50 hours of research = 1 amp for Totem Sttaf

well the sim i-5 and magnum, manley, primaluna all have models around the same price new...i just don't have the chance to try them all with my speakers...

Most of us don't have the chance. Have you asked Totum their recommendations or what's on your list?  

I own the Totem Ones which are less efficient than the Sttaf and have tried a plethora of amps (SS and tube) with them. 

Due to the general consensus that Totems love power, I tried various recommended SS amps including Naim Nait 5, Plinius integrated, Plinius class A power amp, and a Rotel power amp. 

I also had at the time a Cayin TA-30 which is similar to the Prologue 2 and the TAD-60, and much preferred the tube units.  To my ears they bettered the SS amps without really giving up anything.  So I would stick to the Rogue or Primaluna and wouldn't worry too much about lack of power.  The only amp I tried that ran out of steam was the Almarro 318B (18 wpc).

In fact if I were you and had to pick an amp today, my choices would be similar.

I've auditioned NAIM with all of the Staffs, ARROS and Forests
ditto with SIM and many  others including inter Alia, using bi-amped ARCAM FMJ, NAD C370 etc.
i've auditioned Totems at dealers and at expos with all of AYRE, PLINIUS and SIM.

The latter three choices are a close pick one of em as a single unit integrated amp gig with a small personal fave towards the SIM.

My bi-amped (2 X 100 WPC hi-current amps ... The top ARCAM integrated and a second separate power amp ) ARCAM FMJ gear was a lot more money and IMO better performer  but that was with FORESTS whereas the ARROS did  quite nicely with just the ARCAM integrated on par any of the SS choices above.

NAIM with Totem .... Nope .... Heard 'em personally numerous times directly with ARROS, STAFFS and FORESTS with a "meh?" Grade at best.

Hence NAIM is NOT on my list for Totem speakers = not to my taste based on hands-on experience... and --IMO -- any of the above SS  integrateds will best NAIM with an improvement in performance that is not subtle.

Using the top-of-the-line CARY tube preamp and tube power amp combo as the source as hands-on experiences.... = any of the above SS amps will similarly best these tubes. As an aside, the CARY with ARROS was "okay" but not "great" in a head-to-head shootout.

With the FORESTS, the CARY tube gear was lousy at normal listening volumes (compressed, soggy, top-end rolled off, wooly bass) and required a full bore volume dial crank to about 2:30 on the volume dial to get the FORESTS to perform. The problem was that those volumes are already irritating after about 60 seconds and any loud volume is fatiguing for sure in short order in any case..

which models plinius and ayre should i check out?