Pandaman617

Pandaman617

Senior Audioholic
Considering picking up this set for $600 cash. I’ve always wanted to try them but haven’t ever owned anything from AV123. Any members have any experience with these

Can’t post the pics but they consist of a pair of RS550MKII towers, RS250 bookshelf speakers and the RSC200 center channel with the upgraded “Skiing Ninja crossover” or so the ad says. He has them listed for $725 but said he would accept $600. Just seeing if any of you guys have ever used them. Thanks!
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
No experience but the brand generally got good remarks. The owner of the company had some moral issues, tho they weren't with audio quality particularly. Not familiar with particular models, tho.

ps Worth a drive to at least listen?
 
Pandaman617

Pandaman617

Senior Audioholic
No experience but the brand generally got good remarks. The owner of the company had some moral issues, tho they weren't with audio quality particularly. Not familiar with particular models, tho.

ps Worth a drive to at least listen?
I definitely think I’ll take a drive to check them out. I’ve got upgraditus and actually got permission to spend my stimulus check on whatever I want (this is a rare event so it must be taken advantage of)
 
mazersteven

mazersteven

Audioholic Warlord
Those are really good speakers. I still have a new Center Channel from those days.
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
Quite honestly I wouldn't buy anything that is an unknown quantity if money is at all tight. There are too many known good values in audio to take risks. It's a lot of gear for $600, but I would rather spend a quantity of money like that on something I know is a winner rather than buy a bunch of stuff that no one really knows about.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Quite honestly I wouldn't buy anything that is an unknown quantity if money is at all tight. There are too many known good values in audio to take risks. It's a lot of gear for $600, but I would rather spend a quantity of money like that on something I know is a winner rather than buy a bunch of stuff that no one really knows about.
You are not particularly familiar with AV123 or ? It has been a while but I remember some info out there in fora land. They were known for good stuff in general IIRC. Seaton designed some of their subs. The company was more about providing value in components/construction (crossovers I don't remember hearing much about but do remember that particular mod he mentioned being discussed) than being a viable business particularly. Outside of certain fund raising related things....
 
mazersteven

mazersteven

Audioholic Warlord
You couldn't duplicate the sound quality of that rig for $600. If they are in fantastic condition
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
You are not particularly familiar with AV123 or ? It has been a while but I remember some info out there in fora land. They were known for good stuff in general IIRC. Seaton designed some of their subs. The company was more about providing value in components/construction (crossovers I don't remember hearing much about but do remember that particular mod he mentioned being discussed) than being a viable business particularly. Outside of certain fund raising related things....
I know about AV123. The problem is, even for their product lines that are fondly remembered, how do they really perform? They might have been reasonably good speakers for their day, but what does that mean today? There are many instances of speakers that were remembered to be classics but then they get measured, they were found to have problems. This is especially true for companies that got on by hype like AV123. Are they so much better than, say, Infinity Reference or even Polk RTi? I have seen nothing to suggest that they are. There is a lot of hype about speakers from a business that turned out to be run by a conman; that should be enough to give skepticism about how good the speakers actually are in lieu of measurements. $600 is enough to buy a demonstrably good audio component, like a Dirac Live license or a Hsu VTF-2 or some PreSonus Eris E8s or an Infinity Reference 3-way center speaker. All I am saying is if money is tight and $600 is a major purchase, why gamble it on components where the actual performance remains a mystery when you can spend it on something that has been proven to be seriously good?
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
Considering picking up this set for $600 cash. I’ve always wanted to try them but haven’t ever owned anything from AV123. Any members have any experience with these

Can’t post the pics but they consist of a pair of RS550MKII towers, RS250 bookshelf speakers and the RSC200 center channel with the upgraded “Skiing Ninja crossover” or so the ad says. He has them listed for $725 but said he would accept $600. Just seeing if any of you guys have ever used them. Thanks!
Those speakers were produced by a convicted criminal. He was convicted of fraud. His speakers were known for failures which he refused to stand by. Those speakers are likely not worth two cents. I highly doubt they will be an upgrade, but rather a total waste of money.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Those speakers were produced by a convicted criminal. He was convicted of fraud. His speakers were known for failures which he refused to stand by. Those speakers are likely not worth two cents. I highly doubt they will be an upgrade, but rather a total waste of money.
The conviction was in connection with speaker design? Components? Construction? I've heard people say your designs aren't worth much, too....who's to believe? Ethically you're perhaps a step above but the medical profession has as much bullshit going on as most....
 
mazersteven

mazersteven

Audioholic Warlord
The conviction was in connection with speaker design? Components? Construction? I've heard people say your designs aren't worth much, too....who's to believe? Ethically you're perhaps a step above but the medical profession has as much bullshit going on as most....
Illegal Raffles. Nothing to do with Speaker Design
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
The conviction was in connection with speaker design? Components? Construction? I've heard people say your designs aren't worth much, too....who's to believe? Ethically you're perhaps a step above but the medical profession has as much bullshit going on as most....
I don't know if you were around in those days. However the guy was clearly not upstanding. There were a significant number of complaints as to poor construction and faults in his speakers, for which his customers did not get satisfaction. He did shaft customers. So personally I would avoid anything that he was involved with.

As for my designs they are not for sale, but I do publish extensive details and measurements of all my speakers. I think those speak for themselves. For the moment I will let your unwarranted ad hominem insult to the medical profession pass.
 
mazersteven

mazersteven

Audioholic Warlord
I don't know if you were around in those days. However the guy was clearly not upstanding. There were a significant number of complaints as to poor construction and faults in his speakers, for which his customers did not get satisfaction. He did shaft customers.
I was around in those days and remember non of what you speak of. Poor construction and faults? If I remember correctly once the cabinets where constructed they were shipped back to AV123 for final assembly and inspection. They did sell B-Stock like everyone else does too.
From the Rockets to the Strata-Mini' s I personally never had an issue with AV123's quality or customer service.
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
From what I recall, AV123 had a lot of problems, but more in the later parts of its business life than the early. They had to move manufacturing a couple times because they werentpaying their factories. The MFW-15 had a boatload of reliability issues. There were also speakers that had cabinets that were improperly assembled. TLS Guy is right, but AV123 didn't start that way, it just ended that way.
 
Last edited:
mazersteven

mazersteven

Audioholic Warlord
The only issues I remember was with Vendors and Supply and Wait Times. Didn't he have his own manufacturing facilities in China and South America
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
The only issues I remember was with Vendors and Supply and Wait Times. Didn't he have his own manufacturing facilities in China and South America
I don't think they owned their factories. In fact, I seem to remember them having to flee a country for not paying their bills. I think it was Mexico?
 
gene

gene

Audioholics Master Chief
Administrator
I never got in a review pair of AV123 speakers that measured the same. Always a crossover wiring issue that needed to be resolved before the review could take place. Tread carefully with that brand.
 
Pandaman617

Pandaman617

Senior Audioholic
I never got in a review pair of AV123 speakers that measured the same. Always a crossover wiring issue that needed to be resolved before the review could take place. Tread carefully with that brand.
Thanks so much for the info guys and I definitely appreciate you taking the time to give your input Gene!
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
I was around in those days and remember non of what you speak of. Poor construction and faults? If I remember correctly once the cabinets where constructed they were shipped back to AV123 for final assembly and inspection. They did sell B-Stock like everyone else does too.
From the Rockets to the Strata-Mini' s I personally never had an issue with AV123's quality or customer service.
‘Person, woman, man, camera, TV.’
 

Latest posts

newsletter

  • RBHsound.com
  • BlueJeansCable.com
  • SVS Sound Subwoofers
  • Experience the Martin Logan Montis
Top