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
    My Time Windows are still going strong after 24 years of use and abuse. I'm currently using them in my second system, a 2-channel "home theater" system run by the Carver Receiver which is just about as old. They still sound great.

    I remember the first time I heard them was in a stereo store in Columbia, MO and they just lit the room up. Everyone wandered over to them to hear these new, odd shaped speakers. I still like the concept of the prismatic face with dual sets of drivers. The horizontal dispersion easily fills up a room with sound. This works well for movies also, since I don't have a center channel, they fill the space in front of the TV quite well with dialogue. I agree with others above, they were a little soft at the extremes but for the rest of the bandwidth, they were fairly linear and very transparent sounding for the time. I've occasionally thought of selling them but can never get myself to part with them. They were my first real "high end" speaker and they've become part of the family.
    stevenk
    I have added my comments much earlier in this thread. But I am truly surprised to see so many others who feel about the Time Windows the way I do. This definitely speaks to the overall musicality of this great speaker. I have been enjoying my Dynaudio Audience 42s for the last three months, but I think it is high time to reconnect with the Time Windows.
    Ok guys, I actually work for DCM - or more to the point, for Mitek - the parent company of DCM.

    Originally, DCM stood for De-Criminalize Marijuana. Yes, really. However, for the sake of political correctness we now state "Distinctively Clear Music"

    By the way, the new TFE200's are phenomenal. If you enjoy the old sound of DCM, audition a pair of the new TFE's - it will be worth your time. They're not junk like the FT series (which is GOING AWAY! yay!!!)
    Has anyone tried to tighten the drivers on these speakers? They are fairly old now. Anyhow, I am a little wary, because of the yellow chalkmark on the tweeter plate. There are also two possible tighteners on the tweeters. What type of screw holds down the base drivers?