Review: DCM TimeWindow 1 Speaker


Category: Speakers

This review covers the orignal DCM Time Windows. Not the subsequent versions.

I remember the first time I heard these. Their unique shape and sound where unlike anything I had heard before. Here was a speaker that really delivered the promise. It was driven by a PS Audio Amp and PS Audio LCC PreAmp. At the time I had the Large Advents,and while those speakers were very good indeed, the Time Windows were clearly superior. The music just seemed to come alive in a way that's hard to describe. There was just a seamless transparency to them. Not overly bright or accentuated on the bass. The balance was right on. It didn't really matter what the program material was, the Time Windows clearly and with authority brought the music to life. If they had any real weakness is for some peoples taste the bass may have been on the light side. But for my taste it was as it should be. The orginals used Philips drivers using a transmission line and the cabinet construction contributed to the overall sound. In the late 70s these were not cheap at about $800.00 but were indeed worth the price of admission. I was finally able to acquire a pair of these and have them to this day. Few things one purchases in life have enduring value and the Time Windows truly are in that category. Of all the reviews I have read on these speakers not one reviewer has clearly defined the sonics of this fabulous speaker. Use all of the adjectives you want and one will still come up short in the description. Best way to describe them, if you love music and have better than average components connected to them, the Time Windows will deliver the music with a verve that will astound you.

Now these speakers are some 20 years or more in age and continue to deliver the music. And that's what this hobby is all about. DCM no longer produces the Time Windows,having opted for the HT route. This is a true shame as these speakers deserve continued production. Timeless design is just that.

Specifications:

  • Dimensions:36"H x 14 3/4"W x 11 3/4"D
  • Weight:32 Pounds
  • Power Requirements:10 Watts Minimum per channel 89 dB/watt at one meter;200 Watts Maximum
  • Impedance:5 Ohms minimum/6-8 Ohms nominal
  • Frequency Range:25Hz to 18 kHz
  • Dispersion:180 degrees horizontal/60 degrees vertical.

    Specifications do not tell the whole story,listening does. The Time Windows due to their configuration can be literally tuned to any room. That is due to their shape. This was a brilliantly executed design that has remained faithful all these years.

    Associated gear
    Click to view my Virtual System

    Similar products
    Polk SDA 2,Large Advent,Infinity,Boston Acoustic.

  • ferrari
    Ditto on that. I've had my Time Windows for 20+ years and they are still an EXCELLENT sounding speaker that I just do not get tired of.
    I'm getting a little off subject, but, this digging out old equipment has stirred me. This weekend I dug up my old Dynaco SCA 35. It originally played a set of ADC 404 Speakers and an original AR Turntable with some sort of cheap Shure. I plugged my new AR Turntalble with Shure V15 MR, hooked up a pair of Mission 70s and Wonderful! But, it would not adequately play either set of my Time Windows. I'm not sure why.
    Help! I bought my Time Windows in 1979 and they are the greatest thing ever. I had them rebuilt in around 1985. Some time ago my son left the amp up super high and when turned on next time adios speaker. I since found out they are not rebuilding anymore. Any suggestions?
    I have reconnected my Time Windows after three or four months of listening to the Dynaudio Audience 42s. I find the overall performance of the Time Window to be as enjoyable as ever. I have actually rasied the speakers on solid stands roughly 18 inches above floor level. I am surprised how phenomenal the sound is. I like them better now than ever. The soundstaging and imaging are excellent. The Dynaudios are now being used in the computer system, driven surprisingly well by the Sonic Impact T Amp. I now have the best of both worlds with both speakers running in separate systems.
    The best I ever got my Time Windows to sound was in a previous house I owned. The dimensions of the rectangular room were in the exact Fibonacci ratio. They were placed three feet from the back wall, which was covered with Sonex, about two and a half feet from the side walls and six feet apart. They stood on Tippy Toes on a cement floor with about 15 pounds of weight on top of each. Listening was from about 8 feet back. My turn table was near the back of the room sitting on 12 cement blocks. In this set up they just disappeared.

    The Keith O. Johnson Reference Recordings that I was into back then were stunning.

    It was great!