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It has a lively tonal balance that is more forward than other speakers I have owned. The bass response also extends deeper than what the cabinet size would have you think. -- Brick Masonry

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Loved these speakers first time I heard them and had to have them. Problem was that I was 20 years old and didn't have near enough money to buy the system I so desperately wanted. So I talked my Mom into cosigning a loan at the bank and bought them. I never had one regret making the payment - even if it was decades before I owned a car that cost more. It sounded that good. I loved it loud - and they were efficient. Nothing compared until you got into the horn loaded with all of its sound problems. It had real bass, which was hard to find in those days. It hit all the boxes in sound quality. I would pay a bunch of money for a these speakers new if someone made them - but until you get into that area where you need to take out a loan to buy them, I have not found one.

The price was a lot for the time. But 35 years later them seem a deal.

I would call this an "exciting" speaker--it has a lively tonal balance that is more forward than other speakers I have owned. The bass response also extends deeper than what the cabinet size would have you think--I was routinely getting clean, audible bass down to 30 Hz. The imaging and soundstage were about average, compared to what I am used to. This would be a good speaker for rooms that are a bit dead or overstuffed.

I found the DQM-9 to be somewhat bright and fatiguing, no matter whether it's driven by tubes or good solid state (we're talking Nelson Pass level amps...and not Adcom). It is a good "fun" speaker but it is not something I could use daily in my main system. It is interesting that my impression hasn't changed much since I first heard these brand new at a local dealer back in the early 80s.

I loved these speakers for almost 20 years - and if I could buy a new pair today, I would do it. They were expensive then. Today I would spend 5K for a comparable speaker if I could only find it.

Purchased my original DQM - 7's in 1980 and fell in love with them immediately. A good friend of mine "upgraded' his audio system last year and gave me his pair that he had purchased at the same time. Both sets have been re-foamed and still sound fantastic. Since then I picked up a pair of very nice little used DQM-9's from ebay for $325/set and had them re-foamed and tested, lucked out - couldn't be better.!
Talk about holding their value!!

I too, bought some nextel coating and am getting ready to have them re-finished in the oem black.

I need advice on how to use them in a modern 5.1 or 6.1 set-up and would like to ask for advice from 'DQM-niner" on the actual 5.1 amp/receiver he is using for his surround set.. If I use them in a surround configuration, won't I be wasting the fantastic bass output of the woofers if all the bass is directed to a sub? Big " Duh"?

Please e-mail me if you feel like offering some advice. It would be greatly appreciated.

NMJR

I

A frined bought a pair of DQM-9's back in the late 80's and we both fell in love with them. Unfortunately I just couldn't afford a pair, but later bought a pair of Magnat MSP-60's; similar vintage and sound not as smooth. Last summer, 2008, I saw a pair on craigslist and made arrangements to pick them up in Seattle. When I got there they were DQM-9c's or compacts. I was a bit dissapointed, but for $300 they were playing so I bought them. I got them home and they just didn't sound as smooth and thier usual soundstage just wasn't right. I started searching on line for some advice and found Regnar.com and the crossover upgrade kit. The kit contained new capacitors that you solder and hot glue in. Wow, I couldn't believe the difference. At this point I also learned that and drivers that had worn out could be completely rebuilt to new conditions including testing with pass, send back to the customer or fail, rebuild again. I continued to watch craigslist and eventually found a pair of 9's, however they were in rough shape even missing a woofer, I bought them. Then a week or so later bought the second pair that looked complete, but they were missing a tweeter magnet. The third pair was complete and working but had the woofers re-foamed, by some really bad shop so they sounded nasty. I started by contacting Joe at Regnar and found that rebuilding was around 190 ea plus shipping. I spent a few weekends with a scotch brite to polish away the corrosion and sent them in. A few months later, it was the busy season, got them back along with the crossover upgrade kits. While they were out, I replaced the original crossover wire with Audio Quest wire, scraped off all of the original Nextel finish, and even had them painted with the original Nextel paint. I got the paint from http://www.nextel-coating.com/intro.asp a US dealer in St Louis and painted it in a work paint booth including 160F cure. Nextel has a Suede texture and helps cut down on reflections. DQM-s were available as wood finish or Nextel, wood looked nicer, Nextel sounded better. I went with the Nextel dark black. I also wanted stands for the DQM-9's but none of the one's I found ahd stands. I had my friend measure his and then made a pair for the front L & R. I'm using them in a surround sound configuration since I was able to get 5. I have a rear projection Sony TV so the center speaker had to be on a stand above the TV. Per Jim Smith's 'Get Better Sound' book it is upside down, standing vertical instead of laying down, but because of the TV height tweeters higher than 18" recommended. The stand does have the ability to hold the speaker free standing above the TV and has a mico adjustment on the angle so that the center angle can be adjusted to the same angle as the mains on stands only inverted. The rears are on stands roughly 30" tall about 15deg behind the main listening sweet spot and pointed slightly behind.
I'm sure I'll adjust this arrangement to get it sounding better, but for initial trials I could wait no longer. (Started in May 08 and finished in Jan 09.) For the listening! I tried several of my favorites, Dire Straits SACD, Diana Krall SACD, George Winston DVD, The Police, Flim and the BB's, Itzak Perlman DVD 5.0 and several movies. WAS IT EVER WORTH IT, YES! I'm very happy and would do it all again. Diana was in the room singing her heart out, the bass in Ring around your finger was warm and full, Itzak Perlman was Itzak Perlman! The sound in The Bourne Identity was more detailed than I'd heard it before and the voices clearer and easier to understand. Purchase and upgrade on the five speakers was just over $2500. Compaired to the $2200 I had spent on the Aperion Audio 6 series 5.0 set-up the Aperions on score a 2. This isn't to say the Aperion's were bad, a friend who bought them is very pleased, just to say that I'm very happy with what I now enjoy.
Regnar did a fantastic job on the woofer rebuilds, even spent more time polishing the frames before rebuilding. They look and sound just like I remember them sounding when my friend bought his pair brand new. Moral of this is, if you have a pair of 9's and the woofer is blown or the surround out, go to REGNAR, DIRECTLY TO REGNAR, bypass all the cheapo foam surround replacement shops, AND SPEND THE ALMOST 200 PER DRIVER TO GET THEM DONE RIGHT! The crossover upgrade is also a mandatory as the original capacitors dried out over the years and need to be replaced. I replaced them one at a time in the set of 9c's that I have and compaired before and after. Before they are harsh, lacking in soundstage, and not cohesive. After they are smooth, build a large soundstage, and the drivers sound as one. Over the years I have listened to many other speakers that would sound as good as the 9's and couldn't without spending well over 2 or even 3k per speaker at current 2008 prices. A few have impressed me, but at more per speaker than I have in 5 not to mention the crazy economy I'm very happy. Pardon me while I go back to my happy place, aka the sweet spot to enjoy, relax, and unwind. ahhh!