Thanks Juno! That is the advice I was looking for.
DCM Time Frame comparison
- Thread starter hjames
- Start date
Thanks Juno! That is the advice I was looking for.
Sonofswede13
Active Member
Bout a year old here but worth a try. Anybody have experience with the TFv10? I have a line on a pair for about $100, but I’m curious if they’d beat my TF600s. I am hoping being closer in age and appearance to the Time Windows, I might be getting something closer to a TW.
Unfortunately, I don’t even have $100 to gamble with right now, and as rare as they are, they might be tough to sell if I don’t like them.
Not sure yet if I’ll be able to listen before purchase.
Thanks in advance if anyone has info.
Unfortunately, I don’t even have $100 to gamble with right now, and as rare as they are, they might be tough to sell if I don’t like them.
Not sure yet if I’ll be able to listen before purchase.
Thanks in advance if anyone has info.
leftfielder
Active Member
After just selling my TF 350s last month due to downsizing I'm feeling some separation anxiety. Mine were in the dark maroon w/ new socks and re foamed. I personally do not like light white oak as speaker furniture which is why when I bleached out a deep water stain on the top caps of my Polk SDA2Bs I went w/ a cherry type stain. When it came to the TFs I distressed the tops and darkened them up a bit. Now its easy to see that there was in fact 2 colors maroon and black for the higher models which I thought was the case just never saw them side by side.....Lew
Yuaaaaaaaaan
Active Member
I just got a pair of TF500s, they sound all right, but the grill cloth are really dirty. I think the previous owner has cats....
Plan to clean them and probability put grill cloth with a different color.
Plan to clean them and probability put grill cloth with a different color.
MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
I also picked up a pair of TimeFrames today. TF400s this time (I previously owned a pair of TF275s). They definitely need the socks replaced. I'm going to have to find someone with a sewing machine that can use one of the original socks as a pattern to make a couple new ones.
The TF275s, which are really BOTL TimeFrames turned out so nice, I'm looking forward to restoring these TF400s.
MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
Turns out my "new" TF400s are the Series II models with one front and one rear firing tweeter per speaker. One of the front firing tweeters is out. Fortunately, the TF400 (and TF600) take the same tweeters as the TF275, and I have one original tweeter left from my previous TF275 restoration project.
I have other projects ahead of these in the queue, but I'll eventually get them sorted (tweeter replaced, crossovers recapped, new socks and top and bottom caps refinished). For now, I'll just pull down the sock on the one with the bad tweeter and install the new tweeter so I can enjoy listening to them until I can get around to the full restoration. I can tell you right now, with the two 6.5" drivers per speaker and larger cabinets, they definitely have more bass than the TF275s.
Yuaaaaaaaaan
Active Member
I finally properly set up the TF500s, and listened for a few hours (some piano, a symphony, and some Neil Young). I actually like the sound. But I think the bass is weak. I expected deeper bass for their size...
BMWCCA
Addicted Member
I purchased a nice pair of TF500s locally a while back from the original owner who was combining households and needed space. He even threw in a B&O straight-line tracking TT missing the cartridge. The entire transaction, IIRC, was way less than $100. I have really enjoyed listening to them, though I haven't had them in a regular system in my home because, well, because I have too many speakers already. I just thought I'd try them out.
Periodically I'd search CL and FB Marketplace for Timeframe and they'd pop up all over the place for cheap money. I was watching a pair of TF400s about 5-hours away for some time and saw their price cut in half. They looked good in the lousy photos and a trip this past weekend had me within 40-minutes of this listing, so I contacted the seller, and dropped by on my way home. The owners were giving their house to their kids and building a new one nearby but were currently moving everything into a basement room while living in an RV in the driveway. The TFs were in the room with a cat who had apparently been checking out the socks, but not too bad. They looked big when I first saw them and I had trouble seeing into the socks with a flashlight to check to make sure the rubber surrounds were there and the drivers were original. Something didn't look right, so I looked on the input on the back and it said "TF600". I tried to use that as a negotiation figuring if the original owner didn't know what model he had, he might not know what they were really worth, either. But he'd already cut the price in half over the past weeks and wasn't interested in cutting any more.
I figured the twenty-bucks or so I'd try to knock off was already spent on the gas getting there so I agreed to his price and we put them in the back of the smallest BMW car built within the last several decades . . . with room to spare! Now that I have them home, I have to say these are quite an improvement over the TF500s I've grown to like. They're much more efficient. They have quite a bit more extension into the low end, and the HF is airier and brighter. All things considered, an excellent buy on a fine speaker. Now I have to do Heather's black-paint removal process and make them look as nice as the TF500s. Looks like the later FT600s skimped on the thickness of the wood over the earlier TF500, but the contrast of the black socks and the (soon to be) brown wood top and bottom has to look better than all black. Even the badge logo looks cheaper than that of the TF500. But the sound is what it's all about, and I'm liking these after just a few hours. TF600s for the price of TF400s will work every day!!
Periodically I'd search CL and FB Marketplace for Timeframe and they'd pop up all over the place for cheap money. I was watching a pair of TF400s about 5-hours away for some time and saw their price cut in half. They looked good in the lousy photos and a trip this past weekend had me within 40-minutes of this listing, so I contacted the seller, and dropped by on my way home. The owners were giving their house to their kids and building a new one nearby but were currently moving everything into a basement room while living in an RV in the driveway. The TFs were in the room with a cat who had apparently been checking out the socks, but not too bad. They looked big when I first saw them and I had trouble seeing into the socks with a flashlight to check to make sure the rubber surrounds were there and the drivers were original. Something didn't look right, so I looked on the input on the back and it said "TF600". I tried to use that as a negotiation figuring if the original owner didn't know what model he had, he might not know what they were really worth, either. But he'd already cut the price in half over the past weeks and wasn't interested in cutting any more.
I figured the twenty-bucks or so I'd try to knock off was already spent on the gas getting there so I agreed to his price and we put them in the back of the smallest BMW car built within the last several decades . . . with room to spare! Now that I have them home, I have to say these are quite an improvement over the TF500s I've grown to like. They're much more efficient. They have quite a bit more extension into the low end, and the HF is airier and brighter. All things considered, an excellent buy on a fine speaker. Now I have to do Heather's black-paint removal process and make them look as nice as the TF500s. Looks like the later FT600s skimped on the thickness of the wood over the earlier TF500, but the contrast of the black socks and the (soon to be) brown wood top and bottom has to look better than all black. Even the badge logo looks cheaper than that of the TF500. But the sound is what it's all about, and I'm liking these after just a few hours. TF600s for the price of TF400s will work every day!!
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Another great DCM thread! I just posted a separate thread comparing the TF-600, TF-700, TF-1000, and Time Window 1a. If anyone's interested: https://audiokarma.org/forums/index...-tf-600-tf-700-tf-1000-time-window-1a.939705/
I think the TF-600s are the best of the Time Frames, due to their design with the rear firing tweeters, but I'm not sure that I like them more than the larger 1000s. Need to do some refurb work on the 600s as they recently developed a tweeter issue, then I'll A/B.
In my space, the Time Window 1as actually won out over the 1000s (surprised me, too) and I'm now keeping an eye out for a pair of the elusive Time Window Sevens. If anyone has a pair they want to sell, PM me.
I think the TF-600s are the best of the Time Frames, due to their design with the rear firing tweeters, but I'm not sure that I like them more than the larger 1000s. Need to do some refurb work on the 600s as they recently developed a tweeter issue, then I'll A/B.
In my space, the Time Window 1as actually won out over the 1000s (surprised me, too) and I'm now keeping an eye out for a pair of the elusive Time Window Sevens. If anyone has a pair they want to sell, PM me.
BMWCCA
Addicted Member
Both the 500 and 600 TFs are still in the basement, though hooked up to a nice system: Soundcraftsmen Pro-Control-Four, TASCAM CD player with iPod drawer, and a Crown Power Line Three. Found another leather Ikea Poang chair and ottoman yesterday (thanks to Heather for getting me hooked on them), cleaned it up, treated the leather, and sat it in front of the TF array for a listen. Very nice. Then I figured I'd move a spare pair of JBL L7 that were sitting behind them into a position to compare them. I think these are some of the best imaging JBLs and the bass is really superb, especially with more power than I was going to give them today. The TFs played very well. Much more efficient than the L7s, but then (obviously) they don't have the bottom end the 12-inch "sub" gives the JBLs. For a hundred-bucks, the TF-600 is still mesmerizing and easy to listen to. But I think I only paid $200 for the L7s and that's still one of the all-time best values out there in vintage speakers. The JBLs required some toe-in to image well, but not the TFs. For the little TimeFrames to play that well alongside them is certainly a credit to the DCM TimeFrame transmission-line concept.
I am still enjoying my TF600s I've have for a number of years as rear surrounds - currently in a system of JBL-based UREI 809 monitors.
Our home theater room is small but the rear facing tweeters expand the presence in the back of the room, for media that's in full 7.1 mode. (If I had more room I'd bring them further away from the wall, but we don't)
Our home theater room is small but the rear facing tweeters expand the presence in the back of the room, for media that's in full 7.1 mode. (If I had more room I'd bring them further away from the wall, but we don't)
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BMWCCA
Addicted Member
I continue to troll CL and FB for both Poang chairs and TF speakers. Thanks a lot, Heather! 
So today up pops a nice-looking pair of TF600 (my favorites so far) for a reasonable "asking". Anyone near Allentown/Danielsville, PA, should follow-up on a pair of TF600s for should be a very reasonable sum. I doubt you'll be disappointed. I'm still enjoying mine quite a lot. So much that I never play the TF-500s right next to them.
So today up pops a nice-looking pair of TF600 (my favorites so far) for a reasonable "asking". Anyone near Allentown/Danielsville, PA, should follow-up on a pair of TF600s for should be a very reasonable sum. I doubt you'll be disappointed. I'm still enjoying mine quite a lot. So much that I never play the TF-500s right next to them.
I have two pair of DCM TF-700’s that I love dearly!!!! The stereo imaging is still incredible!!! Close your eyes and you can mentally pinpoint the physical location of every artist in a live recording!!! They still look great. One foam sock has a little wear but everything else is good. Awesome for every musical genre and my powered sub gets turned on for cranking serious classic rock tunes!! Thinking about selling all four as I am trying to get the hell out of Kommiefornia!!! Still have all of the original packaging and boxes.
I also have a new in box pair of Bose 301s that I was going to use for the center channel of my surround sound system but didn’t have room for them...
I also have a new in box pair of Bose 301s that I was going to use for the center channel of my surround sound system but didn’t have room for them...
Hey all, I picked up a pair of TF500s a couple months ago for the nice price of 75$. There was a catch though: the plastic wire terminals were kaput, and needed to be replaced. So, I built some MDF plates to affix on the back and drilled holes for 5 way posts, then screwed it into place on top of some weatherstripping. I love these speakers, but I'm having such a hard time with resonances from the cabinet. I have no idea what's causing them and I can't find any resources online for what the issue might be, but it's difficult to ignore and I'm not sure how to fix it. For a point of reference, on 'Jumbo Blimp Jumbo' by Kyuss, the guitar solo at the start almost immediately devolves into what sounds like someone moving heavy furniture across hardwood floors. I've tried to inspect the surrounds to see if that was the problem, but from what I can see nothing is wrong with them (though part of them is blocked and it's difficult to see through the socks). I'm pretty sure this isn't an electronics issue either, since I've ran my Mission 761s with my NAD 3020B (the amp handling the TF500s currently) and they were just fine together. What could the problem be? These speakers sound wonderful when they're not making harsh resonances, and I intend to keep them so I've got to do something to fix the issue. Thanks for reading.
Twmangrove
New Member
Great bunch of data here. I am wondering what everyone thinks about a TF paired with low-powered tubes (12 watts per channel). Obviously, the more efficient the better, so likely a TF250. Will be placed in listening room with 18 ft. ceilings, apx. 14 x 20. Thoughts, concerns, etc...