totem winds destroy dali helicon mk2

Does a Quad 57 sound like an Apogee Diva, Sound Labs M-1, or a Martin Logan CLS??? Not the ones I've heard! They all have things they're good at, but none of them are good at all things.

I was in love with panel speakers for decades and still hold some of them in high regard. Yet I have moved on because I have found some ribbon-hybrid speakers and certain cone speakers that provide qualities I was unable to coax from panel types.

Well stated, I agree having owned several panel speakers including the wonderful Sound Lab Ultimate One.

I understand Mrtennis love affair with the design. All the years I owned Sound Lab I was completely satisfied with what I heard. However, once I changed to my current speaker (dynamic woofers plus ribbons), I have no desire to go back.

My choice for panel speakers was back in 1989, when cone speakers and dynamic drivers in general were not nearly so evolved as they are today.

No doubt both technologies have progressed but modern dynamic drivers have reinvented themselves completely. Distortion is a fraction of what they once were, especially high frequency diamond tweeters, ribbons and ceramic midrange.

In my opinion, many of these modern drivers sound more free, uncolored and faster than previous electrostatic designs. I'm sure advances in chokes, wire, capacitors and cabinet design play an equal role, but whatever the forces at play we have some stunning choices today.

Mrtennis,

That panel speakers are always superior to cone type speakers is not true... I'm sure you can usually pick a panel speaker blindfolded because they normally lack dynamics, bass extension, and other qualities that many audiophiles value.

Also, a lot (but not all) panel speakers lack fine detail and suffer from wave cancellation problems in the bass, and time-smear vagueness in the highs. I will give you that many of them sound pleasant, coherent, and open... But nearly all strict panel designs need to be augmented by dynamic woofers and/or ribbon-type tweeters.

Martin Logan mainly uses bass-reflex woofers on their hybrid-stats (probably not as well-controlled or extended as acoustic suspension woofers). And using a curved stat panel increases its sweet spot a little at the expense of losing a bit of dynamic capability.

To say there is wide variation in the sound and sonic performance of panel speakers would be a great understatement. And this is so of cone speakers, ribbon speakers, and pretty much any type of speakers.

Does a Quad 57 sound like an Apogee Diva, Sound Labs M-1, or a Martin Logan CLS??? Not the ones I've heard! They all have things they're good at, but none of them are good at all things.

I was in love with panel speakers for decades and still hold some of them in high regard. Yet I have moved on because I have found some ribbon-hybrid speakers and certain cone speakers that provide qualities I was unable to coax from panel types.

as far as placement it all depends on your whole room. that is the first factor. I have the winds about 2 feet from the rear wall. all is fine.

hi ltleo74:

i'll bet $1000 if you put any panel speaker up against the totems and the rest, cone designs, i will prefer the panel-- any magnepan, any martin logan, any quad, any apogee, any analysis audio. any planar speaker is preferred over any cone speaker.

you blindfold me and i'll pick the panel.

panels rule. don't be an acoustic suspension fool.

Can the Winds be placed near the wall behind them (2 or 3 feet?) Can they be OK sitting about 7 feed from the fronts?
Thanks.

I think the Totem designer has very good ears and all their products really excell within their price points. I couldn't be happier with my Forests.

The Winds are blowing in your favor.