50 hours of research = 1 amp for Totem Sttaf

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?

Plinius 9100 or successor model (9100SE?)
AYRE AX7 or successor model

with the Staffs the cheaper older models are more than you need with Staffs

but

any if the SIMAUDIO, AYRE, or PLINIUS allow you the better upgrade path to different speakers when you move up from the Staffs
The SIM has a very good matched DAC that facilitates further synergy 
i would start with SIM as a reference point. 

PS. Totems are speaker cable finicky . In brief, they perform best with silver coated braid .... Their own Totem Tress or say, Chord Rumour or Odyssey . The Tress are , effectively Chord knockoffs.

Ok gotcha -- actually looking at audioquest cables; rocket 88 or go 4...any view there?

looking at the Plinius, Ayre and Sim -- almost same price used as a new Cronus magnum...I will try to get them closer to 1k, I think that makes it worthwhile -- otherwise the new tube -- either magnum 2 or Manley stingray may win out...

but thanks very much info, will be on the look out for those solid states if a good deal comes along...

I was asked on the avs forum about possible amps for a pair of Totem Forest Signatures.  If you're familiar with that forum I'm sure you can predict the response!  Several posters jumping in loudly claiming all amps sound the same and anything expensive is simply throwing your money away, blah, blah, blah. 

And here this fella is looking to drop $6000 on a pair of speakers!