Rocket UFW-10 First Impressions
Even though I'd heard ahead of time about the piano black lacquer and rosewood finish of the AV123 speakers (the other option is Birdseye Maple) I was not prepared for what awaited my eyes as I opened the UFW-10 subwoofer. At 52 pounds in the carton, the UFW-10 package seems quite heavy for its rather diminutive outside dimensions. To protect its products AV123 uses a double-box technique more commonly found in the pro-audio field for shipping amplified studio monitors.
Both the inner and outer cartons appear to be the equivalent of what we in the U.S. refer to as very heavy duty, 275 pound double-wall construction. What's more, there are none of the more traditional Styrofoam-based corner blocks or full Styrofoam end-caps either. Instead, AV123 has elected to use four, full-width, 5-layer, 1.375" rubberized-foam caps to cradle the UFW-10 within the double cartons. This type of rubberized-foam is usually seen in shipments of very expensive test equipment or with low quantity, very high-priced speaker systems.
On the top of the speaker was a plastic bag with the white cotton gloves I'd read about in other reviews. And the subwoofer itself was further cosseted in a white cotton drawstring bag! A first in my experience.
The double-boxing, with heavy-duty double-wall cardboard; the rubberized-foam end-caps, the cotton drawstring bag and gloves all add up to an extremely positive initial impression of this subwoofer. Should you decide to purchase this or other speaker products from AV123 please
allow me to make a couple of recommendations as to how to proceed next to keep the immaculately detailed cabinet you are about to see in as perfect condition as when it left the AV123 factory.
First, place the sub carton on a carpet, blanket or thick towel. Remove the rubberized foam end-caps from the top of the container, then loosen the drawstring on the cotton bag and push the bag down around the sides of the system. Now hold the subwoofer with your ungloved hand so the high gloss black top cap doesn't touch the inner cardboard box as you tilt the whole kit-n-caboodle over 180 degrees so the top of the subwoofer is resting up-side-down on your carpet. You've now felt the 46 pound net weight of the UFW-10 itself and it's perfectly positioned so you can screw the four hard-point feet into the brass inserts on the bottom high gloss black end-cap. Don't do this yet! Please read on...
