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Small living room speaker options.. Totem Arro?

Hi,

I've recently moved into a small condo and feel like my LSi9s are just not working so well in this small living room (11x14). These speakers need to be a bit away from the wall and are fairly large in stature. I am also doing much more low volume listening now and feel like the LSi9 works better when at mid volume, otherwise it's kind of a sleepy speaker that isn't very detailed, especially missing much of the mid section when listening at very low volumes.

So what I want is a small form factor speaker that has clear and live presentation at low volume. From everything I read it seems that the Totem ARRO is a very good contender for this job, especially since it's small and loves to be close to the wall, which is where I'd have it for aesthetic purposes. 

My gear consists of a Classe SSP AMP2 (Class D), which is a 200w amp, so I think I should have no shortage of power. My pre is an Outlaw 975 which will probably get upgraded over the next year or two, but for now this is what I'm working with.

Would love to hear any thoughts on the Arro in this setup and any other options I might look into at this price point and size. Again, keeping in mind low listening volume requirement and lively/punchy presentation, although I'm not a fan of "bright"  speakers. 

Should I consider the Totem Staff? I would probably like it's tonality better, because it's closer to my LSi9 in the sense that it's a more laid back speaker. But I am not sure if it will work as well as the arro in low listening volume and it is also a larger speaker in terms of dimensions that also probably would not work quite as well backed up against the wall.

Any and all thoughts much appreciated! 
lietuvis91
lietuvis91 OP
10 posts
 
Thank you all very much. This is a lot of very good info and much to consider.

Since I currently have stand mounts, it did cross my mind that a smaller high end bookshelf might also be a nice upgrade to the Lsi9. Something like Salk Silk, maybe?! Initially, I settled on the a Arro tower because I want just enough low end not to need a sub, and to keep things simple, but if there’s a bookie out there that’ll produce satisfactory bass, then maybe I should look into it. From my searching though, I see that most bookshelves that produce decent low end without a sub tend to be "little" giants, of at least the size of my current LSi9, and since I was trying to downsize, I thought a small tower might be more effective.

In the end, I suppose if my new high end small bookie or tower end up underwhelming me with the low end, I can always add a small 8-10 in sub. 

Maybe that’s the better route... But again, hard shaking bass is not necessary or even usable in my condo, so not sure how much good that'll do.

but I was just hoping to find a satisfactory all in one solution to have a more minimalistic setup.
Post removed 
lietuvis91 OP
10 posts
 
Interesting.... so Bob, even for this small 11x14 room you think a 12in sub is appropriate? I would think it was way too big...

I get your point about the function of the sub. That makes sense, as it does a specific job in a specific frequency range and therefore delivers the goods.

I actually already have a 12in sub in a sealed cabinet... it’s an emotiva ultra 12. It's not the best, mid grade I suppose. It might do... so hmmm... maybe a small set of bookies to pair with this sub after all... decisions... decisions...
wolf_garcia
6,723 posts
 
I have friend who loves his ancient LS3/5A little boxes and runs em full range with a small REL sub…little tube amp, medium sized room, audio nirvana with all the smooth bass he needs. I use a 100 watt REL Q108e MKII with an 8" down firing woofer and a REL 150 watt Q150e 10" side firing (sealed boxes), both of which provide deep bass in prodigious amounts where needed, and as with most all RELs you can leave the main speakers unmolested using the High Level input. Note regarding small drivers, pro audio has been using 10 inch speakers in main arrays and bass amps for years, and in the right cabinet (like my Eden 2X10 slot loaded bass amp rig that is rated to go lower than most 15s, and is much more capable that any home audio sub system) they work well. Generally the low bass is limited mechanically in small mains anyway so eliminating part of the "designed in" bass from them by crossing the bass out is often unnecessary in a well designed small speaker.…I use a 100 lb 2X12 500 watt sub in my studio so I know the difference, but the RELs in my main system do bass beautifully with careful positioning and output level blending (no DSP). The thing about subs is the design (you want GOOD in this case), and although larger woofers can go lower, you may not care when listening to most music (pipe organ freaks and earthquake movie fans may need something more extreme). In pro sound work I use thousand plus watt 18" powered subs and still run the main (also powered) speakers full range…as long as attention is paid to the sub you can achieve a balanced sound and the sub disappears in the mix.
nitewulf
425 posts
 
I'm a fan of Totem speakers, I've heard the Model 1 Sigs and Sky's.  I saw the Arros and they are indeed very small, so they'll aesthetically for sure.
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