Rockets modeled after Swans?

[Buckeyefan 1]

Just found this review on a pair of Swan 6.1's, and noticed AV123 used to market the Swan line. I've always wondered if the two had a relationship - being so similar in looks and design. Is it possible the Onix Rockets were modeled after the Swans? What happeded to AV123/Swan relationship? Are Rockets using HiVi drivers?

http://www.stereotimes.com/speak121701.shtm

 

[xthexjoker]

i believe that they are the same company. av123 made the swans but then came out with the rocket line. i was planning on getting a set of rockets, my buddy has them and loves them. good build quality and price is very low because they only sell online.

 

[MacManNM]

Nice review. I really like the part about how much better they sounded after the cable was broken in.

 

[Sheep]

Nice review. I really like the part about how much better they sounded after the cable was broken in.

Yeah, I was checking that sites reviews out, PASS!

SheepStar

 

[silversurfer]

If I recall correctly, AV123 used to sell the Swans, and then there was some claimed(by AV123) legal issue raised by B&W about the placement of the tweeter copying their design. So they stopped selling them and the Rockets were born.

Nobody has been able to confirm the legal issue and Swans seem to be sold without any issues.

 

[furrycute]

Yep, av123 used to market the Swans. Then there were some management issues between av123 and the makers of Swans speakers, and B&W wanted to sue Swans for patent infringement for copying the tweeter pod design.

Then av123 dropped the Swans line, and came out with the Rockets line.



When you take a look at the history of Swans and Rockets, especially on the avsforum, it is quite amazing how once the SWans were touted as the best speakers ever made. Then when av123 dropped the Swans line and switched to the Rockets line, the perceived reputation of Swans speakers suddenly dissipated into thin air overnight, no one wanted the Swans anymore. And the Rockets suddenly became everyone's favorite, and they were touted as the best speakers ever made.

Very clever marketing, or very improbable coincidence in changes in consumer perception, I must say.

 

[vince32837]

3 1/2 years ago I bought into the Swan Diva hype...I bought Swan 6.1 mains(80-100 lbs), 4.1 rear(60-70lbs), c3 center(50 lbs) from av123....Let me tell you they are "no hype", beautiful rosewood finish, like a piece of ethan allen furniture....Killer binding posts, very sweet sound...You feed them quality you get quality out!!!

The 6.1 and 4.1 had the tweeter B&W possible infirngement issue..as mentioned earlier.

Sound as sweet today as they did in 2002....no issues....

The follow-on rocket line I don't know............................

my 2 cents,
Vince

 

[Josuah]

I still think a lot of people on AVSForum like the Swans, and still purchase them. However, the Swans weren't getting anything new in a while (to my knowledge) while the Rocket line was getting more R&D pumped into them, thus the Rockets were "newer" and "better" as a result. However, new Swan *.2 speakers have come out which are supposed to be better; the old Swan *.1 speakers are now being sold on NewEgg.com.

Anyway, that's what I've picked up from reading AVSForum. AV123 does have a much more active community and as a company, they are actively working on new products and expanding their sales in the U.S. while Swan doesn't seem to be interested in doing that. So there is more information and people talking about Rockets than Swans.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

The new HiVi Swans appear to be marketed in the States by a company called The Audio Insider. They are still using a similar bullet tweeter, but it's a bit more recessed than the original .1 verion. It makes you wonder if B&K won an out of court settlement to change the design, because IMO they aren't as attractive.

PE still sells all the HiVi drivers that were installed in the older versions, so it must have something to do with AV123's design, and not HiVi.

It's a shame you can't find the original versions in a full set. My take is that Newegg.com is selling the older versions out until there is nothing left.

http://www.theaudioinsider.com/cgi-bin/theaudioinsider/speakers3.html?id=dz636R7n

 

[T2T]

However, the Swans weren't getting anything new in a while (to my knowledge)

Actually, the new Swans have changed a bit. The older Swans are now sold by NewEgg.

 

[furrycute]

I like the pod tweeter design.

 

[einsteinjb]

Hi Buck,

Yes, Jon Lane and The Audio Insider are now the US distributor for Swans speakers, made of course by HiVi in China.

The x.2 line (now apparently referred to by HiVi as "Swans Classics" rather than Divas) uses the identical tweeter that appears on the x.1 line, which is still current at NewEgg. The tweeter sits on a newer, IMO sleeker mounting, but it's the same unit. It is however the only driver that hasn't changed since the x.1s. All the new drivers on the x.2 line, which are supposed to be all-new proprietary HiVi drivers designed specifically for this line, are a paper/kevlar blend (according to a huge pdf brochure in the support section of the www.swanspeaker.com web site).

The lawsuit (which I know nothing about) was supposedly with B&W, not B&K, but it doesn't seem to have stopped HiVi from using the design. They do bear a resemblance to the cabinet designs of the B&W 803 and 804 don't they?

Oh, and according to Jon Lane, NewEgg will be selling the full x.1 set again soon. They're just backordered and having trouble keeping them in stock.

The new HiVi Swans appear to be marketed in the States by a company called The Audio Insider. They are still using a similar bullet tweeter, but it's a bit more recessed than the original .1 verion. It makes you wonder if B&K won an out of court settlement to change the design, because IMO they aren't as attractive.

PE still sells all the HiVi drivers that were installed in the older versions, so it must have something to do with AV123's design, and not HiVi.

It's a shame you can't find the original versions in a full set. My take is that Newegg.com is selling the older versions out until there is nothing left.

http://www.theaudioinsider.com/cgi-bin/theaudioinsider/speakers3.html?id=dz636R7n

 

[xthexjoker]

Are you guys saying that you wouldnt recommend the rockets? just curious because i was planning on getting them soon. i figure for the price they are good, but if i should go with the swans let me know. thanks

 

[Loner]

Has anyone done an A/B comparison between the two lines? I'm VERY curious since I've been leaning towards purchasing the Onix line soon.....probably the Ref's.

 

[Josuah]

The Onix Reference speakers are not like the Onix Rocket speakers. So while the Swans and Rockets should be similar, the Onix Reference speakers should sound very different.

But I haven't listened to any of these.

 

[jewel5]

Are you guys saying that you wouldnt recommend the rockets? just curious because i was planning on getting them soon. i figure for the price they are good, but if i should go with the swans let me know. thanks

No one said that. Personally, I've never heard the rockets, though I was originally considering them, but the fact that they are just too overhyped sometimes inevitably brings out my suspicious nature. I'm sure they're great speakers though, better I hear with the new crossover design. I just found way more user reviews online on the swans, plus I preferred the look of the rosewood 6.1s. I was definitely not disappointed in the sound either, I prefer them for music listening over my Kef Ref 2s and my Wharfedale Evo 30s. So no, the swans are not hype, it would take a hell of a speaker to get them out of my home. The onix references, at least the 1.8s and 3s, are a different league than swans or rockets. Audition them both if you can. Either way, I don't think you'll go wrong with the 30 day audition period. Good Luck.

 

[furrycute]

Has anyone done an A/B comparison between the two lines? I'm VERY curious since I've been leaning towards purchasing the Onix line soon.....probably the Ref's.

Personally, I would save up the money and buy those B&W 801's pictured in your avatar.

 

[Loner]

Personally, I would save up the money and buy those B&W 801's pictured in your avatar.

I hear ya....... The 800's are one of my dream speakers.