Woochifer
05-12-2004, 06:06 PM
Just ran across a review of Rocket's new 10" acoustic suspension subwoofer (link below). On paper, it looks like yet another attractive option for people like me who want the option of a sealed box subwoofer in the affordable price range. Just in the time since I bought my Adire Rava, which at that time was the only option around the $500 price point, B&W, Atlantic Technology, and now Rocket have put out sealed box subwoofers in that general range.
Some high points from what I've read so far:
-500 watt switching power supply amp
-one-band parametric EQ built in
-rated bass extension down to 25 Hz (no way to verify how this was measured)
-bypassable crossover
-very attractive cabinet
-compact size
And some lows points:
-cannot use crossover with speaker outputs
-cannot connect crossover to line level components
-more expensive than some competing products
-question about deep bass potential
In this price range, this sub is the only one of the few I've seen that includes a true parametric EQ built in. That feature alone can be very handy. Given that I own an Adire Rava, with an outboard parametric EQ, obviously this new Rocket invites comparison. Of course, because the Rocket is a mail order subwoofer, I cannot do a direct comparison without buying the Rocket. The review of the Rocket indicated that the bass extension doesn't really go too far below 27 Hz. For a 10" sealed box subwoofer, that seems pretty good to me. My Rava is strong down to 25 Hz, with decent bass output below that point, but the Rava also uses a 12" driver with a larger cabinet.
At the $600 price point, the Rocket really has a lot of stiff competition from ported rivals such as SVS and Hsu. And when Adire resumes production of its Daeva subwoofer ($600 sealed box model with a 15" driver and a 400 watt Class D amp), Rocket will have another comparable rival with much deeper bass extension. However, in the Rocket's favor, it has the most powerful amp, it's the only one with a parametric EQ on board, and its compact size and attractive look make it very room friendly. If anyone's got more info, do tell!
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_11_2/onix-ufw-10-subwoofer-5-2004.html
http://www.av123.com/images_dynamic/gallery/subwoofers_1_3.jpg
Some high points from what I've read so far:
-500 watt switching power supply amp
-one-band parametric EQ built in
-rated bass extension down to 25 Hz (no way to verify how this was measured)
-bypassable crossover
-very attractive cabinet
-compact size
And some lows points:
-cannot use crossover with speaker outputs
-cannot connect crossover to line level components
-more expensive than some competing products
-question about deep bass potential
In this price range, this sub is the only one of the few I've seen that includes a true parametric EQ built in. That feature alone can be very handy. Given that I own an Adire Rava, with an outboard parametric EQ, obviously this new Rocket invites comparison. Of course, because the Rocket is a mail order subwoofer, I cannot do a direct comparison without buying the Rocket. The review of the Rocket indicated that the bass extension doesn't really go too far below 27 Hz. For a 10" sealed box subwoofer, that seems pretty good to me. My Rava is strong down to 25 Hz, with decent bass output below that point, but the Rava also uses a 12" driver with a larger cabinet.
At the $600 price point, the Rocket really has a lot of stiff competition from ported rivals such as SVS and Hsu. And when Adire resumes production of its Daeva subwoofer ($600 sealed box model with a 15" driver and a 400 watt Class D amp), Rocket will have another comparable rival with much deeper bass extension. However, in the Rocket's favor, it has the most powerful amp, it's the only one with a parametric EQ on board, and its compact size and attractive look make it very room friendly. If anyone's got more info, do tell!
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_11_2/onix-ufw-10-subwoofer-5-2004.html
http://www.av123.com/images_dynamic/gallery/subwoofers_1_3.jpg