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DCM TW3 crossover recap

Harvey/ Ga

Harvey/ Ga

Super Member
a fellow AKer has asked me to try and recap his TW3 speakers.
I know that there's several here who have done this and posted results.

I'd appreciate it if y'all could point me to these posts on how to remove the socks and speakers, and an X-O schematic if possible.

I'm usually on late at night, and Morpheus muddies my thought pattern for serious forum searching.

any thanks
 
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I have TW3's and partially recapped them, and redid the headliner material and new socks...oh and I also stripped mine of black end caps and redid them in natural wood. I only replaced the 4 electrolytic's with Mundorf electrolytic's, I didn't touch any of the poly caps. Some disagree, and think replacing everything improves all speakers, but I don't.

I would not attempt to remove the drivers unless absolutely necessary. The 8 and 6" woofers are held in with "black death" goo, but the Vifa tweeters can easily be removed as they are coaxial mounted, and I had to because two were dead, but I wouldn't mess with those either unless you have to.

The crossover is mounted to the bottom end plate, so all you really need to do is remove the bottom nut to separate the end plates. You wouldn't have to remove the sock in order to access the crossover. Be warned, it's a pain in the ass to get the threaded rod from the top plate aligned with the hole in the bottom plate to reattach the top and bottom plates. Patience is an understatement here.

Feel free to ask any specifics you need to, and I'll answer whatever I can.
 
Last edited:
There are 2 different crossover networks for the TW-3 speakers. This schematic and jpg is for the original version.

The electrolytic cap values will be 47uF and 100uF. There are 2 of each in each crossover.

There are also several polyester caps - 6 in the time delay circuit and 2 or 4 elsewhere on the board. If there are 10 polyester caps on the board you have the original version. If there are only 8 you have the updated version.

DCMTW3Schematic_zps8ecb9453.gif


TimeWindow3Crossover.jpg
 
89grand said:
Mine must be newer, as I have 8 poly caps.
Click to expand...
If you check yours against the pic/schematic I think you'll find there are some resistors that are different as well. They'd be in the same area of the board where the 4 caps are in the pic above.
 
89grand said:
I have TW3's and partially recapped them, and redid the headliner material and new socks...oh and I also stripped mine of black end caps and redid them in natural wood. I only replaced the 4 electrolytic's with Mundorf electrolytic's, I didn't touch any of the poly caps. Some disagree, and think replacing everything improves all speakers, but I don't.

I would not attempt to remove the drivers unless absolutely necessary. The 8 and 6" woofers are held in with "black death" goo, but the Vifa tweeters can easily be removed as they are coaxial mounted, and I had to because two were dead, but I wouldn't mess with those either unless you have to.

The crossover is mounted to the bottom end plate, so all you really need to do is remove the bottom nut to separate the end plates. You wouldn't have to remove the sock in order to access the crossover. Be warned, it's a pain in the ass to get the threaded rod from the top plate aligned with the hole in the bottom plate to reattach the top and bottom plates. Patience is an understatement here.

Feel free to ask any specifics you need to, and I'll answer whatever I can.
Click to expand...

Heading out for 3 weeks, so it'll be mid August before I start on them.
Methinks I'll do as you did, and just replace the big caps. I used daytons on my Wharfedales, AMT-4's and Smaller Advents. What did you use??
 
Just got some TW 3s.

I had been using Orig TWs as near field computer monitors for a year now.I turned them upside down. Was happy with them. Then I just yesterday scored a pair of TW3s. The TW3s are clearly superior sounding speakers.
I have been researching early DCM speakers for a year now, having been distracted away from my 3 unfinished DQ10 rebuilds. Here is my present issue.........................Well, I mean other than my obvious OCD Speakerholic issue. One of my TW3s is missing its aluminum logo plate, thus no serial number. Gosh darn it..........I have read that these things are mirror imaged in pairs, such that there is an inside and an outside to each column. The author stated that the lower numbered speaker in the pair is the left channel, and should sit on the listeners right. My TW3s each have the DCM badge on their front upper left corner....not what you would expect from a mirror imaged pair. One would think that they would be attached both at inner .....or both at outer corners,..... with a note in the owners manual about which badge should sit where to get the R and L speakers properly placed. I have the odd numbered speaker badge...does that lend a clue ? These look like a simple recap..so when I go into the bottoms...and look at the 6 and 8 inch woofers...which driver should face inwards...and which outwards ? It will be immediately obvious whether these are a mirror image pair or not at that point, yes ? Thanks in advance for any and all help.
 
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