Totem Mani 2 Sig. vs Dynaudio C1


Hi 'goners, and happy holidays.

I'm considering pairing standmounts with my Karan KAI-180 mkII 180w SS integrated amp, and have been considering the Totem Mani 2 Signature, or one of the iterations of Dynaudio C1. Don't have the opportunity to listen before I buy though.

The speakers will be firing across the short dimension of my 13' x 28' adjoining living/dining room, positioned on either side of my fireplace in an approximate 10' triangle with listening position. Hoping the speakers would be able to charge the room with bass, given their small footprint.

Any advice is appreciated.
bob_rodgers
The bass response you will get depends on the room to a large degree. Some rooms seem to amplify and muddy the bass, while other rooms just seem to cancel it out, leaving you with a thin sound. IMO, in the normal domestic environment, it's largely a matter of luck. That said, the Mani 2's are wonderful speakers with very good bass response and a realistic midrange that sounds wonderful on vocals. But they are very power hungry and, if you want to turn them up, I would say 250 watts minimum.

I see you have a 180 watt SS amp, but that in itself means little. The Mani 2's are a very demanding load and you need a very high-quality amplifier with a stiff power supply to drive it to its potential. If you call Vince at Totem, he'll be very honest with you about whether your amp is adequate. Best of luck.
I too owned the Totem Mani-2's and can vouch for the quality and quantity of bass - - no subwoofer required! They should energize your room just fine.
I have owned both and was more pleased with the C1 overall, although the Mani 2 definately was superior in bass extension. I just found the C1 to be more coherent and easier and more enjoyable over the long term. Each to their own though. I actually preferred th Dynaudio Special 25 Anniversary over both C1 and Mani 2. It also has good bass extension and is a little more sensitive than either. They all are great speakers.
For those interested in knowing... the Mani-2's use Dynaudio 17W75-XL drivers (2 in each speaker configured in an isobaric arrangement) for bass. Simply amazing for the size, I don't think anything exists today that has topped these in that regard IMO.

http://www.neat.co.uk/p_pages/xls.php
similar design,similar price
Anyway,I always wanted to try mani 2 signature.Here in europe they are very expensive.Who wants excange to c1:D?
Great responses, all. Thank you!
Can anyone tell me if either works better at low volume?