frank manrique
Supporting Actor
- Joined
- Sep 15, 1999
- Messages
- 798
Convalescing from recent surgery at home hasn't been all that negative an experience since it has brought me some opportunities to accomplish a few fun-filled tasks that might not have happened otherwise. Take the delivery and unpacking of the recently ordered Onyx/Rocket RS 750 Signature speakers, for instance...
Anyway, this little tirade isn't about their particular sonic signature and what I think of it (that will come later) as much as it is a sharing of my impressions of the pertinent physical attributes, etc., of the product itself, as well as how the 750s wound up becoming what most likely will be an integral part of the "big" HT "reference" system.
Several days ago Craig Chase posted a thread about a shootout between two speaker systems right here in HTF: one was the Rocket RS 550 IIs, and the other the Ascend 340s (please refer to that thread for more information).
Reading Craig's review of those loudspeakers piqued my curiosity to levels of the sort I haven't experienced in a very, very, very long time, so I decided to check the associated manufacturers' Web sites to see what all the hoopla was all about (prior to reading Craig's review I had no knowledge of who the speaker manufacturers were nor seen anything regarding their speaker models; I didn't know they even existed!).
Mind you, I haven't been looking for new speakers lately, particularly since I purchased the Athena small L&R mains and center channel monitors for the "small" HT system as well as a pair of SVS B4-Plus subwoofers quite recently, so once I started thinking that as much as I would like to try those reviewed speakers in my own systems I also thought that I needed more speakers around my environs as much as I need a hole in the head (although I have been toying with the idea of buying a pair of Magnepan IIIAs outfitted with ribbon tweeters from a co-worker when he retires later on this year)!
Even so, Craig's concise technical tests and glowing empirically subjective accolades of both systems' sonic attributes kept tugging at my attention and interest in such a way that I just couldn't resist reconsidering my position against any further loudspeaker purchases, thus ultimately decided to go ahead and buy what I mistakenly took as being a pair of "B" stock 750s.
Now, am not at liberty to divulge what sort of deal I wound up getting from them, but this I will share with 'ya: the AV123 company offered me a deal on a brand new pair of Ebony-clad RS 750 Signature transducers (with bi-wiring facilities) I simply could not refuse!
But to continue...my friendly UPS delivery man dropped two fairly large boxes at my door steps this last Tuesday morning; they contained the 750s.
Even though am not supposed to handle anything that weights over 15 Lbs. because of doctor's orders due to having undergone stomach surgery couple of weeks ago, I nonetheless managed to figure out a way to get the boxes inside the house without physically overstraining myself (unlike the unpacking and moving of the 190+ Lbs. B4-Plus behemoths experience!). Once the two boxes were moved inside the house I immediately proceeded to open each package...
To say that I became extremely pleased with the way Rocket packs and ships their speakers would be an understatement because not only are they double-boxed, but are totally covered with a sox that protects the wood finishes from becoming damaged as well. In addition, each speaker is outfitted with a foam "ring" that is placed over the sox-covered speaker enclosures. Two molded foam pieces were also placed at both end caps; they are used to provide additional protection against structural damage. The darnest things I ever saw, I kid you not...
Once their sox were pulled out I had the chance to lay my eyes on the gorgeous looking, slender RS 750 Signature tower-like enclosures.
The Ebony wood veneer used in my 750 pair was impeccably applied and finished...nay, perfect I would dare say!
The end caps were finished in a very deep, ultra-glossy black piano finish that's as good as I've ever seen applied to audio components regardless of price (two pairs of white gloves were also included to handle the speakers while they're being positioned. Neat!).
The speaker grills are very light and somewhat fragile, but I bet they serve their assigned function quite well (am assuming they have to be in place all the time otherwise I see potential sonic interferences affecting the tweeter's performance since the top end cap has quite a bit of "overhang" on the front of the enclosure just above its assigned location, thus possibly causing frequency response irregularities. I'll try to aurally determine whether that sort of thing is an important issue as more listening sessions are conducted.
Perhaps Craig would like to comment about this design aspect since the 550s seem to share the exact same physical dimensions and construction as the 750s).
The rear of the enclosures is just as beautifully done. The rather large gold-plated banana jacks look very beefy, hefty, and solidly built. Too bad they don't accept double-banana jacks, though...
Each speaker was equipped with a set of four machined solid brass spikes. Four solid brass discs of about 1 1/2" or 1 3/4" in diameter containing a "dimple" in the middle are also included; they are supposed to be used underneath each spike in order to protect finishes such as hardwood floors. Good idea, really, but is too bad they're rather difficult to put in place (why not machine both parts as a single piece instead? It'll would definitely be more user-friendly in my opinion).
However, in lieu of metal spikes rubber "bumps" can be substituted if one wish to do so; they are also included with the speakers.
The front of the enclosures, which contain the bass/midrange and HF drivers, is also beautifully done. Being dimensionally narrow bespeaks of potential wide dispersion characteristics (which may also be aided by the extra deep, oval-like shape of the enclosures), something that seems to becomes apparent while listening to them in action. But more on that later.
Sans speaker grills the front of the 750's are quite an eye full as the 5" white aluminum drivers demands one's full attention!
Stay tuned; the RS 750 Signature transducers saga will continue...
-THTS
"...hi, my name is Frank...and am an SVS bassaholic..."
Anyway, this little tirade isn't about their particular sonic signature and what I think of it (that will come later) as much as it is a sharing of my impressions of the pertinent physical attributes, etc., of the product itself, as well as how the 750s wound up becoming what most likely will be an integral part of the "big" HT "reference" system.
Several days ago Craig Chase posted a thread about a shootout between two speaker systems right here in HTF: one was the Rocket RS 550 IIs, and the other the Ascend 340s (please refer to that thread for more information).
Reading Craig's review of those loudspeakers piqued my curiosity to levels of the sort I haven't experienced in a very, very, very long time, so I decided to check the associated manufacturers' Web sites to see what all the hoopla was all about (prior to reading Craig's review I had no knowledge of who the speaker manufacturers were nor seen anything regarding their speaker models; I didn't know they even existed!).
Mind you, I haven't been looking for new speakers lately, particularly since I purchased the Athena small L&R mains and center channel monitors for the "small" HT system as well as a pair of SVS B4-Plus subwoofers quite recently, so once I started thinking that as much as I would like to try those reviewed speakers in my own systems I also thought that I needed more speakers around my environs as much as I need a hole in the head (although I have been toying with the idea of buying a pair of Magnepan IIIAs outfitted with ribbon tweeters from a co-worker when he retires later on this year)!
Even so, Craig's concise technical tests and glowing empirically subjective accolades of both systems' sonic attributes kept tugging at my attention and interest in such a way that I just couldn't resist reconsidering my position against any further loudspeaker purchases, thus ultimately decided to go ahead and buy what I mistakenly took as being a pair of "B" stock 750s.
Now, am not at liberty to divulge what sort of deal I wound up getting from them, but this I will share with 'ya: the AV123 company offered me a deal on a brand new pair of Ebony-clad RS 750 Signature transducers (with bi-wiring facilities) I simply could not refuse!
But to continue...my friendly UPS delivery man dropped two fairly large boxes at my door steps this last Tuesday morning; they contained the 750s.
Even though am not supposed to handle anything that weights over 15 Lbs. because of doctor's orders due to having undergone stomach surgery couple of weeks ago, I nonetheless managed to figure out a way to get the boxes inside the house without physically overstraining myself (unlike the unpacking and moving of the 190+ Lbs. B4-Plus behemoths experience!). Once the two boxes were moved inside the house I immediately proceeded to open each package...
To say that I became extremely pleased with the way Rocket packs and ships their speakers would be an understatement because not only are they double-boxed, but are totally covered with a sox that protects the wood finishes from becoming damaged as well. In addition, each speaker is outfitted with a foam "ring" that is placed over the sox-covered speaker enclosures. Two molded foam pieces were also placed at both end caps; they are used to provide additional protection against structural damage. The darnest things I ever saw, I kid you not...
Once their sox were pulled out I had the chance to lay my eyes on the gorgeous looking, slender RS 750 Signature tower-like enclosures.
The Ebony wood veneer used in my 750 pair was impeccably applied and finished...nay, perfect I would dare say!
The end caps were finished in a very deep, ultra-glossy black piano finish that's as good as I've ever seen applied to audio components regardless of price (two pairs of white gloves were also included to handle the speakers while they're being positioned. Neat!).
The speaker grills are very light and somewhat fragile, but I bet they serve their assigned function quite well (am assuming they have to be in place all the time otherwise I see potential sonic interferences affecting the tweeter's performance since the top end cap has quite a bit of "overhang" on the front of the enclosure just above its assigned location, thus possibly causing frequency response irregularities. I'll try to aurally determine whether that sort of thing is an important issue as more listening sessions are conducted.
Perhaps Craig would like to comment about this design aspect since the 550s seem to share the exact same physical dimensions and construction as the 750s).
The rear of the enclosures is just as beautifully done. The rather large gold-plated banana jacks look very beefy, hefty, and solidly built. Too bad they don't accept double-banana jacks, though...
Each speaker was equipped with a set of four machined solid brass spikes. Four solid brass discs of about 1 1/2" or 1 3/4" in diameter containing a "dimple" in the middle are also included; they are supposed to be used underneath each spike in order to protect finishes such as hardwood floors. Good idea, really, but is too bad they're rather difficult to put in place (why not machine both parts as a single piece instead? It'll would definitely be more user-friendly in my opinion).
However, in lieu of metal spikes rubber "bumps" can be substituted if one wish to do so; they are also included with the speakers.
The front of the enclosures, which contain the bass/midrange and HF drivers, is also beautifully done. Being dimensionally narrow bespeaks of potential wide dispersion characteristics (which may also be aided by the extra deep, oval-like shape of the enclosures), something that seems to becomes apparent while listening to them in action. But more on that later.
Sans speaker grills the front of the 750's are quite an eye full as the 5" white aluminum drivers demands one's full attention!
Stay tuned; the RS 750 Signature transducers saga will continue...
-THTS
"...hi, my name is Frank...and am an SVS bassaholic..."
But, if this is your first experience with av123, I suspect it will NOT be your last.
