Thursday, September 2, 2021

Short Review: Dynaco A-25 VW loudspeakers

 

The Dynaco A-25 is a 2-way bass-reflex loaded speaker sporting a 10" woofer and a soft dome tweeter.  I picked up this pair at a half-off day estate sale.  I wasn't, however, expecting much since my experience with vintage speakers has been mixed.

To my surprise, the A-25s really capture the midrange in a nice and pleasing manner.  Yes my (larger) KEF R500s can pump out more bass & treble, do dynamics better, and throw a deeper soundstage; but still these old Dynacos have a certain magic that is hard for me to put my finger on.  Perhaps it is the nice all tubed front end I have, but these vintage speakers are just relaxing to listen to.  They do jazz really, really well; hard rock not as nicely due to their dynamic limitations.

So if you see a pair of A-25s for a good price, check them out.  They would be great in a small system with a low-powered tube or Class A solid-state amp; along with a suitable preamplifier.  They don't do all of the hi-fi tricks of something more exotic, but, like the Dynaco PAS and Stereo 70, capture the midrange depth and bloom a lot better than many, many modern budget components.