Rocket RS1000 better than Salk SongTower QWT???

OgOgilby · « **on:** 22 Apr 2009, 11:29 am »

I just received an email from AV123 touting the review (if you can call it that) at the link below.

The Rocket RS1000 Signature Tower Loudspeaker was "Winner of: Best High End Floor Standing Speakers".

The Salk SongTower QWT's were the "Winner of: Second Best High End Floor Standing Speakers".

Who the heck is bestcovery.com?

http://bestcovery.com/node/9541

Here is the "expert" who reviewed the speakers: http://bestcovery.com/user/62/all

TomS · « **Reply #1 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 12:05 pm »

I received this also and wondered the same thing. This is marketing at it's best (actually worst)...

As a Rocket owner and having also heard many Salk speakers, including the dome SongTowers, I know what I would choose now based on my own experiences. Those mentioned in the "review" are all fine speakers, so this just reinforces the point that you need to listen for yourself as there are no absolutes (1,2,3,4,..) in this sort of thing. It's just marketing.

rahimlee54 · « **Reply #2 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 12:16 pm »

I didnt see any JL fathom Subs on his best sub listing, this guy have any credability? I havent heard any of the rocket speakers I am sure they are very good though, I am not knocking him on that, but shouldnt the JL fathom be on the best of sub list? At least he put out a short list for some people to check out though.

We all know the Rockets and Song Towers arent the best period, there should be some kind of disclaimer anyway.

Jared

martyo · « **Reply #3 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 12:34 pm »

I was kind of baffled the JBL's didn't win any major award.

kip_ · « **Reply #4 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 12:40 pm »

The drivers in the Rocket RS1000 are merely average - they don't sound bad per se but my Selahs with a Seas Prestige coaxial driver sounds much better for music. The rockets excel in high WAF, dynamics, and value, not detail or musicality...

OgOgilby · « **Reply #5 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 12:42 pm »

It looks like anyone can apply on the bestcovery site to be an "expert", and the reviews are no better than user reviews on Amazon or other sites. What bothered me was AV 123 using the review from a site like that to state that they came out on top of the competition. Very questionable marketing.

This is from the AV123 email:

Once again av123 meets the competition head on – and delivers a win. As quoted from the Bestcovery site…

Why it's best: Inside and out, from the wiring to the South American rosewood housing, this is a first-class floor-standing speaker meant to bring your music and video to the next level.

Here’s the link to check it out. True enough, this is for the 850’s Big Brother (the RS1K) but the design elements are basically identical.

Up against the wonderful products from the likes of Paradigm, Salk and Sonus Faber – the Rocket RS1000 shook the world and won going away.

We did it again (maybe I should add an “oops”

)… here, winning for Best Floor Standing Speakers Overall (a huge win for us) against JBL, our friends at Salk and Polk Audio as well.

Oh – and I guess it wouldn’t hurt to mention that we also collected The Hat Trick by winning for Best Home Theater Speakers Overall as well – see that award here…

I’m sure our estimable competitors were quite good – but the av123 complete system is really unbeatable any anywhere near the price…

jsalk · « **Reply #6 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 01:08 pm »

It does appear anyone can simply fill out a form and become an "expert." And everyone has a right to their opinions.

- Jim

arthurs · « **Reply #7 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 01:31 pm »

Quote from: jsalk on 22 Apr 2009, 01:08 pm

Yes, it does appear anyone can simply fill out a form and become an "expert." In Mike's case, he has the credentials required. After all, he does "subscribe to several home theater magazines."

- Jim

I read some medical journals in the waiting room at my Doctors office.... guess that means I can see patients now eh?

DMurphy · « **Reply #8 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 01:44 pm »

Maybe I just didn't look hard enough, but all the descriptions of the speakers seemed to be taken from manufacturer verbiage. I didn't see any original review material, such as Mike's subjective or objective descriptions of the frequency response. Looks like marketing hype, but I guess it's nice that old Mike had heard of Salks.

jcpix · « **Reply #9 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 02:06 pm »

Another questionable factor of this "review" is the lack of original photos. All of the photos on this site look to be lifted from the manufactures web pages.

bzaggie · « **Reply #10 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 02:48 pm »

also questionable is how the st's lose to the polks in the overall catagory, this for me discredits this review

asull2k · « **Reply #11 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 02:53 pm »

Does it really matter what credentials any audio reviewer has? Oddly enough, I tend to find that people not tied to this hobby, such as gf/spouses and people who say "they don't know what to listen for" tend to be a lot more subjectively accurate and honest with what they hear than any of the formal reviewers. I can't seem to remember the last time I've agreed with anything that the more distinguished writers have said, including Larry Greenhill, Peter Aczel, Sam Tellig, etc... there just isn't much content amidst the flowery verbage (but the pictures are nice!), and only Atkinson seems to have any sort of reliable measurements.

Also, it's very hard to find any sort of consensus in this hobby - people don't hear or want the same thing. It's that phenomenon of hearing a setup with midrange suckout and booming bass where the person next to you comments on how "glorious" the midrange sounds and "smooth and tight" the kickdrums sound.

There are so many factors involved in these types of shootouts that at best, they only serve as an extremely loose idea of where you should START looking, NOT a final rule on how you should buy. Unless you care more about what someone else hears. But you're not buying for them... or are you?

satfrat · « **Reply #12 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 03:21 pm »

Quote from: OgOgilby on 22 Apr 2009, 11:29 am

I just received an email from AV123 touting the review (if you can call it that) at the link below.

The Rocket RS1000 Signature Tower Loudspeaker was "Winner of: Best High End Floor Standing Speakers".

The Salk SongTower QWT's were the "Winner of: Second Best High End Floor Standing Speakers".

Who the heck is bestcovery.com?

http://bestcovery.com/node/9541

Here is the "expert" who reviewed the speakers: http://bestcovery.com/user/62/all

Quote

Agree or disagree with this pick? Tell us why!

There's another spot in that review for all the loudspeaker "experts" to voice there opinion there instead of just here in the Salk Circle.

Cheers,
Robin

Nuance · « **Reply #13 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 04:07 pm »

AV123 is doing everything they can to keep consumers interested. They're in a bad position right now, with shady business dealings happening often. This is scaring people off (it should), so of couse they'll send out some website's (that no one has heard of and has no credibility) best speaker award. Heck, I wouldn'tbe surprised if they started the whole thing. They know Salk is the "new kid on the block," and they have nothing to compare to the SongTower's performance wise, even though the ST's are the "entry level" tower speakers from Salk. This article is shady, just like AV123.

I am just one man with one opinion, but there is no comparison: Salk wins. The RS1000 is an RS850 Sig with a built in subwoofer. The SongTower is superior in every way. Period. Like another using mentioned, the Rocket's are good for dynamics, but they don't accel at accurate music reproduction and midrange detail. They are no better than the Paradigm Monitor speakers that were reviewed in that same useless comparison.

Just my $0.02.

cadobhuk · « **Reply #14 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 04:34 pm »

This is like a 100th email of that sort from av123 that found its way into my inbox. There's a lot of people that say rockets are amazing and are one of the best anywhere regardless of price, while there's a handful of people that say they're just mediocre sound wrapped up in an attractive veneer and with lots of marketing and hype on top. Something makes the minority opinion more believable to me.

satfrat · « **Reply #15 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 04:56 pm »

Quote from: cadobhuk on 22 Apr 2009, 04:34 pm

This is like a 100th email of that sort from av123 that found its way into my inbox. There's a lot of people that say rockets are amazing and are one of the best anywhere regardless of price, while there's a handful of people that say they're just mediocre sound wrapped up in an attractive veneer and with lots of marketing and hype on top. Something makes the minority opinion more believable to me.

A 100 emails from AV123, boy that's a lot of emails.

I also get them so I laugh at that statement.

You do know that there's an unsubscribe link at the bottom of each email don't you?

Cheers,
Robin

SlushPuppy · « **Reply #16 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 04:58 pm »

I didn't get the email, but as a current RS1K owner I have to laugh at that "review". There is simply no way my speakers sound better than the Salks. The RS1K enclosure is one of the best I've seen, but the drivers and crossover parts are a big weakness. Maybe the Ninja crossovers would close the gap a bit, but I can't imagine anyone ever saying they beat the Salks in overall SQ.

I did get a kick out of MLS's comment:

On behalf of everyone at av123 / Perpetual Technologies we wish to thank you for this wonderful award...
The RS1K is an amazing expression of our art - and we are thrilled to be recongnized this way...

Humbly...

Mark L. Schifter
President and Founder
av123

Wonderful award? Did I miss something

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #17 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 05:22 pm »

satfrat · « **Reply #18 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 05:31 pm »

Quote from: SlushPuppy on 22 Apr 2009, 04:58 pm

I didn't get the email, but as a current RS1K owner I have to laugh at that "review". There is simply no way my speakers sound better than the Salks. The RS1K enclosure is one of the best I've seen, but the drivers and crossover parts are a big weakness. Maybe the Ninja crossovers would close the gap a bit, but I can't imagine anyone ever saying they beat the Salks in overall SQ.

I did get a kick out of MLS's comment:

On behalf of everyone at av123 / Perpetual Technologies we wish to thank you for this wonderful award...
The RS1K is an amazing expression of our art - and we are thrilled to be recongnized this way...

Humbly...

Mark L. Schifter
President and Founder
av123

Wonderful award? Did I miss something

It made you laugh so what makes you think you missed out on anything SP? Enjoy the moment I say.

Cheers,
Robin

SlushPuppy · « **Reply #19 on:** 22 Apr 2009, 05:37 pm »

Quote from: satfrat on 22 Apr 2009, 05:31 pm

It made you laugh so what makes you think you missed out on anything SP? Enjoy the moment I say.

Cheers,
Robin

You're right. I should stop trying to figure that company out and go back to listening to my "Award winning" loudspeakers