Legacy Whisper Dunlavy SC V opinions - Page 4

I read that "God Complex" thing when the name was changed. That added another level of weirdness altogether. HogPilot, I agree - I love babes in outrageous outfits, but what does all of this have to do with audio? Even though I've seen this guy sell some interesting products, I would never think of purchasing one from him. Maybe he thinks all is fine in his little bubble, but I just can't respect this audio e-tailer business.

I'll agree, I'd love to go to the 5's, but since I have a pair of IV/a and a pair of TSW-VI subs, I've decided that I might be able to compensate using the TSW-VI. I haven't hooked the TSW-VI pair up yet, and I'm not sure what to do with them. I originally planned to use them for LFE only for theater, but I want to use them for some of my music too, ran through the dedicated 2-ch preamp. I want to see if it's possible to integrate them nicely with the SC-IV/a in this manner. How should I do this?? I'm not a fan of running a crossover between my components and filtering out bass (!!!) as I'd rather leave the signal untouched from preamp, to amp, to speaker...so what if I used the unbalanced outputs from my preamp, sent it to crossovers and selected the lowest possible setting, and then ran that to the amps to the subs? I know that the IV/a will still receive the full range signal, but at least the subs will be getting mostly the 45Hz and below info at a higher output (this is strictly for fun with some music, not accuracy). Or would there be a way to squeeze in accuracy here and try to get a flatter response all of the time?

Just musing this as I'm coming closer to purchasing a new house. Believe it or not, but I'm actually buying a new home just to make these TSW-VI subs fit! Ha hah...they won't fit in my current home.

I've met a lot of professional people in the A/V e-tailer business, but unfortunately they seem to be outnumbered by the guys just looking to make a buck or the scammers.


I'll take them off your hands


Don't take the loss on selling your old house just to accomodate the TSW-VI's, sell them to me and make some money instead

Ha ha! Considering only about 3 pairs of these things were made, I'd be hesitant on getting rid of them!! Besides, I'm enjoying looking for a new home, a fresh start...

Oh believe me I'm well aware of how rare they are...that's why I'm trying so hard to get you to part with them!

In all seriousness I've always wanted to hear a pair - if they're like everything else that Dunlavy made, I'm sure they put out some prodigious amounts of low bass. You truly are a lucky person to have them.

aawww...thanks! at least someone else appreciates them. You don't know the amount of pain I received from my fiancee and friends when I told them I was getting them. Well, I did ask for their advice, but ultimately did not take it (they told me not to do it). I welcome their thoughts on the subject, but I'm glad I made that decision.

I can't wait to hear these things too. With the high amount of bass output these things are supposed to deliver, it might be the last time I actually hear anything...lol...

I'm sure others will appreciate them when they hear them - I know they're incredibly rare so if I ever see a set become available I'm going to jump on them. I've actually been very lucky that my fiancee is so tolerant of my constant AV buying/selling, although at the rate she goes shopping it's kind of a mutual tolerance of the other's spending habits

You'll have to post your impressions once you get them up and running. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you don't blow your eardrums out!

Having owned a pair with the 12 inch woofers, I can assure you that once you get them EQ'd PROPERLY (that is VERY important) you will never have heard anything like it. INCREDIBLY tight with huge impact---and pants-moving as well!!

ooooooh I can't wait!!

(what are your recommendations in getting them Eq'd properly? Do you mean the room?)

You will need something like a Velodyne SMS-1 (or maybe one of the newer Bheringer models) to get them to sound correct AND also you will need to get them phase correct with your mains at the crossover frequency. They are just a bit more problematic because you will get not only the typical floor bounce from the woofers but a ceiling bounce as well. But once you get them EQ'd, ------- WHOA!!

I think anyone who's ever heard a pair of properly set up Dunlavy speakers (any model) would be an idiot not to appreciate what you have!

As a Dunlavy owner dating back to the late 1980's (Beginning with his 375 pound Duntech Sovereign 2001's and ending with his 330 pound Dunlavy SC-V's), I've always shyed away from the SC-VI's (and the almost as heavy TSW-VI's) because of their sheer weight. Just the thought of how difficult it would be to move one of those monsters down into my basement was enough to scare me off. I talked to a guy about 6 or 7 years ago who bought a pair of used SC-VI's and while taking them down his stairs they ended up damaging not one, but BOTH of them, each on the exact same corner!! Even with a man at each corner, there's so much weight constantly shifting around that it's really easy to drop or stumble. It's not the same as just splitting up the weight when you're actually moving them. And because of their size, you can't always use a dolly or a hand-truck if you're dealing with landings and/or tight turns.

So not only do I appreciate what you have, I admire your braveness (A.K.A. stubbornness, naivety, etc.) in taking on those beauties/beasts! If I weren't such a coward myself, I would have ordered a pair or those subs too! Oh well; let us know after you have them in place and maybe some of us might be lucky enough to stop by for a visit!!!

As for the crossover question, here's an idea you may not have known about. John Dunlavy made a standalone active crossover for his Duntech "Thor" subwoofers. It was designed to run a stereo pair of subs. The specific model was Duntech International ASC IB-20 Crossover. I still own a pair of them that he personally modified to run as mono-crossovers, each with their own power supply. If you're interested, send me a personal instant message with your phone number and I'll tell you all about them.

well, that's why I don't have them in my current basement theater. while they could fit if I tried, some parts are to narrow that moving men in between would not be possible, and I'd damage my hardwood staircase and the Dunlavy. So...they wait. I'm quite afraid...ha hah...actually, considering the boxes are completely attached to crates, how do I even get them out of the boxes?? Tip them up and slide them out? I think I'll have to make a video documentary of this experience...I'll be sure tell you all about it!

If your basement stairs are carpeted, you can (or rather two strong men at the bottom of the stairs and one at the top) slide them down. That is how I got my VI's down the stairs.

The guy at the top had a strap around him and the speaker and VERY carefully allowed the two at the bottom to slide it down. Had padding on both side of the speaker.

I did that with two different pair of VI's and it worked fine. No damage to speakers or walls (can not testify about the movers!!)

I am to this day very sad about John Dunleavy departure... John simply knew how to make speakers. My best friend had in the late 1980's first the Duntech Black Knights and later the Duntech Sovereign. I have intimately familiaraty with these speakers having set them up and live with them for almost 3 years.. His later designs under the name Dunleavy were refinements of the Duntech. More low bass with the Dunleavy but still the best midbass this side of anything.. I have not yet heard a speaker with better midbass than Dunleavy.. I have heard quite a few of the best... There is a presence , an authority to Dunleavy speakers that must be heard to appreciate. I know I am repeating myself but it needs to be understood by audiophiles how much several (most) speakers are lacking in this department... Dunleavy designs from the smallest have that sense of weight that realorchestra carry in a Hall... The Dunleavy's sins were of omission.. Treble was very far from the last word, midrange was adequate but not superlative, else.. I would like to see what he would have been able to extract out of the new more refined drivers available out there.. Too bad..

Enjoy a magnificent piece of equipment..

Just curious; have you had to move those SC-VI's back up the stairs , or are both of those pairs pretty much a permanent fixture of the basement now? "For sale to any future home buyers..."

Having only dealt with the Sovereign's and the SC-V's, I know I couldn't have made the turn at the bottom of the stairs with the VI's without having to tear down a few walls and probably even the ceiling and associated ducts. But I am, and always be, jealous of the lucky few who can!

Long live your Dunlavy speakers!

That was the first throught in my head when I looked at my staircase...


Long live all Dunlavy speakers being enjoyed by everyone who appreciates music!!

We did NOT go up the inside stairs. We used a very strong handtruck with large wheels and four or five very strong men (that would have excluded me) and hauled them up the side of my house (which did include quite a number of stairs).

One of the speakers did almost tip over going up the stairs but did not!!

The HRCC is down to $1495 in-store at MSS, or $1595+shipping. It looks like he took some of the stranger stuff (i.e. non-A/V related) out of his ad, although the "hot babes" bit is still there!

I think this is the lowest I've ever seen an HRCC for, but aesthetically it's probably also in the most used condition I've seen - with the lack of grille I bet someone could shave a couple hundred off the final price. That someone might have to be me...I'm sure my fiancee would be thrilled

ok here's another strange one.

http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.p...ull&1245566300

What I get from this is that remaining stock from Dunlavy is available. My questions are:

-where did they come from suddenly?
-why were they not sold off long ago? It's been 7 years since the company went under.
-who in Colorado Springs has been holding this stock and who is currently holding it?

Sounds a bit odd...since local pickup is available...maybe we should get our good friends on here residing in Colorado Springs to investigate...

Actually, I'm in the Denver area (about 90 minutes away) and I can vouch for the guy who's selling that stuff off. His name is Carl and he works for a local high end audio/video installation company called Listen Up. He landed the ultimate gig of selling off this last remaining stock for the last owners. Those were the owners who bought Dunlavy Audio Labs back in 2001 from John, then closed down a year later. There isn't much stuff left and he priced the SC-IV/A's at close to what they last sold for. That might not sound like much of a discount, but keep in mind that they're brand spankin' new!!! Too bad he didn't have any of the higher models though... I'll take a pair of Milleniums...

You can send me a personal message if you have any questions.

As of Wednesday Morning (4/22/09), here's what he sent me:

SC-I.AV @ $750.00 each cherry/black oak
SC-I.CC @ $750.00 each oak/cherry
SC-II.A @ $1100.00 each oak/cherry/black oak
SC-II.CC @ $1100.00 each oak/cherry
SC-III.A @ $3500.00 a pair oak/cherry/black oak
SC-IV.A @ $6500.00 a pair (sold) oak
SC-SI @ $1000.00 each single 12" driver/200 watt rms Subwoofer black oak
SC-S2 @ $2000.00 each single 15" driver/400 watt rms Subwoofer black oak

I don't know what he still might have...

Cool. I can't imagine there have been too many of those subs made. If I needed one I'd pick one up.

I'm thinking this thread is as good a place to ask my question as any..............

Over the last few years I've been archiving Dunlavy Audio Labs information as a small hobby. I would eventually like to create a website where enthusiasts can go and maybe learn a little something they didnt already know. I've come a long way and been able to collect some pretty cool "inside information" but there are a few things that I have been unable to document as of yet. I was wondering if anyone out there would be willing to help me out.

If anyone out there has a pair of the SC-4 and/or the SC-6, this question is for you.
Would you be willing to take a couple hi rez pictures of the top and bottom of the crossover pc board?
Its a simple process. All you need to do is take out the screws along the perimeter of the back plate and slide it out. The board is on rails and there is plenty of wire to be able to comfortably pull it out temporarily. A couple good pictures of the top and one of the bottom are all that I need. After that, slide it back in and seal it up.

The SC-6 went largly unchanged during its production run. However, the SC-4 went through at least three changes, most of which can be identified by the woofer. Originally it had a Morel woofer. Then a Vifa. And finally, the 4A had a ScanSpeak. If anyone has a pair with the Vifa woofers, this would be especially helpful. Others are welcome but its the one with Vifa woofers that I still lack info on.

Of course, if anyone has any of the other models and would like to help out it would be greatly appreciated. I'm fairly confident in having the full history of the 1,2,3 and 5 (and later models) but I'm always open for more info, just in case. But its the two models mentioned above that are most needed to round out the history I have so far.

Many thanks in advance! You may send me a message here or email me directly at champ2006@hotmail.com.

Champ

Has anyone thought of picking up where John left of? IOW buidling loudspeakers based on his designs? Is there something in the pipeline?

I've talked to several people over the years, but nothing's ever come of it. Funding has always been the single biggest hurdle. I'm in Colorado and have always been a Dunlavy fan, having owned many of the various Duntech/Dunlavy products.

If anyone has the funding, I can get a hold of the last owners and would personally get involved with whatever it takes.

Any takers?

It has crossed my mind, from time to time, that it might be worth an effort to pick up where John left off. But there are two things standing in the way.
First is that it would be very expensive to pull off. Start up cost would be huge, in part because it would require the very large anechoic chambers that he used.
Secondly, because there were elements to his designs that he only shared with a select few people. I only know this because I am good friends with one of the people that got DAL off the ground. My opinion at this point is that an experienced speaker builder could get close but not exactly without knowledge of these principles.

So at this point it is only a distant idea. I think making the effort to document his work is perhaps the first step. And one that I can manage at this point.
One designer, Roy Johnson, (Green Mountain Audio) has taken a very scientific approach in the same way John did but still has not touched upon a few details that John used.

Yet public interest in my work may prove to be the open door to something more.
You never know.

Champ

Well, you are a few years ahead of me and probably have more information that I could have ever gathered. Recently I was thinking of doing the exact same thing as you. Starting a website on Dunlavy history based on philosophy, products, and experiences from people all over...was never sure how to start it given my current timetable.

But since you are well ahead of me, I don't mind contributing. I use a pair of SC-IV for my rear channels...they have the Vifa woofers. If I get a chance I'll take a picture of the crossover this weekend and send it to you.

If I only had start-up funds...but I don't have his brain to continually be innovative over the next few decades

Thank you Michael, your help will be invaluable and I will be sure to give you credit when I am able to complete the project.

p.s. dont forget the bottom side, it helps to identify the revision.

Thanks so much!!

Now all I need to do is wait patiently for a pair of 6s to show up somewhere. Still the most accurate speaker (measureably) ever produced. (despite what some other designers, with aluminum cabinets, may state.)

I was a Dunlavy dealer for 5 or so years and I would agree with you. John built me a pair of VI's with the fronts finished in Cherry and this particular pair spent over 3 days in the chamber. They were RULER flat. A friend now has them in a Rives designed room (I went thru a divorce and had to sell them to eat) and they are AMAZING --- flat to 14Hz!!

For what it's worth, John Dunlavy believed the V was the most accurate speaker he built, not the VI !!

I know. I think it had to do with a slightly superior impulse response and that the smaller drivers used were linear over a larger frequency range.

I can totally relate with you though. I used to own a pair of the original Vs that used the dome upper mid instead of the 3" cone. (more similar to the duntech sovereigns) That model was superior to the latter Vs even. But he had to abandon the vifa dome because it didnt stand up to shipping very well.
Reason for selling......... needed the money. Looking back, I always wonder if I could have held out a little longer. Those Vs are truly rare.

A couple years later I inquired with a friend to see if he was willing to sell his special IVA pair. These had been built specifically for a show and were less than 0.25dB from 20 to 20k!!!
His response........ "Nah. My wife didnt like how big they were so I sold them."
AARRRGGGGGG!

wow....Dunlavy really seemed to go all out and make "special pairs" for people when requested, eh? What a man with a passion...

He was brilliant and a nice guy but... (a) would not spend the $ to truly market his speakers and (b) large rectangular boxes create WAF issues and he only dabbled in a few other designs (which were quite cool looking).

I spent 10 years marketing a room correction product and traveled all over the US doing installs and measuring different systems. Most of what is considered high end today (won't name names because 95% fall into this category) looks like crap when measured --- drivers that store energy and ring, crappy looking impulse response, and step response and FR that was MAYBE plus or minus 7 to 10 db.

Anyway, great speakers!!