DCM Vs B&W

[Aric M L]

I have a pair of B&W 602's which are right now mated to a DCM TD1 10 inch sub, would it be worth it to exchange for a smaller B&W sub in anyones opinion? What I mean is, statistically, the B&W is rated lower, however it's more expensive. What might break the deal for me is if it would mesh more congruently with the 602's. Thanks!

[topspeed]

It's very common to mix and match subs with the rest of your system. While B&W makes credible subs, they can be pricey and certainly it's not their forte'. I run B&W's in my main rig but use a DefTech sub. It was simply better IMO than the ASW (and cheaper to boot).

The real question of course, is what don't you like about your DCM? Are you sure it isn't something that can be remedied by better placement or equalization? A Behringer Feedback Destroyer ($100 from PartsExpress) may change your perception about how good or bad your current sub really is. Before you go spending money on a new sub, I'd recommend you do a search on this board for Richard Greene. He did an article a while back on room nodes that should be required reading for anyone remotely interested in good sound reproduction. Read it, learn it, live it. It may save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

Hope this helps.

[vr6ofpain]

From what I remember DCM was a somewhat lower quality speaker company. They used to sell DCM at Circuit City. I recall they older designs with 'bullet' horn tweeters. Also their old, old flagship the 'time frame' speaker.

I would definately upgrade to a B&W design (if that is what you want) or at least consider another company.

I recall ~10 years ago wanting to upgrade my JBL subwoofer (100watt 10" ported) and went to Circuit City to use they're 'upgrade' policy where you get the entire purchase of your trade in (which you have to have bought from them less than a year ago) in store credit if you purchase something more expensive.

I had spent $300 on my 10" JBL. I upgraded to the ~$400 12", 120watt version. It was crap. So I returned it for store credit. I then decided I would buy the $400 10" 100watt Carver subwoofer, since I believed the company was much better. Listening to it with the salesman, I was just about ready to purchause it, when he said I should listen to something else. He brought me into another room, which had this smaller Velodyne 8" sub. I was like, well i dont want to "downgrade to an eight" (being a stupid teenager). He said, "just listen to it". So we played the same music I brought, on the Velodyne, just as we had on the Carver. The little eight was so much better! Sounded way cleaner more, punch, more everything. Even priced at $500 for a smaller speaker, I was hooked. I still have my VA-907.2, sounds as good as it did then.

[StanleyMuso]

into buying the same brand sub as your speakers, especially if that particular brand is a lot more expensive. The sub is the only speaker in a surround sound system which does not have to be from the same maker. My mains are B&W, but I run a different brand sub very successfully, to my ear anyway.

[T BOMB25]

Depending on what you are using it for people may say it doesent mater if you use a different brand of sub i have different thought especially with music which im agaainst a sub for music anyway.Even though subs have improved considerably many cant match the speed of a good speaker like to a electrostatic its impossible for a sub to keep up with them look at all the problems Martin Logan has trying to do it so get a sub from the same company in most cases it will have the sane tonality of the speakers and yes the B&W sub is very musical in this respect.I would sacrifice boom for control and definition lean more towards music than theater usually if it sounds good in strereo it will sound good in theater.

[NoMSG]

I have a pair of B&W 602's which are right now mated to a DCM TD1 10 inch sub, would it be worth it to exchange for a smaller B&W sub in anyones opinion? What I mean is, statistically, the B&W is rated lower, however it's more expensive. What might break the deal for me is if it would mesh more congruently with the 602's. Thanks!

I had a DCM sub for a while, but I don't remember the model name. I do remember that it had a 10" driver and a 10" passive radiator, and was rated close to 350 watts (peak, I'm sure). Anyway, I thought it sounded great until I stumbled across an 8-inch sealed M&K sub. The little M&K seemed to go lower, tighter, louder, etc.

Anyway, if you have the same DCM model I do, you can do better.