DCM Timeframe TF400

Hey all,

I have another acquisition to tell/ask ya'll about. Was at a customers house working on their pinball when they asked if we messed with other gadgets. Naturaly we do and the woman directed me to a set of DCM Timeframe TF400s. She said they work but one has a slight popping noise. Now, I'm still at work so they're in the back of the work truck.

Now, I know free speakers are always a good deal, so no real questions on how well I did; I'm wondering what are the specs on these? What are the general opinons on these. I currently own a pair of PolkAudio Monitor5Jr+s that I condiser my "reference" speakers since they are the nicest pair I own. Also, does anyone know how I can pull them apart so I can have them rebuilt if necessary?

Thanks.
-Jay

The TF-400's were among the smaller of the Timeframes but IMO they were all worth having, especially for free!
The cabinets are a transmission line design and if I remember correctly they do not come apart. You have to de-sock them and remove the drivers from the front. The crossover should be accessible through the woofer hole.

Ok, that's what I wanted to know. My Polks don't come apart either but the drivers come out. Is that sock going to require uphoulstry skills to put back on right? Depending on the way it looks, I might just leave it off. My polks had badly damaged covers that I just removed, I like the way they look all open, it's a risk I know but im pretty careful with them, they mostly stay on a shelf anyway.

Anyone have an idea on power handling and such? My Denon is 100wpc (which has it's own problems I've been too lasy to fix).

If you search you will find threads where members have done the "Sock" replacement on the timeframe series.

You have to remove the top and bottom wood pieces, and roll the sock off. Under the sock is padding, that looks like the stuff they use in automotive headliners. Leave that alone if it is in good shape. You will also have to remove the plastic input box with the terminals. The top pops off if you tap it from the bottom with a hammer and a block of wood. Not sure about the bottom piece.

The popping is probably the unsurrounded woofer moving too far. So this pair will need new foam and you'll have a nice set of speakers. I just did a pair of TF-350s that still need grille cloth as they were cat posts.

You can do the rebuild yourself. Check AK for links to the TF-400II that is shown under the knife. Refoaming these is not hard.

TF400s have rubber surrounds, at least mine do. Knock the bottom plate off, remove the connector plate in the back and roll the sock up carefully. The crossovers on mine are attached to the connector plate in the back. You may not have to replace the rubber surround, first check to see if it may have pulled away from the cone or frame. If that is the case, just reglue and you should be good to go. They are a great sounding speaker and well worth any effort to restore them. Have fun and good luck.

Ok, I haven't yet brought them out of the truck. I'm gonna hook them up first and listen to them before I decide if they need any work. I did notice the amplifier they were hooked up to looked rather cheap and I suspect the popping they said they heard "once in a while" was amp clipping.

They'd have to be pretty good for me to want to sink any of my already tied-up funds in repairing them. As it stands my Polks are EXCELLENT and these would just be another set to add to the collection.

Not sure when I'll get around to hooking them up. Part of me wants to rush and do it right now...but somewhere in my adult mind-set is the whole "you just got home, have a beer first" mentality followed by "it's not like they're going anywhere"

I'll get some pictures and reports up later. Thanks guys.

The popping noise is probably a rubber surround come apart from the cone. A simple reglue is all that is needed. All the DCM Time Frames are nice speakers I have found, I have had the 500, 600 and 700's. Maybe a bit bass shy but still worth having!
DC

Specs

Dude

Congrats on your recent pick-up!
You will like them if you fix them up.
Here is a link that should give you some info on your speakers.

http://www.dcmspeakers.com/manuals/TF400.pdf

oooh..my ears are tingling!

Awesome! A manual! That's the exact information I was looking for. Thanks Wolverine.

Well, I think my inner-child heard me use the words "I'm an adult" and started screaming about the speakers, so I hauled them in. They survived the fall when i hit the patch of ice in the yard (although they fell ON me so I'm sure that helped their survival...screw my safety, are the speakers ok? ) and I proceed to pull my hefty Denon down to my favorite listening spot and hooked them up.

While I don't have them set up properly...i just kind of put them about 12 ft apart and about 8 ft in front of me. These things sound AMAZING. There's a strange sonic quality these have that my Polks don't. I don't want to call it life becuase the Polks have a lot of them...I don't know, I suppose it's part of my perception as these are physically larger than the polks with essentially the same number of drivers (the polks have a single 6" driver and an additional 6" passive element in a sealed box). If I turn the lights off and sit in the dark, the speakers "disappear" and it's just sound. I love that! Should mix well with some Pink Floyd and "other substances"

As far as the popping, seeing as they said it happened "once in a while" I'm going to suspect it was their amplifier. I've got 'em blasting and I hear no distortion whatsoever. The bass is good and rich without being a boomy overpowering mess. I'm loving them. I love them even more considering all it cost me aside from a little battering and physical work was nothing. I seriously don't know how I've wound up with two really nice pairs of speakers that have cost me nothing...but I have. At that point I get crazy and go "no, I was meant to own them, cosmic powers saw to it", but most people ignore me because they think i'm going on an analog rant again.

I promised pictures, and I have them, but I loaned my camera out and my Sidekick/Hiptop has the worlds WORST camera on it (which is a shame cuz it's so cheap to send photos off it), so I'm giving you one photo, of half my basement. Left speaker in front of the big screen with the denon, sansui in the foreground (with my copy of Electronic House sitting on top).

I haven't removed the sock yet. It looks to be mostly OK except for a small hole in the left speaker. That top seems like it's REALLY on there, so I'll have to use a little persuasion to get it off...the bottom has screws in it. But looking at it, the only places it looks like you have to mess with it to get it looking good are surfaces that are covered up...so I guess it won't matter if i take it off how many folds I put in the bottom/top..you'll never see 'em.

Thanks for the replies guys. I knew I was getting something good when I was getting it free....had no idea I had stumbled upon to a real good find.

Well it looks like we have another member of the DCM fan club...... :yes:
Enjoy em!!

Hi Dew,

Congrats of finding the DCM's. Just this week, I found a nice condition (single) DCM TF-500 Time Frame at the Salvation Army. I purchased the single Speaker for $4.99 lol. I am very much into MONO Speakers/Tube Amps systems so, I hooked up a vintage HEATHKIT A-9C Mono Integrated Tube Amp to the TF-500 and...I was BLOWN AWAY how nice it sounds!
I plan to use this MONO system in one of my smaller rooms. Should you find yourself a Tube Amp, the DCM's appear to be VERY good mates.
Best of luck with your new Time Frames!

Regards,
SixCats!

Don't get into the sock removal unless you have to. It is doable but not a lot of fun. Also keep in mind that the tweeters are protected by an in line glass bulb which will blow instead of the voice coil in the tweeter. If you ever hear that a tweeter is not working, always look to the crossover bulb/fuse first before thinking you lost a tweeter.

Yes, I was well aware these speakers have protection in the crossovers, so I would of looked there first. I've had a bit more listening time than before and, they're blowing me away. I wasn't sure I'd ever find speakers I liked better than my Polks....I was wrong. These things make me appreciate the fact my Denon is a quality amp even more; because I know if I had a weak system, these speakers would show it. I'm completely amazed at the detail that comes through. I listened to a few tracks off the Beach Boys Endless Summer DCC Gold disc and, it was an entirely new expierence. There's a level of transparency I didn't know could exist with speakers.

I might also mention for those that didn't know/don't remember...I got my Denon for free back in October of 07 with the Polks. I have no idea how I've come across this quality gear....I guess the audio gods like me.

agreed. the DCMs definitely have a unique "purity" to them that other speakers don't. i think it's because of the smoothness of the bass. not overpowering or boomy, so you can actually listen to details of the music in the octaves your ears are more sensitive to.

As I've said many times..... the best buy in used audio by far.:yes: A pair of TF-600's or 700's for $50.00 is a complete no brainer if you're looking for a sweet soundstage.:yes: Why settle for less?

congrats on your DCM speakers.
I got me a set this week as well.

Congrats again!

Oh, the bass is pure buttah (you gotta emphasize the "ah" rather than "er"). At first I wasn't sure if it was there, but after a little while of adjusting I realized it's all there, it's just pure. These are the first pair of TL speakers I've owned and after doing some reading, I've fallen in love with them. They diffently have a "fullness" my Polks lack and will fill a room much easier. I mean, everytime I listen to something, I'm just seriously impressed with them.

..and while my MP3's sound "better", you've got the detail to expose the compression, luckly a lot of my stuff isn't mp3

DCM Fan

Scored a pair of TF-600s on Evilbay, best buy I've made in years! I'm hearing things I didn't realize were in the recording. Fills the room with clean, pure sound. Bass could use a little help, but not a lot. The only thing I've heard better was live. I'm sure there are better sounding speakers out there, but at what cost?

Wolverine said:

Well it looks like we have another member of the DCM fan club...... :yes:
Enjoy em!!

Click to expand...

I wanna join!

I just got mine and I love them.

Except that they smell like smoke. :thumbsdn: