Totem speakers and others that I should consider?

Thanks for the comments. I'll look into the speakers mentioned.

I'm a little surprised that there isn't more discussion on the forum on the Element speakers from Totem. From my perspective, they are remarkably good speakers. I would have expected some discussion bandwidth about them here, but there is relatively little.

---Michael

Forests are IMHO the best speakers built by Totem line. There are better models than Totem Winds/Shaman at higher price ranges.
Did anyone mentioned Nola Contender? I believe that it's a value winner of the year.

I you like the Totems, then you will surely love the Quad line of dynamic speakers.

Check out Aerial Acoustics Model 7T. There is a review this month in either Stereophile or TAS, can't remember off the top of my head which mag. They are in your price range.

I think the Element series is pretty new, so that's most likely why they aren't discussed very much. Haven't heard them, but I'm a big Totem fan.

I was looking for new speakers about 3 years ago, and the Arros were the speakers to beat for me (my budget was less than yours). I ended up buying Audio Physic Yara Evolution Bookshelves. I think Audio Physic and Totem have a lot in common. To my ears, Audio Physic's speakers as a line image and soundstage a bit better, and they're more forward than Totem as a line. I don't mean an in-your-face forward, I mean the soundstage comes closer. Most Totem speaker's soundstage is at or behind the plane of the speakers (especially the Arros). They just seem more distant sounding to me. Those comparisons aren't solely Yaras vs Arros, they're comparabley priced models vs each other. If I didn't find Audio Physic, I'd have bought Totems and lived happily ever after. I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy a pair of Dreamcatchers and wall mount them with Totem's bracket so I can baby proof my living room and still have music. The Yaras won't work well at all that way, and will be stored until I can have a dedicated room (hopefully within the next year).

Audio Physic isn't easy to track down, and their second-hand market isn't very strong. If you can find a dealer within a reasonable distance, they should be on your list of speakers to audition. If you really like Totems, you should make it a point to hear APs if possible.

I also like most of the speakers mentioned here. I'd really like to hear the Element series, even though I can't afford them. Knowing Totem, they're excellent and worth every penny of their price.