# TC Sounds LMS-R 12"



## blazeplacid (May 19, 2008)

Anyone ever try one of the new TC sounds subs?

They look decent to me.

Ive read people dont like them as much as the older series.

I have never heard the older series so I cant compare.

anyone run one before?

specs and such

TC Sounds LMS-R 12" DVC Subwoofer | Parts-Express.com


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## blazeplacid (May 19, 2008)

nothing? wow. I figured someone had


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

It's your money ... do what you feel


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## laxcat73 (May 19, 2010)

a$$hole said:


> It's your money ... use it when you need it


its my money and i want it nooowww


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## blazeplacid (May 19, 2008)

a$$hole said:


> It's your money ... do what you feel


.....yeah man I know that

just didnt know if anyone had a box size or such


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## mvw2 (Oct 2, 2005)

The only TC Sounds I've used is the older TC2+ which was basically the father of the TC-1000 or the Epic. It was a little too smoothed over for me, but it was also a completely different sub than what you're looking at now.

All I can suggest is read any reviews and user info you can run across and model up the sub to see if the enclosure, frequency response, and output is appropriate for your application.


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## DarkScorpion (Nov 22, 2009)

It's got a TC9 motor, that's about all I can tell. It's supposed to be replacing the Revo as well.


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## Torquem (Jun 27, 2009)

If I had the power I would run one of those in a heartbeat. All of the ones I have heard got GUTTURAL low.


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## DarkScorpion (Nov 22, 2009)

Torquem said:


> If I had the power I would run one of those in a heartbeat. All of the ones I have heard got GUTTURAL low.


TC9 based subs are fairly cheap, and can be built for almost any application. Since the motor is so flexible, anywhere from 750 onwards is feasible.


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## blazeplacid (May 19, 2008)

I think im gonna order one Friday afternoon.

Its kinda a toss up between this and the Audioque HDC3


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

TC Sounds LMS Ultra 5400 18" The World's Best Subwoofer - eBay (item 300440177251 end time Jul-23-10 05:48:41 PDT)



> TC Sounds LMS Ultra 5400 18" Ultimate Low Frequency Driver
> *This will simply outclass any subwoofer *available on the consumer market today...introducing the newest top dog!
> 
> Designed to be absolutely precise, and absolutely loud is the LMS Ultra 5400. The TC Sounds flagship is the most linear lowest distortion highest displacement low frequency driver in the world. Nothing, and we mean nothing, will outperform this driver for low-end displacement, ultra-low distortion, or SPL. Used in some of the best recording studios and high-end audio systems.
> ...


They say the LMS is incredible


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## mvw2 (Oct 2, 2005)

Yes, incredibly expensive.


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## laxcat73 (May 19, 2010)

just pick up that tc9 floating around in the classifieds for $150. nice subwoofer


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## blazeplacid (May 19, 2008)

talked to the Parts express techs

Said if I didn't like it I could return it. 45 day return policy...I dont think thats gonna happen =)


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## Huey (Oct 28, 2008)

blazeplacid, you ever try out the LMS-R? It's quite a heavy driver (38lbs I believe) and not sure if I want to slow down my wife's little Honda Fit anymore then it already is, but the new lower pricing certainly makes it tempting.


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## blazeplacid (May 19, 2008)

yes sir

I have it now

here are some photos


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## blazeplacid (May 19, 2008)

the sub loves to play low notes

I have it in 2 cubes ~33hz

I got new rattles because my previous sub didnt play under 30hz very well =)

1400rms will do that to ya


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## bkjay (Jul 7, 2009)

Man! that is nice looking sub.


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## blazeplacid (May 19, 2008)

its extra sexy in person

the motor is VERY heavy.


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## hawkfan (May 1, 2006)

Three words: DEE... LISH... IOUS!!!


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## blazeplacid (May 19, 2008)

higher res cuz im bored on a monday


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## XthumperX (Jul 7, 2010)

Please let me know how this stacks up against the old Audiomobile!

Thanks.


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## blazeplacid (May 19, 2008)

The LMS seems to be a bit more SPL; but that could be because of the higher wattage and ported box.

I really liked the Mass but I wanted more SPL output

The LMS sounds really good on all types of music and can play anything from the kick on Eric Clapton to the boomy bass of E-40...yeah I listen to all genres.


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## typericey (May 13, 2006)

blazeplacid said:


> higher res cuz im bored on a monday


*yawn* i'm not impressed: the magnet didn't attract the screws that were a couple of inches away.



i'm kidding, man. the LMS-R is one of my dream subs. :laugh:

by the way, how is it for SQ? Is it low distortion as it claims to be?


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## blazeplacid (May 19, 2008)

its very smooth

I listened to it for a good 30 min yseterday with all types of music

overall im very happy with the sub.


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## Cali_Screw (Aug 26, 2008)

i know its uses TC9 motor, is it the dual 1" slugs?


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## Grease Monkey (May 9, 2010)

What frequency do you have your LMS-R crossed over at and slope? The LMS-R 15 is on my short list of subs i'd like to try.


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## blackstang (Jun 10, 2010)

A friend of mine has an audiopulse LMS 12 he got like 2 years ago in his house and that thing pounds! Hes also got an eclipse 88120 series in his car and truck, hes a tc believer! Ive got a TC-9 in my car and ive been impressed, its created new rattles in my car, and its handled my Jl1000/1 very well so far, which the last 4 subs before it didn't haha. So i would say the lms-r is definitely a safe bet, i hope to pick up a lms-15 some day for HT use.


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## Cali_Screw (Aug 26, 2008)

I have read and been told that the LMS will murder the lows, however will not have much output. Can any one contest to this? Id like to pick up two of these but i don't want the SPL level to suffer due to its designs.


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## blazeplacid (May 19, 2008)

crossover set [email protected]

As far as output.

I notice that the 1000rms is really low

IM dirving it with a nine.1 and it seems like it can take alot more.

I know you arent supposda use max wattage rating but they state 4000max.

I would say you could feed this 2,000- 2,500 and still be ok.

The spl/sq with 1400rms is very good. I dont know where you read about little output...

my enclousure is 2.0 cubes at 33hz


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## Cali_Screw (Aug 26, 2008)

blazeplacid said:


> crossover set [email protected]
> 
> As far as output.
> 
> ...


I have acutally read on the TC sounds forum that is lack between 45-80hz, but when it hits that 40, its like a entirely different sub.


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## Cali_Screw (Aug 26, 2008)

Can any one confirm this is a dual 1" tc9, and the mounting depth of the motor?


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## cvjoint (Mar 10, 2006)

From what I've seen the Eclipse sw8200 is the best performing 12" tested on this site. The LMS-R is the successor, if it simply maintained its goodies, which I'm sure it did, it should be spectacular. Too bad it weighs nearly 40lbs. 

Please send it in to our tech guy for testing. I'm very curious to see if it remains the top dog.


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## subheart (Sep 28, 2010)

Ordered and returned a TC Sounds Axis 15Q1 - factory defects.

Not comparable to original TC Sounds/AudioPulse drivers. No serial number, no birth sheet, not a single stamp where made/assembled. 

TC Sounds/Axis and these new drivers are different animals. The new seem like cheaper versions of the originals. Coils are different, cones are different, baskets are different. Don't know what the new 5400 is like, but from the pics the coils are not these new dark brown ones. 

No way of using top/motors from previous models of Axis with the "new" ones. 

Here's how my coil looked like;










The top would not fit on the motor;










At first I had the top replaced, but was sent a re-build instead of a new (it was scratched all over and had what seemed like hot glue on the spider), and the top would still didn't fit so it was the machining of the motor. After i returned I was told that if I hammered the top on if would have fit, not sure what that means but if tightening the bolts didn't set it straight how it was supposed to be "hammered" in place is a mystery to me.

Top and motor;










AudioPulse Axis 12 on a slow 10-40Hz sweep, clipped a bit right at the end;

http://rutube.ru/tracks/2115190.html?v=c404be6c25e12ba085494c69c9b0d4e4


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## Cruzer (Jul 16, 2010)

and that axis sub costs how much? Ha...


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## cubdenno (Nov 10, 2007)

Not sure how the new models compare. I have a TC3000 (AXIS) from before they went chapter. I will put it against any sub. I love it. They are just for lack of a better description, bass pumps. It has a bit of High inductance. So playing high is not a winning proposition. But i have had enough subs to know that they are beasts.


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## subheart (Sep 28, 2010)

15" Axis was $450 and it's WAY to much for what it is. I was actually disappointed and at the same time glad to find the defects. 

I was disappointed that it was no longer the same sub, but glad that I could return it with out any hassles. 

AudioPulse AXIS 12" was $350 from PE, it is high for a 12" but it is built very well.

Don't knot anything about the new LMS-R, would like to see some ts data. 

I'm not an expensive sub fanatic, I always prefer price/performance ratio to the "shiny" factor. For example I'm happily using a 15" Dayton HO for HT.

I did miss out on the titanium cones, wish they'd still make them but in this economy it doesn't seem like it's going to happen. 

Just IMHO.


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## finebar4 (Aug 26, 2005)

I traded some Holiday Inn points for an Axis 15 and love mine. Went right together and sounded great right out of the box. It has found a permanent home in my truck. I also have an older LMS 4000 12" running sub duty in my home theater. The Axis plays low and deep with a lot of authority, but the LMS is the cleanest sub I have ever laid ears to. I have both in larger sealed cabinets and feeding lots of power (over 2K to each) and both get more than loud enough for me. Congrats on your purchase blaze, i am sure you will enjoy.


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## cvjoint (Mar 10, 2006)

So what you guys are saying is that TC is similar to British engineering, brilliant yet unreliable. It's a shame as this can be the standard for super subs. 

I stopped being a fan of the super subs a while ago. These things need 2 times the usual power just to equal the output of a decent overhung motor. Then they weigh 2 times as much too. I might give them a try in home audio if I ever attempt to build something there. I don't like the tradeoffs super subs make in the automobile environment.


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## subheart (Sep 28, 2010)

Not in the least. Original TC Sounds and re-branded AudioPulse were and still are brilliant and reliable as a T-34 tank, but in my personal experience after TC/AP folded the newly revived brand is just not what it used to be. The new Axis was obviously redesigned in order to bring the manufacturing costs down as much as possible. Haven't seen their new LMS line so can't say what they are like. Current TC Sounds brand is exclusive to PartsExpress and they are reasons for that.

As to automotive use I can agree, TC/AP shine at the very low end which is mostly unnecessary for car audio. I haven't seen that many boxes which are tuned below 30Hz, while HT subs with these drivers are easily tuned to 20 and below especially in sonotubes.


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## Kyle (Aug 8, 2006)

subheart, I'm sorry you had issues with the speaker, but thank you for sharing, you're comments will help us improve our products. Your motor seems to have been off by a few thousands which prevents the tops from seeding onto them. Sometimes if you give it a good whack with your hand, you can pop the top onto the motor and it will sit flat if its otherwise tight. 

We're improving our QC methods for this new discrete design. Keep in mind, we are the only manufacture which ships and builds speakers this way so we're still looking for ways to improve our procedure. The new baskets, cones and coils all come from the same vendors. The only difference with the cone is the 15 and 18" got a tiny bit thicker for better durability. The coils are black becaues that's how our vendor bakes them. We recently switched from aluminum formers to stainless steel which may have something to do with that side effect (im not 100% sure). The stainless steel (similar to titanium) is a design change to lower distortion found in aluminum formers but has better surface adhesion properties than ti under heat so it works better for us. We have been using our coil vendor exclusivity for decades and some batches come out a littler darker than others, but functionally they are the same. In fact we're making another improvement to our coils for the next production by adding copper soldering strips to improve the connection point between the lead wires and coil.

The new speakers are not changed in order to bring manufacturing costs down (that would be nice, but was not our primary focus), in fact they have gone up. Our goal was consistency and improved functionally. We went to great lengths to improve the detach method and make it work much better for real field repairs (not just new speakers) which was our biggest change, but all the parts and pieces come from the exact same places before. We do need to improve somethings, obviously your motor was unacceptable, and top assembly should be perfect cosmetically, but we're very receptive to the suggestions and opinions you guys have and share with and we take those very seriously. 

We try to feature unique concepts and design in addition to good value. I'm very disappointed you were not happy with the axis and we're going to take a good look the product and design and see what we can do to make future experiences significantly better.

- K Keating.


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## bassfromspace (Jun 28, 2016)

Kyle,

I respect the fact that you guys are trying to get your bearings back, but can you get the T/S parameters on your site or box recommendations on your site?


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## cvjoint (Mar 10, 2006)

Wow Kyle, you guys make some beastly speakers. Too bad I'm looking for something light and efficient otherwise I love how your subs do on the Klippel. With the new tall surround I think the xmax is even better than ever. I would definitely invest in an lms-r for HT. Keep up the good work and insightful posts.


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## Kyle (Aug 8, 2006)

cvjoint said:


> Wow Kyle, you guys make some beastly speakers. Too bad I'm looking for something light and efficient otherwise I love how your subs do on the Klippel. With the new tall surround I think the xmax is even better than ever. I would definitely invest in an lms-r for HT. Keep up the good work and insightful posts.


Thanks as a tiny company we do what we can, but we're always looking for ways to be better and we see lots of room for improvement. Trust me, we don't like these issues any more than you guys. 

Not exactly cheep, or all that light, but our 5100 is a monster at 95dB SPL. Its by far our most underrated woofer that sits in the shadow of the 5400.


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## hotcress (May 24, 2009)

Id really like to get a good box recommendation for the Audiopulse 12q1. Only had 1000rms going to mine and in beat the car up pretty good. Its doing very nice in my ht at the moment sealed on 300rms.A optimum vented box for the car would be so nice.
Oh can I replace the 12" basket with the 15 one in the event I want to experiment?


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