Totem Arro Replacement

I’m reading that you enjoy listening at higher levels than the Arros are comfortable. 4.5" single midbass drivers are a real constraint here. Port chuffing means the box was tuned too low, or the vent was too small. Again, the Arro’s box volume just looks too big for the teensy driver, unless they blocked it off inside.

Dynaudios are generally tuned warm and fat. The Contours use 6.5" woofers, rear-ported, which I’d have thought would be fine, so I wonder if they were exacerbating a room mode, too close to a corner or boundary. What does it sound like in your room when you clap your hands? Is it more muffled than sharp? Perhaps it’s overdamped.

How big is the room? How much flexibility do you have in terms of speaker placement from rear and side walls? What’s your listening distance? Also, what amp are you using?

Try the Fritz models.  Bespoke designs, the 6.5" sliced-paper mid woofer used is really outstanding.

Motokokusanagi,  I’ve had around 10 different pairs of speakers in the past year and a half in this same listening room with the same equipment.  Those Contours were the most bass heavy speaker I had in this room and I’ve had Dynaudio Xeo 6’s and Infinity betas (2 10” woofers in each speaker) and neither of those overwhelmed with bass.  My room is about halfway treated.  I have Gik bass traps.  I’ve got 6 244 panels, 3 monster bass traps and then 3 panels that really only tame slap echo.  My set-up is straightforward.  Anthem I225 amp, bluesound node 2i.  Analysis Plus Oval 8 speaker cables (love ‘em), audioquest diamond hyperlitz rca’s, cullen crossover series power cable, porter port outlet.  No concerns regarding placement as this is a secondary bedroom that I made my dedicated room.  I have always pulled my speakers out really far from the walls.  I prioritize imaging and a clean sound over having fuller bass and not such a good soundstage (which is what I experience whenever I have my speakers closer than about 2 feet to any wall).  

Interestingly, The Arros have the best bass response in my listening room that I’ve had.  The cabinets are sealed off from the lower section.  The cabinets are reinforced as well and are pretty solid.  The bottom half is full of sand.

@erik_squires I was almost certain that you were going to recommend a speaker kit!  My hesitation with that right now would be that my setup would be down until I finished them and I am doing too much listening right now.

As far as Fritz, yes they look awesome.  Fritz and Salk have been the 2 smaller boutique brands that have been interesting me lately.  The only problem is my budget is tight right now with me being out of work.  I only have around $650 or $700 to spend at the moment.

With all that in mind, do I stay put and save more money?  Or do I switch to Ventos, Rainmakers, Sierra 1’s, Monitor Audio Silver 6?

The hardest part about this for me is that I like the sound signature of the Arros, I just want more volume and dynamics, not a different sound really.  I actually prefer the sound of the Arros over quite a few other speakers that I’ve recently had...