Totem Arro vs Totem Sttaf. Which one image better?

Good imaging helps with musicality IMHO in that music is a 3 (actually 4 including time) dimensional phenomenon in nature and a large soundstage with good placement within along with "air" helps one sort through the music better, much like a larger screen HDTV or movie screen helps one see what is going on better.

Good imaging and soundstage helps with 3 of 4 dimensions. The 4th is time. Coherence is the aspect of sound that matters there. Good imaging + soundstage + coherence sets the table for all teh rest to really excel and reach maximum potential..

Your room dimensions, it's listening environment strengths and warts, the quality of all the associated equipment, and the speaker placement issues within the room is the alchemy to your satisfaction.

IMO...

(1) The Arros best the Staffs on just about every level .. Full stop. If you are looking for rock music as your fave genre, look to the Hawks or better as the better choice. The former excel at easy listening, classical and jazz
(2) If you are still married to Totems, then set a plan to get the supporting cast gear because without the quality amp and source, the step down in performance (including imaging) is not insignificant. Trying to get "that performance" out of the Arros with say only a receiver and a cheap source will graphically personify the tenet: "garbage in, garbage out". Simply put, they can either deliver or they can suck on your "imaging" along with the "musicality" enjoyment list depending on what they are mated with.
(3) The Arros facilitate close placement to the walls.... This may be a very limitation in your plan.
(4) I have to agree with Lindesfarne, that "musicality" is a keystone tenet in your end selection. If you go to Canuckaudiomart, you will see many Totems for resale in the used marketplace. Fellow hobbyists may find them fatiguing after a while .... I did also, and I moved on to "more musical " aka PRaT gear ( Pace, Rythem and Timing) There are many other speaker brands worth auditioning before you make your final choice..... In a small room environment, the REGA R3 / RS3 as a floorstander, or the TANNOY Revolution DC6 or ATC SCM 10 (2013) or even the Totem Model Ones as stand mounts leading the list that I would strongly look at.

IMO the Regas especially punch way above their weight class, have that ethereal "musicality" feature, are easier to drive and they also share the close proximity to the wall placement feature along with the Arros .

Forrest is best -- forget the rest.

I agree that the Forests are better in a larger room and as one moves up the $$ ladder to better gear ... I had them along with the Arros simultaneously.

However.....

(1) in a small room environment, they are a big risky wild card on a blind purchase and are arguably non optimal because they don't favour close to back wall, or side wallspeaker placement. I would insist on an actual in-home hands-on audition first without exception before stepping up to them.

(2) The big "ah hah" moment with the Forests is that they personify the Totemcraving for lotsa "grunt" to drive them. There are a. Buzzillion posts in AGON and Canuckaudiomart about this. Grunt is a lot of amperes to go with the big watts that can only be delivered by hi-end build quality amplifiers with generous power Supplies.

In my experiences, tge Forests only opened up fully to their max when I finally actually bi-amped them (not bi wired) with two 2X 100 watts hi-current gear (an integrated amp and a matched separate power amp) . That is why Totems are frequently mated to SIMAUDIO , PLINIUs, or AYRE or better at the expos. You are not going to see Forests driven by cheap gear.

The takeaway:

the small room listening environment and its resulting limitations and warts may dictate close to walls placement of the speakers and that does not favour Forests,