DCM TF-500 Thoughts

EndersShadow

Looking at picking a pair of these up locally. Price is decent but I wanted to know from folks what pairings of gear to avoid with these. These ones have rubber surrounds, I can audition before I buy, so I'm mainly trying to see how much stuff I'd need to add/move around in systems to get these running good.

This would be potentially for an entirely new setup that I would be building and placing in the next month. I'd also like to put them up against my SDA's and maybe even my AV123's....

I've got a couple old school receivers (Sherwood S-7128 and a Toshiba something or other), and also a Cambridge Audio SR-20. Not super high powered but they have decent wattage.

For once my goal here isn't super bass but decent vocals and a fair low end, but doesnt need to hit 20hz with any type of authority....

So what do you guys think? How do they compare to the sound signature of say Polk SDA's, Polk LSi's, or AV124 EL-525t's?

How much power do they really need to wakeup? Can they sound decent with just a few watts, etc?

I'm sure @mhardy6647 has something to say here

EndersShadow

ignore

dromunds

???

lightman1

Weirdo.....

pitdogg2

Ignore list it is then
Bye bye

EndersShadow

I meant ignore that particular post...... I still need input on the original post lol....

I should have been more specific

Tony M

I love the Time Frame speakers' sound!

I had that young guy coming over and listening to and buying all kinds of thing. He bought the Time Windows I had. A year or more later when he returned to Wim. for a visit, he stopped by. He then heard the TF350's I had re-foamed. His jaw dropped. He LOVED their sound signature too. A LOT.

I'm in the camp of " There isn't a bad DCM speaker out there".

Maybe a woofer that's scratchy at high volumes, I have a DCM17 that has one, and foam surrounds that need re-foaming, but their easy to do, they are great designed speakers. Just like Polks and PSB and Def. Tech. too.

As far as them equaling a SDA, only the DCM Time Windows come close or equal to the small SDAs in my opinion. And the SDAs have those 12" passives in the smaller ones, so...better bass is obvious. but not by much!

EndersShadow

Thanks! I am not needing tons of bass given the location they are intended for, and at home I’ve got the low end covered w subs all over.

I’m interested in how skinny they are and that they like placed close to walls.

pitdogg2

Boston A150 or next model up would fit that description. Thin front to back and sealed design.

Tony M

EndersShadow wrote: »

Thanks! I am not needing tons of bass given the location they are intended for, and at home I’ve got the low end covered w subs all over.

I’m interested in how skinny they are and that they like placed close to walls.

The cabinets are SUPER SOLID so wall placement should be easy since the port is in the front of the 500.

8" or less , my guess. Like an SDA.
My 350's have one centered stabilizing arm. This pic. shows 2 stabilizers.

Here's a front pic. of a DCM 500 and it has a port on the front so your in luck. Some have it on the back. But anyway, the bass should be great coming out the front of with that port!


They are kind-of thin front to back. They have this bottom arm that slides out to stabilise them. But you can leave it tucked in. The man I bought my 350's from, never knew the arm was there until I tilted them at his yard sale and swung each one out to test them. He smiled big seeing them come out. He was the original owner.

EndersShadow

Yup, I've seen that, and I know the ports are in the front. Also why putting near the wall is even better lol....

In general just curious as to how folks think the sound compared to vintage and regular Polks......

What do they NOT do well music wise, what do they excel at, what kind of soundstage, etc....

EndersShadow

no @mhardy6647 yet....

Tony M

I can't think of anything negative about then. Nothing.

They sound like Polk Monitor 10's or Monitor 7's. Inbetween I would say. I haven't heard the DCM500 personally but it should sound like said above. The 350 is awsome in itself. One woofer that can make this much bass is quite the thing to hear. These are special woofers too. Just like the Polks woofers are.
DCM woofers and tweeters blend VERY WELL for the midrange sound.

I've read on line the DCM350's are the sweet spot speakers in the wedge line-up, just like Polk Monitor 7's satisfy a lot of their owners too from the Polk Monitor line-up.

I always have said it's the tweeters that make a speaker super special.

I've heard a little Totem bookie that blew me away. The soundfield was spacious.

These tweeters are not "Totem level" but look at the price difference too.

The soundstage is big. It's because of the great tweeters in these speakers. Put some Totem teeters in these and you would cry tears of joy. As they are now, DCM timeframes WILL make our jaws drop and put a big smile on our faces and all that hear them too.

But people have moved away from having black wedges in their homes. Heck, and speakers of size more than a loaf of bread are frowned upon by millennials. I don't mind BIG speakers against a wall if I have the space.

I sure wish I didn't need money here and there over the past 15 years. The collection I would have now, and its value now too, would be "not too shabby". 2 sets of timewindows, 2 sets of DCM Time Frames or more, 2 sets of klipsch Heresy's and 4 Adcom 555II's and so on...

Kind of like where our budding new collecting member is right now. Whoops, there's 3 of us at least. Stacking spare speakers up to save space on the floor...uh huh.

But fate has its own ideas as to what each of us lives through.