Info please on DCM and Martin Speakers...

The Time Windows are a remarkably likeable speaker, but any repair is likely to be difficult, since the drivers are glued into the cabinets. Even cosmetic repairs are difficult since the top and bottom are pretty complicated pieces, tough to do anything with if warped, and while the foam ought to be easy to replace, I don't know where you would find replacement foam. $100 seems a little steep to me, but maybe the price will drop after a while.
I heard a pair of Martins (no idea what model), and was surprised at how decent they sounded for their age and unassuming appearence, but they were being driven by quite good electronics, and I wasn't listening critically. I would see if you could listen before buying.
 
The TimeWindows have rubber surrounds on the woofers (at least the original model does). Nice sounding speakers IMO. DCM is still around, FWIW.

I paid $10 (USD) for mine in poor/fair cosmetic condition (foam grilles mostly deteriorated and tops/bottoms scraped up) but perfect working order. I'd suggest only paying $100 for 'em if they're cosmetically very, very good.

Don't know "Martin" speakers (at least, off the top of my head...)
 
I too had a pair of Time Windows. I used them in my bedroom system for around a year. Very nice sound, good bass and excellent imaging. They replaced a set of EPI 100s, and were themselves replaced by a set of Boston Acoustics A-70s. I sold them as they were used infrequently and really deserved to be enjoyed on a more frequent basis.

Mine were a bit rough when I picked them up, but I paid a pittance for them. I refinished the walnut and removed the holey, torn foam covering; it's a sheet held in place by a couple plastic strips on the rear. The drivers are glued in with some nasty, black compound and look to be a real pain to service. I wrapped black grill cloth around the foam and reattched it and they looked pretty good. If the $100 ones you know of are sound sonically and cosmetically, it's a good deal, but not a steal. They'd be keepers for a lot of folks; I'm just blessed with many great sounding speakers :banana:
 
I am currently using the original DCMs as the fronts for my HTS and have had them for years. Great clean sound, decent bass and great imaging. I forget just what I paid but I think it was in the neighborhood of $50.00.
 
The Time Windows are great speakers, but $100 is too much for a wrecked up pair. Offer $50.
Whoever said the drivers are glued in is mistaken. They are held in with screws, but there is a putty sealant between the driver and cabinet. They can be carefully pryed loose.
The speakers are disassembled by removing a nut on the bottom, then the bottom wood can be removed. The grill is a body stocking and is held in place at the botttom and top with rubber cement. Do not remove the top unless you absolutely have to; there is a long threaded shft that runs through the body of the speaker to the nut on the bottom. It is tricky to line back up. If you have to replace the grille, you can buy black knit fabric at JoAnne Fabrics to replace it. You would have to sew it into a tube, or wrap it around and staple it in back of the speaker where it isn't visible. Cats looove these speakers as scratching posts...
 
Timewindow socks AND a question

Cats looove these speakers as scratching posts...
Yes they do! One of my Timewindows had a remarkably intact foam "sock" when I got them... but one of our cats took care of that one day when the cats were 'visiting' the basement :-(

Actually, last night I removed the remants of the foam from the aforementioned Timewindow and lugged* the pair upstairs to try with my recently partially re-habbed EICO HF-81. The combination worked pretty nicely, especially with vinyl, using the Bottlehead Seduction as phono pre (I haven't re-habbed the HF-81's phono preamp/RIAA section yet).

*N.B. "Lugging" Timewindows is a bit of a misnomer. They are tall but quite light, since DCM's construction values were, umm, "innovative" :)

BTW: Does anyone here know the nominal impedance of the original DCM Timewindows (two Philips soft dome tweeters/two woofers per speaker)?
 
mhardy6647 said:
BTW: Does anyone here know the nominal impedance of the original DCM Timewindows (two Philips soft dome tweeters/two woofers per speaker)?

Don't know about the Time Windows, but I have a set of Time Frames, which use a similar driver composition, and they are rated at 6 ohms nominal.
 
Are the Time Frames a higher or lower model than the Time Windows? A local pawn has a pair of beat up DCM TFv6.0 (I assume that means Time Frame) for $170.00. Didn't think it was some terrific deal, but...
 
jpciii said:
Are the Time Frames a higher or lower model than the Time Windows? A local pawn has a pair of beat up DCM TFv6.0 (I assume that means Time Frame) for $170.00. Didn't think it was some terrific deal, but...

I'm not familiar with the model # you gave but if they are TF-600's the MSRP was $740 new in 1993. The top of the line, at that time, for TF's was the TF-1000 which sold for about $1000 MSRP. I would pay $170 only if the were in very good to excellent condition. They are nice sounding speakers with great imaging characteristics. As Mark said they sound decent on tubes as well as solid state.

The Time Windows had several models, as did the Time Frames, and they (TW's) were considered their higher end IIRC.

Jon
 
If they are TF600 they are worth the money if the cosmetics are good and they work properly. If they are really V6 instead of 600, I think they were made when DCM already started to go down the tubes, and I wouldn't bother with them.
 
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