Dahlquist DO-12 (year unknown)
Little is documented about the Dahlquist DO-12. The surviving period record appears to be almost entirely dealer advertising, with no editorial reviews, and even that trail is thin. Don't confuse it with the much more famous Dahlquist DQ-12 floorstander. The brand's catalog lists the two separately.
What has been filed under the DO-12 is a HiFI-Stereo (1990, p.206) advertisement headlined as a "major event in the history of phased array" loudspeakers. The listing describes a compact speaker with 89 dB SPL/W/m sensitivity, a 5,000 Hz crossover point, 8 ohm nominal impedance, black-oak vinyl finish, dimensions of 10 × 18 × 8 inches, and a weight of 13 lb 3 oz each. The price is $350 per pair. The same page also carries a neighboring listing with figures of 30-20,000 Hz ±3 dB, 90 dB sensitivity, and 20-250 watts rms power handling. The OCR doesn't clearly tie those numbers to the DO-12, and they may belong to another speaker on the page. The dealer-showcase items that surface elsewhere don't add usable detail.
The DO-12 appears to have been a real, modestly priced Dahlquist loudspeaker of around 1990. No confirmed specifications, production years, or reviews have surfaced. The known period-ad details, with that caveat:
- 89 dB SPL/W/m sensitivity; crossover at 5,000 Hz; 8 ohms nominal
- Black-oak vinyl finish; 10 × 18 × 8 in; 13 lb 3 oz each
- $350 per pair as advertised in HiFI-Stereo (1990, p.206)
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