Just wondering. It seems that the current DCM company can not repair the Time Window Seven speakers. They have a few drivers left but they do not do work on the crossovers.

Any ideas on where he went? I may have a crossover issue.

Try contacting someone at the Southeastern Michigan Woofer and Tweeter Marching Society, http://provide.net/~djcarlst/smwtms.htm who may be able to provide some contact information.

Thanks, I'll give that a shot.

Tracy, Steve is still in the Ann Arbor area. What problems are you having? I also have a set of the Sevens and I do have a copy of the crossover schematic for them. Steve has been working with me on a center channel to match the level of the TW7s. The new cabinet and drivers are done and I'll have the crossover finished in a couple of weeks when the rest of the parts come in. The four inductors for the time delay circuit was the hardest part to get right. All of their inductors were custom made at DCM. Steve is a great guy to talk to and very helpful. I try to absorb as much as I can. It amazes me on how he came up with the ideas in speaker designs that he did. As much as I've read on how impressed people were on the TimeWindows series (original's,1a's, and the 3's) very few have ever had the chance listened to Steve's signature series, the TimeWindow Seven's. All I can is say is "Steve, thankyou very much." Let me know if I can help.

Hey Jamie,

I bought a pair of Three's new and have been amazed with them. I have been searching for a pair of Sevens for three years. Only now have I found a local pair. Most that have been for sale, the sellers will not ship them.

As for my new pair, the left speaker is noticabily softer than the right speaker. I have my system calibrated with a sound meter and the left is +3 over the right speaker. The left is also slightly muffeled compaired to the right. I carefully pealed the cloth down to check the drivers. They are intact and have no visable damage and are working. My only thoughts were that the crossovers need repairing or the drivers might have been changed. I am driving the speakers with a Sunfire amp and I do not have the problem with my Threes.

Any thoughts? Thanks for your assistance. Are you a poster on the Tivo and Deal Database forums too?

Tracy

Steve has been working with me on a center channel to match the level of the TW7s. The new cabinet and drivers are done and I'll have the crossover finished in a couple of weeks when the rest of the parts come in.

Keep me informed on this project as well. None of the DCM centers or surrounds can keep up with my Threes, much less the Sevens. I currently have a Tannoy S6C as my center. Fairly close sonically but throw it an action flick at near reference, it gets really scary. :eek:

Not in a good way. :(

Tracy, I talk to Steve earlier today about your problem, he had a few suggestion.

1) Make sure that you don't have two rights or lefts (apparently there must have been cases where this has happened).
2) Check to see if the right and left are on the correct sides (on the TW7, the outboard drivers are 6 db lower that the inside drivers. If you room is not symmetrical-one speaker closer to a side wall than the other- the one closer to the side wall will be louder).
3) Listen to make sure all seven drivers are working, including the rear firing tweeter.
4) Remove the crossovers from the speaker and check for damage. Steve said that they had a pair shipped once upside down and dropped. You could break loose one of the lager inductors. To remove the crossover assembles you need to remove the terminal cup first, part of the crossover is attached to it. Once that is out, use a flash light to look inside. you will see a single wood screw holding one end of the main board down. After that the board lifts out. there is just enough slack in the wires to get it all the way out. Check for any loose spade connectors. I know there are three circuit breakers and one "light bulb"- check for continuity.

That should be about it.

The TimeWindow Seven used a custom made tweeter, it was diamond coated. Stereo Direct was selling them new on E-bay, I don't know if they have any left. I picked up some for spares. The 6.5" midrange drivers were custom made also according to Steve. The CX17 and CX27 (Ebay) used them also, if you need replacements. The woofers were off the shelf Vifa. The OEM grill cloth was from Trend Textile.

I hope this helps, and no I not the poster on the Tivo and Deal Database forums.

I'll let you know when I'm finished with the center speaker. I need to come up with a name for it. Maybe "TW7 Center"?

Jamie

Hey Jamie,

Thanks for your thoughts and running my situation by Steve. I do have one left and one right and I do have them on the correct side. The right speaker is the furthest from the side walls but it is 4db louder than the right. All drivers are working. I will pull the crossover tomorrow. I know how to check for continuity so maybe something will turn up there.

I saw the tweeters on EBay. I didn;t know if they were the originals because it states them as being 8ohm. I thought the TW7 drivers were 4ohm but if this is correct I guess the total ohm rating changes when all drivers are connected together.

Do you have any idea who made the tops? The black laminate is starting to separate on mine. I can glue them but I thought you or Steve might have a lead on them. I have been told there were two different versions. Do you know anything about it? Mine look like MDF coated with some type of black laminate.

Thanks for all the info. Please keep in touch especially with updates or photos of the TW7C. I would like to hear more about the drivers, configuration and how you are building the crossovers. Feel free to post or email me directly.

Tracy
tracy@rainwaterphotography.com

Jamie,

I took the crossover out. I do not see a circuit breaker unless it is the blue plastic rectangular component that I do not know what they are. I see two of those. As for the light bulb, the filament is broken inside the tube. What is this used for? Could it be my problem? Looks like it would be a potential heat source. All spade connectors are properly seated. Thanks again for your assistance.

Tracy

OK, I might have answered one of my questions. Is the lamp used to protect the tweeters? If can not safely jumper it, where can I get a replacement?

I may as well get a source for the other circuit breakers as well if you have it. I am now assuming that the previous owner had a lot of fun with these Sevens.

I noticed that Circuit City is selling DCM speakers online at a very affordable price. Is this the same company as the original DCM? Are they good speakers for the $?

I know they went belly up for a period and then the name along with other rights was bought and DCM was resurrected. I'm curious whether Eberbach has any involvement with the present company. I'd appreciate any additonal info.

DCM was bought out by Mitek, the makers of MTX speakers. They do not know much about the original DCM's products. I had called to get a schematic for the crossovers. The lady that I spoke with said they didn't receive much info on the original DCM's speakers. As far as the quality, I do not know.

Tracy, the circiut breakers are the blue plastic boxes. They should reset automatically. Parts Express sell them if you need them, just match the rating of 1.75A. There should be three, two are stacked. The light bulb does protect the tweeters. The filament is very fine, is there continuity across it? All of the tweeters are on it. If it's blown, you wont hear anything out of them. The later CX17s used them but with a lower rating, the older ones didn't. I would suppose that you could bypass it, but you would loose the protection. I don't know of a source for replacement. The tops were subbed out. Your best bet would be to strip it, then have a auto body shop epoxy primer it, paint it black, then clear coat it.

Chu Gia, Steve is no longer associated with DCM.

The light bulb does protect the tweeters. The filament is very fine, is there continuity across it? All of the tweeters are on it. If it's blown, you wont hear anything out of them.

The filament is visibly broken. The tweeters still work even with the broken filament. There must be another path for the tweeter circuit. I did temporarily jumper the lamp closed to see if it made a difference. I could hear a noted difference in the sound but I had the volume really low, just in case.

If you and Steve do not know about a replacement I may try something unorthodox. From the best of my testing knowledge, the tweeter circuit is around 12 volts DC going through the lamp. I will get a 12 volt interior car lamp, and create a socketed "bridge" off of the crossover board for the lamp. If I am wrong on this let me know but I think it will work as long as I keep it around 1.5 amps. Any thoughts about that solution.

Also, I am dieing to hear the details of the TW7C. I had actually thought about using one tweeter, one 6" and one 8" driver from DCM to create a center. I was not sure how to go about the crossover. What is your plan? I did buy the last three tweeters from Stereo Direct.

Oh, I forgot to ask. What does the potentiometer do?

Tracy, the tweeter circuit runs through the bulb, nothing runs parallel with it. Did you actually check it for continuity? Steve said if it is indeed open, you can bypass it with a .68 to .75 ohm resistor. If you want to replace it, make sure that the bulb has a welded filament otherwise you will add distortion. The best solution may be to buy a used CX17 for parts. The bulb in that is rated at 1.0A instead of 1.4A. You would have the protection, but at a lower level. The 6.5" driver is the same used in the seven. The wire wound pot is to attenuate the tweeter level.

The design on the center channel is based off the CX17. The new cabinet is made from 1" black walnut that was stain black with Indian ink and finished with 7 coats of polyurethane, wet sanded and wheeled. From a few feet back it looks like a piano black finish, when you look close you can see the wood grain. The front and middle baffles are made from 1/4"lead laminated with 1/8" dense vinyl. The rear baffle is 1/2" thick, removable and made from just laminated vinyl. The cabinet has the same look as the CX17 with the chamfered edges but is longer and deeper. the internal volume was increased by 10% (Steve said that the original design for the CX17 was made 10% smaller for better use of stock materials). It still uses the 6.5" diver (the same as the Seven) but the tweeter was upgraded to the ones used in the Sevens. It is diamond coated and the magnet is larger. The crossover uses the same circuit board as the CX17, but two of them like in the Sevens. I saved the low pass inductor, the circuit breaker, the dampening circuit inductor (which had to be rewound), and the bulb. To upgrade to the Seven's level you have to change the values of the cap and inductor in the dampening circuit for the new tweeter, add the delay circuit (which includes four inductors, seven caps and one resistor), add a 5 ohm pot and a 10 ohm resistor in parallel to the one tweeter to compensate for dropping the other two out from the Sevens design. All the resistors are Mills. the caps are all Panasonic polypropylene except for one Axon for the high pass and one Blackgate in the dampening circuit. The inductors used in the Sevens used spools with powder iron cores all custom wound at DCM. The problem was that the four inductors used in the delay circuit need to be spaced properly because they interact. The inductors are not available so I had to cannibalize the inductors from four other CX17 I previously bought for parts, strip them, and rewind to the new values. I used the same layout on the boards then for the new crossover. The cabinet and grill are done. I'm waiting on some parts to finish the crossover. When I'm finished, Steve offered to come over test it against the Sevens and tweak it, if necessary. I'll try and take some pictures tonight and see if I can figure out to post them.

The bulb does not have continuity but the tweeters work. Also, I only have two of the blue circuit breakers on mine. Maybe I have a larger problem.

http://www.rainwaterphotography.com/My Stuff/Crossover.jpg

Tracy, were circuit breaker #1 is there should be two 1.75A stacked in parallel. These are strictly for the woofers. #2 takes care of the mids and tweeters. The pot on the the board is not for the tweeters. The one for them is mounted on cup marked 'spectal balance" along with low and mid adjustments. The pot on the board looks like it in the band pass filter, it should be 5ohm 5W. I would have to check with Steve. After the #2 circuit breaker, one side splits to the midrange drivers and the other side goes to a 3.0 uf cap (the high pass filter), the light bulb, the pot on the spectal balance cup, then splits off for the dampening and delay circuits for the tweeters. You shouldn't be getting anything from the tweeters in the bulb is bad. Remove the board and see if maybe someone bypassed it underneath. Also, part of the tweeter circuit is on the board mounted to the back of the terminal cup. What are the positions of the pots on the spectal balance controls? Are they the same on both speakers. I would also pull the crossovers out of the other speaker and compare the wiring in case the previous owner tried to fix things himself. Good Luck

Jamie

Jamie,

I know what you are saying about the stacked circuit breakers. There's just one there. I looked at the other crossover for the right speaker and it too has only two circuit breakers. There are none stacked. The spectral balance knobs are as follows, left to right: full clock-wise, 12:00 position and full clock-wise position. They are both set the same. I have the calibration sheets that came with the speakers and they are set as they were calibrated at DCM.

I did find a schematic and see all the circuit breakers there, but I am one short on both crossovers. Maybe there was a revision for some reason. I did a quick test earlier. I used a jumper wire with alligator clips to close the lamp circuit. It made the highs even more muted and it sounded like the speaker was in a tunnel, slightly echoed with enhanced mids.

I am going to pull the lamp and replace it with a .68 ohm 2 watt resistor that I found locally. If that doesn't work, ask Steve if he would be willing to work on it. For a fee of course.

OK, I put the resistor in place of the lamp. It brought the level of that speaker up. I haven't metered it yet but it is closer to the right speaker. It still does not have the "clarity" and "crispness" of the other speaker. I removed one of the tweeters. It had D23 printed on the back and K21TNM printed below that. Can you confirm this is the correct driver? I didn't want to pull the fabric down off the other speaker.

Thanks as always.
Tracy

Tracy, that's the correct driver. Does it have any hand written marks on it? Also, I would use a non inductive resistor of at least 5W. Percy Audio has a .68 and .75 ohm 5W (MRA-5) or .75 ohm 12W (MRA-12) made by Mills. It should make a difference.

It has a R written on it. It was on the right side of the speaker. I guess the left one would have an L on it. What else would make the sound different? When I ran calibration test tones from my processor there was a big difference in the timber of the sound between the left and right speakers. I would assume they should sound the same.

Would the 5watt resistor make a difference in the sound or just the protection to the tweeters? Thanks for being my personal tech support. :D

All the resistors in the the crossover are rated at 5W so I would use the same. It' not for protection. There is a resistant value for the light bulb, if you take it out of the circuit you need to compensate for it. That's what Steve did by suggesting that range of value. The important factor is the the resistor be "non inductive". It should make a difference in sound. I'm still concerned that you are getting any sound at all from the tweeters with the bulb blown. I would put both speakers side by side and pull the crossovers out so you could compare each wire on how it's connected. I you are good at following the schematic, trace the circuit. It's tough because the TW7 crossover is quite complex with 45 components.

No problem with the help. I've been fortunate that I've had help for good people, including Steve. It's just giving back were I can. Hey, us DCM fans have to support ourselves if the new DCM Co can't.

More digging last night. Both crossovers are wired the same. I also looked at the tweeter board and no modifications had been made as far as I can tell.

I found a 12V 10watt lamp online. If my calculations are correct that would make it .833333 amps. Will that work or should I look into a resistor? I did find some .75 ohm 5 watt 1% resistors.

I had an interesting conversation with a local A/V shop owner yesterday. He carries some pretty nice stuff: Lexicon, Sunfire, NAD, Martin Logan, Tannoy, Runco.... He was also a DCM dealer and sold lots of Sevens. He said he had a pair come in with one of the crossovers broken. He called DCM to get a part to repair them himself. The tech he spoke with told him that they would pick the speakers up, repair and them reship them to him. He told the tech he wanted the specific part so he could repair it himself because he had multiple buyers for the speakers. The tech told him that he would be happy to send the part but it most likely would not sound like the other speaker after the repair. Sure enough, he replaced the part and the speaker sounded totally different that the other. He had both speakers sent back to DCM. When they came back they were perfect. The tech said that each pair was hand tuned and that sometimes different parts were needed to match them to their specifications. Two different sets of Sevens could have slightly different crossovers. Sounds strange to me but I am no audio engineer.

The only lamp close that I have found is http://www.1000bulbs.com/product.php?product=5982

12 volt 18 watt, which = 1.5 amps. There is not mention about the filament being welded or not. It's a wedge base but it would not be difficult to make it work. I can not find the original lamp any where. Surely they were not custom made.

Tracy, I would just stick with the resistor. Just make sure it's "non inductive".

I passed on the comment from your local A/V shop owner to Steve. This was his reply:

[Jamie:
Looks to me like the technician did not have right equipment to match speakers to standard. Something could be broken and the only way to know what was broken would be to carefully analyze the speakers. I do not know if the “new” DCM still has the equipment needed. But MTX did take everything, just don’t know if they kept it or still know how to use it.

Steve]

Jamie

What does the non-inductive aspect of the resistor do for the circuit. They seem to be harder to find and Percy Audio has a $25 minimum.

Tracy,
Try this site - http://speaker.rosaryshop.com/index.php/r/components. You'll have $2 for the resistor (Mills Resistor .68 Ohm 5W R-R68-5 ) and $8 S/H. I normal see if there is anything else I would need from a supplier like Percy because the small order is tough.

Jamie

Hey Jamie,

Are you using one of each of the drivers from the Sevens in the TW7C? What are the crossover points? Any photos yet? I'll obsess on your project as mine is on hold.

It seems that I have to play the waiting game on the resistors as the rosaryshop.com will not ship them until March 24th. I may try and call them in the morning to see if they can ship them sooner.

Also, if you have a clear copy of the crossover schematic could you email me a copy? My copy was faxed and it is hard to read all the component values.

Thanks !!!!!!!!!

Tracy,
You might want to get two of those resistors in case you need to replace the good bulb in the other speaker, posibly to match. I'll see what I can do to get you a better copy of the scematic. Steve had to fill in some of the missing lines and values on mine. I'm using one 6.5" driver and one new TW7 tweeter. Here are some pictures. The crossover is attached to a removeable rear baffle. When it's finished I will post a picture. The smaller speaker is a normal CX17 for comparison.

I had the same though about getting two resistors. I hope that will solve my problem. I still fear that there might be something else. 4db difference is significant not to mention the difference in timber. Hopefully the new resistor will make a difference.

The photos look great. What was your reasoning for not using the 8" driver as well? Is it purely a size and weight issue? What are you calculating the frequency response, power handling and ohm rating to be. Also, I would love to see and hear about the crossover. I had originally thought about using one of each driver and a stock crossover to match as close as I could. I might need to pay you to build one for me. :D :D :D

Tracy,
I would think that the frequency response should be slightly better at both ends with the TW7 tweeter and increasing the box volume by 10% (any more than that and I would lose the tuning of the box- the CX17 was originally designed to be 10% larger than it is). The CX17 is a good speaker as is. It's a ported transmission line and gets good bass response for it's size. The main goal is for accuracy. The ways that I doing this is to highly dampen the enclosure and more important, to add the delay circuit of the TW7 to the tweeter circuit to make the speaker "time aligned". To my understanding, there were only a few speaker manufacturer's that did this and Steve did it very well. It's one of the things that make the TimeWindows and TimeFrames what they are. To add a woofer, you would have to change the design of the enclosure and to my understanding a horizontal arrangement is normally not desirable (lobing problems?). If I feel a need for more lower end (I haven't so far), I would rather cross it over to the sub or mains, or Steve suggested a small dedicated sub underneath it (doubled as a stand). Power handling and ohm rating should be the same. 100w 8ohm. I'm still waiting on parts for the crossover. When it's done, I'll post some photos

Jamie

Hey Jamie,

I installed a Mills .68 ohm 5 watt resistor is place of the lamp. I hear no difference in the speaker. Also it is still about 4 db less output than the other speaker and still muffled.

What now? I even plugged one of the new tweeters in on the inside panel. Are they wired in series or parallel? My schematic is either incomplete or it assumes the reader knows more than I do. The wiring diagram is incomplete for the tweeters.

What is the possibility that the spectral balance pots are damaged? I was trying to think of what to check that was in that circuit. Caps do not usually go bad unless they start to swell due to age. I don't much about inductors but they are mostly copper wiring. :confused: :confused: :confused:

Tracy,
Sorry to hear that your still having problems. To really get into the cross over yourself you'll need a LCR meter, one that can read inductance, capacidance and resistance. Look on ebay. I can email you a better copy of the crossover schematic for the correct values. Start checking each piece. How are you testing the tweeters only? Are you using a high freq sine wave? They are wired in series with the inboard 1st, outboard 2nd and rear 3rd. I've attached a photo of the part of the crossover dealing with the tweeter circuit, labeling the components. L4, C16 and R13 are part of the midrange. It starts with C7 as the high pass filter, then the bulb, then a wire going to pot on the spectral balance cup, then back to the circuit board. From there it splits, first to C8 and L6 to ground (this is the dampening circuit), then to the delay circuit shown on the rest of the schematic. The order between C7 and the delay circuit are different then the schematic. As you can see, if you did not get continuity across the blown bulb, you should not have gotten anything to the tweeter. So I'm questioning how you tested them. If you were indeed hearing something, some how the circuit was altered to bypass the bulb. The red caps are mylar, the larger round are bipolar electrolytics, the resistors are non-inductive. The pot is 5ohm 5W, a good replacement would be Digi-Key # is CT2150-ND. I would be suprised if something was wrong with one of the inductors. With those you could just rewind if you need to. Good luck.

Jamie

With the tweeters, I removed them from the mid driver to verify they were working. I used music to test since I was just concerned whether they were working or not. I used the test tones in my Sunfire TG III to check the output using a sound level meter. The speaker in question sounds muffled and totally different in the upper mid and high frequencies using the test tones. The bass is fine.

I thought if they were wired in series if the first in the chain was damaged, but still working, it might effect all three. I spoke with the guy who sold the speakers to the original owner. He said the owner was notorious for cranking up the volume. I also bought the amp he was driving them with. It's a Sunfire Theater Grand rated at 400wpc into 4 ohms. Plenty of power to damage the tweeters. Apparently enough to melt the lamp filament. As to why they were working at all..........I do not know. Other than my repair, nothing looks suspicious.

Could you post a close up photo of the trace side of the tweeter board. There are a couple of traces that are soldered together. That's the only thing I can think of.

It sounds like you have your hands full. Would Steve be willing to look at the crossover if I shipped it to him? Is there a way to contact him directly. I know he may not want every DCM owner contacting him but this may be a bit beyond my rudimentary knowledge. I know my way around a pinball machine PCB. I am a collector. This has me stumped. The only thing I know to do is to start replacing parts.

Thanks !!!!!!

So what is Steve doing now?

Tracy,
I talked to Steve this afternoon. He is at a lost, as I, on how you were getting anything to the tweeters with the bulb blown. He said to fully diagnose your problem, he would need the complete speaker and his old test equipment which he doesn't have. The tweeter circuit extends to both boards. There are some jumpers between the traces if that is what you are talking about. Like I mentioned before, I would compare the crossovers from both speakers closely side by side for any difference in jumpers and how the driver leads and wires from the three spectral balance pots are plugged into the boards. You may want to get a test CD with different individual frequencys to narrow down the problem. Rives Audio Test CD 2 is one or you can find sine waves on the internet that you can download and burn. The problem may be in one of the drivers. You might have to isolate them to find out. I need to scan the cleaned up schematic so I can send it to you. Try and trace the first part of the tweeter circuit pass the C7 cap. If something was bypassed I would look there first. There are a pair of CX17s and a single CX17 in black on Ebay right now if you are still looking for parts or a center speaker. If you are not up to the task, you may need to search for a speaker repair shop. I think if you invest in a LCR meter and a test CD, you could probably find the problem yourself.

Jamie

What type of equipment is required?

I'm guessing a spectral analyzer, calibrated mic and probably some more expensive equipment. Plus, Steve does have any replacement parts. I don't think that he can help you. Sorry. I've e-mailed you a cleaned up copy of the TW7 schematic.

Well for those interested, I finally finished the crossover for my center speaker. I am very satisfied with the results. Here are some photos as promised. The last one is of the speaker assuming it's position between the Sevens.

Jamie

Also I forgot to mention, it weighs in at 45 lbs!

Great-looking speaker Jamie. Did Steve have a chance to hear it yet? I like the extra touches you added since our last correspondence. The custom terminal cup and the adjustable pot for the highs specifically. Did you find the speaker was a little too bright or did you want the flexibility the pot offered? Do you have a feel for the total cost of the speaker? Just curious.

Well done and thanks again for all your assistance with my Sevens. Now you can start on my TW7 Center. :D :D :D

Tracy, The pot is part of the original design. I have not played with it yet and let it in the centered position. Cost is hard to come up with since I already had the black walnut, lead and other material. I suppose if I had to buy everything new, I might have $200-$300 including the CX17 donor. Labor would be another thing, but hey, it's a hobby. Maybe I should start a third business! Just kidding. Steve has not heard it yet. He's been pretty busy with a lot going on. He said that he's looking forward to it. Time to break out some cold beer and Pink Floyd!

The first question is: What do the chalk-marks on the tweeters and woofers mean? I called DCM and asked if it's okay to try to tighten the drivers. They said yes. Would this interfere with the chalk marks? Also, do the original Time-Windows have the right and left designations(and does that mean when you are facing them)? What are the setup parameters for the speakers? I vaguely remember(and so does my brother) that they should be about 3 feet from the back wall. I also remember some stands that were hella shaky that lifted the speakers about a foot off the ground. They seemed to make the Time-Windows more spacious, but destroyed the bass.

From what I remember Steve telling me, the chalk marks are for line up for the best frequency response of the drivers when they were tested. Of the TimeWindow, only the 3's and 7's have the right and left designations. It's been said that the early TimeWindows and the 1a's benefited by putting them on a 9" stand. Six to seven foot separation is recommended and they did like to be off the side and back wall, but like most speakers, the bass will start to drop off. My 1a's benefited with a subwoofer, the Sevens in the middle of the room would put most subs to shame.

I just recently got the Nuforce 8.5's. I have the original DCM's(the three's were recommended to me for my situation, but from what I read here and intuition, it will keep me from the 3's as an update.) These Nuforce's play the bass, even on analog! I want to mention Mapleshade's recommendation of having a tweeter lower than you ears. That might affect the 9-inch stand recommendation.

Hauser, I will try to investigate the 7's. I am interested in tightening the drivers, and I was wondering about the effect-due to the chalk marks. The tweeter seems to have two different tightening mechanisms-an outer one and an inner one. With the bass, I'm less hesitant, although it is curious that they have chalk-marks also.

It's you ears, not your ears?

Since you gave me advice, Hauser, I want to recommend two things. One(and this is from Naim) separate power cables from signal cables. The second(from Mapleshade) says to elevate your cables at least 8 inches from the floor(I used 3-16 inch styrofoam cups from the Dollar Tree.).

Mmakshak, I talked to Steve E. about your tweeters. There is no adjustment. The tweeters were torque to a specific amount but he does no remember the figure. He said to just "snug" them up evenly. He also mentioned before there is another school of thought that recommends that the tweeters be above ear level. I have read many older posts telling how much the original TW and the 1a benefited with the 9" stand.

I'm missing something in your 2nd post "It's you ears, not your ears?"

If you are looking at the Seven's you'll find that they are hard to come by with only 200 sets built. I would definitely look at the Three's. They are a much more refined speaker that the original or the 1a and do come up on Ebay once and a while.

Thanks for the tips.

I have a pair of Time Windows (passed down from my father) that I'm hoping to use in a home theatre set-up. Does anyone have any recommendations for a center speaker I should purchase that will produce the best voice-matching capabilities with these speakers?

I'm looking to spend in the $300-$500 range and would like to get a balanced sound.

Keep looking on EBay for a DCM CX-17. They are great sonic matches to the Time Window series. Nothing else is close. I would not recommend the DCM CX Center.

Maybe if Jamie wants another project, you could pay him to built a custom DCM TW7 Center for you. How about it Jamie? :D :D :D

Thanks Tracy.

So I'm a bit new to this - DCM CX-17's are bookshelf speakers - can they handle the needs of a center speaker functionality? Would that sound better than buying a brand new center speaker from a different vendor?

Thanks Tracy.

So I'm a bit new to this - DCM CX-17's are bookshelf speakers - can they handle the needs of a center speaker functionality? Would that sound better than buying a brand new center speaker from a different vendor?

I was more than a little bit skeptical about the CX-17. Jamie Hauser, our resident DCM guru, spoke highly of them when I was looking to replace my Tannoy center channel speaker. Not only is it a sonic match to my TW 7s and 3s, it can handle any Lord of the Rings DVD on my system at reference levels. :eek: :D :cool:

Needless to say, that's pretty good performance. If you want to look into other manufacturers, Tannoy is the closest I have found. I have a S6C that I want to sell if you are interested. It is in near perfect condition and still under warranty. Honestly, I like the CX-17 better. It sounds better with my Sevens.

Tracy,

I appreciate all the good advice, thanks. I'll let your know on the Tannoy center speaker. I'm still toying with lots of ideas, including buying a new HT speaker set and using the TW1's as a second room stereo option.

Still, the idea of having a vintage HT speaker setup, with TW1's and CX-17s also sounds really cool. Hard choice!

I would like to contact him . Is there any way to email him or call him.? Any help here would be greatly appreciated.

For those interested, I needed to replace the four electrolytic caps that are in my TW3’s crossover since they over 10 years old. I decided if they were going to be taken out of service for awhile, I would really trick them out with new end caps to match the TW7s (sevens side and in piano black). There will also be a matching stand that will be 6’ tall to raise them to the same level as the sevens. I can post photos as I progress if anyone is interested.

Beardown, if you have a specific problem or question for Steve, I could probably ask next time I talk to him. He stays fairly busy and I wouldn’t feel comfortable giving out his number.

Hey Jamie,

You know me...........post away.
What would it take for me to talk you into making me an enclosure like you did for your center? I don't have the tools or skill.

Here are some of the first shots of the TW3 make over.

The first picture is of the TimeWindow series for comparison. The 1a. the 3 and the 7.

Then stripping the old foam off.

New top and bottom plates made from 1-1/8” MDF that are screwed into place with a rubber seal.

The bottom plate

The rebuilt crossover (4 new electrolytic caps and I replaced the 2 Mylar high pass caps with Solen polypropylene) on the new bottom plate showing the gasket.

Here are some photos of dampening behind the drivers and there baskets.

Dampening the front baffle with 1/8" Armstrong floor tile (commercial grade dense vinyl) adhered with clear silicone. They also work very well to use to dampen the sheet metal lids of CD or DVD players.

Damping the complete cabinet with two layers of dense rubber foam

Here are photos of the 6” stand that will be used to raise the TW3s to the same height of the TW7s.

The first one is of the pattern on top of a pieced together blank of 1-1/8” MDF to be traced. After tracing each blank they are rough cut to shape before routering. Once they are all cut I screwed the pattern to a blank and router it out its final shape. From there I glued and clamped a blank to top and bottom to sandwich the new piece. After it was set the center piece is the new pattern. Just router one side then flip it over for the other.

The second photo is the stand after two more blanks are added and is ready to route.

The last one is the bottom of the stand fitted with spikes. The extra set of holes are to bolt the stand to the bottom of the new base.

Here’s the last set of photos for now of the top, base and stand in primer before sealing. The treaded rod is just for support while painting.

The primer is a two-part PPG automotive paint. After sealing, all parts recieved two coats of black (PPG), then three coats of two-part clear (PPG). My brother did the applying of the paint; I did all the prep and wet sanding. That was done a week a go. I still have the other speaker to work on and wet sand the painted parts with 2000-grit paper then wheel out. I will also be making new “socks” to cover the cabinets since they are 2-1/2” taller and I have the OEM grill cloth used on the Sevens.

I’ll post those photos later.

Ah, I couldn’t resist one last photo of the fit up before the grill cover and wet sanding and wheeling the paint.

For those who are still interested here are some finished shots

Jamie

These last shots are some close ups. All and all I'm very pleased with the results.

WOW !!!!!!!
Jamie, maybe you missed your calling in life. You should have gone into speaker repair or cabinet making.

Hey Jamie, Outstanding work! I know how much time it takes to get a nice gloss finish. Anyway I am new to this forum, well I actually found out about this forum after doing a search for a set of TW-7's. What really got me intrigued to sign up is for the fact that you know Steve E. and I just wanted to say hi and see if he remembers Bob Waterstripe? I used to do some work for Bob way back when I was a young lad and Bob still worked for DCM. Thats how I remember Steve and I'm glad to hear that he's still around. It's a shame what happened to DCM as there are only a few company's left that where like DCM. I am living in the Brighton area and I would love to find a set of TW-3's but I am beginning to find out that it's gonna be a long search! Cheers

ToofastGMJ
Thanks for the compliment. Steve has mentioned Bob Waterstripe along with Howard Kraus as the founding partners. Keep looking for the TimeWindow Three's because they still come up on Ebay. I would hold out for them over the originals or 1a's. There was recently two pair that just sold a few days ago. Expect to pay from $500 to $600 a pair plus shipping. The Sevens are rare, expect them to go between $1300 to $1500. Shipping will be expensive because they stand 48" tall and weigh in at 75-80lbs. Good luck in your search.

I would love to find a set of TW-3's but I am beginning to find out that it's gonna be a long search! Cheers

The Threes are pretty sweet on their own. I see them on EBay all the time.

Thanks for the reply guys! I see there is a set of TW's on E-bay right now but the listing doesn't state which model they are. Also I was wondering what kind of problems or sound degration they may have due to their age? The listing states 1979. Cheers All

I am so very happy to have found this thread. I'm a DCM fanatic. I have pairs of TimeWindow 1, TimeWindow SurroundScape, powered TimeWindow SurroundScape, SurroundScape Center, TimeFrame TF-400, TimeFrame TF-600, TimeFrame 2000, CX Center, CX-27 (surprisingly good with deep floor-vibrating bass for movies) and KX-7 (surprisingly ordinary and what a harsh horned tweeter). I would love to get a hold of a pair of TimeWindow 3 or 7's. I really wanted to A/B these speakers but this is rather difficult as they play at different levels messing up any comparison as louder tends to sound better. I am not articulate enough nor trained enough to describe the different characteristics of the TimeWindows/SuroundScapes versus the TimeFrames. Can I really tell if there is high frequency diffraction off of the corners of the cabinet? Now DCM has the TFE 200 which I have not heard and cannot believe that they “would wipe the floor with TimeWindows” as the Sensible Sound reviewer said. How can a single set of drivers (TFE200) compare to the dual driver set of the TW's?

I would love to know the design theory behind the TimeWindow cabinet shape (minimal front surface) and the TimeFrame shape (large front surface); both to minimize diffraction??? I think that I like the TimeFrame 2000’s with a pair of Hsu subs the best, but I am not convinced. The SurroundScapes, driven as a stereo pair (no time shifting between the inner and outer drivers?) seem to have a wider sweet spot versus the TimeFrames. So hard to decide so I’ll be keeping them all. It was easier to A/B the CX-27 with the KX-7 as the CX blows away the KX.

Can anyone tell me the difference between the TW1 and TW1a specification-wise and/or cosmetic? My TW shipping box just says Time Windows without any model number; originally purchased by me in 1983. My TW’s have the two plastic strips in the back holding the foam in place forming a gap between the strips where you can see the paperboard cylinder back. I think I remember that TW1a’s as having the foam meet in the back. Maybe the TW back is made from a paper cylinder concrete form?

As others wanted a sonic match as a center for the TW7, maybe choosing the CX-17, how about the SurroundScape Center? It has a 6in woofer and ¾ hard dome tweeter acoustic lens (the CX-17 and 27 having a 6.5in woofer), 92 db, 50-20KHz in a box 7.5x22.5x7.5. I can't imagine why DCM choose the CX Center design (non-acoustic lens) when they could have just used the acoustic lens drivers as they did with the SurroundScape Center; product differentiation I guess.

I emailed with Steve about the SurroundScapes and how they fit in the TimeWindow family a few years ago and I will have to dig them up and post for historical purposes.

Has anyone had a chance to compare the TimeWindow (or TimeFrame for that matter) with any of the Ohm Walsh speakers? I would love to know what Steve has to say comparing the two. I am so tempted to get a pair of Walsh’s to compare to see if the Walsh’s are really superior or just different.

Thanks for the reply guys! I see there is a set of TW's on E-bay right now but the listing doesn't state which model they are. Also I was wondering what kind of problems or sound degration they may have due to their age? The listing states 1979. Cheers All
If it says 1979, their most likely TW1's or 1A's. The Threes did not come out until the late 80's.

The Time Windows have the point in front because it creates two sound fields. They are mirror pairs with a dedicated left and right speaker.

The inner face creates a direct sound field to the main listening area. The outer face creates a diffused sound field that bounces off walls etc., to help create the amazingly wide total sound field. There is even another sound field created from the rear of each speaker. They are all time-aligned so the total sound field is accurate. Steve is a genius.

Yep, I must agree Steve is a genius when it comes to Loudspeakers. You should have seen some of the one off custom work that he built, absolutly beautiful work, and the sound was like no other, at least back in that time. I wonder what ever happened to some of those pieces? I remember Bob had a set of Timewindows matched to what I can remember was a set of matching subs that where "Huge", at least I think they where subs, but all I can remeber is Bob just about blowing the walls down at the condo he lived in! Hey Jamie, maybe you could ask Steve what that set-up was because all I know is it ROCKED!

The inner face creates a direct sound field to the main listening area. The outer face creates a diffused sound field that bounces off walls etc., to help create the amazingly wide total sound field. There is even another sound field created from the rear of each speaker. They are all time-aligned so the total sound field is accurate. Steve is a genius.

Almost like using a set of Tri-Phasers with your standard set of 3-way speakers. Except Steve did it back in the 80's! The Tri-Phasers attempted to do the same thing so when the sound reached your ears it was better time aligned for a more natural sound.

I need some help. :(

I recently obtained a set of TW-3's and during shipping, UPS did their best to mangle them. Unfortunately, the tops took the most abuse and the edges got pretty banged up and chipped. Yes, they ARE solid oak but I think the speakers were being dropped, thrown, dragged, who knows. The packing job was lousy too. Oh well...at least they play and the foam covers are good.

I would like to replace the tops if anyone knows of replacements? Any help will be appreciated. Thanks!

Joe

TwoFasrGMJ wrote:

Thanks for the reply guys! I see there is a set of TW's on E-bay right now but the listing doesn't state which model they are. Also I was wondering what kind of problems or sound degration they may have due to their age? The listing states 1979. Cheers All

Out side of having a damaged or blown driver, The electrolytic caps should be replaced (fairly inexpensive if you can do some basic soldering). The surrounds on the woofers should be butyl rubber and still good. Hold out for the Three's if you can, they are worth the extra money.


JPw501 wrote:
I would like to replace the tops if anyone knows of replacements? Any help will be appreciated

The only replacements that you would find would be used ones, although there was someone on Ebay that was selling replicas that he made. Even if they are cracked, you can repair them with "Gorilla Glue" and clamps. They could then be sanded down to bare wood and restain (golden oak) and finished with polyurethane. Any decent cabinet making shop could also do the repair or build new ones fairly easy. The Three's are worth investing some money into. If you have the end caps off, I would consider replacing the grill cloth at the same time.

Tracy RainH2o said:

The Time Windows have the point in front because it creates two sound fields. They are mirror pairs with a dedicated left and right speaker.

The inner face creates a direct sound field to the main listening area. The outer face creates a diffused sound field that bounces off walls etc., to help create the amazingly wide total sound field. There is even another sound field created from the rear of each speaker. They are all time-aligned so the total sound field is accurate. Steve is a genius.

To add to what Tracy said, and this would apply to the Seven's and the Three's (if the three top pots are in the straight up position) because the outboard (ambient) side is 6db lower that the inboard (direct) side. According to Steve E., it acts as if the inboard plane is extended much further that it's normal face. Steve's design the TimeWindows to image well in poor room setups. For any common speaker to image well, you need to absorb (lower the reflection by 6db) or diffuse (delay the reflection by given number of nanoseconds) the first reflection point on the sidewalls. If you can't do either of these, the brain can not distinguish between the direct sound and the reflected sound and imaging suffers. If I had to guess on what Steve did, he lower the ambient side by 6bd, so for untreated walls, the first order reflection would already be lower to improve imaging. Just a theory.

Can anyone tell me the difference between the TW1 and TW1a specification-wise and/or cosmetic? My TW shipping box just says Time Windows without any model number; originally purchased by me in 1983. My TW’s have the two plastic strips in the back holding the foam in place forming a gap between the strips where you can see the paperboard cylinder back. I think I remember that TW1a’s as having the foam meet in the back. Maybe the TW back is made from a paper cylinder concrete form?


Has anyone had a chance to compare the TimeWindow (or TimeFrame for that matter) with any of the Ohm Walsh speakers? I would love to know what Steve has to say comparing the two. I am so tempted to get a pair of Walsh’s to compare to see if the Walsh’s are really superior or just different.


From my memory, :confused: I recall the TW-1a's to be the first to have the solid oak tops and bottoms. I think the tops/bottoms of the original 1's had a high density partical board core with veneers. Both were the same physical size. I seem to remember the original 1's had a foam surround but the 1a's had a fabric "sock" that was prone to snagging a lot. There may have been an overlap period though as I also have a 1a with foam. I'm going from memory from the early 80's and I'm sure there are some out there with more definitive information.

Back in the day, I managed a stereo store in the Syracuse, NY area. We had Ohm F's as well as some B&W's and other high-end sweethearts. The B&W's were the ones with the funky feet and stepped back grill. They looked like little robots or something. LOL! I forget the model. Nothing like getting to play these honeys with Threshold and Bryston amps, Linn TT's and all sorts of goodies. :D They call that work. hahaha! :D

My favorite setup was the B&W's on the Bryston 3B. (Guess now I know why I ended up with a set of Wharfedales. LOL!) Anyway, everything was fine until a set of Time Windows came in. At $800 a set, they went rignt into the high-end room! I didn't actually pay them much attention until my coworker hooked them up and started messing with positions in the room and such. One day he yells out the sound room door for me to get in there right away! "Sit here and close your eyes" he says pointing to a chair.

The TW's were sitting out from the walls, about 4 feet from the back wall (which was floor to ceiling drapery) and about the same from the side walls. They were spaced about 8 feet apart. Well, I don't remember what he put on the TT but what I do remember is about falling off that chair when this amazing soundstage was opened up in front of me! :eek:

It was if the musicians had suddenly stepped into the room and taken up positions all around me! I could clearly hear where they were positioned and pick up subtle things they were doing: The skritch of fingers sliding on strings over there, the singers breaths in front of me, the drummer's kit behind and so on. It was like hearing a recording all over again! I caught myself turning my head towards the sounds!

Then we started to switch things around and the TW's became our "reference" speakers. Quite frankly, there was NOTHING in that room that would produce the sound and especially the imaging the TW's would. It was actually a little disheartening to find that all these very high priced speakers weren't cutting it! Even my beloved B&W's sounded like boxes with speakers in them. When you were in the sweet spot of the TW's they would disappear.

One day a little gray box came in from headquarters. Adcom GFA-1 it said. This little box was going to produce 200 watts a channel???? Yeah, right :rolleyes: Well, this thing made the TW's even better! The Ohms would suck up every watt but still, they didn't compare. The little amp seemed to just push the TW's to an even higher plateau!

Again, this is all from long ago memory. But I still remember clearly though how amazed and impressed I was by the TW's! I didn't hear anything like them until I heard a set of Polk's in the mid 80's. These were the ones with the interconnection between the speakers. In my mind though, it was an electronic trick. The TW's did it without fancy wiring and cost half as much.

So now, I have a set of 1a's and 3's. I have an Adcom 555ll amp and am enjoying the sound I fell in love with years ago. Yeah, some nostalgia for you all, but still, the TW's never fail to impress. Even my kids are in awe at what these 20+ year old speakers can do. :)

Synopsis: Skip the Ohms. You'll have to replace the crappy foam surrounds on their woofers anyway. LOL!


Joe

Thanks, Joe, for taking the time to post. I enjoyed the read. That is a good enough testimonial for me to not pluck down $900 for a used pair of Ohm 4's, or $2200 that the factory quoted for a pair of upgraded used Ohm 4's, just to be able to find out that I already have something very special with my TW1's and SurroundScapes. I can't help but think that my SurroundScapes are TW3's in disguise, but with two rear tweeters and some electronic trickery for the ambient sides.

If anyone has any inside info regarding the SurroundScapes (SS), I would like to know. I have a copy of the owner’s manual, but it just doesn’t explain everything. I pulled them out of storage this weekend and just hooked up the front side of each tower. If you don't know already, each tower of the SS's has a pair of connectors for the front (main, inner drivers) and a pair of connectors for the rear (outer drivers) which you are supposed to connect to the side or rear surround output of an AVR. Having only connected using the front connectors, I expected to hear no sound out of the rear sides, but I did! It may even be the 6db lower output for the ambient (outer) drivers talked about for the TW3's. (In writing this I just thought that maybe the rear drivers are just acting like passive radiators for the fronts. That would account for the fact that the rear side has very little treble frequencies. I’ll have to look for a baffle to see if they are acoustically separated.) Whereas, my TW1’s seem to have the same output level for the inner and outer drivers.

There is supposed to be a stereo mode where the front and rear drivers output the same frequency response (35-20kHz) and a surround mode where the rears have a modified frequency response (80-20kHz). The original instructions did not say what to do to put them in one mode or another. Since there is no switch on the speakers, maybe it has something to do with setting the AVR (AV receiver), or the PrestiDigital cross-overs are smart enough to do their own switching. I’m a little confused because if the rear drivers are receiving a signal when only the front connecters are used, how does it block the front signal to the rear drivers when the rear connectors are used? Wouldn’t it cause a short or something if two signals come into the drivers?

One issue, though, is that I have two "left" SS's, having purchased the leftover stock from Stereo Direct some time ago. My thought is that since the drivers are the same for the front and rear channels, I could just open the cabinets and switch some wires on one to create a “right” tower. I would assume this would be the same if you had two left TW3 or TW7’s. Do you agree that it would be a simple matter of swapping the leads of the respective drivers (inner woofer to outer woofer, and visa versa)?

Thanks for the advice.

You're Welcome Sydney. It was enjoyable writing for me! If it wasn't for the internet and the magic of eBay, it would still be only a long ago memory.

My understanding is that one shouldn't mess with the drivers in ANY of the TW products as they've been factory "tuned" based on efficiency, or whatever. I know there are others lurking here that have a lot more info on these speakers than I. I hope they chime in!

Joe

sydneybird wrote:

As others wanted a sonic match as a center for the TW7, maybe choosing the CX-17, how about the SurroundScape Center? It has a 6in woofer and ¾ hard dome tweeter acoustic lens (the CX-17 and 27 having a 6.5in woofer), 92 db, 50-20KHz in a box 7.5x22.5x7.5. I can't imagine why DCM choose the CX Center design (non-acoustic lens) when they could have just used the acoustic lens drivers as they did with the SurroundScape Center; product differentiation I guess.

The SurroundScape Center does have the time delay circuit in it's crossover that the CX17 lacks, but it does not go as low as the CX17 which is a transmission line and ported. The SurroundScape Center is also harder to come by.

If anyone has any inside info regarding the SurroundScapes (SS), I would like to know

Here's a link that may interest you. It's a review of the SurroundScape System.
http://www.audio-ideas.com/reviews/dcm.html (http://)

Thanks Jamie, for finding that great link for me. You are correct about the SS center not being ported, and I understand that the center speaker should be a full-range speaker now that we have Dolby Digital et al. I don't have a CX-17, but the bass coming out of the CX-27 is beyond belief.

One issue, though, is that I have two "left" SS's, having purchased the leftover stock from Stereo Direct some time ago. My thought is that since the drivers are the same for the front and rear channels, I could just open the cabinets and switch some wires on one to create a “right” tower. I would assume this would be the same if you had two left TW3 or TW7’s. Do you agree that it would be a simple matter of swapping the leads of the respective drivers (inner woofer to outer woofer, and visa versa)?

Thanks for the advice.

True, each speaker was "tuned" at the factory but it is in the crossover rather than the driver itself. I would try to trace the wiring from the crossover to each driver. If you can determine which wire goes to each driver, swap the two sides on one speaker. This will certainly get you closer than having two left channel speakers.

Maybe Jamie has access to a schematic. Otherwise just unplug one wire at a time and make note of which driver isn't working.

sydneybird wrote;

You are correct about the SS center not being ported, and I understand that the center speaker should be a full-range speaker now that we have Dolby Digital et al. I don't have a CX-17, but the bass coming out of the CX-27 is beyond belief.

Don't worry about the full-range issue. IMHO, the time alignment advantage of the SS center outweighs the bass extension of the CX17 when you figure in base management that is available in modern pre/pros or receivers. Stay with what you have. I, on the other hand, am a constant tweeker and is lucky enough to get help from Steve E. from time to time (hence the TW7 center project). I recently pick up the 9" Vifa woofer the TW7 uses and would like to build a new stand for the TW7 center that would incorporate the woofer and additional crossover circuitry for it. This would definitely require Steve's input to do it right. He really is.... (use any superlatives that you like). When sound becomes "holosonic" you know someone did their homework. Thank you again, Mr. Eberbach!

Tracy, you are correct in stating that adjustment were made in the crossovers for variants in components, but some of the drivers were match to a specific tolerance.

Hey Jamie, for kicks next time you see Steve ask him what kind of set Bob Waterstripe had? I would love to know. He used a set of TW's along with 2 other speakers(twice the size of the TW's)! and had them all hooked up at once. I am guessing the other "large" ones where subs. All I know is it was one hell of a set-up!!

If you can determine which wire goes to each driver, swap the two sides on one speaker. This will certainly get you closer than having two left channel speakers. Otherwise just unplug one wire at a time and make note of which driver isn't working.

Tracy, thanks for confirming this for me. I'm going to give it a try.

Another modification I was trying to do, but Steve said would not work a few years back, was to take one powered SurroundScape and try using it as the left and right rear surround speaker, by connecting the left rear and right rear to the respective front and rear connectors. Since the cross-overs are different for each side, that of course would not work. I thought about trying to duplicate the front cross-over and replace the rear with the duplicate, but after reading here how complex the cross-overs are in the TW, and Steve said that test equipment would be needed to fine tune it and that he certainly would not want to do it, this appears to be impossible. I know, I'm sounding kinda pathetic about moding these things, but I am just trying to make the best of some leftover TW and SS scraps picked up from Stereo Direct a few years back.

Does anyone know if Stereo Direct will ever get any old stock DCM components to sell or is DCM completely cleaned out? There was a big sales push a few years back and I got four vifa M22WR-09 9 inch woofers that may be the ones used in the TW 7's. If these are indeed for the TW7's, and a true devotee is in dire need of one, I may be able to contribute if I can convince myself that I will not build a DIY speaker out of them.

DCM had a few drivers left. You may want to give them a call.

sydneybird wrote;
Don't worry about the full-range issue. IMHO, the time alignment advantage of the SS center outweighs the bass extension of the CX17 when you figure in base management that is available in modern pre/pros or receivers. Stay with what you have. I, on the other hand, am a constant tweeker and is lucky enough to get help from Steve E. from time to time (hence the TW7 center project). I recently pick up the 9" Vifa woofer the TW7 uses and would like to build a new stand for the TW7 center that would incorporate the woofer and additional crossover circuitry for it.

Jamie, I always knew you were a "tweeker". ;)

Would there be any advantage to porting a SS Center or would that totally mess with the cabinet design specs?

Tracy RainH2o wrote:

Would there be any advantage to porting a SS Center or would that totally mess with the cabinet design specs?

No advantage that I could see. Driver, crossovers and cabinets all interact. There is alot of thought and testing in designing speakers, I would think that there is little latitude in design change. Like the saying goes: "If it were easy, everybody would be doing it."

So the crossover in the SS has the same delay as the TW7? If so could you use the SS crossover in a CX17 without modifying the crossover?

If so, that would be the best of both. The bass extension of the CX17 and the delay circuit of the TW7 without having to canibilize inductors from multiple CX17 to build the delay circuit.

So the crossover in the SS has the same delay as the TW7? If so could you use the SS crossover in a CX17 without modifying the crossover?
I don't know. Before I was able to get a copy of the TW7 schematic, Steve offered to let me copy the crossover from a SS center that he had. I did not get a chance to look at it. I would assume that the SS center uses the same tweeter as the TF and CX series. The TW7 tweeter is slightly different; the damping circuit values are different. The cross over points might not be the same. There is one on Ebay right now. It may be possible to make it work with some slight modifications. If you wanted to use a TW7 tweeter you would have to rewind the inductor and change the value in the cap in the dampening circuit. If the cross over points are different, then you are looking at changing the cap in the highpass filter and the inductor and resister in the low pass filter that is used in the CX17 crossover. It may be more complicated that that. Defiantly a question that only Steve would know for sure.

Yea I saw the SS on EBay. I was hoping the crossover was close enough to the TW7 to make it work.

I'll leave the inductor winding to you. Although, I could actually read the instructions on my meter and learn how to measure inductance. I guess it's just a matter of the correct amount of "turns" of wire around the spool. Did you measure as you wrapped the wire or did you calculate the length of wire needed? It would not be difficult to change the caps to the same values as the TW7.

Tracy, I over estimated. It’s easier to remove turns after you measure the value. Make sure you use the same gauge magnet wire.

You all may remember me looking for replacement tops for my TW-3's. Well, I still need those if anyone has a lead. I have yet to approach a local cabinet maker I know to make new ones. Is there any interest here should he agree to making new tops (and bottoms consequently) in quantity? I'm sure once he's set up it's easy to make more. Let me know.

Anyway, I've come up with an interesting issue which is making me nuts. When my TW3's arrived they'd been pretty shaken up. One of the DCM tags had come off. So my question is, shouild the tag be on the port side or the unported side? I'm assuming they mirror image each other like the speakers do. My understanding it that the ports should be facing outward so the tags should be on the non-port side so the listener can see them. Is this right?

I would also like to get a copy of the original instruction manual if there's anyone that can provide this. If there's a cost involved, please let me know. I can be emailed at JPw50101@yahoo.

Thanks for helping the newbie. :)

Joe

Joe, the tags go on the inside (unported side).

Here's a link on the TW3 that may be helpful.

http://r.duffy.home.att.net/dcm/

Joe,

I will send you a copy of my TW3 manual. It might take me a day or so to find it.

Thank you both, very much!

:)


Joe

Hey Jamie, for kicks next time you see Steve ask him what kind of set Bob Waterstripe had? I would love to know. He used a set of TW's along with 2 other speakers(twice the size of the TW's)! and had them all hooked up at once. I am guessing the other "large" ones where subs. All I know is it was one hell of a set-up!!

I had a chance to talk to Steve and he said they should have been TimeBase subwoofers (Not to be confused with the TB series of subs that DCM later sold. They were shorter that the TimeWindows but much larger in diameter with end caps and also phase linear. They were an add-on to the TWs.

To prove to you all that Steve is alive and well, here is a photo taken at the SMWTMS (Southeast Michigan Woofer and Tweeter Marching Society) meeting earlier today. Steve’s on the left and I’m on the right.

To prove to you all that Steve is alive and well, here is a photo taken at the SMWTMS (Southeast Michigan Woofer and Tweeter Marching Society) meeting earlier today. Steve’s on the left and I’m on the right.

Very Cool !!! It's always nice to put a face with the name. Both you and Steve.
Please let Steve know he still has lots of fans out here and good work !!!

Joe, did you receive my email about the manual?

Also, someone has replacement tops for the TW3 on EBay. I don't know anything about the quality. Just a heads up.

Tracy, no, I did not get your email. :( Please try again.

I also found the new tops on ebay. I've corresponded with the person and have a new set of tops on the way. :D He seems to be a pretty good guy and I am planning to see if he would be interested in being linked in here or maybe on Bob Hodas' TW3 site. He also has the polyester material for TW1 socks. I have to measure mine and get that to him. I get the impression it NOS stuff he's got. Hummmm....

Jamie, glad to see Steve is alive and well and a pleasure to see a face with the names. Thank you for that. Yes, you can assure him that there are plenty of TW die-hard fans out here, if the way they get snapped up on eBay is any indication! LOL!


Joe

I've got a pair of time windows but don't recall which model they are. I bought them around 1980 and there are no tags or identifying marks on the outside. Only connections for the speakers and a bolt on the bottom that appears to hold the Oak top bottom together. Is there an easy way to tell which model they are short of taking them apart. I'm guessing they are the 1's.

Still listen to them daily and I'm curious after reading this thread.

Thanks
Pete

Joe,
I just send the link to your email again. I am using my business email account so check to make sure it wasn't marked as junk. It will be from my rainwaterphotography.com account.

Pete,
Look at the back of the speakers. If there is a trim piece in the middle, going from top to bottom, it is most likely the TW1. If there is only solid fabric it is most likely the TW3. I think they both had oak tops and bottoms.

OK Tracy,

Thanks for the info. I have a very tight anti-spam setting on my comp so I will look for your address if you would please try it one more time? Thanks.

Pete, I would say you have a set of TW-1a's. "The 1a's had a model tag stuck on them down by the banana jacks. The tag was plastic (but looked like metal) and the glue gives up after a while and they get lost. Mine are like that. The original "1's" had vertical moldings down the back and the tag was in between these. So, if yours have no moldings they're probably 1a's. I'm not sure about the oak tops. I've seen both models with that. I think the later 1's came that way but I'm not sure.

Anyway, they sound great regardless.

Joe

Thanks Tracy and Joe.

There is no molding or tag on the back just the 2 banana plugs. After reading through all the earlier posts in the thread it kinda sorta looks like the 1A's were 36" and the 3's are 39 and 1/4 inches tall. Off to find the tape measure.

Thanks again

Thanks Tracy and Joe.

There is no molding or tag on the back just the 2 banana plugs. After reading through all the earlier posts in the thread it kinda sorta looks like the 1A's were 36" and the 3's are 39 and 1/4 inches tall. Off to find the tape measure.

Thanks again


Pete, the 3's are easy to identify, First, they are coaxial (the tweeters are mounted in front of the woofers). With the 1’s and 1a’s, the tweeters were mounted under the woofers. You can feel them. Second, they have three pots (dials) located on the top rear of each speaker. From what you described, I would guess that you have the 1a’s. Here are some example photos.

I have always wanted that great TimeWindow sound (or at least vintage DCM quality) in an in-wall/ceiling speaker. A while back Steve said in an email to me that he had nothing to do with the in-wall speakers and could not really comment. So, I was thinking of installing either the CX-17 or 27's in my ceiling as I have plenty of space between the joists and the next floor to accept the boxes. Of course, the CX's have ports in the back. Do any of you have a suggestion as to how I should modify the CX's to make them work in this application? Do I extend the ports with some pipe to wrap them to the front to go out another opening in the ceiling into the room; plug the ports with foam; or leave the ports open to the space between the ceiling and floor? I don't think I could simply modify the cabinet to move the port opening to the front instead of the back. If you have ever removed the speaker terminal from the back and looked inside you will find that it is not just a hollow box, along with the port tubes there is a vertical baffle stuffed with fill. The air path from the driver to the port is not simple and must have a purpose. What was Steve thinking? Do you know if Steve designed the CX's? For my application, maybe I should be looking for two SurroundScape centers with their sealed enclosure, but they are so hard to find. Maybe there is a way to copy the cross-over in my SS center and build a sealed box with CX-17 components to fit my walls and ceiling.

Does anyone have thoughts regarding the benefit of replacing the spring terminals on the CX's with binding posts? Does it really make a difference for signal transmission versus banana plugs? After getting a headache reading gobs of info about speaker cable it is rather interesting that the wire used in the speakers themselves is like 16 awg wire and the conductive path in the crossover itself is many times smaller.

By the way, thanks for the photo of Steve. Why can't we scrape up a few $$ and have him design a new speaker and start a company? How naive am I? :eek:

Thanks Jamie, They must be the 1a's. No pots to adjust and I can feel what must be the tweeters below the woofer.

I have always wanted that great TimeWindow sound (or at least vintage DCM quality) in an in-wall/ceiling speaker. A while back Steve said in an email to me that he had nothing to do with the in-wall speakers and could not really comment. So, I was thinking of installing either the CX-17 or 27's in my ceiling as I have plenty of space between the joists and the next floor to accept the boxes. Of course, the CX's have ports in the back. Do any of you have a suggestion as to how I should modify the CX's to make them work in this application? Do I extend the ports with some pipe to wrap them to the front to go out another opening in the ceiling into the room; plug the ports with foam; or leave the ports open to the space between the ceiling and floor? I don't think I could simply modify the cabinet to move the port opening to the front instead of the back. If you have ever removed the speaker terminal from the back and looked inside you will find that it is not just a hollow box, along with the port tubes there is a vertical baffle stuffed with fill. The air path from the driver to the port is not simple and must have a purpose. What was Steve thinking? Do you know if Steve designed the CX's? For my application, maybe I should be looking for two SurroundScape centers with their sealed enclosure, but they are so hard to find. Maybe there is a way to copy the cross-over in my SS center and build a sealed box with CX-17 components to fit my walls and ceiling.

Does anyone have thoughts regarding the benefit of replacing the spring terminals on the CX's with binding posts? Does it really make a difference for signal transmission versus banana plugs? After getting a headache reading gobs of info about speaker cable it is rather interesting that the wire used in the speakers themselves is like 16 awg wire and the conductive path in the crossover itself is many times smaller.

By the way, thanks for the photo of Steve. Why can't we scrape up a few $$ and have him design a new speaker and start a company? How naive am I? :eek:

If you change the length of the port tubing you will change the tuning of the box. And yes, the CX series is Steve’s design. You could possibly reproduce the SS Center box and use the CX drivers. The crossover could also be reproduce. If you email me some detailed photos, I could check with Steve. I can also ask him about moving the port to the front.

OK, a little off topic, but, is anyone aware of any other TW sites or blogs that I could look at? Is there another thread on this site that I haven't seen?

Joe

Someone wrote the following in an ebay question regarding a TW for sale. "I just want to let you know that your speakers are not 1a, they are just model one! the 1a dont have foam and use bifa drivers that fix a low freq. flow, your speakers have phillips drivers, and are less expensive than 1a!" Besides the bifa, which probably means vifa, that some 1a's also had foam during the cross-over from 1 to 1a, and I don't know what a low freq. flow is, is there any truth to this statement? Of more importance, are the drivers on the 1a interchangable with the drivers on the 1? My drivers are currently fine on my 1's, but having spares might be prudent.

Thanks

Did Steve have anything to do with the KX Series II? Is he really a fan of horn loaded tweeters that the KX used?

Can we come up with a list of speaker models, DCM or otherwise, that Steve had design input and seal of approval?

It would be really great to have a brief description of why he chose a particular design. The TF's with their broad and flat front versus the narrow front of some current, non-Steve (I presume) DCM models. The Acoustic Lens concept. The anti-defraction screen or is it really just a coax mount. Does the screen produce thousands of baby woofer sources, one for each hole (you can tell I don't understand acoustics and the effect that a screen has on the wave front)? If there is a benefit beyond a coax mount, then why not cover the other woofers with a screen as well? The PrestiDigital electronic time equalization found in SS and KX Series II. What does that mean? Why he went with poly cones in the later woofers versus paper in the TW1.

Thanks

Sydneybird

I’ll try to answer some of you questions to the best of my knowledge from what Steve has told me in the past.
I agree with you that I have seen some early TW1a’s that still used the foam covers. Driver interchangeability is a guess.
Steve did not have anything to do with the KX series and I don’t think he’s a fan of horn loaded tweeters because it does not show up in any of his other designs. Although DCM could have made use of some of his technology in their later designs
Steve’s connection with the company ended around 1999 when Mitek took over. His designs would include all of the TimeWindows including the SurroundScape, TimeFrames, Macrophone, TimePieces, HalfTime, FullTime Base, TripleTime, CX series, VLS-2, and possibly the OW-1, OW-2, and a few subs. DCM has been reusing some reincarnation of some of these names like the Time Frame Evolution which has nothing to do with Steve.
Steve told me that marketing wanted a floor standing version of the CX series. That’s how the TimeFrames came about.
The screen does more that just hold the tweeter. It smoothes out the frequency response. I would guess that it is not need on the woofer because of the lower frequencies. A Japanese company made the poly cones special for DCM and the drivers were assembled with these cones by another vender. DCM then could change driver venders for assembly, but keep consistency in their speakers. According to Steve, these cones had a very flat response, and they were not locked into one driver vender. To show how good they were, that same 6.5” driver that was used in the CX and TimeFrame series was used in Steve’s signature series TimeWindow Sevens that sold for $3,200.00 a pair in 1999.
I hope this helps, if anyone has anything to add, please do so.

Thanks, Jamie. I much appreciate your replies.

I know the TW7's are Steve's favorite but I would love to hear where he places the TF-2000's on his list. I bought a pair of the 2000’s just to say I have the top of a model line with Steve's fingerprints on them. I can't complain, they sound great!

I just acquired 4 CX-17's just for the heck of it and possibly using them in ceiling/wall as previously posted. I haven't tried plugging the port to see how that affects the sound. Without having a spectrum analyzer handy I wouldn’t be able to hear the difference except for the low frequency extension. They are very nice sounding with surprising bass as to be expected a la Steve's transmission line. I wouldn’t really consider them bookshelf speakers as they need some distance from the back wall that you can’t get if you placed them on a bookshelf. I'm just missing the CX-07 (acoustic suspension) to fill out my CX collection. Is the CX-07 anything special? I didn't think the CX Center (acoustic suspension) was a wow as compared with the SS Center (acoustic suspension). Just for fun I set the CX-17's on my desk to listen while working at my PC but the highs are way too in-your-face at only 3 feet distance and with the back within a few inches from the wall gave too much boomy bass, of course. But they are great a 2 ft from a wall and listening about 7 feet away.

Not all CX-17’s are created equal; maybe the others as well. I have a set with s/n of 9412/9413 with paper cones on the woofer and 33786/33787 with poly. With tweeters disabled, the woofers really sound the same to my untrained ear. The disassembly of the CX-17 drivers came about because the tweeter on the lower s/n set are dead. There is a brown ooze on the cone and on the screen. Maybe this is the ferro-fluid stuff? I disassembled the tweeter from the back and there was a dark brown liquid between the cone and the magnet. Now I need to look for some new tweeters. The tweeters on the earlier s/n have a number 040D0301 8 ohm 40W, and the later s/n of 011D0202 8 ohm 40W. Is there any hope in finding replacements?

I just dug out my OW-1 or 2's (I think they are 1’s but can’t really measure woof, about a 5.5 inch hole) as a comparison with the CX-17's as desktop (wall mount) speakers (headphone jack to a HK integrated amp). Where I had to decrease treble substantially on the CX-17's, I had to increase treble to the max for the OW-1’s. OW-1's have little bass as expected from their acoustic suspension design. I added a CX-17 (with broken tweeter) on the floor under the desk driven by a subwoofer amp to complete below 80 Hz and they now sound very good.

I took the SS center cross-over pictures; I’ll be emailing to you soon.

Hello

I am French and I have time window seven I seek the wiring diagram to repair bus broken down woofer

thank you

thierry.beuzeboc1@free.fr

Any other TW sites or blogs that I could look at?

We should make a list of interesting Steve-designed speaker links. If you post or email them to me, I'll paste here. Here's some:

http://r.duffy.home.att.net/dcm/

http://www.***************.com/htsthreads/printthread.php/Cat/7/Board/UBB18/main/780251/type/thread

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?rspkr&1032068115&openfrom&60&4

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-26006.html

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-13114.html

http://www.audio-ideas.com/reviews/dcm.html

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-75978.html

Because I have no life or because I am obsessed, I reread all the posts and viewed all the picts a second time just to soak it in. It seems that some of the models have gone through some evolution (paper v poly cones (CX’s); c/o light bulbs v no light bulbs (also CX’s); felt v no felt over drivers (TW and TF)). My TW1's don't have that piece of heavy, thick, stiff felt (?) going across the top third of the woofer as shown in Jamie's pict (maybe that is the 1 to 1a difference). What's with the four-squares of felt giving an open cross in front of the TW3 woofs? I know, I know, to smooth out the frequency response but who would have known to cover drivers and in what orientation to do it? Well, I guess Steve does. And we all know there is felt sandwiched between the two screens covering the woofs on the coax drivers of the CX-17, 27, TW7, SS, and maybe some TF's; but not my TF-2000’s which don’t have coax drivers. My TF-2000's have felt going across the top half of the top woof and across the bottom half of the bottom woof. The approaches that Steve used totally boggles my mind.

Anyone who is cannibalizing their CX-17/27's for woofers and want to sell their left-over tweeters, I need a pair. Or is there another source?

Hello
I break down on one of the TW7 a unit makes less low register than the other, after disassembling of that broken down, I disconnected a woofer and I realized that the low registers returned it was a breakdown of origin a woofer was cablé has back dépahasage what returns no one the low registers, an error is not possible because the thimbles are for the small ones less and large thimbles louse more, surely a defect of factory on the other hand I seek the wiring diagram bus by dismounting the two tweeters I did not locate wire the green wire must be on the most reel or it orange For the second the black and green wire must be on more or the reverse

Thank you for your information for small French

Anyone who is cannibalizing their CX-17/27's for woofers and want to sell their left-over tweeters, I need a pair. Or is there another source?

DCM is referring people to a Part Number: 276-020 AUDAX AW010E1 3/8" SHIELDED $3.75 I from Parts Express (. com)

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=276-020&CFID=6984766&CFTOKEN=70840295.

This is as close to a replacement you could buy new. Steve does not like them. You are better off finding one used on Ebay. The ones DCM used were custom made (for one thing, the Ferro-fluid [which is used for cooling and dampening the tweeter] viscosity is thinner for better sensitivity. Steve compensated for the thinner fluid in the dampening circuit.). He also mentioned that all of these tweeters were “tweaked” to be the same with a flat response. This means the any of these tweeters from DCM would match another for a replaement. I may have some spares; I would have to check.

BEUZEBOC, Here are the wiring diagrams you were looking for.

Hello THANK YOU VERY MUCH it is super

Thierry de FRANCE

Time window 1 question
I would like to recap the crossovers.Instead of removing the drivers (glued&screwed) i am
considering cutting a acess whole on one of the front panels.Any information on the location and mounting of the crossover board inside the cabinet would be appreciated.

Doesn't the bottom have a nut that can be removed and the top and bottoms come off??

I believe the time window threes have the nut, info from this forum. The One's walnut tops seem to be stapled and glued. I have no idea about the One'A oak tops. Didn't want to try to remove the drivers, afraid of damaging them. The concern with the access hole is if the board is behind where the cutting is, or it's glued and can't be removed. Thanks for the response.

OK, yes, the 3's do have the removable top/bottom. I would strongly advise AGAINST cutting access holes in your speakers! They have structral integrity to prevent vibrations and the chances of getting it to be right again are low. If you mark the position of the woofer(s) to be removed so it goes back in the exact same way, it should be fine. Some are sealed with goop which can be replaced with a good silicone I would imagine.

Jamie/Tracey - ideas?

Joe

OK, yes, the 3's do have the removable top/bottom. I would strongly advise AGAINST cutting access holes in your speakers! They have structral integrity to prevent vibrations and the chances of getting it to be right again are low. If you mark the position of the woofer(s) to be removed so it goes back in the exact same way, it should be fine. Some are sealed with goop which can be replaced with a good silicone I would imagine.

Jamie/Tracey - ideas?

Joe

The 1a’s also have a nut to remove the bottom plate. The 1's appears to be glued in. I would not cut a hole in the cabinet. More than likely, the crossover is mounted on the bottom plate like the 1a’s and 3’s are. If so, removing the woofer would not help. If it is adhered on with the same black adhesive that was used on the drivers, I would use a heat gun or a large hair dryer to first soften it up; then with a thin putty knife work my way around the seam where the base meets the cabinet. After that, I would gingerly try to pry the base off. If it gives you to much resistance, check to see if there are any staples holding it also. If you want to remove the woofer, you need to heat it up the same way. I cover the cone and surround with a cut out of cardboard first and then heat up around the basket. You can slowly pry the driver out working around the edges. Just make sure that you hold your tongue right when prying. Good luck.

I will take a look at removing the base .Tried looking in the ports with a small mirror and
the two wires from the banna plug apear to go up into the stuffing in the cabnet. Thanks again

Originally Posted by sydneybird
Anyone who is cannibalizing their CX-17/27's for woofers and want to sell their left-over tweeters, I need a pair. Or is there another source?

The Parts Express replacements have a larger mounting flange and don't fit into the original mount. Also, the new ones are inconsistent, and anticipating this, I bought twice as many as I needed (8) and chose 4 that sorta matched, using my old rock-n-roll ears as the only reference. As sad as that may seem, I'm relatively please.

Does anyone know what woofer the CX-17 uses? Mine have seen very hard service and could use replacing, also. It tends to get a bit loud in my living room.

...if you cut the flange back with a Dremel or similar tool. Just use the base of the original tweeter as a template. The mounting holes are in the same location....

Actually I have a question or two about Timewindow 1's. I have a couple sets of aesthetically challenged TW 1's, and I would like to take them apart for a little plastic (and putty) surgery. I would also like to consider recapping them, but have read conflicting reports on the necessity of this operation. I've read that DCM used superior components, and they won't need a recap, and I've also read that would benefit? Which should I believe? How hard is it to get to the crossovers? I've been told a big rubber mallet will pop the top/bottoms off, kinda like the TF-600's. However, the same source said there's still another barrier to the X-overs. Lastly, is there a definitive source for replacement OEM grill material?

By the way, Greetings to all from a AVS noobie! :cool:

Cheers!

Analog Addict

.. Lastly, is there a definitive source for replacement OEM grill material?

Analog Addict

DCM will direct you to www.mcmaster.com where you should look for part number 2195K52-30PPI (pores per inch) The material is sold as filter media and is apparantly quite acoustically transparant. The color is listed as "charcoal" which some say isn't black, but from what I've seen it looks pretty darn good!


Joe

There is a link at madisound web page (under links).The speaker foam is at the bottom under Foambymail . If you take a speaker apart can you post your results.I think the crossover is in the middle of the cabinet' neither of my speakers have it on the bottom.

Does anyone know what woofer the CX-17 uses? Mine have seen very hard service and could use replacing, also. It tends to get a bit loud in my living room.

The CX-17 should have used the same woofer as in the later TimeFrames like the 600. It was custom made for DCM and should be still availible from them. The woofer would be a 6KB1448 and the price is $32.20 each plus shipping, the last that I heard. If you watch E-bay, sometime you can come across some beat-up pairs of the CX-17 fairly cheap. That way you could harvest some extra tweeters. The CX-07 would be cheaper yet for parts because they use the same drivers but are not coaxial mounted and smaller cabinets.

Out of curiousity, what is Eberbach's opinion of the new DCM's offerings?

...if you cut the flange back with a Dremel or similar tool. Just use the base of the original tweeter as a template. The mounting holes are in the same location....

Analog Addict

Thanks, Analog. I have done just that. I masked off the tweeter face and with a bit of sanding and they look like factory-new!

The CX-17 should have used the same woofer as in the later TimeFrames like the 600. It was custom made for DCM and should be still availible from them. The woofer would be a 6KB1448 and the price is $32.20 each plus shipping, the last that I heard. If you watch E-bay, sometime you can come across some beat-up pairs of the CX-17 fairly cheap. That way you could harvest some extra tweeters. The CX-07 would be cheaper yet for parts because they use the same drivers but are not coaxial mounted and smaller cabinets.

Jamie Hauser

Good info, thanks Jamie. I've been a fan of DCM's since the mid-80's and have slowly (until now, that is!) gathered some history of this incredible series of speakers. Steve is truly a genius and the world of great sound misses his influence. I used to think I knew something about speaker/cabinet design but alas, I take a back seat to Mr. Eberbach, like the last row of the bus.

My HT system is this: Onkyo 703 receiver (7.1, 100w/channel), Panasonic DVD/VHS 85 recorder, 2-CX-17's per side L&R's, CX center (weak part of system), 4-CX-07's rears. I have no sub as of yet and the -17's take a serious beating! SPL in the room (~5000 cu.ft.) peaks at 103 dB! (Yes, we have movie night for the teenagers in the neighborhood once a month! Free popcorn and sodas for all!)

My speaker placement is this: Fronts stacked horizontally on the floor, spkrs on the outside, 8' apart, 18" from rear wall, 5' from side walls. Rear L&Rs mounted on back wall, 6' up on 11' wall, rears on side wall also 6' up on 11' wall. Center mounted under Sony 42" 3-LCD DLP HDTV. The room is 25'L x 18'W x 11'H with the fronts/TV on a 18' wall.

What sub would you recommend to help the -17's? Would you recommend getting the -17's off the floor?

Thanks in advance for any response.

Out of curiousity, what is Eberbach's opinion of the new DCM's offerings?


We’ve talked briefly about them on a couple of occasions. Steve has not heard them and really didn’t have much of an opinion. I told him that they look neat, but not as cool as the TimeWindows.



My speaker placement is this: Fronts stacked horizontally on the floor, spkrs on the outside, 8' apart, 18" from rear wall, 5' from side walls. Rear L&Rs mounted on back wall, 6' up on 11' wall, rears on side wall also 6' up on 11' wall. Center mounted under Sony 42" 3-LCD DLP HDTV. The room is 25'L x 18'W x 11'H with the fronts/TV on a 18' wall.

What sub would you recommend to help the -17's?

How much do you want to spend? I use a SVS CS 20-39+ with a 300w monoblock amp. The sub is used only for the .1 LFE channel, I run all my speakers set to "large".


Would you recommend getting the -17's off the floor?

Thanks in advance for any response.

They would defiantly benefit to get the tweeter ear level at least, if not slightly higher. The CX-17 also was sold as a center speaker. Being a coax, you can turn it on its side. A point source speaker works better as a center speaker for those sitting off axis.

HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!

Hey guys. I read some of your posts and thought that you may be able to help. I have, or rather had, a pair of TW7's in my MI basement. In a terribly unfortunate event, my basement flooded completely destroying my right speaker beyond repairs. the cabinet and speakers were completely destroyed. I have been searching for roughly a year to find a replacement. If any of you have a suggestion or know where I might find one please inform me. Being TW owners yourselves I'm sure you understand the severity of my situation. I appreciate all of your help.

Please Email me with any information (I will also periodically check back here)
matic1dm@cmich.edu

Jamie I read that you dabble in building, if that is an option for my situation maybe we could work something out.

Thanks again!

Holy Moley, there's someone selling a set of 5 speakers on eBay for $100! A time frame 250 and 4 time base speakers. Unfortunately it's pick-up only in CALIF.

Holy Moley, there's someone selling a set of 5 speakers on eBay for $100! A time frame 250 and 4 time base speakers. Unfortunately it's pick-up only in CALIF.

Yah, I wish those pick-up only deals were closer to home. And those TF1000's that were sold for $76 a week or so ago. I think I paid $500 for my TF2000's a few years ago.

Anyone know anything about the time base and if it is anything special?

To my understanding, the TimeBase was strictly a passive base unit. Your speaker wires went to them first, then fed to your TimeWindows, TimeFrames or Timepieces. They would provide a high pass filter to your speakers to relieve the low frequency burden from them and deliver lower bass response. You would use them in pairs or for as many speakers you had.

Hey Tracy, Here's a link you might be interested in.

http://theaudiocritic.com/back_issues/The_Audio_Critic_20_r.pdf

There is a review on the TimeWindow Seven's by Peter Aczel. For those of you who don't know who he is, he wrote the first "glowing" review of the original TimeWindow in 1977 that started DCM on their way.

An Ebayer says these TimeWindow 1's were never modded. Ya, right. What do you think?

http://cgi.*********/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=010&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=200090124063&rd=1&rd=1

In case the link and photos don't post, these are supposedly a TW1 but the woofs are yellow and in an octogonal cutout and it looks like there are some kind of holddowns in the corners holding the woof flange. Never saw a pair like these. No serial numbers showing.

I guess I don't know how to add pictures and the link doesn't work. The ebay aution number is 200090124063.

I have three Time Window 1a's that I will be selling. There is one pair and then one orphan. They all work and look good but the pair could use new socks to look their best. They're really not bad, but for my living room I'd replace the sock material.

Thought I'd post here first before going to eBay. Send me an email if you're interested. They'll go on eBay about May 21, 2007.


Joe

PS: I got a set of 3's. That's why these are going.

Sadly my family is moving and we're gonna sell our Time Window 3s.
They work perfectly, however the left speaker's top is become loose.
I'm selling them locally in so cal, if any of you are interested in buying them ;)
Not really how much I should ask for them ;)
I've read a pair in good condition might go up to 600 on ebay heh.

Jamie, how did you go about remaking the grill cloth socks for your timewindow 3's? I've been looking into making stands for mine and possibly freshening their look with some new grill cloth. Any advice?

The socks are pretty straightforward. Remove the end caps and then the old grill cloth (it was secured with spray adhesive and just peels back). Be careful not to disturb the foam material underneath. Turn the sock inside out and use as pattern for new sock. Make the new socks a little longer to make it easier to install. There is just one seam up the back. Any speaker grill cloth will do, I used the black OEM cloth that was used on the TimeWindow Sevens, TimeFrame series, and the CX series speakers. When you put the socks back on, use 3M-spray adhesive on the edges of the ends and pull the cloth over. The material will stretch quite a bit, you will need this ability to remove excess material when you fold it over so it will lay flat and not be bunched upped. Trim any excess with a razor blade and reinstall the end caps.

Thanks Jamie. Where did you find the oem grill cloth you're using? I'm not an expert at sewing either. At least I've never had any experience doing any. Don't tell me you're good at that as well... :) I might have to find someone else to do that part for me.

When I went to recover the Sevens, I had some black grill cloth from Parts Express, which was nice, but the black was not as dark as the original and clashed with the piano black finish. Steve told me that the original material came from Trend Textile. I was able to track them down and was surprised that they would sell to me direct. I bough quite a few yards as the price was reasonable. The TimeWindow 1a and 3's used a different cloth. They were availible in black or brown, but Steve did tell me that DCM made some in all white for the Church of Scientology. Maybe they had special powers/properties that we don't know of. :)

At the risk of losing my membership in the "He-man Women Haters Club" (if you remember the Little Rascals), yes I do know how to sew.

Don't worry Jamie, your woodworking skill more than makes up for your sewing ability. ;) As for me, I'm an electrical engineer. I can handle my crossovers and... yeah that's about it. Talk to me about wood and I'll be like 'doesn't that come from trees?' Talk to me about sewing and I'll just go 'huh?'

Do you have any contact information for trend textile? I did a quick google search and I only found results for 'trendy textiles' and 'trends in textiles.' Any idea where the same color cloth for the 3's can be found?

The original timewindows I have downstairs have the good old foam grill coverings. They're actually in pretty good condition minus some dust here and there. My 3's might be a different revision than yours. Mine don't seem to have any foam beneath the cloth. If I press down on the cloth it doesn't give at all (given that I'm not poking the cloth where the ports or drivers are.) And there seem to be two layers of cloth on there. It'll be interesting to know whether I have an earlier or later revision of the 3's. What were the serial #'s on yours?

[QUOTE]Do you have any contact information for trend textile? I did a quick google search and I only found results for 'trendy textiles' and 'trends in textiles.' Any idea where the same color cloth for the 3's can be found?

What color are you looking for? The cloth from Trend Textile does not match what was used on the 1a and Three's. Parts Express is still your best option. http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=260-335 I may still have the socks that I made from the Parts Express cloth (black) that I used prior the the makeover. You can have them, I would have to check.

The original timewindows I have downstairs have the good old foam grill coverings. They're actually in pretty good condition minus some dust here and there. My 3's might be a different revision than yours. Mine don't seem to have any foam beneath the cloth. If I press down on the cloth it doesn't give at all (given that I'm not poking the cloth where the ports or drivers are.) And there seem to be two layers of cloth on there. It'll be interesting to know whether I have an earlier or later revision of the 3's. What were the serial #'s on yours?[/

The foam is very thin. It's there to keep the cloth from vibrating according to Steve. My set were from 1991.

If you find them that would be great. :)

I double checked and there is some 'sponginess' behind the cloth. I'd have to remove the cloth to get a better look. That's not happening until I find a suitable replacement. The partsexpress cloth doees look like the right color shade. If anything, it might be a little on the lighter side. I wonder what the texture is like on them.

formfactor, I found the socks. Sent me a private message with an address you would like me to sent them to. They are made from the Parts Express cloth.

Hi Jamie, PM has been sent.

Thanks again. I'll be contemplating making stands sometime this week. I'm wondering whether to go with something fancy or basic. I suppose I could use cinder blocks if I get extremely lazy. :)

The 1a’s also have a nut to remove the bottom plate. The 1's appears to be glued in. I would not cut a hole in the cabinet. More than likely, the crossover is mounted on the bottom plate like the 1a’s and 3’s are. If so, removing the woofer would not help. If it is adhered on with the same black adhesive that was used on the drivers, I would use a heat gun or a large hair dryer to first soften it up; then with a thin putty knife work my way around the seam where the base meets the cabinet. After that, I would gingerly try to pry the base off. If it gives you to much resistance, check to see if there are any staples holding it also. If you want to remove the woofer, you need to heat it up the same way. I cover the cone and surround with a cut out of cardboard first and then heat up around the basket. You can slowly pry the driver out working around the edges. Just make sure that you hold your tongue right when prying. Good luck.

I know I'm late, but I figure I might add to the knowledge base since I happened to have gotten the answer from Steve a while ago. The crossovers in the original timewindow (glued on tops and bottoms) are located on the top of the speaker under the top wooden piece. You access them by removing the drivers the same way Jamie mentioned. DCM repair people would use a heatgun and 'soften' up the black 'glue' around the drivers using some sort of circular piece to protect the woofer/surrounds from the heat.

Once the glue was softened they could scrape it off and remove the driver. To an experienced repairer, getting in only took a few minutes. I remember him saying that DCM would repair drivers for free since it was too much of an internal hassle to bill customers for it. That kind of service makes you wish the old DCM was around.

Hey Jamie, how did you go about dampening the front baffle and drivers? The foam underlying the cloth on one of the speakers has basically completely rotted to dust, so I'm thinking of taking it off and redoing both of them.

Any advice on materials/procedures?

I apologize for not being able to add any salient information here. But I just finished reading the entire thread and want to say that all of you, especially Jamie have been a delight to read. The level of interest in the DCM products and digging in to understand and salvage some fine speakers is heart-warming. That this has all been done in the spirit of comradery and hobby sharing, so unusual because of the common bickering seen on AVS, is terrific to see.

I have no interest in these speakers for myself, but I could not help but read the entirety of the thread and greatly enjoy the sharing between you all. At times, it was like a mystery novel, with Tracy in search of his tormenting spl thief, and the tweeter that shouldn't tweet, but did. THIS is what these forums should be about. Great thread and friendly participation. Thanks, guys.

Mud :)

Thanks for the complements Mud. This has been a bit of an adventure with a happy ending for me. Jamie has been great for sharing his knowledge and his projects. This thread has been pleasure to participate it, and still is.

What do you think guys? Should we look for a publisher? ;)

Hey Jamie, how did you go about dampening the front baffle and drivers? The foam underlying the cloth on one of the speakers has basically completely rotted to dust, so I'm thinking of taking it off and redoing both of them.

Any advice on materials/procedures?

Sorry it took so long to respond. According to Steve, they use used automotive headliner for the foam. Its main purpose was to keep the grill cloth from vibrating and to dampen the speaker. You should be able to find it on line or some automotive suppliers like Pep boys or Murry's. I used a black rubber/foam shelf liner made by Rubber Maid. You will need to use a spray adhesive with it. The headline material would be easier to use and be cheaper. You also have to scrape the old foam off. Here's a link. http://www.worlduph.com/fbheadliner.htm

Mudslide, thanks for the response. This IS what the Forum should be about. I'm just fortunate enough that Steve is willing to share his knowledge with me. My efforts in these projects would have been poor with out it.

Do you think I'd have some more success with these options instead of/in addition to the foam?

http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?webpage_id=3&CATID=48&ObjectGroup_ID=37

They'll dampen better than foam I'd imagine.

To whoever can get ahold of Steve. Many years Steve actually was in my parents house to listen and setup the Time Window 2 for my father at the request of the local dealer. Well I have since received these speakers from my father and they are in need of repair. If anyone knows how to contact Steve please send to my email. Thanks to all and good listening.

To whoever can get ahold of Steve. Many years Steve actually was in my parents house to listen and setup the Time Window 2 for my father at the request of the local dealer. Well I have since received these speakers from my father and they are in need of repair. If anyone knows how to contact Steve please send to my email. Thanks to all and good listening.

Do you mean the timewindow 3? What sort of repair are you looking at?

I've been in indirect contact through email with Steve for a while, perhaps Jamie can also help.

Steve does not do any repair. If you have any specific problems, it is possible that someone watching this thread could help. If not, I could ask Steve for help. I would not want to take up his time if the problem can be addressed here. He did suggest to me about the possibility of, if I was interested in, starting a repair service for the older DCM line. He would aid in any technical needs. I don't know how much interest there would be in this when you factor in shipping on these large speakers. Let us know what model you have and what the problem is, some photos would be a plus.

Seems expensive for a pair of TW3's.

I've been seeing some half-times on ebay lately, even ones paired up with full-times. Anyone know how the half-times compare with the CX-17? Are they the same but in a different box. Are they transmission line/ported?

sydneybird Seems expensive for a pair of TW3's.

Actualy that’s about average it the’re in good shape- new they were $1,600.00. I’ve seen 1A’s go that high.
Check these out on E-Bay.
http://cgi.*********/DCM-TimeWindow-1A-Tower-Transmission-Line-Speakers-Time_W0QQitemZ220133280198QQihZ012QQcategoryZ50597QQssPageNa meZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Check these out on E-Bay.
http://cgi.*********/DCM-TimeWindow-1A-Tower-Transmission-Line-Speakers-Time_W0QQitemZ220133280198QQihZ012QQcategoryZ50597QQssPageNa meZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Those are some funky TW1's!!! :eek: Can sonic energy penetrate paisleys?

Nice catch Jamie. I was just about to post the same auction.

Personally I think you should go into custom TW7C building. Hint, hint, hint. :D :D :D

I've actually put my Threes back into action. I set up a theater in my basement with my Threes as the mains. Now I need two more CX-17's for the surrounds and a one for the center. The Threes still amaze me. Also, I too think $500 seems reasonable for a pair if they are in good shape.

$500 is fair for TW3's. I think it's the seller's lack of feedback that's preventing them from selling.

Hi there -

I'm fixing up a set of Time Windows and Time Basses. The speakers I am inquiring about are called simply "Time Bass" on the name plate, are shield shaped when viewed from above, have two 6.5 inch drivers at the top of the front baffles, and a set of three three-position toggle switches next to the input terminals, labeled ATTENUATORS A & B (min, max, and 'unlabeled' settings) and BYPASS. It is the operational values and functions of these switches that I am interested in.

Also, the foam and plastic mesh backing on the Time Basses have completely disintegrated. It seems difficult to remove the shreds of plastic wedged into the slots in the wooden uprights, and finding a replacement of just the right thickness may be hard. Any thoughts on how to recover these units?

And, what style and wattage of amp is best to drive the paired TWs and TBs?

What is the offical name? Is it TimeBass, or Time_Bass with a space?

Thanks,

Irl in L.A.

You're the guy who got the 2 sets on ebay right? ;)

Can you take some pictures of the foam and how it is attached on the TimeBass speakers? Finding replacements for the foam shouldn't be too hard. You can probably go ahead and redo the foam on the timewindows as well.

Irlsanders, The TimeBases should have two 8” drivers. They were designed specifically to pair with the original TimeWindows, Russell mini-monitors, or Quad Electrostatics with a passive crossover of 80hz.
The switches were to attenuate the levels of the different speakers you would pair the TimeBases with. The rating was 200w. Anything more specific and I would have to get with Steve for more anwser.

Irlsanders, The TimeBases should have two 8” drivers. They were designed specifically to pair with the original TimeWindows, Russell mini-monitors, or Quad Electrostatics with a passive crossover of 80hz.
The switches were to attenuate the levels of the different speakers you would pair the TimeBases with. The rating was 200w. Anything more specific and I would have to get with Steve for more anwser.

Thanks, Jim.

I measured across the the cones for 6.5 inches. Maybe with the baskets they are 8, but not in my book. ;) They must have used the tape measure from the marketing department. :D

I get what the switches "do", just wondering what the values they operate at are. Strangely, they are labeled "attenuators", but the "max" setting gives maximun level, NOT maximum attenuation.

The switches are layed out like this

(1)
A - max
C - min
B - unlabeled
<--ATTENUATORS
(2)
A - max
C - min
B - unlabeled

(3)
A - bypass
C - off
B - normal

Switch one is high end roll off/level, switch two is low end roll off/level, and switch three seems to be

A - no filters - full signal goes to both sub and satellite
C - sub woofer off
B - filters engaged, subwoofer low-pass, satellite high-pass

I'm wondering what the three settings on the attenuators are, (such a -3db, -6db, neutral, and at what frequencies?) and also why when you toggle a switch, there is a two second delay before the sound changes, almost like a really slow relay is being thrown, but I don't know how that could be in an unpowered speaker.

Also, driven with a 120 watt solid state amp, I'm unable to get any substantial bass from this system. I'm wondering what the combined impedance of the six drivers is? Is it sucking my amp dry?

I would appreciate it if you could dig up a little of this info.

Thanks,
IRL


I just re-foamed two of my four TimeWindows last night, and they look pretty sleek. I rubbed out the finish on the two good ones, and am sanding off the bad finish from the two I got from ebay. One surprise - that ain't solid oak on the endcaps, just a veneer. I sanded through to particleboard (did they have mdf back then?). So watch out if anyone else intends to refinish theirs!

Thanks, Jim. It's Jamie.

I measured across the the cones for 6.5 inches. Maybe with the baskets they are 8, but not in my book. They must have used the tape measure from the marketing department. Steve (and he's the man) measures by the basket diameter, not he cone. The 6.5” drivers used through out the TimeWindow Seven, TimeFrame and CX series have a cone size of approximately 5”. I would guess that the 8” drivers are the same paper cone ones used in the TimeWindow Three and the TimeFrame 700.


Switch one is high end roll off/level, switch two is low end roll off/level, and ...
How did you determine this?

I'm wondering what the three settings on the attenuators are, (such a -3db, -6db, neutral, and at what frequencies?) and also why when you toggle a switch, there is a two second delay before the sound changes, almost like a really slow relay is being thrown, but I don't know how that could be in an unpowered speaker.

Also, driven with a 120 watt solid state amp, I'm unable to get any substantial bass from this system. I'm wondering what the combined impedance of the six drivers is? Is it sucking my amp dry?
]Steve will be gone for a while, when he gets back I'll ask. Could you pull the crossovers out and post some photo's? How good are you at tracing them for a schematic? This would be interesting to figure out while Steve is gone.

oops - sorry on the name. :o

I determined the switch functions the old fashioned way - by listening!
Kind of hard to zero in on the turn-over frequencies and decibel values though.

I'm a little hesitant to pull the x-overs, as the panel is glued 'n' screwed into the paper body, and I worry about how much damage will occur from prying it off, and if the screws will ever hold again. The plastic grills were totally destroyed when I had to remove them... I'll think about it. As you say, it could be interesting...

Thanks for the offer to follow up with The Man!

BUMP -

Any news Jamie?

PS - I've been looking into bridging some AudioSource amps to drive the Bass-Window combos at 250+ watts. See if that makes them sing!

Need some help getting a pair of DCM, QED's repaired. I purchased these in 1979 and the tweeters are blown. The seial numbers are 1684 & 1978, I still have the orginal boxes they came in. Can some one help me out or give me some options to consider.

Thanks-MC

Is anyone else bothered by the fact that they continued to make speakers AFTER the Q.E.D? :D

Phillips tweeters, I believe

See Here

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=193

And here - Vifa replacements?

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=50200&perpage=10&highlight=&pagenumber=1

Is anyone else bothered by the fact that they continued to make speakers AFTER the Q.E.D? :D [/url]

Sorry to be so dense but, are/were the QED's good or bad? Please tell us more of the history and specs of the QED and how you feel about the sound compared with the DCM family.

You're the guy who got the 2 sets on ebay right? ;)
.

Irlsanders, where these the ones auctioned on July 31st and won for $170? I'm anxious for you to tell us if the Time Bass is anything special. I was looking at them as well, because I just have to have everthing that Steve had a hand in. I have a pair of very early model Hsu HRSW10 10" cylinder subs that really shake the house and was wondering what Steve had done with his version of the sub.

As I keep adding to my classic DCM collection, and enjoying those here that buy up other models and tell us about them, I'm starting to wonder if I should be worrying about cross-over components that might be failing. Can anyone summarize here as to what components for varous models that might have troublesome electronics after all these years? Maybe those Time Bases are sucking power because of failing electronics. Thanks.

Do you mean the timewindow 3? What sort of repair are you looking at?

I've been in indirect contact through email with Steve for a while, perhaps Jamie can also help.
I have a pair of timewindow 3, I am talking about timewindow 2 or as they were also called timewindow square. Still need any help please.

Sorry to be so dense but, are/were the QED's good or bad? Please tell us more of the history and specs of the QED and how you feel about the sound compared with the DCM family.

I was just being litteral - QED is the abbreviation of a latin phrase meaning "I Rest My Case", and therefor ironic that it wasn't their final speaker! :D

Irlsanders, where these the ones auctioned on July 31st and won for $170? I'm anxious for you to tell us if the Time Bass is anything special. I was looking at them as well, because I just have to have everthing that Steve had a hand in. I have a pair of very early model Hsu HRSW10 10" cylinder subs that really shake the house and was wondering what Steve had done with his version of the sub.

Nope, these have been "in the family" for years. They seem okay, not fabulous. I may not be hitting them with quite enough power. I may bridge 250 watts into them and see if that wakes them up. In general, I prefer my Citation sub with the TWs.

The problem is the bottom woofer until does produce any sound in either speaker. I'm not sure what the problem is but any help would be great. Here's is a link to what these speakers look live. http://r.duffy.home.att.net/dcm/dcmvint.html The all black is a where the mids and tweeters are, the bottom w/o grill in place is where the woofers are.

Hmmm -

these TimeWindows from ebay -

http://i4.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/ae/66/1a88_12.JPG

show a felt strip over the woofers, and a mesh grill over the tweets - none of my 4 TWs had that. Original, or weird mod?

Also - there's a pair of working QEDs up there now,

http://cgi.*********/Matched-pair-of-QED-floor-standing-speakers-by-DCM-Corp_W0QQitemZ260152952439QQihZ016QQcategoryZ14993QQssPageNa meZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

and some Timeframes on craiglist L.A -

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/ele/406232019.html

Hmmm -

these TimeWindows from ebay -

http://i4.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/ae/66/1a88_12.JPG

show a felt strip over the woofers, and a mesh grill over the tweets - none of my 4 TWs had that. Original, or weird mod?



I'm sure that's original, but my TW's don't have it either. I think that came about for the TW1a's. My TF-2000's have the felt strips as well. I would love to hear from Steve about how and why he came up with covering the woofs and putting mesh over the tweets. My TF-2000's have two woofs, with a felt strip covering the top half of the top woof and the bottom half of the bottom woof. Very strange.

Quote:
I'm wondering what the three settings on the attenuators are, (such a -3db, -6db, neutral, and at what frequencies?) and also why when you toggle a switch, there is a two second delay before the sound changes, almost like a really slow relay is being thrown, but I don't know how that could be in an unpowered speaker.

]Steve will be gone for a while, when he gets back I'll ask. Could you pull the crossovers out and post some photo's? How good are you at tracing them for a schematic? This would be interesting to figure out while Steve is gone.

Any follow up on this?
Thanks,
IRL

irlsanders,

I had a chance to talk to Steve today. He was sorry that he wasn't much help because of how much time has passed since he designed the TimeBass. His best guess was that the #1 attenuator was for the main speaker #2 was for the TimeBass. As Steve mentioned before, they were designed specifically to pair with the original TimeWindows, Russell mini-monitors, or Quad Electrostatics with a passive crossover of 80hz. The #1 and #2 switch positions combinations would change depending on which speaker you would use The bypass switch in A position allowed the main to run full range, C position turned the TimeBass off, and B position "normal" turn the system into a three way. He mentioned that there is a transformer in the crossover circuitry. He suggested contacting DCM for a crossover schematic. Penny Hole is whom I have been dealing with.

Thanks Jamie

Timewindows in Colorado $150 on Agon. Looking good too! http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1197127282

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum and I am an audioholic. I too have had a thing for DCM since my first exposure to the Time Windows in 1980. I was never able to afford them so I put them out of mind for many years. I own 3 pair of Timeframes, no higher than the 400s, CX-17s and CX-27s. I can't get enough of the sound. This would explain why, when I came across a pair of Time Windows 1s for $100 on Craigslist, I jumped on them.

I was disappointed to find that one of the pair of woofers in one of the cabs are frozen solid. They still have voice coils because they are projecting audio, they just aren't moving at all. I am heartbroken. I have waited for 27 years to get a pair of Time Windows and once again I am fixing things. I suppose it is to be expected with 28 year old speakers.

Anyway, enough of my whining and to the point of my presence here. I was directed here by bilboda on AudioKarma and I have read this entire thread. Great stuff. Bilboda suggested that I direct my question to Jamie regarding the issue I am having, in hopes that he may have some knowledge of this issue.

Having just finished reading this thread, I know that I have to heat the woofers to get them out of the cabinets. Beyond that, I am clueless if there is anything I can do about the frozen coils. My assumption, from info gathered at AK and from an experience with a DCM from a later black model, is that the magnets have shifted. The question I have is twofold. If it is magnet shift, what can be done about the issue. If it is not magnet shift, what other causes could there be and what can be done about it.

I would be very grateful to hear from anyone about this problem. I realize my comments and questions may be off topic here, so you would be welcome to direct your thoughts to my email address: grouperman1@yahoo.com

Thanks for your time and consideration in this matter.

Gary

I have read the discussion regading the Time Windows and was facinated so I went to the attic and brought my TW 1a down and the tops are warped. My TW have the nut on the bottom but I am concerned rearding taking the top off. It appears to be solid oak and some people say to gently tap the top off and others say to start at the bottom.

Jamie I saw what you did on your speakers and it left me speechless.
Can somebody direct me as to how I remove the tops so I can have two new ones made.

Thank you, Hampshire hampshirellc@hotmail.com

My TW have the nut on the bottom but I am concerned rearding taking the top off. It appears to be solid oak and some people say to gently tap the top off and others say to start at the bottom.

Jamie I saw what you did on your speakers and it left me speechless.
Can somebody direct me as to how I remove the tops so I can have two new ones made.[/email]

You remove the nut from the bottom. There is a rod that goes through the center of the speaker. It is connected to the top. I have heard that it is a real pain to get back in if you were to pull the rod all the way out. I know the Threes are that way and I assume that the Ones are too.

As far as I know the Sevens were the only ones that you tap the top off. I could be wrong.

hampshire, thanks for the compliment.

Just to add what Tracy said; once the you remove the nut gently tap the bottom off. I usually support the speaker on two large pillows lying on its back. Be careful when you remove the bottom because the crossover is mounted to it, but there is enough wire to lay it down flat. You can then tap the top out a few inches to expose the rod. I grab it with a set of channel lock pliers and then unthread the top off by spinning the top and not the rod. The rod sometimes is stuck to the acoustical stuffing. It's best to leave it in place. Reverse the order to reassemble. It helps to use a straw or small tube slipped over the end of the rod for a guide to put the bottom back on.

Tracy, if you ever need to take tops off your sevens, they tap off backwards.

Tracy, if you ever need to take tops off your sevens, they tap off backwards.

Yea thanks, I have had them off. My local HT guy used to be a DCM dealer. He says he has some extra tops for the Sevens. He is moving his showroom and said he would hold them for me after the move. I would really like to replace the fabric on mine but I am a big chicken. They aren't really that bad but you know how it is......they're Sevens.

Hi guys, I want to thank you for your help with my TW so now I can explain to the person how to remove the tops. I really appreciate the help.
On the TW1a is there a right and left speaker? If they had DCM emblems I could guess that they would be to the inside. I bought these in 85 and they still sound great and the fabric is perfect except they are dark brown. Again, thanx for the help and Jamie you need to quit your day job and go into the restoration business full time--- AMAZING!

On the TW1a is there a right and left speaker?

No, only the TW3 and TW7's that are mirrored.

Hey Jamie. Are the TW 7 tweeters rated for more power than the CX 17's?

I bought the TW7 tweeters but never installed them in my CX 17 center. Now that I have moved everything to a larger room, the center is having to work a little more. Or, is there a way to have my center, stock CX 17, handle more power? Thanks.

Just found this site and it is very cool. I am a DCM fan I bought a set of Time Window 3's around 1990 or 91, and have enjoyed them ever since I have no technical knowledge in this area but, I like my speakes and system sounds great to me. I was able to pick up along the way, what I beleive, are a set of Time Frame Speakers. Does anyone have a decoder and or spec's for Time Frames so I can figure out what I aquired? Really enjoyed seeing that there is a whole group of people out there enjoying the same speakers that I have always thought are just amazing.

Tracy, The TW7 tweeters have a larger magnet and the diamond coating, according to Steve, allowed them to run cooler. I guess I would equate that to them being able to handle more power. They are a "physical" direct replacement for the tweeter in the CX series and Steve said that the sensitivity is fairly close. Go for it!

Hi, I'm so glad i found this forum! :D
I'm a huge DCM fan and have been looking for fellow DCM freaks for ages.

I have a couple of CX's and timeframes, and unfortunately the tweeters in some of them are broken. They're basically all the same tweeters, they look exactly like this:

http://www.hifisystems.nl/images/product_images/thumbnail_images/691_0.gif

I've emailed DCM a while ago and they linked me to some Audax tweeters as replacements, but since Audax doesn't exist anymore.. i'm pretty much stuck with two pairs of broken DCM's.
Now i found out that Visaton makes tweeters that look exacty like this and have pretty identical specifications as the Audax's DCM linked me to, so i think i'm going to give them a shot.

Does anyone know what other tweeters can be used as replacement?

thanks, Triple_dre

Those look like the tweeters in the CX 17s but it could also be a slightly different version that was used in the TW 3 or TW7 series. It's hard to say without the make and model.

I do see CX 17 drivers for sale on Ebay from time to time.

Those look like the tweeters in the CX 17s but it could also be a slightly different version that was used in the TW 3 or TW7 series. It's hard to say without the make and model.

I do see CX 17 drivers for sale on Ebay from time to time.
Thanks for the reply.
The timeframes with the broken tweeters are TF250's and TF V8.0's if that's what you mean by model. :)

I recently picked up a set of TF 2000s. I'm trying to get as much info as I can on them. My first question is, what is the function of the potentiometer on the bottom of these speakers? It's wired into the crossover. At first I thought it was just for tweeter adjustment, but I just can't pin down the effect it has. Second, does anyone have the tech specs, and schematics for the crossover in these speakers? And third, where can I find a large enough piece of speaker cloth to recover these monsters. I would also like to find some replacement tweeters if anyone knows of a source. The original tweeters were very flat sounding. I'm not sure if it is the age, or if that's just the way they sounded, but I have replaced them with a couple Mach 2 super radial horn tweeters until I can find some originals in good shape to try out. As they are now they sound as good as my Dahlquist DQ 9s, and that's saying something, so I'm very happy with them, but any help with these speakers would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Chris

Hi!
First of all, sorry for my english, I´m from Argentina ...
I bought (really, when I heard them at J&R, the speakers bought me (o: ) a pair of Time Window speakers about 1980 in New York, and carried them to Argentina. After a lot or years and a lot of happiness, something was broken and an independent technician in Argentina tried to repair the speakers. They worked for some time, and problems again ..... Now I´m living in Spain, and of course the speakers are with me (travelling speakers, yes), but they are not working, and I want to repair and leave them with their original great sound as possible.
I don´t know what the technician in Argentina did with the speakers. I know the tweeters are Philips AD 0140 T8 and seems to works fine.The woofers have no information at all in the back, so I don´t know if they are original parts or they aren´t. I don´t know if the crossovers are original or not, but I have a couple of photographs, If I can, I´ll put them with this message; if not, I can send them anywhere.
Ok, that´s the story .... now, let´s go with the questions ....
First of all ... how can I know if they are TW1 or TW1a? The serial numbers are 26102 and 26103.
I would like to know which woffers can I use in case the ones that are in the speakers are not Ok.
Also, I need all the possible information about the crossovers, same as woofers.
If my english is so bad you don´t understand something, let me know, please ...
Waiting for some response, thanks a lot!!!!!
Enjoy your DCM´s, as I hope to enjoy mines soon (o:

Hi!
First of all, sorry for my english, I´m from Argentina ...
I bought (really, when I heard them at J&R, the speakers bought me (o: ) a pair of Time Window speakers about 1980 in New York, and carried them to Argentina. After a lot or years and a lot of happiness, something was broken and an independent technician in Argentina tried to repair the speakers. They worked for some time, and problems again ..... Now I´m living in Spain, and of course the speakers are with me (travelling speakers, yes), but they are not working, and I want to repair and leave them with their original great sound as possible.
I don´t know what the technician in Argentina did with the speakers. I know the tweeters are Philips AD 0140 T8 and seems to works fine.The woofers have no information at all in the back, so I don´t know if they are original parts or they aren´t. I don´t know if the crossovers are original or not, but I have a couple of photographs, If I can, I´ll put them with this message; if not, I can send them anywhere.
Ok, that´s the story .... now, let´s go with the questions ....
First of all ... how can I know if they are TW1 or TW1a? The serial numbers are 26102 and 26103.
I would like to know which woffers can I use in case the ones that are in the speakers are not Ok.
Also, I need all the possible information about the crossovers, same as woofers.
If my english is so bad you don´t understand something, let me know, please ...
Waiting for some response, thanks a lot!!!!!
Enjoy your DCM´s, as I hope to enjoy mines soon (o:
If you have pictures (of the woofers, tweeters and crossovers) you can upload them imageshack.us or photobucket.com ;)

I just found you guys. I managed the LaSalle Electronics in Rock Island, Illinois in the early '80s and we sold the heck out of some TWs. I have always wanted a pair and I am seeing more and more on eBay. When I upgraded my speakers in '03 I looked for TWs on eBay to no avail. So I ended up with Polk RTi-8s, which are nice but they ain't no TW.

Anyway I just had to thank you guys for all of the excellent info, pics and links that you provided along the way here. You have rekindled my interest in the greatest speakers ever made for the money. I had the opportunity to have Bob Waterstripe and Steve in my store back then and it was Bob's name that suddenly popped into my head that led me to this forum.

Now I feel that I can look for a set of TWs and have the resources to restore them! Keep posting those pics everyone! I would love to see more pics of your setups.

Thanks again!

Something I copied from a Macrophone eBay auction:

The Macrophone is the bookshelf little brother of the Time Window, Time Frame and QED. These were great little speakers. I used to sell them in the '80s. I actually had a pair of Island Sound Image Masters which was the same speaker marketed under another name, but without the beautiful real wood veneer. DCM was a great company. I knew Bob Waterstripe, he was the owner of the company and his speakers had the best sound and imaging and could be hooked to amplifiers with great power. You can post these comments to your listing if you wish.

I'm about to receive four TW7 tweeters (ordered @ DCM) and a pair of drivers comming from a cx 17 :)
Planning to build a nice center on those drivers, and i'm probably going to transform some other set of CX17's into towers (gonna make them timeframe-ish)

Post some pics of your progress. I’m sure everyone would like to see.

I’m starting to work on a passive sub with a high/low pass filter for the TW7 center using the same Vifa woofer as the Sevens, that will double as a stand. The cabinet design is down on paper as is the crossover schematic. Steve E. has given me some initial input for the preliminary work. The weekend before, I spent most of Saturday afternoon with him fine tuning the design. I will probably start building the cabinet in the next week or two. It will also be finished in piano black. I’ll post some pictures at some point.

Jamie, that's great !!!

Yet another project that you can do for me. :D:D:D
Can't wait to see that photos.

I'm new to this forum, and have enjoyed my DCM speakers since I bought them new in 1996 and 1997. I originally had TF600's, but after two speaker failures the dealer exchaged them for TF v. 8.0's. I have a SurroundScape center, SUB-710 Compact Sub (a weak link), and used to have CX-07's as my surround speakers. I gave them and my old HK receiver to a family member, and now have Mirage Omnisats as my surround speakers, but they don't really match sonically with my DCM's. A nice Anthem processor & 7 channel amp drive my 5.1 system.

I could really use some help from some DCM experts (like Jamie) to give me some suggestions about DCM speakers for surround speakers. I'm considering CX17's, CX-27's, or TW's (1a's or 3's) because of their unique design. The CX-17's would be a very close match with my center and the drivers in my TF's, but I wouldn't mind the extra bass of the CX-27's since I sometimes listen to music in 5.1 surround sound. My only concern about the 27's is that they are rated at 6 ohms vs. the 8 ohm rating of my other speakers (and the 17's). If I could find TW3's, I think they are also 8 ohms, but are they sonically a match for the other speakers? I thought about finding a pair of v-series TF's, but I've never seen them available on ebay. I could use the TW's for the mains, and switch my TF's to surround duty. Would that make sense, and am I overly concerned about the ohm ratings? Replacing the compact sub with a decent sub will fix that issue, but I could really use some good advice about my surround speaker confusion.

Thank you!

Johnny20, welcome to the group.

If you looking to invest in a unique system for home theater use and really like the DCM sound, I would look for a set of TimeWindow Three’s for your mains, and move your TF v. 8.0's for surrounds. Then I would look for a second set of Three’s for surrounds, if not the 1a’s with do nicely but I would raise them up to the same level as the Three’s. Where the TimeWindow Three lend themselves nicely for home theater use is that with their dihedral face they put out a direct (inboard face) and an indirect (outboard face) sound field. The advantage that the Three’s have over the 1a’s (besides being a point source speaker like your SurroundScape Center) is that you can adjust the output level between the direct and indirect field. If you adjust them to where the direct field is higher, anyone sitting off center will get the same effect as someone setting on center. On the Seven’s it’s fixed at 6 dB lower on the outboard drivers. Nice when you have more than one seat in your first row! That Steve is a smart guy.
The TimeWindow also make excellent surround speakers because of the same dihedral face. You need to point them at each other when used as surround speakers. Because they are a dual wave design, they are somewhat like a dipole. I used the Three’s and 1a’s in this configuration until I found a set Seven’s for the mains and moved the Three’s to the rear as surrounds.
There is a set of Three’s on Ebay right now, be prepared to pay possibly over $500.00 plus shipping for them. They’re more than worth it.

http://cgi.*********/DCM-Time-Window-3-Speakers_W0QQitemZ120222676128QQihZ002QQcategoryZ14993QQssPa geNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

There is a set of DCM OW1 wall mount speakers also. I use the OW2’s in black for back surrounds.

http://cgi.*********/DCM-OW1-BIPOLAR-REAR-SURROUND-SPEAKERS-NEW-IN-BOX_W0QQitemZ320217350862QQihZ011QQcategoryZ14991QQssPageNam eZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Happy hunting. Jamie

Hey Jamie and photos yet?

I have recently consolidated my two HTs into one. I hope to move my Threes to the surround position this weekend. Do you have yours with the "inboard" faces towards the main listening area or the entire speaker itself pointed towards the main listening area?

Thanks Jamie!

I really appreciate your help. You confirmed what I was guessing about the TimeWindows ... that they will work in a similar way as dipole speakers. I'll keep track of those three's for sale.

As I was listening to some music last night, thinking about how great each song sounded, I couldn't help but wonder how the sound would be with the set-up you suggested. I hope I can acquire a nice pair of TimeWindows soon to really spice things up!

Thanks again for your help, and I'll post back later with my results.

Tracy, they have to point directly at each other from either side of the room with the direct sound field side facing the listening area and the ambient side pointing to the rear wall. Look at the attached image. The letter "D" denotes the direct sound field. The rear surrounds are at the top of the image and the mains and center at the bottom.

Also here are a couple of pictures showing the crossover schematic and the side profile drawing. The top part of the drawing shows the TW7 Center that was built previously and the new sub section underneath. The sub section will be 20” wide to match the center speaker that sits on top of it. The crossover schematic shows the complete circuit for both the center and the sub. The additional components are the 441uf cap and 8 ohm variable resistor just before the midrange driver which will be added to the center’s existing crossover. The top part of the schematic shows the new components for the woofer.

Looks good jamie, cant wait to see some pics :)

Jamie thanks for the diagrams.

I am happy to see that you are building the sub enclosure along with the TW7C. I have often wished for a center that could truly keep up with my Sevens. The lack of compatible bass handling has always been an issue with me and center channel speakers. I have a big room now and I hate running my center as a small speaker. To me it just doesn't sound as good as running it full spectrum.

I was watching Live Free or Die Hard a couple of nights ago. There were a few scenes that I was a bit worried about my CX-17 center and my Threes. Thus the reason for me adding the Sevens to the big theater as my mains.

Looking forward to seeing more. Thanks as always.

I just found this; thought some of you might be interested: http://cgi.*********/DCM-Timeframe-Lot-Woofers-Tweeters-Crossover-Speakers_W0QQitemZ160208860742QQihZ006QQcategoryZ3276QQssPag eNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I'd be VERY interested, but i live in Europe so shipping is probably going te be really high..

Edit: why can't i link to ebay?
Whatever; item number 160208860742 ;)

I think that linking to an Ebay auction is prohibited on AVS.

ah, k .. sorry

I just received my cx17 drivers and tw7 tweeters :D

I haven't really tested them out yet, but the TW7 tweeters seem more efficient than the standard cx17 tweeters.
I'll try if it sounds good without modifying the cross-overs, otherwise i'll digg up some tw cross-over schedules :)

Also i'm busy making plans for two tower and center cabinets for these precious cx17 drivers :)

I promised Jamie that I would post pictures after I finished recovering my speakers. What ended up happening was that I used the cloth Jamie sent me as a template to make my own. I also replaced all of the tops and bottoms of the speakers as they were all warping outwards and one had started to develop a crack. The first few pictures here are of me stripping down and cleaning the speakers.

The tops were done by a friend of mine. They are each made of three joined pieces of red oak with a 15 degree bevel on the sides. After they were cut, they were stained and treated with linseed oil and a few coats of poly. The hardest part was probably lining them up to get the new plywood inserts and t-nut holes lined up. That took a lot more effort than you'd think.

Oh and one of the pictures shows a comparison between the original top and the new one. The color is a bit off from the camera but you kind of get the idea.

The next step was for me to replace the caps on the crossover and give the board some better dampening. After that, I applied dampening material to the backs of the speakers. They're made of some sort of vinyl copolymer material. In the next picture, you can see the old speaker and top next to the new speaker cloth and top. The cloth was from partsexpress and it was sewn straight along an edge. I have to thank Jamie for giving me the guts to even start this makeover after he sent me his old cloth. I wanted to really do this right since the speakers are really great.

The last few pictures are of me attaching the cloth and the final product. I think they both look pretty good. I moved both my TW3's and TFE200's to a corner to get better lighting.

I'm currently working on a DIY speaker. It'll use Vifa drivers crossed over at 3kHz with a 3rd order filter and a mid sized bookshelf cabinet tuned to around 48Hz. Should be some more DIY fun. :o

Lovely!! :eek: great job!

I see you also have a pair of timeframe evolutions, how do they compare to the original timeframe's and windows?

WOW those Threes look brand new. I wish I was that brave. Mine are still in good shape but I would like to put black cloth, tops and bottoms on mine so they will match my Sevens.

Hi,

I have a never used, unopened box TW3 Left unit.

Do you guys know anyone who may need one or has a "right" unit for sale.

I've owned this for several years, hoping to one day find a match.

I would appreciate any input you can share with me.

Thanks!

Hi,

I have a never used, unopened box TW3 Left unit.

Do you guys know anyone who may need one or has a "right" unit for sale.

I've owned this for several years, hoping to one day find a match.

I would appreciate any input you can share with me.

Thanks!

Man that would make one SWEET center channel speaker.

WOW those Threes look brand new. I wish I was that brave. Mine are still in good shape but I would like to put black cloth, tops and bottoms on mine so they will match my Sevens.


Those look really sweet,...You did a great job Formfactor....:cool:....and thanks for posting up your DCM restore.....:eek:

I know...I've been thinking about using it for a center channel speaker.

Formfactor, very nice job on the TW3’s. Which caps did you replace, just the electrolytics? You should be good for a least another ten years.

Sorry guys, the TimeWindows do not make a very good center channel speaker. I already asked Steve.

Keep those babies in service! They’re built to last.

I must say that I have enjoyed each and every post....And I would especially like to thank Jamie Hauser, and others,..for the help and information they bring to this DCM thread...:cool:

I have some TW3 that have been in my family sense they were new....I got them from my uncle about 10 years ago,..and I must say,..that they are without a doubt the sweetest sounding speakers I have ever Owned....:)

I will post some pics tomorrow...

EX speakers....HPM 100s, Klipsch Heresy's, Bose 901,....and not mine, but I got to use them for about 6 months, JBL 4311's.....:D

Michael

Thanks for the comments guys. I had a lot of help from the advice Bob D. gave me but I haven't heard back from him in a while. I hope he's doing ok.

The new DCM TFE200's are a pretty impressive set of speakers. They don't have the classic laid back DCM sound that the old CX, TW, TF series speakers have, but they're still very good. They seem much brighter than the TW or TW3's and I don't think it's simply due to the higher tweeter placement. The bass response is nothing short of impressive and will put most subs to shame, even across the entire floor of my unfinished basement. Overall, I'd characterize them as a very smooth sounding speaker with excellent treble and bass response.


Their stereo imaging is excellent. The sound just seems to float around the speakers although the speakers don't quite dissappear like the TW's do. In my opinion, they're not as transparent as the TW's. They have spooky imaging but I always find it easier to convince myself the sound is live with the TW's as opposed to the TFE200's. Things do sound a bit cleaner and crisper in the higher frequencies though.

They're also very rigid speakers, being made from thick, amply braced MDF cabinets. They weigh a ton. The midrange woofer is in a sealed chamber above the two ported woofers. I checked out the crossover and wiring and while it's not as complex as anything you'd see in a TW, they're built nicely and cleanly with quality parts. A good buy at their retail price and a great buy if you can find one second hand.

For those in the market......

There are a pair of "fixer-upper" Threes on Audiogon right now for $150.

Hello guys, I'm late to the party, but I need some advice on the TW3 repair. Formfactor, let me also congradulate you on the tremondous effort and reults on your speakers. Jamie, thanks for providing all the critical info and the info from contact with Steve E. I have a pair of TW3's I bought new in about 1980?, I think. They were purchased from Louis Hernandez of the STEREO SHOP in Martinez Ga, who is still in business selling high end audio and home theater equipment. I still have the original boxes in the attic and the paperwork around here somewhere.

Cosmetically they are still in great shape but one tweeter is blown. Is there an excellent substitute replacement available in 2008? Should I replace the tweeters in both speakers for balance and longevity? I want to use them as 5.1 rear channel speakers eventually.

I can not solder worth a crap, but there is a local TV repair store who might do the repair work if I provide parts and clear insructions. I want to bring these speakers back up to full performance. I have pics of the speakers but have never posted pics to AVSforum. Do I upload them to a server like Photobucket and post IMG tags here or is there another way?

Sorry for all the questions. Please post or PM me with any response on these questions. TIA

Sanlanman,

I talked to Steve E. today about tour problem. There is no off the shelf replacement for your Vifa tweeter. Like most of the drivers used by DCM, it was modified for use in the TimeWindows. The ferrofluid was thinner and they added a dampening material ("goo" was the specific term Steve used) on the domes. The mounting flanges were also modified. The TW3 tweeter was also used in the Macrophone and TimeFrame 500. I would look on Ebay for either one of these speakers for parts.

Good luck

I started the wood working for the base cabinet. The first picture shows the Vifa woofer temporally mounted in the front baffle. The second is a better shot of the baffle. It’s 1-1/2” thick MDF that I stepped to fit into the cabinet. The third shot is of the base, which is ¾” MDF, that show the double step for the front baffle and the interlocking corners.

The next set show one of the side panels lying down, and then one with the panels set in place, then the last with a dry fit before gluing. I like to use Gorilla glue for this. It’s messy, but it’s extremely strong. After gluing the corners will be chamfered with a 3/8” 45 to match center speaker that will set on top.

What kind of table saw are you using jamie? I've been using an industrial grade table saw at a wood shop I have access to. If I can get away with a light duty table saw I might buy one for myself.

Jamie, your base cabinet looks to be coming along nicely....:cool:

Question,..do you happen to know anything about the Microphone speakers.

There was a pair on Ebay that I was bidding on,...but someone else got them...:mad:

Thanks, Michael

What kind of table saw are you using jamie? I've been using an industrial grade table saw at a wood shop I have access to. If I can get away with a light duty table saw I might buy one for myself.

I'm using 3hp Craftsman, nothing special. If I had to do it again, I would have bought something heavier. I had to replace the motor already, but in all fairness, I really used it a lot. The piece of equipment that I use the most is the Bosch router and table; the fence can be adjusted so you can use it as a jointer also.

Jamie, your base cabinet looks to be coming along nicely....:cool:

Question,..do you happen to know anything about the Microphone speakers.

There was a pair on Ebay that I was bidding on,...but someone else got them...:mad:

Thanks, Michael

Not really, only that they were an earlier design. Steve liked tweeter he used in it enough to use it in the TW3

Here is a post from another forum with some info on TW1A. Crossover ,woofer .tweeter.http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=152004

Here are a few more shots after being glued upped and block sanded. I decided because I had enough MDF and while the tooling was set up, to make another center speaker cabinet. The side corners need to be chamfered yet.