The DCM Time Window speaker, my first rude awakening
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 4 сен 2024
- I was wrong about the timeframe of when I heard this speaker, it was more like early 1978. Here's a PDF containing the ongoing Audio Critic review, with the changes made to the speaker's design, akdatabase.com/...
![If you can't hear this then you're not an audiophile [See description for link to followup video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/48PxwspDvrE/mqdefault.jpg)
I bought a pair of DCM Time Windows back in the early '80s. What impressed me was what happened when I got home. I set them up in my living room and put on some of my favorite music. They sounded good, but what impressed me was that I could walk from room to room in my house and the sound was was the same at the far end of the house. No loss of high or mid, no overwhelming bass. The sound was still balanced wherever I went. I still have and use them to this day. I personally am very glad that I bought them. BTW, My house is an older style house that is NOT an open floor plan, separate rooms, hallway, etc. and they sound good everywhere no matter where you go away from them.
so if i'm looking for speakers to use in rooms i'm not in, they're the ones to get?
@@mysterycrumble I would recommend them as long as you can find a good pair that hasn't been abused. I like my music loud, but I never got crazy and tried to overdrive them. My are still in use and still sound great. Just remember, these are home stereo speakers not PA speakers. Pair them with a good quality home stereo amp, not a PA amp.
when I bought my time windows ('78) I walked out of the listening room and stood in the show room and listened for a bit. when I went back in the listening room , the salesman asked me why I did that. I explained that sometimes I listen to music from different parts of the house and wanted to see what the speakers sounded like not being in front of them. he replied, he had never thought of that before. I still have the time windows and still like them.
Just saw this. I bought my Series 1 Time Windows at the Gramophone on Woodward in about 1982. I did a lot of A/B comparisons in the listening room there. What I liked about the Time Windows was the sound field and the ease of the way the music came out. No drama. Smooth. Clean. Transparent. Great sound field. As though the transfer function of what was coming out of the amp was what was arriving at my ears. Nothing added or subtracted. You're just hearing the music. Any expectations one way or the other are simply wanting the speaker to 'be' something. Also, they were made in Ann Arbor, which was cool. And they looked great, and fit easily into most any room. Being an engineer, I was impressed by the literature that DCM published about the Time Windows. The analysis they showed was rather simple, but effective in my mind. They showed the response of the speaker at a mic location, to a square wave input. Now, reproducing a square wave with a speaker is tough. The time response was captured on a scope and then used in the literature. The cool thing was that they actually did the same test on another speaker of the time, that they rated as better (and more expensive) than the Time Windows. And the response to the square wave input was indeed a bit better. Honesty in advertising - what a concept. So, I bought them. Biased? Probably! And, I am looking at them in my living room as I write this. Hooked up to my vintage Mac equipment. March 2022
I purchased my DCM Time Windows in 1981.
(The Surroundscape model).
I also had to make an appointment with a sound engineer in Milburn, NJ, near the train station.
Now, every time I drive by, I think of that moment
(the store no longer exists).
Once there, they made me fill out a form with all sorts of questions.
At the time, my main interest was classical music, followed by jazz.
For classical, the engineer recommended the Time Windows speakers.
I was impressed with the clarity and a feeling of being in a real concert hall.
I still own these speakers but haven't used them for almost 20 years.
They serve as convenient tables to hold my water or cup of coffee in my studio
while I practice guitar.
One of the reasons I no longer use them is that
I've got accustomed to headphones (AKG K-240 MkII),
plus I don't have an amplifier to power up the speakers.
I found your video during a search, as I'm planning to get an amp and try the speakers again.
Preferably, an amp that can work with my laptop,
perhaps via USB or Bluetooth,
and can connect to the Time Windows.
Thanks for this moment and for reviving my memories of a time when
listening to music and purchasing audio equipment
was such an important event in life.
I came so close to buying DCM's. Bought Magnepan MG-IIc and never regretted it. 35 years later and still enjoy Maggies.
Hi Steve, I’ve owned a pair of DCM Time Windows for 30 years now and love them. I worked for an audio store at the time and with proper power these sounded like very open stage. I was sold when the hairs of the back of my neck tingled and stood on end. What I did notice once home I had to sit straight up to get the same physical results so my ears were at the proper height as the DCM tweeters. But as I said, I loved them. I’m not an audiophile but loved using them to watch movies, Back then I had set up a Dolby Surround system using a breakout box. It was an experimental time. Growing up my dad had set up a quadraphonic system. Times were fun!
LOL Lets get some cobwebs off
Steve, snowy day here in Rockland County NY. Been going through some old reviews after breaking out some old speakers jsut for the heck of it (69 yr old retired for 10 years from computer business, quasi audiophile, past NY Audiophile Society).
Well bought a pair of OHM walsh 2's about 7 years ago for a whole $200, lol. I laughed so hard I had to write John over at OHM. They still sounded fantastic. thought i might need work, but nope. My son (30) re finished the veneer, dusted them off, got the cob webs out. HOLY sheet. sounded wonderful. In fact I just ordered a new pair of grills from Ohm in Brooklyn (Im a born Brooklynite, Sheepshead Bay). Now back to the subject of this msg. I then looked WAY back in the closet and there they were, the dreaded DCM Time Windows. Broke out your review (I remember in the back of my old brain you had a video). Well, I dusted them off, expected nothing and I'll tell you, with decent electronics (and OLD Aragon 4004mk2 , JTR subwoofer, also tried a Prima Luna Dialougue Premium HP power amp (no preamp). Using am Orchid Audio Pecan Pi Dac......hope youve tried the DAC, its a blast wonderful and bests many way moer expensive DACs, I DIYed the DAC. Well the DCM TW, sounded GREAT!! I expected a lot less. Had bought those also ebay $200. So far 2 for 2. well jsut had to fire this off before going out to blow the snow! lastly, back to my Merlin Speakers TSM-MXEs (too bad about Bobby Paclovich, I miss his presence). Nice guy, too bad the audio business eats some up.
OK over and out, if you read this far.....perhaps I lit a spark. I get a real kick out of listening to the OLD stuff. Perhaps a video idea???
I want to add, to my last statement that the DCM Time Windows, im my opinion were, in fact, the best speakers I could find in that price category. I also already said they sounded better at home than in the store. One person commented that they used "cheap" Philips tweeters. They were "modified" Philips AD 0140 tweeters which were actually very good tweeters. I got into speaker building in the '80s and they were my go-to tweeters. I certainly hope that when you arrived at the store to audition them, they didn't purposely have them out of phase as sometimes happened when they wanted to sell a more profitable item. Also, because of the crazy wide dispersion because of the front wedge, they actually sounded better a bit closer to each other than you might have regular towers or bookshelf speakers. Yes, they were "time-aligned" but also they were incredible transparent. There were certain recordings where, if blindfolded, you could not point to the speakers. This is why I think the word Windows was in the name. They were very transparent. the smallish woofer drivers didn't go down terribly low, but they had a great tight bass and handled mids so well, you didn't need the noisy electronics of another crossover as well as a mid-driver. I miss them!
I had a Time Window inspired project as well. I believe both drivers were from Phillips though the 'time Window' woofers I got from Madisound had a hex frame. In any csse my home brew version provided a full sound stage with a lean but fairly extended bass for their size..
I bought mine in 1980. Returned them to Ann Arbor (factory) in 2000 and had new speakers and crossovers installed. They returned them with new socks / grill cloth and I spent less than $300. I still have them to this day I would not part with them. What you said about the sound dispersion is absolutely correct. I bought mine at Fiddler Hi-Fi in Mobile Alabama. They were in a demo room full of speakers. I sat in the listening chair with a blindfold on and they were the only speakers I could not tell where the sound was coming from. The dispersion was insane and still is. In my opinion still the best speakers I have ever heard. They actually make your ear better. Love them. Peace
I sold many a pair of the DCM Time Windows back in the 70's. Always an easy sale. Usually paired them up with Great American Sound amps and preamps.
With a good amp and decent subwoofer, they make a nice little system. Like with Bose, they need a little help on the bottom end when it come to bass heavy music.
Wow! Flashback. I bought a pair of the TWs back around '78 (The Stereo Shop in Chapel Hill, NC) and drove them with the GAS Thoebe and Son of Ampzilla (Vickers Audio, Chapel Hill). Loved that combo and used them for about 10 years.
still have mine that i bought in 1981 and they still rock the house
My set of Time Window has created the most wonderful and well-defined stereo perspective since 1985. I believe they were updated once or twice.
I bought my time windows in 1980 and have sent them back to Ann arbor Michigan once for new speakers and crossovers. I still use them today. I bought them at a high-end store after sitting in a room full of high-end speakers blindfolded and checking them out. The dcms were the only ones that I could not pinpoint their location in the room due to their incredible dispersion. They're tall narrow speakers but they take up a lot of space because they have to be about 3 ft from the sidewall and two feet from the rear wall. They reproduce accurate bass beautifully, they just don't add to it. I feel like they actually play what was laid down in the recording studio and that is what I love. I've heard many speakers since and money being no object I still would not change them. I do not tire of listening to them. A lot of speakers that other people love just do not move me. I respect their choices and I love mine.
I have a pair of DCM Time Window 1A and a pair of Spica TC-50s. The Time Windows, a friend gave me because he was going deaf. The Spica's I bought because just like you, it was a pair of speakers that got me hooked into the hobby. In Berkeley, CA, there was a store called the Sounding Board which I bought them from, but where I heard them demoed was a nearby store called DB Audio who showcased them in a room. They had them hooked up to an integrated amp called a Musical Fidelity 1A, which did not look like your typical 80's style stereo equipment and I believe it only produced, if I remember correctly, like 25 watts of power but in pure class A. There was a turntable connected to it, but I don't remember the brand. The speakers were probably 15 feet apart and the chair I sat in was smack in the middle. The lady demoed a jazz record. I don't remember who the artist was. However It was the first time I heard actual depth to stereo music - a true epiphany. I heard the musician walk around on the stage, where the instruments were located, clearly defined as if I was there live listening to it. After that, my audio addiction began. I have never been able to recreate that experience. I have come close, but never with that same feeling of discovery. I guess it's like taking LSD for the first time and having a great trip. It can't be repeated. 🤣
DCM Time Windows -- best speakers I have owned.
Combined with the Rega Planar 3 turntable -- it was the best.
What was unique --- The DCM Time Windows are the ONLY speakers I have found that keep the stereophonic imaging even when you move from between the speakers. That is, move to the left of the left speaker and be at a 45 degree angle to the speakers -- the imaging remains. The jazz combo remains between the speakers, not collapsing into the left one, as is normal. So, the jazz combo seems like it is there in the room. AMAZING.
BTW -- You HAVE TO HAVE the REGA turntable - or some other with solid plinth and platter to eliminate resonant feedback.
Craig Dillon Uhm, I guess you do stuff most people do not do when listening to music in their private home. I sit still, with the speakers set to image correctly to where I sit, I don't dance around the room.
@@noth606 what? Even when listening to Rage Against the Machine!!?? Really?
Boaty Mc Boatface Ok, you got me, but that's perhaps the exception, and perfect imaging is hardly needed there, just volume :-)
@@noth606 was being a wagg and of course you correct. Set of old Cerwin Vega would be appropriate.. lol
When you say the time windows speakers are the only ones you have found to to keep the stereophonic image as you move around the room you must not ever listened to the Ohm Walsh F's out at that time or the newer Ohm Walsh series, I purchased the Wlsh 2 when they came out and they still sound and image better than any speaker at twice the price . by the way the Ohm F was called the best sounding speaker at any price.any one interested you can pick them up on E-Bay and HHR exotics can properly refurbish them and builds an updated one called the TLS-1.
I had a pair of time windows that sat on top of a pair of DCM time bass subs. They were powered by an SAE 2600 amp and they sounded absolutely amazing. Granted they would not achieve insane loudness but with the amount of headroom that SAE could provide they sounded great. I blew a tweeter in one and a driver in the other in around 2001 or so. Pretty good lifespan for speakers that were pushed hard every time! I decided that I would part ways with my DCM speakers that had served me well for many years and did an “autopsy” on them. I’m not sure how to describe what I found: The “cabinets” were made of cardboard sonotube typically used for concrete forms in construction. The drivers had pitifully small magnets and the tweeters looked like something I could buy at Radio Shack (remember them?). Crossovers were noticing more than a capacitor on the tweeter. Everything was held together by hot glue and hope. Now, they did sound fabulous I will give them that but the tear down was very interesting to say the least! These days I build my own cabinets and custom gear so now when I want to rock the neighborhood I run Eminence Kappa Pro LF 18 woofers powered by a Crown XLI 2500 amp and Pyle 6” horn loaded mids that I custom made the horns for along with Electro Voice high drivers with again custom horns. I run mids and highs with wait for it… a pair of Altec Lansing 1570B tube amps. This system sounds amazing and just a couple weeks ago it rocked the 4th of July outdoor party. I measured a certified 109.9 dB at 50 feet from speakers. Outside. I’m rambling so I will sign off now. The Altecs are my one piece of gear that I will never part with!
This is great....love the nerdy, geeky aspect of these videos. I took about a 15yr hiatus from hi-fi when I married and raised children. In the late 80's I went into a high-end audio store in Columbia, MO. I asked the salesman to bring me up to speed about hi-fi since I left it. He was great.....probably because he knew I had the money to buy whatever I wanted. I still have the literature I took home....interesting snapshot of hi-fi in the late 80's. Adcom GFA-565 (don't seem to have the preamp lit, but I do remember he recommended a tube preamp), Time Window 1A, B&W 802, DAT deck and the BA T1000. My wife and I collided in mid-air about me purchasing a decent system as did our taste in music......so it never got done. I did buy the BA T1000's later and still have them.
What I've noticed in reading hundreds & hundreds of posts about upgrading and buying hi-fi over the yrs is that about 50% of people adamantly regret upgrading a certain component....like an amp or speakers. What they thought would take them to a new level of audio experience, was often dashed on the rocks. I've also noticed that there is a segment (proudly so) of inveterate tweakers that are always changing their systems. I guess you gotta believe that the OCD crowd is invested in hi-fi as well.
Right now, I'm going to do something like a Music Concept upgrade of my Halfer DH-220 and let it go at that. I missed my shot at getting decent McIntosh gear and other than their tank-like durability, they are not really the 'ultimate' sound so much anymore. I'm not sure what the 'ultimate sound' is. It used to be gear that would come as close in sound to the recorded media as possible. Now I think it has come to mean quite something else....especially with digital. There are people out there that preach to do at least a ten thousand dollar upgrade to your listening room itself before you even bring in the gear. Hi-fi audio is an endless rabbit hole if you take it seriously. And at some point your hearing will start to fail....which makes much of this moot.....unless you like to bring young adults into your house to judge and rave about your system...lol.
Love my TFs. Paired with my Marants PM6006, and 2226B. Very good stereo imaging, high end is crisp and airy. Sound great. Really open up big rooms that let them breath. These sound great pointing 45 degrees to the centre of the room. Off axis imaging stays good.. pair well with low wattage , and vintage amps.
Those hands - youtuber Scotty Kilmer’s cousin.
I'm not sure what that critic said about the Time Windows, but I had a pair and this is my take. Back in those days, I had all kinds of high-end equipment. My Stylus was a Dynavector Karat Ruby. My amp was a Halfler, I also had a Dolby Dynamic Range Enhancer, a Nakamichi 680zx which I remember to this day, back in 1980 retailed for $1675.00. Yeah, for a cassette deck. Anyway, I was an 18-year-old audiophile freak. Ok, back to the DCM speakers. At the time I wanted speakers, nobody said DCM time windows were the best. They were the best sounding speakers in the price category. They also sounded way better at my home than at the store. They sounded best placed about 2-3 feet from the rear wall and I ran the eq as flat as I could make it, only compensating a tiny bit for the room. My only complaint was the bottom end didn't go quite as deep, so I added a subwoofer taking over below about 30 Hz with a mellow crossover. But even without the sub, the best part was the bass was very tight. The speakers were the most transparent speakers I ever heard. Meaning, when placed properly, if you were blindfolded, you could not point to the speaker placement. With the right recording obviously. Like any good equipment, everything needed to be set up properly. I used those speakers for a good 20 years. When I replaced them, I needed to save space and went with Tannoy studio monitors. But I will say, I think the Time Windows held a top spot in my heart for many years and impressed many many a fine musician,s ear.
I've owned a pair of these and a pair of TF700s since the mid 80s when I purchased both sets from the audio store I was a salesman at. I have used them primarily for 'whole house' music at lower volumes (family gatherings, Holidays, etc) because they sound so darn good all over the house due to it's singular dispersal profile. I find they fall apart at higher volumes or with heavy rock (even the TF700s can't keep up with a lot of base heavy stuff today).
I'm in the process of building a pair of Epicure3.0 clones and putting an unholy amount of power on them, maybe even tri-amping them with active crossovers, but I'll be keeping my Time Windows for that nice smooth whole house low volume days and selling my TF700s after I recondition them.
After 20+ years as a pro audio engineer and another 10 selling high end home audio, I can tell you for a fact that not all speakers can do all things, and are not for all people.
The DCM Time Windows opened up the world of imaging to me. It was the first time I had ever heard a soundstage that went several blocks deep. I heard thunder that felt like it was outside behind the building. The voice of Judy Collins never soundes do natural.
This is the speaker that got me hooked on Audio.
I heard them a couple of times in the '70s in an audio store in Cincinnati where I was living at the time, and thought they were great. Lived up to Aczel's description IMHO. Can't believe you didn't find they stomped a pair of Bose 501s (of all things). Maybe they were poorly set up or wired out of polarity or something. When I auditioned them, they were driven by large, bullet-proof Crown amps, and that may have had something to do with it as well. I think Aczel was using Levinson or Bryston amps at the time he auditioned them.
And obviously b/c of their dispersion pattern, they absolutely had to be placed in a bigger room, away from the side walls b/c too close to the walls would destroy the imaging.
Personally I think they were one of the best speakers of the 1970s, and I owned LS3/5as driven by a Hafler DH 200 over that period. So I know a little something about what a quality set up from that era sounded like.
Did you hear them at the Audio warehouse?
@@danielwilliams1921 Think that might have been the name. That was around 1977 so it's tough to remember. 🤔
I've only known the DCM's by reputation. I have a pair of Allison 2's from that time that I drag out occasionally to listen to. I used to work at a trucking company in Brooklyn that handled the Allison line. We had a shipment going to Arif Mardin, a famous name in the recording industry
I recognized the name and thought they must be good. I went to Continental Sound on Queens Blvd and paid a little under $700 for the pair. Still have them and love them.
Steve, In the same time frame, I had a pair of Ohm model F speakers with Walsh Drivers. They are still my favorite speakers of all time. The Ohm F speakers had a problem with the suspension that terminated the bottom of the driver cone. It would fail, consistently. Ohm repaired the problem at no cost, right up until they quit making Walsh drivers entirely. The speakers had to be shipped to N.Y. and would be gone for weeks at a time. Without music, I searched for a "backup" pair of speakers to use during the Ohm F repair downtime. I went to my favorite dealers, with a budget under $1000. I was uniformly disappointed with all offerings until... I heard the DCM Time Windows. I purchased a pair and was never disappointed. The towers were acoustic open cell foam over high density cardboard tubing. The tubing molded in the characteristic DCM wedge front, with rounded back. The drivers were middle of the road quality, made by Phillips. The speakers really should not have sounded as good as they did. I did not have a "Tin Ear". I was using a B&O 4002 turntable, an APT Holman PreAmp, and a VanAlstine Double 400 power amplifier. I also had a Crown (Elkhart, Indiana) EQ2 parametric equalizer, and a calibrated spectrum analyzer / microphone. Even with the parametric equalizer switched to "flat" (pass through) the DCM Time windows sounded very good in my listening room. I was saving my money at the time, for some Audio Research tube amplifiers. I never saved enough money to buy "AR", but I got my Vacuum Tube Amp by hand building it myself. With my Triode Output amp, I am now using back loaded horn speakers. My wife adores them. I think they are "just, OK." The "quest" goes on until they bury you, I guess.
DCM's tagline at the time was 'listen through them, not to them'. I found this to be my experience. They were best of breed at the time, and I still use them. They stand up to my B&Ws pretty darn well considering their age.
The speaker that started my audiophile journey was the Polk Audio Monitor 10 series. I purchased a pair after hearing them in my first visit to a high end store in New Jersey, after I was blown away by their sound. The salesman was using a Bryston amp/preamp combo with a CAL (California Audio Labs) CD player to demo them. They cost me about $600 new back in 1986, and I still own them (among other, more current speakers). They still sound great to me... very open, airy, and detailed, with a natural timbral accuracy that draws me in! Back then, I was using an Onkyo M-504 driven directly by the variable output of my Yamaha CDX1100U CD player. I still can't believe I was not using a preamp, but it sounded great!
I also started with some Polk Monitors 10, 10b in my case. That was like 6 months ago. right now waiting for my new time frame 600s to arrive
I had my Time Windows in the 80s. I used 2 NAD bridged 2150 to drive them. One to each speaker, so each speaker had around 120 watt. It was great speakers. The funny thing, is that they used some cheap Philips units, but then they paired them and optimized them, so the end result was real good. With a sensitivity on around 89-90 db they could really talk. The preamp was a Precision Fidelity C7
Revised tube amp. I miss them.
Thanks for the video Steve.
Ok I'll bite. I bought a pair of the original 1A's in 1984 at the Rhine Main Air base audio outlet. They had a lot of great stuff there at discounted prices for service members in Germany. First listen in the demo room was one of those few true "omg" moments for me. They had wisely set them up in a rather large, high-ceilinged room. Appropriately enough the song was "Time" on Dark Side of the Moon. I walked in and thought "where are all these sounds coming from?" The instruments and sounds were separated in space like nothing I'd ever heard and they were coming from all over the room. Had to have them. I saved a little money and went back and purchased a pair for I believe $650. I kept them for several years over a couple of moves. I powered them with a David Hafler DH220, source was my trusty AR turntable. They produced very pleasant deep, extended base that was not plentiful or powerful, but in a lot of rooms sounded wonderful. The execution of a good transmission line alignment for the modest woofers was a remarkable achievement especially with the limited design tools of the day. I believe they were indeed very time-coherent because on certain recordings where there would be a "tap," it sounded exactly like an un-smeared tap such that if there was a cat in the room the cat would abruptly look over at the speaker. I saw that a couple of times. It made me laugh and in truth a lot of speakers cannot do that. The treble was at the same time detailed but laid back, never in your face. In most rooms I could get something of the sound staging that first drew me to them. I absolutely loved them. I think the varied perceptions must stem in some part from the fact that they were so sensitive to the room. Peter Aczel mentioned something to that effect in his famous review, something like you'll be fortunate if you room zigs where the speaker zags. Very true. Unfortunately I think some people have taken to knocking these speakers more to knock the ever controversial Peter Aczel because of his glowing review. Bury that hatchet folks, it's over. These were awesome speakers and I have to think that even the Audiophiliac would've been impressed if he heard them in the right environment.
Reading some of these reviews takes me back to the mid-seventies through the mid-eighties. I had a pair of MG-IIIs, a pair of Point 3s (satellites and subwoofer system), DCM Time Windows, and Mission 770s. I at one time considered getting the DQ-10s. I had at one time an Advent Receiver that I used the preamp section, a HK Citation 19 power amp. Nakamichi tape players. Oh what a great period of time for Audio Equipment.
You've got some great stories, Steve. Really glad you decided to open this channel and share them with us.
It just popped into my head, as well. I remember back in the day they were the Cadillac of speakers
Imaging you could reach out and touch , that was the magic right there.
I was in the biz from 74 and handled hundreds of different speakers over the years. TWs are on my very short list of speakers that I would actually fork out for..
I have always wondered how they would be if the format was kept the same but built really well
Perhaps using Dyne Audio drivers etc.
They certainly caught the ear of folks with open minds.
Stunning with ML amps and a Koetsu black up front on a Delphi.
I have had a pair of DCM TimeFrame 700 since the mid '90s. I am just now going to purchase an upgrade for them, but I am moving them to another system in the house to keep them in use.
I bought my DCM Time Windows back in Atlanta in 1981 based on the fact that the Danish version of Stereophile magazine (High Fidelity) had raved about them and were using same as a reference speakers when reviewing audio equipment in their tests. I was extremely pleased with the sound. Sold same after 13 years in 1994 as my neighbour's cat had used the speakers foamcover as a scratcing post. They were subsequently replaced with ProAc speakers.
DCM Time Window A1, Flawless.
When I first bought the Time Windows, they were the best speakers I had ever heard. I still own a pair. I later bought a pair of Definitive Technology PS 8. After reading a review in Stereo Review, I drove from Mobile to Atlanta, to buy them. Steve, the Time Windows are much better than the Bose 501. I listed to the Bose 501 and 601 before buying the Time Windows.
Couple folks from Mobile here, ahoy and I'm thinking about hiking for some too. ✌️
They may not be great loudspeakers but I really like the name "Time Window".
How long have you had a pair. Because they sound great paired with my heath kit home built tube amp Marantz CD-63 CD player. I do not know if the CD player had any mods done to it. But I cannot get the sound profile that I get from 24 bit encoded devices. Because this Marantz cd player sounds amazing compared to any plug in dac or sound card solution. And the vinly collection sound great though these speakers as well. But I do have a grado gold series stylus cartridge. So that helps in good audio quality.
I just wish we could see pictures of it while you're talking about it! By 1:40 we're still remembering the opening image. Speakers are fascinating to look at. Maybe not as good as your shirts, but still! :)
Bought a Marantz 2325 in 1976, DCM TW series 1 in 1982. Still listening to them today (2021) and can’t imagine anything better for my space and ears. I do supplement the TW with a powered sub...love good base. Nothing else at that $660 price sounded better.
I worked for a shop called "The Sound Shop" in Va Beach, VA and I worked for product. I got a set of DCM Time Windows and hooked it up with this new thing called a Sub Woofer. I traded my Advent Classics for them.
Time Windows are absolutely, stunningly accurate.
I bought a pair in the same time frame. I enjoyed them and passed them down to my son. He enjoyed them for years, then moved on to something else. I knew that better speakers existed, but as a young parent couldn’t chase perfection. Now I have Vandersteen Quatro’s. Wanted the 5A’s but, only have so much $$$
I turned this video on and, from the kitchen, all I hear is Steve saying the only dealer I could find was way out on Long Island.
The gimmicky Time Window shines bright- not when sitting in the sweet spot like a conventional speaker, but when walking around the room. They sort of enlarge the "sweet spot".
I found a pair years ago at a thrift store. I thought them gimmicky, but bought them anyway thinking I would flip them for a quick buck... but after hooking them up, I can't let them go. They currently reside in my kitchen where they provide awesome sound while I'm walking around taking care of business.
There was a comment in an earlier thread about Peter Aczel and The Audio Critic. I think you and I both immediately flashed back to his DCM Time Windows review. Back when it was first published it lit a fire in me, too. The only dealer in Chicago had their roof cave in from heavy snow, so I rushed down and got a deal on them, unheard. I had them in my system for about 15 years. Put them up on stands, drove them with a Bryston 3B, and enjoyed the sound. They replaced a pair of ESS AMT-5 bookshelves, and I found the imaging and midrange were better with the DCM's. The DCM's were badly damaged in a houshold accident and I moved on. I sold the ESS AMT's to a friend and I believe they are still in service in her system.
"Put them up on stands, drove them with a Bryston 3B,"...classic Time Window setup.
I worked at the Audio Warehouse (Ohio; 1977-82) and we were the first company to sell the Time Windows. (Eddie Radford, founder of Audio Warehouse, knew the guys building them.) Trivia: DCM stands for Drug Capital of the Midwest. You shoulda bought the Time Windows...
These are my rear surrounds currently. I'd upgrade the capacitors but they aren't friendly to repairs.
Here's the thing they do that nothing else does: if you play piano music in another room, and play a piano in the other room, you won't be able to hear the difference. I had them in a room with a grand piano growing up, and the house filled with piano music exactly the same regardless if it was time windows or the baby grand. The base kind of sucks the detail kind of sucks, but the timbre and tone is really good for instrumental music like jazz.
They do a weird magic trick, and I think they may actually be the best possible rear surround ever made.
On friday at a club meeting we mostly spoke of the time windows that a member owns and we will be making a trip there to hear them.
I have the DCM Time Window 1As. I'm not sure what the differences are with the original versions, but I suspect there are many changes and they are significant. But the interesting thing for me is how I came to own them.
Around 1991-92 I went to a high end show in Toronto (Mississauga, actually,) eager to just take in really good gear and systems. It was my first high end show and I was excited. I heard a lot of good sound, and some not so great due to room issues. One of the highlights was hearing a Day Sequerra tuner playing CBC FM with classical music, as well as CJRT (now JAZZ.FM) playing some jazz. FM never sounded so good!
But the absolute highlight was the Bryston room. Bryston was set up in a larger space, a portion of a ballroom/large meeting room. Jim Tanner (still the VP of marketing at Bryston!) was handling the demo. The system consisted of Bryston electronics (naturally) though I don't remember what specific pieces/models. The source was a Roksan table; I don't recall the arm/cartridge combination.
Set out in the room, away from all walls, was a pair of Time Window 1As. The resulting sound and music I heard was "Magic" - a cliché, I know but that was my impression. The music was natural, engaging and coherent. But the most remarkable thing was the soundstage. It was 3D/holographic and solid. I *LITERALLY* walked around the speakers, in and out, making a figure 8 pattern. I couldn't believe it. The instruments stayed in position in all planes. I was dumbfounded.
I couldn't afford the Time Windows at the time - I think they were priced at about $900 for the pair, and I was pretty poor. But fast forward 20 years, and I was now living in Rochester, NY. I just bought a new home and had wandered in to Record Archive, a great and iconic record store in Rochester. I was actually looking for a pair of cheap but decent headphones to use at work, since the store has small used gear department. There were no headphones, but my eyes latched onto a pair of DCM Time Windows 1A in nearly pristine condition. It didn't take me long to say YES to the $200 price tag ... for the PAIR.
Initially I set them up in an unfinished "listening" space in my basement, cluttered with boxes and other stuff. Powered by a Fisher 500C and set well into the room, they sounded great. Not as good as at the Bryston demo, but I knew they simply needed better sources than the FM signal and an older (though not shabby) Denon CD player. Eventually I moved them to my "home theatre" setup in the living room, the L/R of a 3.1 system that uses a Denon AVR for switching and control. They don't really shine in this implementation, but eventually they will find a better home. In the next few days I will try them in a smaller room with a single-ended tube amp that I know will lack enough power, since the DCMs are not very efficient. But what power the tube amp *can* provide will be MUCH higher quality than the Denon and I don't need high volume anyway. I just want to try this setup for fun.
So that's my long-winded story of the Time Windows. I doubt I'll ever sell them, but if I do it will be at a profit.
Yesterday I pulled them into the small listening room and connected them to the Zen amp. REVELATION! First of all, the Zen drives them with ease and can produce volume levels well beyond what I need or the room can support. How can this be? Well, they *aren't* 85/86dB sensitivity. The original literature states they are 91dB with an 8 ohm load. I need to dial them in with respect to positioning, room treatment and cables, but boy am I satisfied! This saves me at least $2K for a speaker upgrade. No, they're not "ultimate" but they are musical and engaging.
I have a pair of Time Window 1a’s and are like new. I would like to sell them. What should I list them at?
Mike
@@michaelbehnan5674 If you can sell them locally I would suggest you start at $400.00. They are certainly *worth* that, but sales are made at what the market can bear. If you plan on listing them on an auction site or similar, then shipping is the big issue. Professional packaging and insured shipping is absolutely required. If I recall correctly, most of the sales I've seen on eBay have been around the $200-300 range, but you might want to check there for completed sales.
I was at this same show and remember this demonstration however with DCM Timeframe 600's. Bryston was the distributor for Canada at the time and the TF 600's were new, and I believe they were driven by new Bryston momoblocks. They were playing big band music through the turntable and everyone was floored by the image. It was so realistic and big. I ended up buying a pair the year after. I still have them to this day and exploring the idea of updating the caps. Btw. I have them about 5 to 6 feet into the room.
@@rig4365 I’m pretty sure what I heard were the 1As, so maybe the TF600s you heard were during a show the next year or so. I chatted with Bryston via email about my experience and they didn’t correct me about the model, but that doesn’t prove anything.
I heard them back in 83 and Dire Straits CD Love over gold they sounded like the band was in the room playing in front of you.
Funny you should mention the Time Windows. I had a pair that I bought at Sound Stage Audio in Queens off the LIE. They also sold Amber and Audible Illusions gear which was really really nice. I was interested in DQ-10's which were in the same price range. At the time, I was listening to Large Advents with Microstatic tweeter arrays. I bought the Time Windows, took them home and they sounded great in my place with my equipment. SAE IXb pre-amp, Phase 400, Thorens TD125 with Grace 707 tone arm and F9E cartridge. Geez... that was soooooo long ago! I had the Time Windows with Audio Pro B2-50 sub. Really really nice sound. I finally sold the Time Windows and bought Acoustat 1+1's w/Medallion mod.
I bought the Time Windows not because of a review, but what I heard, compared to what I owned and what was available in my price range. At the time, I wasn't aware of Peter's review. I would be curious to hear what they sound like now though compared to the Von Schweikert VR4's that I now use.
I do hear people still talking (Sadly) about Allison Model Ones. I'm stunned some Chinese manufacturer hasn't made an inexpensive Spica TC-50 clone.
The DQ-10s definitely sound really good. Too bad Dahlquist is not really making speakers like they used to.
It sure brings up the issue of subjectivity in sound. And to a greater degree, over-expectation. SG was clearly pumped to expect a miracle cure-all in Sonic-World. I went through this many times, expecting Heaven, and always winding up back here on earth. "The Perfect is the enemy of the Good."
I remember my first good speakers were Vandersteen Model 1 2-ways. They sounded nice with my old Adcom power amp and NAD preamp using one of the earliest Sony ES CD players and my B&O 4002 turntable. The Model 1 is still being made and the 1C (the second update since the original) is a big improvement over the original. I also bought a pair of Allison Model Two loudspeakers about the same time on closeout. And those I still have today though the Vandersteens were sold a few years later. The Allison Model Two's four woofers (two per channel) have had their disintegrated foam surrounds replaced with new foam surrounds that won't degrade and were made specifically for it, and I've replaced all the caps in their crossovers with film caps. I even have the original rocket resin grills that, although brittle, are still in pristine condition. About the only other work done on them was some minor restoration on the dark walnut veneer finish on the cabinets. Now they look and sound better than new and are used daily in my finished attic space. Though now all of the music played through them is digitally sourced and played through a networked Raspberry Pi-based network player.
Steve, Damn some good memories you are bringing up for me. This is almost like a Steve Guttenberg 'time window' taking us back when things where magical, not just in audio - but in life. I used to sell the Fried Speakers and met his son who was his sales representative. You might remember in little high-end audio store in Saratoga/Los Gatos California called "Avant-Garde Audio". I had the privilege of working and hanging out there with the owners 'Ernie' and 'Alan'. Thanks for reminding me of these best of times!!!
Great story. I could only smile. I bought a set of Time Windows around 1978 upgrading from my Advents. I then had children and entirely lost my audiophile ways for decades. I recently gave my Time Windows to a friend and when I visited him last, the grill had been torn off by his cat who used the speaker as a cat climbing wall. I still have the Advents. Coincidentally, I just rekindled my love for audio, buying a set of Spica TC-50s driven by Audible Illusions M3A pre and Moscode 600 stereo amp. Should be fun! Keep telling your great stories Steve. I'll be listening.
Well, DCM Time Windows wiped the floor with most speakers at the time provided that you hooked it up
with a proper stereo system, not your Kitchen radio or something like that.
I also miss my DCM Time Frames, RIP old friends.
Hello Steve,
Having heard rumors of this "fantastic loudspeaker" in 1977, the DCM Time Window, I traveled to a local franchise of Pacific Stereo to audition them. They were good but not outstanding. Then having gone to an audiophile store in Chicago (ironically named 'Audiophile'), I asked the salesman about the DCMs' allure with the general public.
The salesman replied, "Oh, THEM!!" and proceeded to pull out a pair of traded-in Time Windows to show me the cheap Philips drivers they were outfitted with. As with you, my DCM enthusiasm (especially for the price) was shattered. Instead, I purchased a pair of Dahlquist DQ-10's and had them modified so as to make a mirror-imaged pair. Happy with them for a few years, I graduated to Magnaplanar Tympani 1-D's in late 1978.
Cheers,
Joe
Tympanis! Lucky you..... What a dramatic looking unique speaker
You do realize that the Dahlquist DQ-10 also used cheap Phillips drivers for the midrange.
Still hava a pair of time windows placement of the speakers is key. Which if you think about having 2 pairs of identical drivers with the radiation interference should be obvious. They are designed to be close to room boundaries. Playing with the toe in is mandatory and takes a while to get right. At their best great imaging, good midrange, mediocre highs. Also can not be seated less than 8 feet in front of speaker preferably more. Are they my favorite speakers. No. I have spendor sp1s, nht 3.3s, era d4s. All of which are better and newer. But they are still very pleasant to listen to with very low listener fatigue factor.
I recall that the Phillips drivers were considered to be very good (but not "exotic").
The Phillips drivers, were not all that cheep,
Compared to drivers from the USA,
Phillips had invested much cash,
In research, to attain a higher level of quality.
Quality as in resolving ability.
Magnets, magnetic fields, various materials.
Their less expensive models,
are quite capable of high resolution.
Yeah, like you, I lusted after the Time Windows (possibly, having read the same review you mentioned). However, my disposable income in the mid-70's didn't keep pace with my aspirations, so I put aside a certain amount each pay day, expressly to buy the Time Windows. Sadly, before I had saved enough to buy them, I got married, thus putting an end to the nonsense of buying 'expensive speakers' . Sooner than later, my then-spouse and I parted company.
Thereafter, the focus of my lust was female in nature. And I thought high-end Audio was expensive! MY rude awakening...
I've never had the opportunity to hear DCM Time Windows but I have pair of DCM Timeframe 1000's that I have owned for more than 20 years and I love/hate them. I have threatened to sell them I don't know how many times. With proper placement and connected to the proper equipment they can sound amazing. I have mine connected to a Carver C1 preamp and then through a modified Carver M1.5t amp which together sounds amazing however that brings me back to speaker placement. The DCM Timeframe 1000's are very big and in my case they sound best when they are 3 feet away from the wall which is cumbersome under normal circumstances and definitely do not meet the WAF (wife approval factor). Over the years I have tested them on at least a dozen different systems and it's only been the last 5 years that I have been using my current set up. One day I hope to audition the Time Windows. I have held on to them through 2 divorces so I guess I really do love them after all.
DCM Time Windows: The first Rock and Roll tower speakers that did not fatigue your ears. You had no idea they were loud until you tried to speak to someone in the room. They also ate all the power I could throw at them w a Carver Cool Cube. It was like the Rolling Stones designed a high fidelity speaker.
I had time windows a half-century ago. I was reasonably pleased with them, but I had no idea how to evaluate speakers at that time. Perhaps I still don't.
I own and love a pair of Spica TC 50 SE, a UK modified bi wirable version. I just fiddled about with a new cable setup last night and sat up till morning listening to these little beauties. I keep thinking of changing for something more modern, but love them a little too much. Glad to hear others think there is something a bit special about them!
I'm still using my pair of Time Windows purchased new in 1986, hooked to an Anthem MRX720. They're still sounding gorgeous.
To this day I continue to enjoy my old "Polk SDA Speakers" purchased in 1987. They 'trick' the listener into a perception of sound coming from way outside the speaker setup by placing an array of 6" speaker drivers side by side with the outside driver playing the opposing channel out of phase to cancel crosstalk. Today they are pushed by NAD and supported by a Velodyne powered subwoofer. Steve was not impressed with these Polk SDA's back when, but I replaced them years ago only to rush them back in place when the new speakers couldn't satisfy my acquired need for Polk's 'Stereo Dimensional Array' sound.
They are nice speakers, I have a set just sitting there collecting dust in nice shape. But I honestly like them alot, excellent imaging and bass.
I had a pair for about 20 years. Loved them.
Bought a pair of Time Windows in the 80s from Myer-Emco in the DC area. Still have them (and thinking of selling them soon as I'm downsizing). Great speakers but they need to be set up properly: a few inches off the floor and a foot or two away from the closest wall or corner. Very warm and transparent. Good bass but they need a subwoofer if you're really into heavy bass.
Hi, I have the two 1000 and still love them I was a tech at myers emco on wisc. Ave
I have a thrift store purchased pair of DCM Time Windows being powered by a Goodwill purchased Yamaha HTR-5150 AV Receiver as well as another Goodwill purchased 8-inch powered subwoofer from some sort of Sony made surround sound system. Even though I purchased a Thorens TD-320 turntable (which was about $600 in the years just before compact disc players became affordable) when I was 16 years old or so, I don't consider myself an "audiophile." With that said, I have to say it sounds pretty good. Especially, considering I probably only have $150 in the whole system.
The Snell Type A's blew me away. I could not afford them but I did get a pair of the Original Type E's. The progenitor for Audio Note's AN/E's. Great speakers.
Very interesting Steve - I have recollections about the Time Windows, but I never got a chance to listen to them. But someone I know has them, and is interested in using them, so if they are working (with the woofer surrounds intact), I will get to listen to them.
I have the timewindows I like them very much. Good sound.
I think the biggest issue is perception, what your expectations can be of a speaker after reading a rave review can often be disappointing when you hear them for the first time yourself. Hard for any speaker to live up to our expectations based on a review.. I first heard a pair of Time Windows around 1977 in a small audio store in Carmel, Ca.. I had never heard of them before.. I walk into the store and they were playing music on them thru a Threshold SL 10 preamp and a Threshold Amplifier, cannot recall the model..Linn turntable, etc.. they were playing a classical piece of music and they sounded quite good to me. large soundstage and what seemed like excellent depth actually pretty impressive. Maybe if I had a read a rave review about them my expectations might have left me disappointed.. who knows ? Sometimes it takes more than one listen , you really never know until you listen to them at home.
Those were the initial years of my high end hifi fascination - mid-late 70's. I have heard all of the speakers discussed.
The Vandersteen 2 was really my favorite speaker of that era, in the criteria established.
Bought them in 1983 used for small money and have them till today in my bedroom.In the beginning i used them with Harman Kardon Citation 4 and5,later with two Telefunken v 69a and a Yamaha a 700 as aPre.
Today they were still working fine with a Cahin MT -34L
Perfect for Tubes
I had a completely different experience than you did with the Time Windows. I heard about them, but I didn't read any hype really. Just specs and pricing. When I heard them, I played a few albums in the store like Supertramp or Brian Ferry or whatever it was I used at the time. Maybe even Dixie Dregs or Steely Dan's Aja, but what I remember was this: I was very impressed at the store. For me, they were probably the best speakers I'd heard, at the time, for that price point. But when I got them home in my room and started playing the music I knew, they delivered. I remember playing with the placement in the room, and placement, although not as finicky as your Bose 501's or 901's, was still important. about a foot from the rear wall and placed a bit closer together than what you might expect and they really blew me away. I remember the first time I played Aja in a dark room as I did with a few recordings and I had a hard time locating the speaker placement in the room. I will admit, I was a young teen just getting started in the slippery slope of being an audiophile, but those speakers lasted me a good 5-6 years and I spent a lot of time hearing what others had to offer. Sure, there were many speakers I liked better, but not at that price. I was convinced, at the time, there was nothing that would make me happier for what I paid. And if I were to give my the strong points of the speaker, I'd say it's transparency and although it didn't go too deep in the bass department, I loved how quick and tight the bass was. At the time, I pushed them with a Hafler DH-200. Happy days for sure.
Yes, many of us started with BOSE. 901's played big and loud! I struggled with the DCM Time Window 1A's. After a couple of years sold them to a friend. In his room they were magical. This was my original lesson on how the room was part of all speakers! That said they were never very revealing but properly set up did a good soundstage.
Yep, Time Windows were amazing, but there is no excuse for storing your records at that angle. They will warp.
I hear ya, WTF Steve, vinyl fans are watching this.
You mentioned Bose 501. They were a VERY nice speaker and I can understand why you preferred your Bose speakers. They are a very smooth, really nice bass and mids, and the nice high end. 1st get you could adjust the focus of the tweeter. VERY nice speaker. I purchased a pair of time window 1 a few weeks ago and played them 2 nights ago on a mate's new AV amp. I would have to say I actually had a few goose bumps listening to them. They truly are amazing in what they do. We put on a track with Yello and Shirley Bassey and she was in the middle of my room. The amount of holographic imaging that was going on was amazing. We still need to listen to them more but so far, they are a very exciting speaker in deed. Not overly bright, not overly deep in the bass, but a most interesting speaker in everything else. I could hear detail in tracks that I have never heard before and it really was in a 3D image. I'm a musician and have VERY specific taste regarding hifi and audio. The more natural and true to life in it's tone and presentation and I'm hooked.
I was given a pair of DCM Time Window 1's. One of the tweeters was blown. I replaced it with a Vifa tweeter recommended for this speaker.
Since then, here's what I've heard. First let's be honest. Every speaker which wasn't priced in the category of unobtainable for the average person, has likely been surpassed by newer drivers and better crossover designs. For example, the AR3a was on the top of the heap for many years, but for reasons that would make this too long, it's been surpassed by relatively modest priced modern designs.
OK, back to the DCM TW1 and 1A's. Placement is very important in the room. You can get a really excellent sound stage and clear image if you experiment. Anyone that really understands what it takes to create a good driver, can see these are essentially Phillips drivers with decent, but not outstanding performance. What I like through them are vocals and piano. I determine the timber of a piano, the striking of the hammer against the string, timing of that event to the ear, will tell me a lot about faithfulness to the original. These speakers will not give you heavy impact bass like you might have gotten from an AR3A, large Advent, or the JBL L100. There tuned acoustic labyrinth port design will permit you to hear 32 Hz organ notes. Highs are good, but roll off smoothly. I would say, these speakers are easy to listen to, actually quite pleasant, and if you can get a restored pair at a reasonable price, you will find them enjoyable.
Final thoughts... I've considered spending the money on better 6.5 inch drivers, along with all new Vifa ring tweeters. Then again, there are some very good speakers in the $500 to $600 pair range. I can provide a RUclips link for a sound sampling, but that's still not as good as listening in the room.
I failed to mention another point about these speakers. The rounded back portion of the cabinet is a sonotube. You can walk into a Home Depot or Lowes and find these large round cardboard tubes of varying sizes. They're used as a mold for concrete column / foundation pours. The tube itself, does have a resonance point. In some ways, combined with the MDF front panel, it works. I've chosen to add a thin layer (much thicker than normal veneer), as an applied deadened barrier. I'm working on how I will create a replacement for what used to be an entire sock covering. That's not going affect the sound, but I think it allows a better appearance. Many more expensive speakers use a rounded back constructed of many layers with a finished wood veneer. The 360° foam sock dates their look.
The Time WIndows are a knockoff Bose 601. Should've gotten the 601's because they are better. End of story.
@@PlatinumEagleStudios Wrong.
@@billimbriale8535 Right. Not wrong. Bose 601's are better and these are a cheap copy
I've been in audio for about 45 years and althought I can't say I've heard it all , I have heard a lot . Being at the recieving end of some dealers down hear at Puerto Rico they used to lend me the equipment to hear in my system . Being a working class citizen I was always on the look for those rare gems that pop up once in a while that could rival the big boys for a lot less money , I mean I figure it should be relatively easy to design something good without the heavy contraints of meeting a price bracket .
Their were some over achivers as B&k ST140 amplifier , Audionics BT2 preamp and CC2 amp . Robertson audio amp , first electrocompaniet amp that came out , a 60 watts affair and some others . Dalquish DQ 10 were great , Dynaco XL10 , Amber amplifier . One day I bought home some DCM time windows . Set them up in a rather small rectangular shaped room about12 feet from the back wall but very close to side walls , about a foot . Not the best placement for speakers . I was using a counterpoint SA12 amp with Quicksilver preamp , sony 507es cd player . A audiophile friend came over and we both sat down to hear some music
One of the recordings I used to used to test sound was Chesky Ana Caram Amazonia . As sone as the music started we just looked at ourselves amazed at what we were hearing . The whole soundstage was impecably focus and not only wide and deep but height . Room walls dissapeared detail was great , highs were sweet and extended . Bass was ok . But that soundstage was hipnotic and spooky . There is a cut in Amazonia where it starts off with the sounds of the real amazon with animals sounds , the wind blowing threw the leaves of trees , birds singing . We hear these sounds coming from side to side , pinpoint and a bird flying overhead from side to side about 10 feet up .
My friend said this can't be real . These speakers must have a gimmick , an acoustic trick of some sort to sound like this which obviously they don't have . One of my all time favorite speakers are the Spica TC50 that to this day I still have . Great imagers too but these DCM rivaled the TC50 . Curiously both speakers are phase alined acoustically and electrically . The spica had a phase switch of 1 degree from 50 to 14k htz , that is great phase performance , don't remember the DCM . These time windows were the model speaker that made DCM famous for a great part of the 70s and 80s . Today if I could find a pair in good working condition I would buy them on the spot but being in PR shipping would be expensive so I would have to find them down here . Or you didn't have yet the knowledge to recognized good relatively neutral speakers or they weren't set up or driven correctly as what I heard that day any one would buy them on the spot . They were that good so give Peter Aczel the benefit of the doubt at least as the DCM time window were and still are compared to more modern design extremely good speakers .
I think the spicas phase sift is more then 1 degree but I remember it still was great performance . The Spica were the first speaker to be designed entirely on a computer .
i once had a lafayette tube amplifier which had been modified . It sounded so good that one day I took it to a friends store so that he could hear it .It had enourmous output tranformers and was very heavy .
My friend was the dealer down hear of the spica brand and he connected the amplifier to the spicas with some Randall Research speaker cables .
As music he put on the cd of Andreas Vollenhiemers "Caverna Magica" , magic cavern where it starts with recording of the footsteps of people walking into the cavern which as as soon as they entered you could hear the reflections of their footsteps in the cavern
We had heard this recording on dozens of systems but when this cut played this time with the spicas and the old lafayette the reflections of the footsteps of the people entering the cave formed before our eyes the exact shape of the cave with size and rounded ceiling on top . We were amazed at what we heard . My friend made a comment of how great the amps focus was . But I knew that the real champ in this were the spicas . Any other speaker would have distorted this phase relationship and thus the shape of the cave no matter how good was the focus of the amplifier . I have had 4 pairs of these speakers , everytime selling them and then buying new pairs . I kept to this day the forth pair . The spica was , are and will be remarkable speakers for a very long time and even to this day can compete in imaging to the very best the world can come out with .
The Time Widows sound spacious not because of them being time coherent designs but because they employed this trick... the use of wide angle, hemisperical dispersion. Mounting two sets of drivers on narrow planes angled away each other goes along way to acheiving this effect. I used to own some Radford omni speakers that did very much the same thing.
I have a pair of DCM Time window 3's. They are fantastic. Speaker placement is critical. Never heard the one's, but you can pry my 3's from my cold dead hands.
They also need some serious power to shine. 100w+ of vintage watts.
Come to my house and listen to my Marantz 2325, Sansui 929 and my TW 3'S. You'll like them Steve.
I'm listening to this video through DCM Time Windows. I had a whole stereo store of speakers to check out while I worked there. If they are set up right and you use clean electronics(I got Nikko Alpha+Beta amp+pre) they are very detailed, clean, yet warm. they do need help on the very bottom end though.
I had a pair of Spica TC50s as my intro to good audio. Teamed with a Rotel integrated amp and a Systemdek turntable, they created magic! I knew that everyone said they had no deep bass, but with nothing to compare them to, I never really noticed. The imaging and midrange were superb, female vocals were seductive, and I honestly still miss having them.
In it's day, what I had was considered to be entry level audiophile, but it was all I could afford, and it was so damn enjoyable!
Unfortunately, these days I can barely afford entry level, but entry level has been improving a lot, and with wise choices you can still put together a system that can seduce you with musical magic.
I went with Vandersteen IIa's in 1981. I still have them and love them!
Hahah! I also had a Bose 501’s and I heard the Time Windows at a dealer in Grand Rapids MI around 1978. They must have had this room set up perfectly because I heard the pure magic that eluded you Steve. I never bought a pair but I thought they were awesome.
Looks like Peter Aczel was right from most all of the comments here. I had the same experience with the KEF Q950's you praised as you had with the Time windows. I've lived with the KEF's for couple of years and have run them with different amp's tube and SS and they always come up short. I know there's people that love them they're just not what I like in a speaker. I picked up a pair of Time Frame 1a's from the original owner which is probably the improved version of what you listened to. With just a clean up I paired them with my 40 watt Luxkit/Luxman EL34 A3500 and the Elekit TU-8500 Tube Preamp I built. Even being all original from the mid to late 80's they sound so much better than the KEF's. Much easier to set-up(placement) and achieve excellent sound. Then I paired them with the Outlaw RR2160 and those 2 pieces clicked. Even though decades apart they are made for each other. I've had a lot of good speakers and these are the ones I'll keep. I sold the Q950's within a couple months because I knew I wouldn't be using them anymore.
Haha. I own a pair of DCM Timewindows that I bought in 1987 and still use every day. They lasted me through the loud college years and everything since. I’ve never regretted the purchase.
In 1980 my college buddy sold me his JBL-L100a loudspeakers. He replaced the JBLs with Time Windows. He also bought a David Hafler amplifier to power them.
I learned an audiophile lesson from listening to the the Time Windows and JBLs.
System choices really do impact the quality characteristics of the sound an audio system creates.
The JBLs sounded good with my Luxman amp (I still use them).
The Time Windows powered by a David Hafler amplifier we’re different sounding.
Some people, like my college buddy, are more open to trying unique audio equipment.
We’re better off because of the kind of experimentation the Time Windows represent.
I can’t tell you how many speaker auditions left me high and dry. I recently heard a 25k pair of speakers at a House and was very disappointed
I have the Time Frame 700's and they wrap my room in a soundstage unlike any other speaker I have heard- as if the musician was in the room. For me I like speakers to recreate a live experience over a "studio" experience and that seems to be where DCM excelled.
Great video, I’m just now seeing my father was a fan of the Time windows he’d never gotten a pair all the years , and I found 2 pair years later just before my dad passed. He was glad and excited. I found them to be nice and clean relaxed sounding. They could also benefit from a good sub if used these days
The enemy is Expectation, number one. Number two, thinking that there is perfection in audio, or anything else. "The Perfect is the enemy of the Good."
Funny, after the ubiquitous Advent speakers, I considered both the Time Windows AND the Spica TC 50’s. I too ventured from Manhattan to LI (this was the early eighties) but to audition the Spica’s. I drove out there, Spica’s required stands and I thought a subwoofer would help. They were nice re imaging and balance. The Time Windows I discovered at a long defunct shop in Danbury CT, a chain called Tweeters. The Time Windows sounded pretty good more “heft” than the Spica’s. I believe they are transmission line speakers. I remember buying them because my future wife and I had the biggest fight of our relationship-she hated them appearance wise. I liked them for a while. I eventually moved on to a terrific speaker at the time the Snell Type D. By this time I discovered Singer (an audiophile equivalent to a Coach house)and purchased a Linn entry level turntable and a Krell KST100 (I still have the Krell), CJ pre amp. Etc. I have wildly digressed. The DCM Time window was a decent entry level speaker IMOP. Back then, of course.
That dealer mustn’t have had the Time Windows set up very well. I had a pair, and they were great. The only problem I had with them is that I had cats - and, frankly, those three-foot-tall mostly cylindrical towers wrapped in extremely open-cell acoustic foam struck the feline population as the ultimate in scratching posts. It got to the point where I had to keep them covered in yard-waste-sized garbage bags when I wasn’t listening to them, and eventually switched to something more cat-proof.
I think the reason few people remember Time Windows is that DCM followed them up with the Time Frames, which were an attempt to get the same result from a more standard-shaped speaker, and it apparently didn’t catch on well with the audiophile community, after which they opted to move to mass-market products. A pity, really.
Incidentally, it's interesting that you mention the Spica TC-50, because that's one speaker that _I_ just "didn’t get." (In fact, I listened to them, found myself quite unimpressed, and wound up getting the Time Windows a few weeks later.) On the other hand, I thought the Spica Angelus sounded really nice, and almost bought a used pair of them in the post-Time Window years.
I bought a pair of Time Windows a few years ago. I’m no audiophile, but I’ve heard truly great speakers (I recall going to a friends and listening to a Beatles: Anthology record, closing my eyes, and pointing to where each instrument was…a revelation). I love these and maybe I’m easily impressed, but they have great imaging. And I played “Hey Jude” on vinyl for me and my mom and we both heard things we’ve never heard before. So it’s possible/probable my standards aren’t high enough, but I love my Time Windows. For $225, they were a bargain.
sometime around 1980 i'd never heard of the time windows but frequented a shop that had some in and they were raving about them, and like you i just didn't hear it. they were friends so not trying to sell them to me so much. in that era i always loved anything by kef. also some esl-57 i enjoyed. i wish i'd bought up all the dynaco sterero 70s i could have had my hands on :) over the years i have often enjoyed cheap department store type speakers as much as any. i only use headphones now
I've got a pair and they sound great, the best imaging of any speaker I own and I've got 2 pallets stacked to ceiling I don't use. I've had them hooked to TOTL Sansui's, Kenwood's, Marantz, and Pioneer's. I rate them above my big Advents, Heresys, JBL 4311's, or Altec Lansing Santanas….
My father bought a pair when they first came out, when I sold him my Martin Logan’s he moved the DCM’s upstairs to their den where they have remained to this day. They are still working well actually. I never thought they were that special, but at the time I was a kid and thought it was cool to tell my friends, my dad has these crazy shaped speakers called “Time Windows”. :)
Picked up a pair with decent braided cables included for $ 120.00 Canadian tonight. They have obviously been looked after, if I don’t like them I will sell them again. I will match them up with a Sansui AU 717 that I already have.
See how it goes.
You might need a bit more power, sub too
I have the Time Window speakers and my only complaint is that they don't have the best transient response. Compared to my DIY bookshelf speakers using the dayton DS135-8 5" woofer and DC25T-8 1" tweeter, they get crushed by the clarity of the bookshelf speakers (especially in vocals and acoustic instruments). At the same time, this makes the Time Windows a bit less fatiguing. Mind you, the material cost is less than $200 for the pair. In terms of soundstage though, the Time Windows beat my bookshelves without even trying. They have an incredibly convincing phantom center channel (I've been fooled into thinking the actual center channel speaker was playing). You don't even have to be in the 'sweet spot' for these speakers to disappear, due to their angled baffle. These towers are incredibly well suited for casual (non-analytical) listening due to their non fatiguing frequency response, warmth, and room filling sound without even getting loud.
I sold audio equipment through the late CMC in the Kansas City area back in the 70's. We continually heard about the DCM Time Windows, which we didn't sell. The closest dealer that had them was Kief's in Lawrence, Kansas - about 35 miles west of us. Odd thing is despite hearing all about how superior they were to anything we had, I never met anyone who'd actually purchased a pair. As far as similar era speakers that were DEFINITELY terrific, the Rectilinear XII's come to mind!
Funny, but my experience with the Time Windows were that they sounded much better than they should. Very pleasing sound, with no apparent, obvious faults. Perhaps a slightly fat bass, but in a pleasing way (I could change my mind if I heard them again). I do remember enjoying them. They had a spacious sound without resorting to the Bose trickery. It created a nicely-sized sound stage. But the Spica TC50's? Really? I thought they SUCKED. No bass, dry and harsh.
They were pretty good, but I went with the Dahlquist DQ-10 instead. That was 1978 and they are still my main speakers
Steve I was at OU Norman Okla and such a regular at Thompson sound they mostly tolerated me. But one salesman yelled "Rick!" Come in the 1st soundroom! Ientered, he rushed me into listening position and "Put "Who's Next on the tt playing thruDQ10s and my life changed forever!! I still force my son to listen to that story. Better than sex!
Mark, a friend and I went on a quest to find new speakers (we were each independently ready for upgrading our systems). We were serious enough to drive from Detroit to Chicago just to audition the Ohm Fs. We liked their smoothness, but ultimately preferred the DQ-10s over everything thing else that was anywhere near our price range. Great speakers!
I have two pairs of TW 3's and love them. Most exciting speaker I've owned, including the Spice TC-50, Klipsch Heresey, Cornwall, KG4, and Forte, JBL L100, Large Advents, Altec Bolero 890C, and many others. Never heard the TW 1's, though. Non-fatiguing and many life-like moments when combined with vintage tube amps (though they're probably a bit underpowered, they sounds so real with tubes).