Totems without Claws?


I'm very interested in a pair of Totem Forests or Hawks. My wife thinks that they look fine except for the claws. The claws become a showstopper for the aesthetics in our living room.

Are Hawks or Forests stable without using the claws? Would I need to mount them onto a larger plinth to make them stable?

Anyone with experience on this? I'd appreciate any input.

Unfortunately, I live several hours from any dealer.

Thanks,
Chris
hi4head
Good looking, small, furniture quality towers - same set of requirements I had then. Guessing your price range from the original post and not knowing your other equipment, musical tastes or room dimensions, you might want to look at the Quad 22L, Von Schweikert VR2, Totem Hawk or Forest, Spendor S5e, S6e, S8e, Dali Ikon or Helicon 400, Revel F12, Triangle Celius, Sonus Faber Domus series, Salk HT2 and maybe something from Vienna Acoustics, JM Reynaud or Opera. Many great all-rounders in this list and many that won't break the bank. I have heard most of these and liked the Dali Helicon 400 a lot - a little pricier than some of the others though. The VR2 is a great dynamic speaker with very good bass extension. The Hawks and Forests have beautiful imaging and are stellar on non-hardrock pieces. The Spendors are a little laid back but tremendously musical, enjoyable speakers as are the Quads. Have not heard the Revels but they are getting excellent reviews. This category is packed with great speakers - have fun!
Thanks folks.

The room is around 16'x16' with 9' ceilings.

Right now I use a NAD c540 cd player and an Outlaw 1050 reciever. I also have a DefTech powered sub, a Pioneer DVD player, a Klipsch center channel, and some garbage rear speakers. My plans are to sometime soon use the 1050 as a pre-pro after I purchase a relatively nice 2 channel amp.

I listen almost exclusively to jazz. We occasionally watch a DVD and that's the reason for the so-so home theater setup. I think if I get a 2 channel amp, I can use it to power my main speakers and use the 1050 for center and surrounds when I watch a movie.

Chris
I heard the Forest, Hawk and Staff at a dealer the other day. All very nice speakers but I thought the Staff's were exceptional. Especially in the upper mid and HF.

Put the new speaker hype to one side and give them a listen.