1969-74 Dynaco A-25 speakers compared to modern designs?

[mhardy6647]

Since @Eurasian invoked them, I "must" share a not-entirely-random thread derailment. A few years back, I had a chance to acquire a pair of EPI 1000s that had spent their entire "lives" in Newburyport, MA. I hated to miss the opportunity (and they do sound quite nice), but they are so big and I really didn't have a good place to put them and I knew I'd never use them enough to justify having them.

 

[40th Anniversary]

Could it be Seas 1.5 "dome Tweeter H-087 in Dynaco A-25 speakers?If so, for those who are interested, there is its data sheet.

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Dynaco A25 sound quality

Just built a version of this, but with Seas 27TFFFC instead of the original H087 tweeter. Filter is 4.7 uF and 2.2 ohm. I have never heard the original Dynaco 25, but I am stunned by the sound they make with the 27TFFC tweeter. It is detailed, and at the same time exremely relaxed. It can play...

www.diyaudio.com

I actually shoehorned an SEAS TDFC tweeter into a pair of Dynaco A25 speaker cabinets. Sounded mighty fine!

 

[Waxx]

For the record, the drivers were a OEM (rebranded) Seas H087 and a OEM Seas A25TV woofer. Both drivers have modern equivalents that are very close, that are used in the Seas kit mentioned above, they are the T35C002 tweeter and the A26RE4 woofer.

I heared and restored a lot of those Dynaco A25's, and they are not hifi in the sense promoted here, but just like some other speakers that are not, very easy and nice to listen to. That is why they are still popular, and why that Seas kit (and many variations of it) are still sold and build. And i like them also a lot, i even thought of building my own variation of it.

And on aperioidic ported, it's mainly used to use high qts woofers in small enclosures and still have a bass that is not a one note bass. Aperiodic venting also gives a lower bass than sealed, but not as low as tuned vented.

The ones that were restored by me actually had quiet decent bass, and with the tweeter well lubed wtih ferrofluid, there is also upper treble. The problem with that tweeter is that many have dried out oil in it, and tweeter also works without, but with less upper treble. Originally they don't had a reduced treble response, but almost all A25's that passed trough my atelier had that problem, and i had to remove the tweeter and send it to a friend who's good at restoring them. On the low's they can benefit a lot from a subwoofer altough, even if there is some bass. You also need to look out if the woofer is still intact, i had some where the surrounds had holes, so i had to replace them.

 

[djw.cloud]

I have had the privilege of owning the SEAS A26 kit from Madisound, a speaker system that has profoundly impressed me with its performance across various musical genres. The ease with which this speaker fills a medium-sized room is notable, making it an excellent choice for audio enthusiasts.

In comparative evaluations, the Madisound speaker consistently outperformed notable models like the Revel M106 and the KEF R3. While the imaging capabilities of the Madisound were somewhat less precise than those of the aforementioned speakers, the overall auditory experience it provided was superior, in my estimation. The richness and balance of the sound produced by the Madisound kit make it highly appealing, particularly to those who appreciate assembling their own high-quality audio systems.

The Madisound SEAS A26 kit represents a contemporary reinterpretation of the iconic Dynaco A25, engineered to deliver a warm, engaging sound complemented by excellent high-frequency response and dynamic presentation. This kit includes high-quality components such as a 10-inch classic paper cone woofer and a 1.5-inch textile dome tweeter from the SEAS Excel line, all contained within a 1 cubic foot aperiodic enclosure. The minimalist crossover design, akin to that of the original A25, enables an effective integration of the woofer and tweeter, which results in a smooth frequency response and robust transient response.

The community of DIY speaker builders has lauded the quality and performance of the Madisound kits, noting the equitable pricing for the premium components provided. These kits are crafted under the guidance of respected designers, offering an excellent option for those seeking superior sound at an accessible price point. However, some users have observed that, despite retaining much of the A25's vintage charm and sonic characteristics, the sound may appear somewhat confined within the cabinets when compared to modern standmount speakers. Nevertheless, this kit is ideal for enthusiasts looking to merge classic aesthetics with contemporary audio technology, providing a gratifying and high-quality auditory experience.

 

[Ruhled]

I own a pair of originals a25s. They are nice sounding but rolled off in the top octave ( or more ) and the cabinets are a really low quality chipboard.

The rubber woofer surrounds do seam to last forever if kept in a climate controlled environment. I think this is one component of their lasting popularity. They also used film capacitors in some of the units so the crossovers may not even need any fiddling with even 50 years later.

I also have some bang and olufson beovox 2600 2 ways with a sealed cabinet, same hf087 tweeter, but the 8" woofer from that seas lineup instead of the 10" dynaco used. Those are very, very bright sounding. I've never heard a more fatiguing speaker. I almost wonder if the head unit they were designed to be used with didn't somehow eq those flatter somewhere up the chain?

Sony also had a very similar speaker with the same seas family of drivers in that timeframe but the model number escapes me at the moment.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

Early 70's went Dynaco. 2 A50's, 2 A25's, pre-amp and power amp kits. Lasted beyond 7 years college.