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Our Big Theater Room Becomes Dual Purpose
In July we tried Rockport Avior speakers in a high performance system at the back of our big theater. We really needed to make dual use of that room considering
the new speakers we wanted to bring in. We thought the performance of the Avior was good enough to merit remodeling the room. The primary goal was to remove the risers facing the theater screen to give us more freedom in speaker and seating placement with a system placed at the back of the room. We decided at that point to have a pair of Rockport Altair made for us for our new world class system.
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Deconstruction Yields Constructive Results
The Todd Snyder deconstruction company  with the help of Eric Baines, our marketing man and Jim Wichita started the work in early July. The work is finally finished!
We had hoped that doing a flat floor would also give us better sound in general for the two-channel music system. It did. Among other things, the bass extension is better and we have greater flexibility in speaker placement to allow the depth of image of which the Altair are capable. 
As a check we reinstalled the system that had been there, with the Avior positioned exactly as they were. The result was gratifying. As a bonus, the theater system also sounded better. Previously, this room had gotten compliments from several suppliers as being one of the two or three best in the country in a store. We are certainly gratified that it is even better than ever now.
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We made the decision to install a world class two channel music reproduction system in the room. The system features Rockport Altair speakers and Transparent Opus cable with Balanced Audio Technologies amplification, Playback Designs digital playback, a Naim server and Acoustic Signature turntable and the final necessity, Stillpoints equipment rack and supports. 
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Altair Delivers
The Altair is Rockport's best speaker, except for the double Altair, called the Arrakis. For details on the speakers and the system go to Rockport Technologies website or soundenvironment.com. The results are more than we could have hoped for. It is hard not to just sit and listen. Recordings are transformed. It is truly like being there. Come in and listen. We don't charge admission
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Finding Value
You may be wondering what a system like this costs. The Altair are $97,500 a pair. The whole system is in the neighborhood of $300,000. Yet, it is a really good value. How can we say it is a good value at that price? Because value is price for performance plus longevity and reliability. Is a Mercedes a good value despite a high price? Many would say it is. By performance we mean the ability to reproduce live acoustic music accurately. This system does that in spades. That makes the system amazing for pop/rock as well. We just returned from an audio show in Denver where no system even approached the results we achieve, many at much higher prices.
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Rockport Impresses at Every Level
We have two other Rockport speakers, Atria and Avior, which are much less expensive and are far better than anything we have heard at their respective prices, again a great value. Atria is $21,500 a pair. Atria can be used with a variety of amplification and sources. Yours may be appropriate. If not we have suggestions and we take trades so you can keep improving your system.
When you reach the level of performance exhibited in our world class system, balance (amplification, cables, sources and system support) is really important for an overall best value result. I cannot over emphasize how critical speaker positioning in your own room is to getting the best result and thus the highest value. You paid for a result not just some boxes. We do all that. Our years of study and experience and our knowledge of what live music sounds like, makes that possible. We will do this in your home, wherever you are located. If you move we will do it again!
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The Sound Environment
Rockbrook Village
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