Which speaker? paradigm s2 vs totem rainmaker

If I were you I wouldn't want to know which was preferred by most people. I would want to know which was preferred by me.

That pretty much means listening before you buy. But if you can't do that, you have to 1) try to find out how others describe the sound, and what gear they use the speaker with, 2) be ready to resell the first one and try the second if the first doesn't work out. The straw poll you're asking for won't be of much use.

I hope some folks who have actual experience of these units to share will help you out. I have heard lots of other Paradigms and Totems, and if I had to choose by that alone, I suppose I would go for the Totems. The Totems I've heard were IMHO better balanced in the mids, and more refined-sounding than what I've heard of Paradigms.

Amen, Tobias. That said, my experience with other Paradigm and Totem models is much the same, too. Paradigm tends to have an "exciting" initial sound, with lots of detail, but that's the sort of thing that tires me out quickly with rock and jazz. Totems have plenty of detail, but it's in perspective relative to the lushness of the midrange, and the overall sound is one that to me would be more engaging and plain enjoyable over time: the Totem Model One is on my personal wish list for those reasons. Just my tastes...

I've see n a website where the guy has pre-assembled systems and a lot of them are Cambridge/Totem pairings. It's www.archiveaudio.biz. He's here local to me, (Columbus, Oh) and I plan on looking him up when I get some cash together. He apparently likes those together, maybe you can give him a call about the pairings.