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CarterfromCOS
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- Review count1
- Helpfulness votes137
- First reviewDecember 7, 2010
- Last reviewDecember 7, 2010
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4
- Review comment count2
- Helpfulness votes6
- First review commentDecember 5, 2010
- Last review commentJanuary 20, 2011
- Featured review comments0
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CarterfromCOS's Reviews
Only at Best BuyEnjoy vibrant CD-quality audio with this Rocketfish~ RF-WHTIB wireless rear speaker kit, which features a wireless range up to 100' for clear transmission. Multiple placement options allow flexible use.
Customer Rating
4
Great for not running wires, poor for audiophiles.
on December 7, 2010
Posted by: CarterfromCOS
from Colorado Springs, CO
This product looked just right to solve my problem. I bought a great TV (Samsung 55" Series 8) and the matching Samsung HW-C700 A/V 3D receiver to match back in March. Along with a great picture, I am a musician and audiophile. I have a very good ear for music and the quality thereof. So after making my initial purchase which also included front towers, center channel, and subwoofer (all Polk Audio), I wanted to complete my surround sound by adding two rear speakers. I got a great deal on a couple Polk bookshelf speakers on a Black Friday sale, but I didn't want to run wires from my A/V to the back since I have vaulted ceilings and hiding the wires would be a lot of work for me. There's my situation and this product look like a great solution for me in my room.
Setting up the wireless system (installing the wires [which I used monster 16gauge wire] and hiding them) took me about 30 minutes and calibrating it with my A/V receiver was really easy. I had previously worried a lot about the signal latency (15-20ms published, which is right on the money) which I had feared would create an echo. It may for you, if you don't have an A/V receiver that can automatically or manually set signal delay or sync for your individual speakers. I was about to get it all synced up and made the entire setup and calibration under 45 minutes.
After listening for a while to various forms of media, I could hear something wasn't right to my ears. I listened to lots of high quality music and blu-ray high def audio and in these trials something just didn't sound right to me. My troubleshooting approach was to A and B the speakers with one connected directly to the A/V receiver and one connected to the wireless rocket fish. A few minutes of listening I could tell what the problem was and I later confirmed it in the specs.
The Rocketfish Wireless Rear Speaker Kit's manual stats that it transmits and receives Stereo, 16-bit, 48Khz uncompressed audio with a bit-rate of 1.465 Mbps. The Signal to Noise Ratio is 87dBs and output power is 2 x 25W RMS (in 4 ohms).
Okay? So, the transmitter has to down-sample my 96Khz PCM high-def audio that my A/V receiver is sending. That is one of the differences in quality. Another is the RMS, my receiver can give 120 Watts RMS per channel (at 6 ohms). Also, It's no wonder that there is a slight hiss produced due to the signal to noise ratio. It is most recognizable when the Rocketfish receiver's volume control is cranked.
For me, the Rocketfish solves the problem of hiding wires across a room at a cost of quality and hiss (the hiss isn't terrible and may not be noticeable in your environment. It can also be controlled with some trail and error, but you'll sacrifice volume and headroom).
Of course, I'm comparing this to my A/V receiver which is awesome in comparison and rightfully so! The differences make the quality of sound noticeable to me, but not my non-audiophile wife.
So. Audiophiles beware, but if you aren't an audiophile that can pick out slight discrepancies in the signal, this product is really great. I am halfway tempted to keep it because I'm dreading the day's job (and money spent) of running the wires to the back of my home theater. But, for me, high quality audio is an ever elusive beast that I hope to one day capture.
What's great about it: Ease of setup and no running wires across the room.
What's not so great: High-def quality for audiophiles.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Sound Quality
3
Range
5
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+110points
137of 164voted this as helpful.
CarterfromCOS's Review Comments
The T15 are those bookshelf speakers whose high versatility is built to impress. Engineered with Polk's proprietary Dynamic Balance technology, they're primed to improve your home theater experience and take on your entire arsenal of tunes without fail. Think brighter highs, a wide-open mid-range and surprising bass response - the perfect entry into high-performance audio. What~s more, it~s easy to setup, supports Dolby and DTS, and connects to most home theater receivers, stereos or home theater processors. The best part is that it won't drain your wallet! Go big on great sound made for everyone. Add the T15 bookshelf stereo speakers to your home audio setup today.
Overall
3 out of 5
3 out of 5speakers are ok
By MONEYMAN1
from whittier,CA
The price for the polk t 15 is great...but the sound is not all that I bought them as replacement speakers.The dome tweeter only lasted like two weeks.They actually melted from the back.
CarterfromCOS
Colorado Springs, CO
What?!
December 5, 2010
The tweeters melted?! What type of wattage were you sending them? Did you have them blaring for hours? Where were they put? Was this user error or poor construction? I can't imagine any speakers on the market melting without some major error.
+5points
5of 5voted this comment as helpful.
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5Does not live up to Band Of Brothers
By JH72
from Denver, CO
Although The Pacific was touted to be similar to Band of Brothers, The Pacific takes liberal dramatic license in the personal lives of the soldiers the stories focus on. The sexually explicit series does not have any interviews with the living veterans of the Pacific Theater, something that I regard as a particular strength of the series predecessor Band Of Brothers. This being said, the cinematography is superb, the acting brilliant. Just not as well done or honest as Band of Brothers, which was a disappointment.
CarterfromCOS
Colorado Springs, CO
I agree 100% with JH72
January 20, 2011
The focus and information around the battles is rarely there, but the real problem with The Pacific is the liberty taken with the addition of multiple sexually explicit scenes. While it does give a bit more humanity to the mix, the disregard for the private lives of those individuals is saddening and very irresponsible in a documentary.
-1point
1of 3voted this comment as helpful.
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