With the SOS function turned off , the SPLs on the ULW-10 were plenty engaging but there was a bit of resonance and boom. With the SOS feature turned on it was like listening to a whole different subwoofer. The bass was much tighter and the boom and resonance was almost gone.

To be completely unfair, I also compared it to my other reference, the Velodyne F1500R ($1700). The fundamentals were much deeper, and the response was absolutely tight. But that is a whole lot more money for a small improvement on an absolute scale, and an even smaller improvement on a relative scale. The purpose of comparing to the F1500R is to illustrate that there is a bit "more" you can get in terms of performance if you were to spend a few multiples more, and that the ULW-10 does not deliver the ultimate in performance, but its pretty darn good. That should be no surprise; reference level performance for $500 is simply not a reality in subwoofers. But this test should give you an idea of how far away the Rocket is from reference level.

Finally, I compared the ULW-10 to the previously reviewed and similarly priced Velodyne DPS10 ($449). With the SOS feature turned off, I preferred the Rocket slightly to the Velodyne. With the SOS turned on, the Rocket was in a different league, much closer to the Velodyne F1500R than the DPS-10 in terms of extension and tightness.

For the audio-only listening tests, I compared the ULW-10 (with and without SOS activated) to my reference ACI Force and the previously reviewed Velodyne DPS10 . I played the following tracks straight thru each sub and without the accompaniment of satellite speakers, so I could better evaluate the performance of each subwoofer. Keep in mind, this test is designed to pick apart and compare the smallest nuances of the audio performance of a subwoofer, and is suitable for units that cost beau coup . Subjecting an entry-level priced unit to such scrutiny may not be deemed fair by some manufacturers, and has not won me friends in the past. But I do not write reviews to make friends, and will not shy away from critical tests because of the price point of a unit. Here is what I heard;

'Rimshot' (Eryka Badu; Baduism; Universal; UD53027)

'All or nothing at all' (Diana Krall; Love Scenes; Impulse; IMPD233 )

'Bass Resolution test' (Chesky Jazz and Audiophile tests Vol2; Chesky; JD68)

All subs were easily able to deliver the required SPLs for these tracks. The ACI Force was able to plumb into greater depths, rendered each transient attack with requisite speed, the decay was without overhang and nary a hint of underdamped resonances. She is my reference for good reason.

Even without the SOS activated, the Rocket ULW-10 seemed to hold it 舗 s own in terms of speed to address transient attacks and was a bit shy in note depth. But it faltered in aspects of boominess and unwanted resonances. The peaks were rattling miscellaneous loose items around my room, and would make any SPL-bound teen piqued with envy.

With the SOS turned on (see Figure1) it was like I was listening to a completely different subwoofer. The peak at about 40hz was nicely suppressed, yielding a much flatter response and the measured improvement was also an audible one. The presentation was quite musical, and the boom and resonances were drastically reduced. Only in direct comparison to the Force did the ULW-10 seem a bit recessed and lacking in depth.

The Velodyne did not fare as well in this comparison, even when compared to the ULW-10 with the SOS turned off. This speaks quite well for the ULW-10, considering it only costs $50 more than the Velodyne.

On the plus side we have good extension, minimal unwanted resonances, fairly fast transient response, an exquisite finish, nicely appointed controls, small footprint and of course, the outstanding SOS feature.

Negatives? Well, on an absolute scale I would say that the musical performance and low-frequency extension did not match that of my reference units. But to expect a $500 subwoofer to meet either of those standards would be 舰 well, asinine to say the least.

On a more realistic scale, considering the price point I cannot think of any significant issues with this unit. Barring, a minor issue of a bit more flexibility on the input options, leaves me with nothing to kvetch about. Well done.