Help with Totems

I like the Arros much more than the Staff and have owned both. The Forests are better than either. But the Staff are a poor compromise from my perspective.

Have owned the Arros and now the Hawks. The Arros are a surprisingly articulate speaker and image very well IMO. In the right room they produce a good deal of bass relative to it's size. I auditioned the Staffs prior to purchasing the Arros and found them to be a little more laid back with a slightly warmer sound. I now own the Hawks which I believe have a superior bass to both, tighter with greater extension. The Hawks present a good soundstage that when I audtioned them prior to purchase extended well beyond the speaker cabinet. As I have read so often here YMMV.

Rbstehno . . . how do you speak with such authority about Sttafs if you haven't owned them?

I have Sttafs and Mani-2's. The Sttafs are my second pair and are an irresistible speaker. I have not compared them to Arro's so can't describe the difference. In a small (ie ~ 12x12')room, they are amazing - including bass performance (you look around for the subwoofer). They throw a sound stage well beyond the room walls, and while they aren't as articulate as the Mani-2's, they cost less than half, and can't be faulted as in-articulate in my opinion.

They are indeed a warm speaker. If you pair them with a good sub in a larger room they blow you away.

i auditioned the staff speakers in my house using my equipment while i was debating on the arros. i liked the arros better. all that i remember is that the staff were not exciting compared to the arros and compared to the model 1's that i had in another setup, the staff fell short. just like i have compared the older winds to the mani's using the same gear/room/etc.. and preferred the mani's. if you spend enough time with a speaker and you compare it with something else using the same room/equipment, you can get a good feel on how you like them and how they compare to something else.
i would agree with you if i used different rooms and gear and had days even hours between listening sessions, then that would be a mistake.
Since i sold my arros, i have tried to buy another pair a few times for my den, but i have not considered listening to the staff again. that is the kind of taste the staff left me in.

The Arro's are quicker, throw out a wider sound-stage, and are generally tend to sound more forward along the treble.

The Sttaf's have a fuller sound, possess a deeper sound-stage, and tend to have more of a warmer presentation.

Both speakers respond real well to (good) tube electronics and gear from the likes of Unison Research, Naim, Blue Circle Audio, Monarchy Audio, etc..

I tend to prefer the Sttaf because its the more versatile speaker in the genres of music it can handle. I also like a warmer sound. Then again, that is nothing more than my preference. Both speakers are excellent.