I'm a 15-year Dahlquist DQ-16 owner. Yes, they're power-hungry, and I have loved them. Just bought a used Naim Nait 5i to run them. Suddenly, I may have the opportunity to move up to DQ-20s, which are somewhat legendary and quite different from my two-way 16s.
Can anyone say whether or not the Naim will do the job? Of course, I want fairly full sound at lower volumes, along with little distortion when I make the speakers scream with electronic music (no, not dance electronica), noise, and over-produced rock.
Mostly I'm listening to acoustic and electroacoustic free improvisation, and the DQ-16s have worked wonders over the years.
Henry, I have no expereince with the 16's or 20's at all. My best is with a set of good DQ10's. Can you extrapolate a bit from the 10's on how they work?
Jan: I am indeed considering buying DQ-20s that I can't audition. Ebay auction. That's why I'm asking questions of audiophiles. If it's not already obvious, I'm no audiophile. From their reputation and detailed descriptions of their character, I believe they would be a great step up from the DQ-16s, yet they'd be of a type that I'm very familiar and comfortable with. IF, that is, I can power them suitably.
Nuck: My 16s are a simple floorstanding two-way with a "Lo-Q tuned port" at bottom in back. Tweeter is a 7/8" metal alloy dome; woofer/midrange a 6.5" carbon-polypropylene. Dahlquist specs were: 30 watts min / 150 max; nominal impedance - 6 ohms; 50 Hz to 25 kHz; sensitivity - 89dB/1 meter/2.83 volts; bass alignment - vented 2nd order / Quasi-Bessel.
Very "up front" sound, with dazzling mids and an enormous yet not boomy bass sound. With placement two-to-three feet from wall, never had any hint of a need for a sub. Complaint? Maybe a tad "dry"; maybe a hint of sibilance. Certainly not "warm", yet plenty full and rich. Please forgive vague terms if they don't work. Again, I'm no audiophile.
It seems that Dahlquist lovers like the transparency of the sound. I'm no exception. The DQ-20s are by reputation just the same, only more so. They're a 3-way with a 10" woofer. That said, I just auditioned a much "warmer" set of Quad 12Ls with the Naim Nait 5i, and WOW. Much more efficient speaker. Loaded term, I know; I use it here in order to make the point that the Naim powers the Quads like a dream.