It never sounds REAL... - Page 2

If it was me, I'd wait for the Rockets to be delivered, listen to them and then decide, since they have a trial period.

You just pay return shipping.....Although I havent followed AV123's shipping policies lately. You could always call and ask them too just simple the 850s alone first.....try them and the total cost is a lot less if you do not like them....I doubt you will return them

I'd like to throw some more brands into this mix, just from reading about them here and other places.

JTR Triple 8's
Geddes Nathans
Linkwitz Labs Plutos
Sierra 1
The $600 factory direct Magnepans

If you are worried about colors, have you taken a look at the KEFs at Onecall and Vanns? Or the Faux Black Cherry Swan Diva 6.1 at Ozhometheater?

Another great choice would be to look at SVS MTS line of speakers...

I just got the second version at my house for demo, and they make a fantastic product for the price... I think you would be very happy with the nature of that product...

I owned the 850's. The Salks are in another league. Of course, in this case you get what you pay for. The 850's can pound it out but are not as lifelike as any Salk, especially when you add a ribbon tweeter. You'll get spoiled by the smoothness of ribbons if you try them. They're practically giving away Rockets right now so a good deal, but Jim does have some pre-built Songtowers without ribbon tweets for 1795 right now.

I put some KEF iQ7's in as side surrounds yesterday and they are not bad in that role. But as a stereo speaker they are pretty bad. They image okay but the bass is mushy. Just a head's up if anyone was considering them.

Lol, I just had to point this out. Ei8htyfi5e, the other part of the world of Hi-Fi is diminishing returns! You keep paying exponentially more money to get small improvements, and it's up to you to determine if the improvement is worth the cost (just make sure you are getting more improvement with increased cost). I don't own, nor plan to own, either 850 or ST, but I'm currently upgrading from Strata Mini to HT3 (I will agree Salks overall sound better, but at higher price).


Why don't you just get the pair of 850. The 5.1 you are looking at are sonically very similar. You risk less in shipping, and the 850 should give you an excellent feel for what the Rockets can do. In the past, I've had nothing but excellent experience and customer service from AV123 (though I have recently read some negative stuff - but mostly related to the subwoofer).

Good luck, and IMHO don't rush into this.

for a guy trying to step up from some bose speakers i'd say he is more than fine with the Rockets....Then once he gets a taste for good quality speakers, he can upgrade from there if he chooses. But i know for the money he is better off with the Rockets at this point in his audio endeavers...

at least IMO

Thanks PAD. I actually just picked up a pair if iQ1's to use as surrounds with my SongTowers (until the day I can afford SongSurrounds ). My use is mostly surround music with the occassional move. Unfortunately, it may be at least two weeks before I have a chance hook them up and test. Please post back if you have any further impressions about them.

Would your opinion be different if they were being run as 2.1?

So what speakers did you end up choosing?

Yeah. Don't you love it when somebody starts a thread then abandons it and leaves us all in the lurch? And just a few weeks before the speakers were to be delivered. Or were they?

listening to our representatives quibble on c-span makes me want to vote an emperor into power in order to clean the corruption out...and that is from a libertarian!

have you considered this little gem?

http://www.jblpro.com/catalog/genera...?PId=273&MId=2

upgrade is:

http://www.jblpro.com/catalog/genera...?PId=157&MId=2

it will do everything that you want.

as far as efficiency/spl, they will blow to dust all these "home" audio speakers.

Those JBL's are out of his price range and I can think of cheaper alternatives that would not lack in performance in comparison.

You haven't tried klipsch' those sound pretty real.

I love my Rockets but I definitely wouldn't describe them as forward sounding. Laid back or neutral is what they are most often labeled. Last summer I got tired of them and searched for something to replace my 450's. I bought Ascend Sierra 1's Paradigm 60's and Klipsch RF-80's, lived with all of them a week to determine which one I liked most. They were all great in their own way but I kept the Rockets. It should be noted that I am on the search again.