Imaging/location may or may not be an issue. The imaging is different than that from box dynamic designs. That alone could be an issue for many.
Sound from omnis (and Ohms) emanate and interact with the room much more like sound does in a live performance rather than the way it does with other speaker designs. Thats what makes the Ohms special. What you hear more resembles what you would hear at a live performance, from various listening locations, more so than conventional speaker designs.
However, it may take your ears some time to adjust to this if they are trained (as many audio buffs ears are from experience) to hearing conventional box designs.
If you are the type who pays attention to room acoustics at live performances, I'd say it should not be an issue once your ears adjust to the Ohms in your room. Once they do, magic happens and everything is laid out clearly before you, strikingly much like a live performance.
Amplification can make a huge difference. You also have to learn to not focus on the speakers themselves while listening because the soundstage is utterly transparent and can be totally disassociated from the actual speaker location, depending on placement and acoustics.
In my review of the Ohms here on Agon, I relate how the Ohms act as a sort of "sound projector" more than speakers. Take a look at that for more info.
It's interesting that when I changed amps from a Carver to a Musical Fidelity, the sound stage opened up so much and in such an unexpected way relative to the actual location of the speakers, that even my ears, which were adapted prior, were totally thrown off and confused for a bit.
I have a very difficult room shape to deal with. The room is L shaped. The Ohms are located a couple of feet out from the rear wall at the base of the L, and located to fire into the length of the room, which is the main listening area. The Ohms are about 3-4 feet apart but location is skewed ~ 30% or so to the right of center. Yet, when listening about 4-5 feet dead center in front of both Ohms, the center of the sound stage is located dead center between the two side walls and extending 10' in each direction to the side walls on good recordings. Mono recordings all came from dead center between the side walls, about 3 feet to the left of the left -most speaker (yes, to the left of BOTH speakers, believe it or not)! Never heard anything like this before, so I did not recognize it at first! Once I tuned in again, though, audio nirvana! A 20' wide sound stage with the speaks only ~ 3-4 feet apart and the ability to locate every instrument, voice and recording line clearly and precisely.
My Dynaudio monitors ($2500 retail a few years back) image extremely well for a box design as well, but they do not have the Ohm's "you are there" factor.
Bottom line: the imaging works differently with Ohms and omnis. Some may not like it because it IS different and takes some getting used to at first. But, in my opinion, once everything is set up properly and your ears locked in, nothing can beat it, especially at the $1000 price point.
Its low risk to try the Ohms, but if this all sounds to way out there or scary to you, you will probably be very happy with the Totems. THey are a very good choice for a conventional box design in your price range.
Or if this all sounds interesting and the chance of discovering something totally different that can take things to a higher level for $1000 sounds intriguing, give'em a try.
Good luck and please continue to keep us posted whichever way you go.
Sound from omnis (and Ohms) emanate and interact with the room much more like sound does in a live performance rather than the way it does with other speaker designs. Thats what makes the Ohms special. What you hear more resembles what you would hear at a live performance, from various listening locations, more so than conventional speaker designs.
However, it may take your ears some time to adjust to this if they are trained (as many audio buffs ears are from experience) to hearing conventional box designs.
If you are the type who pays attention to room acoustics at live performances, I'd say it should not be an issue once your ears adjust to the Ohms in your room. Once they do, magic happens and everything is laid out clearly before you, strikingly much like a live performance.
Amplification can make a huge difference. You also have to learn to not focus on the speakers themselves while listening because the soundstage is utterly transparent and can be totally disassociated from the actual speaker location, depending on placement and acoustics.
In my review of the Ohms here on Agon, I relate how the Ohms act as a sort of "sound projector" more than speakers. Take a look at that for more info.
It's interesting that when I changed amps from a Carver to a Musical Fidelity, the sound stage opened up so much and in such an unexpected way relative to the actual location of the speakers, that even my ears, which were adapted prior, were totally thrown off and confused for a bit.
I have a very difficult room shape to deal with. The room is L shaped. The Ohms are located a couple of feet out from the rear wall at the base of the L, and located to fire into the length of the room, which is the main listening area. The Ohms are about 3-4 feet apart but location is skewed ~ 30% or so to the right of center. Yet, when listening about 4-5 feet dead center in front of both Ohms, the center of the sound stage is located dead center between the two side walls and extending 10' in each direction to the side walls on good recordings. Mono recordings all came from dead center between the side walls, about 3 feet to the left of the left -most speaker (yes, to the left of BOTH speakers, believe it or not)! Never heard anything like this before, so I did not recognize it at first! Once I tuned in again, though, audio nirvana! A 20' wide sound stage with the speaks only ~ 3-4 feet apart and the ability to locate every instrument, voice and recording line clearly and precisely.
My Dynaudio monitors ($2500 retail a few years back) image extremely well for a box design as well, but they do not have the Ohm's "you are there" factor.
Bottom line: the imaging works differently with Ohms and omnis. Some may not like it because it IS different and takes some getting used to at first. But, in my opinion, once everything is set up properly and your ears locked in, nothing can beat it, especially at the $1000 price point.
Its low risk to try the Ohms, but if this all sounds to way out there or scary to you, you will probably be very happy with the Totems. THey are a very good choice for a conventional box design in your price range.
Or if this all sounds interesting and the chance of discovering something totally different that can take things to a higher level for $1000 sounds intriguing, give'em a try.
Good luck and please continue to keep us posted whichever way you go.