Replacing Forests???

Beheme, thanks for your comments - I think you are right on. I will research those peices you mentioned above, as I am not familiar with them. I am open to options at this point. I think you are right though, finding a clear source and tube amplification may be my signature sonic bliss. I brought a Jolida CDP into the Prima/Arro system against the Cairn and I preferred the cairn - the Jolida just lost too much detail and the whole thing started to get 'mushy' around the edges. I know Cairn has the MOOV2 coming out (if not out already?) that is an all in one player. Adding DVD to the mix is a tough one and if I could find it all in one box with excellent CD playback that would be an added plus - I know I am asking for a lot there! ;) I'd like to give the Krell Showcase DVD a listen. Should be clean and detailed? And all-in-one. Don't know how it would compare to the SACD that I seemed to like though? Thanks again for the recommendations!

So whats the plan now? I see you sold you're I-5. Are you atleast considering going back to Arro's?

Baroque, the Arros are too small for my current space. Listening briefly to those in the large space made me realize that I had to move up the line. I guess I may be able to go with Arros with subs, but I think I would go another route before adding subs?

Currently, I still have the Hawks - not sure if I will trade those in to my dealer for electronics or attempt to build a system around them?

Options running through my head:

Build a system around the Hawks that will be easy and convienent for both music and HT - preferrably with an all-in-one source, options:

krell showcase dvd
krell kav400xi

NAD master series m55 universal player
NAD master series m3 integrated

plenty of power with both, ease and conveinence of SS. SS control for HT.

'Beheme' plan - SS source, tube integrated:

DVD??? (H/K, Cambridge, Denon)
Cairn Fog CDP
Rogue Tempest Integrated

Cary Audio DVD6
Rogue Tempest
(or)
BAT vk55i (powered direct by dvd6) - not sure how well that will work?

Those are just a few options I am thinking about with gear I have heard. Other potential (non Totem) speaker options would be Sonus, Dali, Focal Profile.

Plus there have been some suggestions above of gear I may want to listen to. It looks pretty wide open. I would love to have a 'simple' system. Same manufacturer source and amp so one remote appeals to me. I know not most important factor, but a 'nice to have'. I have been calling around to try to listen to some of this gear again and hear new things like the Avalon mentioned above.

imo, you are worried about something that you shouldn't. if you have the right electronics with any of the totem speakers you have been auditionng, you don't need to worry about blowing woofers. if you team up a smaller amp to drive these totem speakers to high spl's, yeh, you will blow them. totem speakers, at least the ones i have owned or presently own (model 1, arro, in-wall, mani 2's) need a powerful amp to drive them. for example, i had a pair of large monoblocks driving the model 1's and they would play as loud as i wanted. my mani's need hundreds of watts to sound full and clean. home theater magazine did a test using the arros with the dreamcatcher speakers and they liked what they heard. i hooked up my arros in my ht setup using 2 subs and i could crank them as loud as i wanted in a 16X24x10 room. i am surprised that you would think about the arros after using the hawks or forests. the arros are very nice and are excellent for a small speaker in a smaller room (used mine in a den). but going up the food chain, you do get higher quality sound, or i should say a speaker that produces more of the freq range. imo, the food chain for audio stops at the mani's whereas the winds would be a good choice for a ht setup. i debated for a long time on upgrading my model 1's to the hawks or forest. these 2 speakers are more full range but not as clean sounding as the model 1's in an audio only settting (imo). when i heard the mani's, there was no hesitation, clean and full range.
bottomline, no matter what speakers you end up with, you need to get the right equipment to drive them. if you get totem, don't go cheap on the amp.
good luck

RBstehno, what amps are you using to drive your respective Totems right now?