Quote Originally Posted by psonic
tinhere, I have read about Swan before and that 550 is jaw drop sweet looking, I am going to look into auditioning that with the link you provided. The online reviews for Swan are excellent, although I agree with RGA and others in saying this is meaningless. My thinking is If a person bought a speaker why would he not be happy with it? Unless mechanical failure, it would be unlikely to see bad reviews. But just for kicks, if theres a local pair, I would love to hear them...or even Axiom M60's for the matter
psonic,

The 550's are Rocket's by Onix and can be bought at AV123.com. Swan's are made by a different company and sold through the audioinsider.com. AV123 used to distribute Diva's, but developed, manufacture, and distribute the Rocket line now. Many owners of the Diva's tried and kept the Rocket's when they were introduced. I used to have Diva's and now have Rocket's. IMHO the Rocket's sound better and are finished better. When AV123 developed the Rocket's it was done to offer a better value compared to the Diva's they were already familiar with. If they couldn't offer a better product in terms of build quality and sound AV123 would not be enjoying the success they are having. Swan's offer very good value especially when compared to b&m store's offerings at their price points, and IMO Rocket's have increased the difference in value.

Reviews are only good to the extrent that your tastes coincide with the person who wrote the review. The better reviews compare and contrast and help give you an idea about the sonic signature of a speaker. The business model of the successful online companies offer an excellent opportunity for the consumer to spend their money on a better speaker, and not on middleman profits. These companies are growing because they are delivering on their promises of product and customer service. The testimonials from satisified customers bear this out. Problems do arise and are discussed in the open on forums. If these problems weren't addressed to the satisfaction of the consumer these companies couldn't survive. They live or die by word of mouth on the forums. SVS, HSU, Axiom, Swans, ACI, OutlawAudio, Odyssey, Ascend, etc, would not remain in business unless they offered more than you could get locally. These companies aren't growing because they made a sale, but because they make a customer who can recommend them. The numbers of people buying almost exclusively from these online direct companies is growing among the audio community for good reason. The trick is researching which one will best satisfy your listening tastes. Keep in mind they aren't just selling to first time buyers, but people who have been into audio for years as well. Dismissing this option out of hand will limit what you can get for your money in today's new marketplace. The price of shipping will more than be compensated for in better value. The enthusiasm you read about these companies from end users isn't just a bunch of people rationalizing a mistake, but from people who feel they have gotten ahead on the value/performance curve.

Look for that audition or have an in home audition. It might, and often does change how you invest in your system. Most of the people were VERY skeptical when they decided to try this new business model. It would have been very easy for them give these products a bad review if that is how they felt. Company loyalty must be earned on every order with every customer.

Happy hunting.