Totem "Hawk" vs Totem "Arro" speakers

Jim: I heard both hooked up to a MF integrated (what a great piece) about 9 days ago. The Hawks sounded better, much tighter bass, and slightly more 3D. However, I found out later that the Arro were not on beaks and the bass was not filled with sand. In a 12x12 I'd probably save the money by going with the Arro and buy more MF products. The only thing that would concern me is how high of a ceiling.

Enjoy

Both are excellent speakers. The decision is based on your sonic preference and budget.

The Hawks have a fuller midrange and more bass. However, they are somewhat less forgiving with placement and don't image quite as well as the littel Arro's.

The Arro's are somewhat leaner in the low and mid-frequencies, although they do have surpringly good bass presence for such a small speakers. And they can image like nobody's business, as well as being largely insensitive to placement.

If you desire a fuller sound, I'd go with the Hawks. On the other hand, if you have limited placement options or you value imaging over bass and fullness, then I'd save some money and go with the Arro's.

Good luck,

Michael

If you are mainly interested in bass, the Hawk is a definitely a better speakers. I have an 11 x 12 room and I am using the Hawks. They replaced Paradigm Studio 60v2s. The Hawks havd a more musical bass.

What Sufentil said is true. Note that he said that the Arros have good bass for a small speaker.

The Hawks have more bass overall and it certainly is a high quality bass.

the arros are an amazing little speaker and have quite a bit of bass for such a small speaker. i used them in a 12 x 12 ft den with great success. the arros allow placing closer to the back wall than other totem speakers which then provides a little deeper bass. the only reason i don't have them anymore is i traded up for totem mani 2's. as for the hawks, these are a more full range speaker that will be able to play louder with a more fuller sound than the arros. if you like loud rock, rap, or heavy metal music, go for the hawks. if you like jazz, new age, at moderate volume, you could go with either with much success.
good luck

I have the Hawks paired with the Totem Lighning subwoofer and it is a truly amazing combination. Turn off the sub and you notice the difference, but the Hawks still hold their own in the bottom end - amazingly so for a "small" speaker.

I can see how people would find a smaller speaker easier to place, but if you take the time to find the Hawks' sweet spot in your room your efforts will be rewarded. As for their performance in a tall room, mine are in a room with 30' ceilings and they sound great from upstairs and down.

I had a chance last night to upgrade my Hawks to a pair of Dynaudio Confidence C2's ($12k list) and although there were other factors in play (room, source, etc) I just couldn't justify the upgrade. The Hawks really are that good.

Graham

I recommend you consider the Totem Rainmaker - although it is a stand-mount mointor, I find it reproduces bass better than the Arro...imaging is also great...I find it performs between the Arro and the Hawk...