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Totem Mani 2 Signatures vs. Usher BE-718

I have the upgrade bug and I am looking to upgrade my speakers. I'm looking at the two speakers noted above but am open to other suggestions for comparable speakers. I have chosen these speakers because I currently have the Totem Model 1 Sigs and have heard great things about the Mani's as well as hearing them at the local audio store. I have not heard the Ushers but have chosen them because of all the positive reviews. I do not have a local Usher dealer.

I would like to hear what you have to stay about these speakers espcially if you have owned either of them or have been in a situation to compare them.

I know the Totem's have had great reviews and have been considered the best bang for the buck in the past and the reviews on the Ushers seem to indicate that they are the best speaker sub $5K. Would be interested to get your thoughts on that.

I will be driving them with a Bryston integrated amp with 100 watts at 8ohms and 170 watts at 4 ohms. I am a little concerned that it might not be powerful enough to drive the Totem's from what I've read. I am not sure about how they will drive the Usher's. Any comments or experiences with similar types of amps would be appreciated.

Thanks
audioman999
kenk168
175 posts
 
I own the BE-718 and have been happy ever since. Its top end is transparent but if fed with mediocre upstream equipment and asynergistic cabling could proved disastrous. If you're willng to put the time and effort in paring the speakers with complementary electronics and really try to optimize them, you will be rewarded. Also, the build-quality is top-notch. Understand that you will get opinions that are on both the left and the right. Try to find balance among this differing of opinions--some passionately biased.

Kenobi
johsti's avatar
johsti
102 posts
 
I can understand if someone doesn't like the sound of specific speaker, but to say that Usher is low value is laughable. The drivers measure as well as drivers costing 3 or 4x as much. The build quality is well above similarly priced products. The crossovers are designed/modified by well respected folks in the industry.
johsti's avatar
johsti
102 posts
 
Audiofeil - Your hidden agenda is very obvious. Simply do a search for "Usher" on this forum, and your name comes up every time with something negative to say.

Please don't email me again with your opinions when they can be posted here for everyone else to see.
audiofeil
4,011 posts
 
It's not an agenda; it's my opinion and if you're going to make insinuations in the thread be prepared to get spanked.

Rookie.
rumadian
152 posts
 
The Usher is a good speaker, and retails for well under the Mani-2 Signature. People should keep that into perspective when directly comparing the two.

That said, in line with current advice, the Mani 2 Signatures are just too much speaker for that size of room. You need them at least 2-3 ft out from the wall... and they flat out need more room to breathe. If you're itching for an upgrade and want to stay within the Totem line, check out The One. That should work splendidly in your space.
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