Totem Model 1 Vs. Hawk

The Hawks are inefficient speakers and do like lots of current.

Hi upstateaudio. So, what exactly is "a lot of current" to drive the Hawks? I contacted Totem to inquire about my 70 wpc I-5's ability to drive the Hawks and they basically said they are ideally suited to drive the Hawks. I then went to a dealer and heard the I-5 drive the Hawks and with the volume at 30 (of 50 max) on the I-5, it was quite loud, with no strain or clipping or exessive heat coming from the I-5 (I touched). The dealers said the two were a great match (a "marriage"). Perhaps 70 wpc is sufficient, or is this "need of current" something that is potentially yet another individual perception thing (to one person's ears the smaller powered amp on the hawks does not allow them to sing as well as another person's ears?). I dunno, just asking, but I am also curious as I am considering the Hawks for my I-5.

- walkman

A high current amp does not necessarily have to drive a lot of wattage. My dealer also drives Hawks with an I5. I drive mine with a Classe CA150 amp mated to a DR6 preamp.

All this talk about the Hawks needing large rooms and large amounts of power is garbage. They're very easy to work with, and in Vince's own words "you can set them anywhere and they'll sound great". They're doing just that in my 14x14 room, and have sounded great with a wide range of amplification. Sure, a flea-watt tube amp will suck with them, but with 86db sensitivity there are far worse offenders out there.

Maybe its a he said she said thing...

The I-5 is almost a perfect match for the Hawks...if I owned the Hawks thats the exact amp i would pair it up with.