Well, here it is! Non conclusive, but compelling evidence that all those minor differences in T/S parameters don't mean much when it comes to actual measurable performance. Are there some differences? Yes there are. Are they significant? Not really, and both speakers sound remarkably exactly the same to my golden ears.
Some things to note:
1) Both speakers demonstrate the same type of gradual drop off below about 80 Hz and a slight bump around 65 Hz. The AR woofer seems to dip and bump a little less than the DCM one. Interesting.
2) Overall, the AR woofer seems to react better to this enclosure than the DCM one. The response from 100 Hz to 500Hz exhibits the same general dips and peaks +/- 3dB, but the AR woofer doesn't quite hit those extremes as much as the original. Interesting.
3) At the crossover point, the AR woofer does seem to interact with the tweeter differently. There's a more pronounced and wider dip at the crossover point than with the other speaker. I have to say, I can't really hear it, but it's there if you really hone in on the upper range of a piano or a harp. I don't find it distracting and in fact I actually like it more than the original. I think there's a phase anomaly happening at the crossover, but for some reason the phase feature on REW is not working today.
So, in essence, these AR woofers are a very suitable replacement for the originals. In fact, they may even exhibit more civilized behavior. Not sure what I will do with them when I am done
Hope you enjoyed the journey!
Full response of the AR woofer.
Bass response for the AR woofer
Bass response DCM woofer
Crossover with AR woofer
Crossover with DCM woofer.
Hi, such a great discussion on these Time Piece speakers. I just picked up a pair of these with some kind of goo or silicone on the fabric.
You had the speakers all apart but I didn't see how the tops or bottom came off. I will need to replace the cloth. Can you share how the tops and bottom panels come off so I can replace the fabric. Thanks.
