Marantz. Not too impressed by the DQ10s at this stage, hard to drive and "thin"...compared against Snell CV and Bob Crites modified Klipsch KG4 speakers. Heck even my little Bic America Venturis at $120 new sound better....

Thank you for your reesponse...

Ian
 
Nailer: I did, put everything else up on fleabay for huge asking price just to see if there are any nutters out there. If no movement in 10 days I will bring them to AK Bartertown and set up a stall....
 
If you listen in small spaces and sit fairly close to your speakers the DQ- 10's are adequate and have a very good spectral balance. But if you are used to cranking up your Klipsch once in a while and Like the sound the DQ-10's will never cut the mustard, They are too dynamically challenged and greater listening distances present to compromised imaging. With Quad electronics I would be looking for some thing in the 92+ to 96 db efficiency range .
 
I own 3 sets of Snells. Modified one set. There is nothing out there under 5-6000 that will touch them IMHO. I love old Snells. If you find a crossover guru that will rebuild (EXACTLY) the way there were made, just with better caps, you will be blown away. The rebuild includes bundling the caps the way Snell did them.
 
I favor Quad and Klipsch together. A more synergistic experience. Also, Quad and Dahlquist are nice together. Snell does best with a beefier amplifier.
 
I have to say that I think the Quad amp would not be good with the DQ10. There is something peculiar about the way the Quad sounds as it runs out of steam, or at least the one I had. And with DQ10 that is going to be a scenario you’ll encounter on a regular basis.
 
My favorite 3 channel system as I have said before is 3 AR-3a with 3 MC 75's or 275's. Its a special sound for me. It doesn't make it right or wrong. But compared to 3 Cornwalls or two Corner Horns with a Belle in the middle the AR-3a are just nice toys. With the Klipsch speakers voiced to the room and the presentation not to physically wide. The Klipsch present great sound from very polite to window busting levels. The 3 AR-3 can develop about 98 db at 15' distance in a fairly soft room. The Klipsch system can do that with 6 watts, Whats going to happen when you dump 120 watts on each of the three speakers. another 15 db possibly. Thats huge. But it isn't always the answer. It would be fun to go back when the business had 3 MC 3500's and set up a 3 channel system again with 3 or 4 AR-3a's stacked vertically in the horizontal orientation for each channel. I'd want the speakers on stands to get them off the floor and centered vertically. I know there would be anomalies caused by tweeter spacing etc, but the idea still intrigues me. I did do something similarly by stacking 4 ML-1's in 4 groups powered by two 2300's, and the sound was impressive to say the least. We sold quite a few systems for small discos using that configuration in the mid 70's in old Mexico. Didn't need subs as the systems were flat to 30HZ with out the MQ . I used 10 band Urei graphic Eq's to get the balance I wanted and pairs of UREI LA-4 compressors with DBX 3 BX to expand the dynamic range of records and yet keep the 2300's from going into clipping. It was better sound than the AR3 for sure at a later time. But the AR-a 3 channel system is still my favorite. It was just the right sound at the right time. Its like saying you fell in love with a Continental MK II and nothing else matters. We always remember our first love and first Kiss. And those Ar-3a's I will always remember them perfectly, though they weren't. Maybe that's why I have kept my Grands all these years. With the added Celestion super tweeters they are the love that didn't get away. Still not perfect, but with a lot grace and fond memories make them hard to replace. And lets face it, do I really want Trophy speakers?
 
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nailer said:
I'd stick with the Snells and Mitsubishis.
Click to expand...
A few listening hours have passed and I agree with you, with the addition of the Crites KG4 speakers as they complement the Snells so well...yes...I'm happy with that decision and I will sell the Quads amd DQ-10s

Thank you all, it's great hearing all y'all perspectives...
 
Kent, did you ever hear KG4 with Bob Crites titanium Tweeter and most beautifull made x-over units? Stellar!!!
 
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