DCM TP160S Bookshelf Speaker Deals

[davidscott]

I still miss my original Time Widows. Who owns the DCM name these days?

 

[afterlife2]

Treble is not harsh to me. Imaging on these should not be this great. Voice smack in the middle is clear. Cymbals sound crystal clear. Played some Norah, Luis Miguel, Melody Margot, D'Angelo, Smokey Robinson, Billy Joel, Olivia Newton John "Magic" sounds amazing with a nice soundstage. When these open up more I can't imagine what they will do. I wonder what these were going for when they first came out? I'm guessing $3-500? Final words In a week just to let them open up + Pink and White noise. I'm super duper impressed.

 

[zieglj01]

I still miss my original Time Widows. Who owns the DCM name these days?

Mitek

Mitek Corporation Consumer Electronics Division MiTek Corporation

www.mitekusa.com

 

[zieglj01]

Treble is not harsh to me. Imaging on these should not be this great. Voice smack in the middle is clear. Cymbals sound crystal clear. Played some Norah, Luis Miguel, Melody Margot, D'Angelo, Smokey Robinson, Billy Joel, Olivia Newton John "Magic" sounds amazing with a nice soundstage. When these open up more I can't imagine what they will do. I wonder what these were going for when they first came out? I'm guessing $3-500? Final words In a week just to let them open up + Pink and White noise. I'm super duper impressed.

List price was $349 when first released

 

[charmerci]

That's awesome hopefully you'll find the pics or retake them.

Not much to see but I'll try and post tonight. It's rather simple with an allen wrench.

(Addition - this is the only one left. Maybe I can take them apart again this weekend as I did more than this photo shows.)

 

[charmerci]

I'm thinking 4 dowels and globs of non drying clay might be a little overkill. If you think about it you're adding solid material to the interior volume and making it smaller. I'm thinking too much would affect the way the driver behaves in the cabinet. I might try one dowel as a horizontal cross brace and see if that tightens things up a little. The cabs are already pretty solid, but a single cross brace might tame some vibrations.

Again, it's only if you want to crank these up. They transmit a lot of vibration (out as resonance.) I can feel and hear the big difference! And this matters to me. If you want them as computer speakers at 8 o'clock volume - they're perfect as they are but if you want to hear the 40hz bang of a movie.....

(Edit/addition) I'm not so sure adding an 1/8th inch layer all around the inside of a ported speaker makes that much of a difference as the moving air flow leaves the box.

Also, as the speaker moves back and forth (how many times per second would that be in the mid-woofer? 100x/second?) and vibrates the box, that means that the woofer is not responding as quickly as it could be, i.e., no less "snap" in the bass. (Newton's 3rd law of physics, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction) Feel the cabinet when turned up. Ideally, you should not feel anything. Unfortunately, manufacturing an inert box is expensive!

 

[MarcG]

Again, it's only if you want to crank these up. They transmit a lot of vibration (out as resonance.) I can feel and hear the big difference! And this matters to me. If you want them as computer speakers at 8 o'clock volume - they're perfect as they are but if you want to hear the 40hz bang of a movie.....

(Edit/addition) I'm not so sure adding an 1/8th inch layer all around the inside of a ported speaker makes that much of a difference as the moving air flow leaves the box.

Also, as the speaker moves back and forth (how many times per second would that be in the mid-woofer? 100x/second?) and vibrates the box, that means that the woofer is not responding as quickly as it could be, i.e., no less "snap" in the bass. (Newton's 3rd law of physics, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction) Feel the cabinet when turned up. Ideally, you should not feel anything. Unfortunately, manufacturing an inert box is expensive!

The easy fix is just Grab the TP160 Towers since they're only like $70 more or go all the way with the TP260 towers.

 

[charmerci]

The easy fix is just Grab the TP160 Towers since they're only like $70 more or go all the way with the TP260 towers.

I would bet a pair of TP160 Towers that they are made from the same wood-like material that the bookshelves are made from - in addition they have a woofer and go down lower. I can see why these, even more than the bookshelves, would need bracing.

 

[MarcG]

I would bet a pair of TP160 Towers that they are made from the same wood-like material that the bookshelves are made from - in addition they have a woofer and go down lower. I can see why these, even more than the bookshelves, would need bracing.

the TP160 uses the same drivers than the TP160s, the TP260 uses Dual 6 1/2".

You would think that DCM would of had more focus on dampening the vibrations on the Towers since their primary focus is to be used as Mains vs the TP160s surrounds were not.

It's all guessing at this point but I would hope/think the engineers behind them would of addressed this.

I have the TP160s and my Bro in law just gave me the OK to order him both the TP260's and TFE100's so i'll be reporting back at some point.

 

[zieglj01]

the TP160 uses the same drivers than the TP160s, the TP260 uses Dual 6 1/2".

I have the TP160s and my Bro in law just gave me the OK to order him both the TP260's and TFE100's so i'll be reporting back at some point.

Good call -- and a real good deal

 

[Pogre]

(Edit/addition) I'm not so sure adding an 1/8th inch layer all around the inside of a ported speaker makes that much of a difference as the moving air flow leaves the box.

I'm not thinking about air flows so much as the internal volume. It's my understanding that cabinet geometry and volume is carefully calculatued to work specifically with the selected drivers. The addition of the clay along with with 4 dowel rods is going to significantly change that internal volume and the speaker won't behave as the original designers intended.

I thought they got pretty loud before I started noticing any kind of breakup or strain and the cabs are already pretty stout. I don't think anyone is buying these with the intentions of using them as mains at full range for watching movies. With a sub in the mix, you're good to go. Like I said, I might put one dowel there for a cross and see if that tightens things up a little bit, but that's all I would do.

 

[charmerci]

I'm not thinking about air flows so much as the internal volume. It's my understanding that cabinet geometry and volume is carefully calculatued to work specifically with the selected drivers. The addition of the clay along with with 4 dowel rods is going to significantly change that internal volume and the speaker won't behave as the original designers intended.

There's quite a bit of nylon stuffing in there. I'm not quite sure how one figures out the reduced volume of what's in there and that every speaker has exactly the same amount - more or less just shoved in there.

I'll have to respectfully disagree that an 1/8 layer of clay and some thin-ish dowels in a ported speaker makes a noticeable volume difference. If we were talking about acoustic suspension, that would be a different animal. I think my sound great at louder volumes. I love them much more than before I deadened them. I wasn't that crazy about the boomy and pretty much the lack of bass with them. (I have them well away from any wall.)

 

[charmerci]

the TP160 uses the same drivers than the TP160s, the TP260 uses Dual 6 1/2".

You would think that DCM would of had more focus on dampening the vibrations on the Towers since their primary focus is to be used as Mains vs the TP160s surrounds were not.

It's all guessing at this point but I would hope/think the engineers behind them would of addressed this.

The thing is, making a heavy inert cabinet is expensive! There's a Andrew Jones (of ELAC speakers) video (or is it somewhere in AVSForum thread?) where he talks about price points. On a $350 retail pair of speakers, just using a couple more dollar component (as opposed to a few cents) raises up the price point a lot to a new price point. Inert cabinet walls are very expensive to do - including a much higher shipping weight.

I'm sure these engineers are doing the best that they can within the restrictions imposed - I'm not criticizing them at all. They've done an excellent job here.

 

[snakeeyes]

The thing is, making a heavy inert cabinet is expensive! There's a Andrew Jones (of ELAC speakers) video (or is it somewhere in AVSForum thread?) where he talks about price points. On a $350 retail pair of speakers, just using a couple more dollar component (as opposed to a few cents) raises up the price point a lot to a new price point. Inert cabinet walls are very expensive to do - including a much higher shipping weight.
I'm sure these engineers are doing the best that they can within the restrictions imposed - I'm not criticizing them at all. They've done an excellent job here.

Ok this makes sense. They aren’t $1,500 speakers retail. They are $350 retail.
Assuming the drivers are good ones, I know if you have a pair of good subs, you can experiment with a higher AVR crossover (low pass) to help out a bit with those cabinets. Maybe try 110hz or 120hz. YMMV.

 

[Kvn_Walker]

I ordered a pair of the dipole surrounds for $120.

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They're going to be used more or less as bookshelves on the Ikea Fjalbo tv stand in the exercise room. Will put them on the shelf below the tv.

FJÄLLBO Shelf unit, black, 39 3/8x37 3/8" - IKEA

FJÄLLBO Shelf unit, black, 39 3/8x37 3/8". This rustic metal and solid wood shelf has an open back, so it’s easy to arrange cords and access power outlets. A simple unit can be enough storage for a limited space or the foundation for a larger storage solution if your needs change.

www.ikea.com

Passive radiator sold me on these... I plan to angle them to have the active woofer's forward. If the side tweeter annoys me I will just disconnect it. Now I just need to find an amp or receiver to place between them.

 

[zieglj01]

I ordered a pair of the dipole surrounds for $120.

They're going to be used more or less as bookshelves on the Ikea Fjalbo tv stand in the exercise room. Will put them on the shelf below the tv.

Passive radiator sold me on these... I plan to angle them to have the active woofer's forward. If the side tweeter annoys me I will just disconnect it. Now I just need to find an amp or receiver to place between them.

You really chose these over the bookshelf -- that is a mystery -- the bookshelf is rated for more bass

 

[Pogre]

You really chose these over the bookshelf -- that is a mystery -- the bookshelf is rated for more bass

I was scratching my head a little bit too. Kev, are you using them in a stereo setup? Passive radiator?

 

[Kvn_Walker]

You really chose these over the bookshelf -- that is a mystery -- the bookshelf is rated for more bass

Is it? Oh that's funny... I didn't look at specs.. I was looking at pictures. I thought it had dual woofers till after I had placed the order, to be honest. They pay for return shipping, so if I'm not happy...

It's just TV RCA to amp to 2 speakers. Nothing fancy, but anything's better than 10 year old TV speakers.

You'll have to forgive my ditziness... if a picture says 1000 words, then it's easy to put forward the kind of week it's been:

 

[Pogre]

Is it? Oh that's funny... I didn't look at specs.. I was looking at pictures. I thought it had dual woofers till after I had placed the order, to be honest. They pay for return shipping, so if I'm not happy...

It's just TV RCA to amp to 2 speakers. Nothing fancy, but anything's better than 10 year old TV speakers.

You'll have to forgive my ditziness... if a picture says 1000 words, then it's easy to put forward the kind of week it's been:
View attachment 32339

Yeah, those are bipole/dipole speakers, lol. Oops! Ha ha

*Edit: I barely looked at the pic. Is that your car?

 

[zieglj01]

Is it? Oh that's funny... I didn't look at specs.. I was looking at pictures. I thought it had dual woofers till after I had placed the order, to be honest. They pay for return shipping, so if I'm not happy...

It's just TV RCA to amp to 2 speakers. Nothing fancy, but anything's better than 10 year old TV speakers.

They will be better than TV speakers