Totem Forest Speakers.....

What I like about the Sony is it's overall take on the music. It has tremendous clarity, great dynamic contrast, tonal accuracy and an almost non-existent level of digititis or odd harmonics aka glare. The price also makes it a great bargain and easy to love. I also did some more component compaarisons again in my home, compliments of my dealers, and at the risk of sounding like a broken record..uhm, CD, the 400xi still outdoes the competition for me. Maybe a Pass XA series amp would do it for me, or a Rowland integrated, but my Krell has such a great balance as well, that it just makes me happy:O) The Soundstage review nails it....the 400xi has an exceptional sense of energy and aliveness that would be hard to equal, let alone better, at any price! Of course I use superior cabling which allows my gear to achieve maximum musicality...I think Audiofeil knows what brand I use, don't ya?

The Sony is not "state of the art"; your words not mine. There are dozens of better players and I hear many of them every day.

The Krell is an average integrated, nothing more.

Cabling is a personal/system choice. You say superior? I say it works for you but that doesn't make it any better than product A or B or C for the next guy.

Glad to clear up the issues for you.

The Sony is state of the art in it's design, and provides exemplary playback far and above that of many other players on the market. The Krell is way above average...I've heard and owned some of the others and find them lacking. My cabling choice has worked well with many of my systems and with various gear, something most other so called reference cables couldn't do. I am not debating with you, I am telling you. What do you consider to be a reference recording Audiofeil? I have a feeling you are listening to some real gems :O )

1. Don't spend any money yet, please

2. You need to really drive these speakers to break them in, that driver takes a LONG time (totem suggests 150 hours)

3. Room placement is the next thing to play with. Square room, tough. Try corner placement? 1ft is too close to back wall. Get these speakers out in the room. Try some mass loading. Point them straight ahead. You'll be surprised.

4. Your source is the weakest link right now, but that is the LAST thing I would mess with.