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
    No, I haven't read it, but I will. I have both the 3's and the originals, and I must say that I like the original Time Window's better. They are must more alive and natural. I have thought that it might simply be a function of the 2 way design being more seamless.
    Houser,

    Exactly. I really prefer the sound of the original speakers, but the 3's do allow for some more flexibility which is what I thought the question was. I own both and have played with them a lot.
    I found a pair of original dcm time windows 15 years ago somebody threw out in the junk! i hooked them up they are perfect! the only thing i had to do was replace the foam! i will never part with these speakers they sound just as good when they came out of the factory ! i really am happy with these !
    Pcurtin,
    I might have mention before, in the TimeWindow series, only the 3's and the 7's are designed as rights and lefts. The difference is in the ambient side of the speaker. The 3's are adjustable and the 7's are fixed at 6 dB lower than the direct side. It would be safe to assume that you have a pair.
    Rolando,
    I think the thread on the AVS forum that Mmakshak is referring to deals with a problem with one TimeWindow Seven. It ended up being a bad or loose solder joint in the crossover and a blown fuse. The Three's are also a two-way design, only the Seven's were three-way.

    Of all the speakers that Steve Eberbach design at DCM, he said the TimeWindow Three's and Seven's were his favorites.
    I picked up a second pair of original timewindows and they're absolutely mint except for this one area on the bottom edge of one of the speakers where the wood is splintering. How can they be repaired?