Dunlavy SC-IV Floorstanding Speakers
Dunlavy SC-IV Floorstanding Speakers
[Jan 09, 2000]
Abimanyu Boentaran
Audiophile
Strength:
Vocal, midrange, treble purity
Weakness:
Bass I liked this speaker, for it was excellent on vocals and jazz with somewhat lackluster and slow bass. I blew a tweeter,which really dissappointed me with a speaker this caliber, price and size. |
[Mar 15, 2001]
Bill Lakefrontroad
Audiophile
Strength:
I have two pairs of SC-IV's, one a 1995 pair and the other a 1996 pair. The difference between the pairs is the bass response. I use the revised pair along with ML335,ML380S,RA55,PS Audio 600, Stealth PGS interconnects and Kimber Bifocal XL cables. I like the overall detail and openess of the entire range. I have been able to open the soundstage and push it back with the PS Audio. There is an airy, openess to the sound.
Weakness:
For the newer pair(two channel system) the apparent bass suffers in contrast to bass front or brassy speakers. I believe that the range and detail is more close to actual recording that those of Thiel or Martin Logan. However, I do miss that crashing bass others speak of. Unbelievably great for the money at used prices. Even level response throughout the entire range. Big footprint and shadow. Similar Products Used: Thiel, Martin Logan, Watt Puppy, JS Audio. |
[Jan 26, 1997]
Paul Bird
an Audiophile
This product defines neutrality and accuracy in a sub $10k speaker. After auditioning the likes of Arial, Theil, Martin Logan, NHT, Snell, Metaphor, Sonus Faber, Mirage, B&W, and Proac, I purchased the Dunlavys. They present a soundstage that is focused to a degree that eludes the others I auditioned. Some of the others match the detail (Arial, ML, and Proac) and others match the low frequency extension, but not the quality (Arial, Theil, and B&W). But none match the soundstage accuracy. |
[Jul 06, 1999]
george
an Audiophile
I've owned the SCIV's for a year and a half, having purchased a pair not long before the introduction of the IVa's. I nearly returned the speakers after fiddling with them, unsuccessfully, for five or six months. I could get a good but not great (i.e., relatively shallow) sound stage, and while the midrange was impressive, and there was adequate detail, overall, I was disappointed. Then I made some discoveries. These loudspeakers do not affect a room in the same way that most three way designs do. I suspect this is because of the driver array, i.e., the D'Appolito configuration that not only places a mid range both above and below the tweeter, but does the same with the bass drivers. In my listening room, the speakers were transformed when I placed four home made tube traps (about 50 inches high) behind and between the speakers (which are about 50 inches from the front wall and three feet from the side walls), and used some absorbtive acoustic treatments on the side walls. Not only did the sound stage deepen dramatically, but detail, image specificity and timbral accuracy increased enormously. Bass also became more resonant, tighter and deeper. I know that some complain about the bass in these speakers, but I suspect that the real problem is the way the speakers interact with most rooms. Absorb more reflections, and you'll get great results. I have the speakers as far apart as my room will allow, about ten feet. The sound stage never exceeds the outer edge of the speakers, so for those who like a superwide sound stage not limited to the space between the speakers, this is not the speaker for you. Nor is it the speaker for you if you want a large space in which the full effect and accuracy of the speaker is perceived by several listeners. Indeed, this is a highly directional, one person loudspeaker if ever there were one. The sweet spot is small, as small as some electrostatics, and I think that for most all persons, this would leave these speakers out of consideration for home theatre application. I suspect that there might be a way to manipulate the felt treatment around the midrange drivers and tweeters that would expand the size of the sound stage and increase the size of the sweet spot, but I am very reluctant to start cutting up what is obviously an integral part of the design. I understand that such a change has been made in the IVa's, but I have not contacted Dunlavy to see if the changes can be retrofitted to the IV's. |
[Dec 07, 1998]
Raymond Zananiri
an Audiophile
Many reviews here complain about the bass of the SC-IV. In many of these cases the critisism is made by those who had speakers like B&Ws that have a prominant mid bass emphasis. The greatness of the SC-IV is that they are absolutly flat with none of that objectionable coloration that gives an artificial sense of weight on the expence of clarity and truth of timbre. The other thing is, if these speakers are not setup correctly, you will experience less than 50% of their potential. After extensive experimentation, I finally realized that they have to be at least 12 feet apart and the listener has to be at least 10 feet away from each. Now if you have the right room for this setup, you will experience the closest thing to real live performance. In addition, they need excelent electonics (I have VAC and THOR electronics) since they are notoriously revealing. For me there is nothing for less than $20,000 that comes close to their magic. |
[Jul 15, 2001]
Randy
Audiophile
Strength:
Dynamics, detail.
Weakness:
Brightness in treble, upper midrange. Lack of warmth. Perhaps too revealing. At times I just love the speaker, but that agressive brightness is often intolerable. It seems to be very intolerant of problems with the electricity. An Audio Power unit did not help with this. Has anyone figured out how to tame this brightness? New amp, Musical Fidelity AC 3, new interconnects, Harmonic Technology pro silway, have helped, but not enough. I am thinking of getting rid of the speaker, but its size and weight, my isolated location makes this an iffy proposition. I may try new speaker cables (Harmonic Tech again?) and a different power conditioner, but I am getting desperate. Suggestions, anyone? Similar Products Used: Previous speaker used, Spendor SP-1, Magnepan, Spica, though none are similar to the Dunlavy. |
[Sep 09, 2001]
Eric
Audiophile
Strength:
Amazing sounstaging, excellent timbre, very quick, tight detailed bass, quite efficient, outstanding coherence for the multidriver speaker
Weakness:
Very accurate (some people don't appreciate the honesty this speaker delivers) I had read a lot about this speaker and it's designer John Dunlavy before I purchased it. So when it finally arrived I was very excited. |
[Dec 29, 1997]
D. Yorga
an Audiophile
I was looking for speakers to replace my B&W 802's which I had for a few years. The B&W's were fine speakers but I was now due for a solid step up in performance. I had spent over a year listening to many speakers repeatedly before I was going to make any decision. I had listened to various Focus Audio, Hales , Logan SL3's , Requests & Arieus as well as Theil 3.6 & CS5, Sonus Faber's, Maggies 3.5R , various upper end Genisis, Quad's, Watt Puppy 5.1, and Avalons and probably some other I had forgotten about. Some were in my price range and others were not. I must say that I was strongly biased towards the Logans before I had started out and would have bought them if I had not heard the Dunlavy's.The others had there various strong points and colourations that made music pleasing but none had the top to bottom rightness of the Dunlavy's. I have never heard a speaker that was so neutral, delicate, light , fast, transparent, boxless and just plain disapeared if the recording and electronics allowed. These speakers are very evenly balanced with top to bottom speed that only an electrostatic can match. Their ability to retrieve detail surpassed even the SL 3's ( on the same electronics ) which I could not believe. Their ability to portray micro dynamics is incredible . What is fun is having musician friends over and just playing music in the background they get drawn in to how realistic the instruments sound and eventualy the focus ends up on which pieces of music they want to hear. |
[Jan 16, 1998]
an Audio Enthusiast
Having owed dunlavy IV,s for over two years I found the cabinets, design, wonderful The real kicker with these speakers isnt with vifa tweeters and drivers but with DYNAUDIO 15w08(5 inch ) drivers to replace the mids and scanspeak revalators (dome tweters).Replacing these turns these speakers into world class speakers and improves in the 85 to 95db range..............The grunge is gone and these speakers almost seem to be asked to be turned up(very dynamite,smooth etc.......) The big problem is the cabinets must be routed out a little bit. A rasp on a drill works very well and the orginal vifa speakers will go right back over the holes.Im sure this will leave many owners out that dont want to touch the cabinets. If youve owned a pair for a while and have been trying to improve your through electronics this change (after about 500hours of break-in) will blow your mind. Id rate these speakers 3.5 before and 4.5 to 4.75 after |
[Jan 31, 1998]
Hadi Widjaja
an Audiophile
I own a pair of SC-IV. I think they sound very neutral, thick in the midrange and very easy on the ear for long time listening session. Too bad the lower bass extension is not enough. I guess you have to step up to the SC-V or SC-VI for that last bass slam. Well my budget only permit me to the SC-IV level. Especiall y with the recent economic crisis in Indonesia.I am very satisfied also with the finish (mine is cherry) of the speaker. |