Integrated amp for Totem Sttaff

09-09-08: Hifisoundguy
Cayin Audio 265ai...best kept secret on the market!

What happened to your enthusiasm for the Onkyo A-9555?

Mr Audiobroke:-))

Of course, beauty is in the eyes of the beholders so I am not going to make any comment on that. Our perceived value are simply different.

Regarding your definition of cheap speakers, I think I could still get good sound without having to spend a few kilo bucks for a pair of speakers. PSB Alpha B1 sold for less than $299 per pair (almost as low as Radio Shack speakers) will beat the Totem Mite, twice the price of the PSB Alpha B1, hands down in its high, mid range, and bass definition. I did A/B auditioned these at a local dealer, both driven by a budget NAD amp C325 BEE.

I could give you a few more examples of overpriced models that Totem made.

Mite $750 per pair vs Usher S520 $450 per pair. Usher would win hands down (high, mid, bass definition, and bass extension) I did A/B them at my local Totem dealer that also carried Usher as well. Score Usher 4 Mite 0

I don't understand why Totem still sells the Mite. They are more expensive than the Usher and the level of sonic performance is nowhere near. Likewise, the Mite would stand no chance against the Dynaudio Audience 42 (they are sold at the same competitive price range)

Dynaudio Focus 140 $2K per pair vs Totem Model 1 $2.3K per pair. Dynaudio Focus edged the Model 1 on high and bass definition and extension. The Model 1 is better than the Dynaudio Focus 140 but only with the mid range.
Score Dynaudio 3.0 Totem Model 1 1.5

Silverline Prelude $1.3K per pair vs Totem The One 3.5K per pair. No need to go there since the Silverline Prelude is listed in Stereophile's Budget Components and the Totem The One is not.

I used to own the Rainmakers/Model 1 and currently own a Storm so I could say that I am somewhat familiar with Totem speakers.

I do not know what your definition of "sell out" was so I am not going to comment on that. That would be "business practice" and has nothing to do with audio sir:-))

Kind regards

Don't mean to hi jack the thread here. Sorry Gs:-))

You can check with yout local Totem dealers and they will tell you how many times that the Arro and the Rainmaker outsell the Model 1 and Forest. Like everyone else, I was looking for a good deal and they are always giving me discount on the Model 1, the Forest, and the Mani 2 but not a chance that I would get a discount on the Rainmaker or the Arro even though I am their repeated customers.

I thought that you listen to music with your ears and not your eyes:-))

Kind regards

If you like reasonable price separates, I would strongly recommend NAD C162 pre-amp and NAD C272 power amp. I am driving my Dyn DM 2/10 with the C162 pre-amp and a used C270 that I purchased from a cool Agoner. The Dyn just sing beautifully, driven by the NAD combo.

I am not sure about your source Mr. Mxwizard but I think with your $1.5K budget, you can get a NAD C352 (excellent value) and a Rega Apollo CD player (another excellent value) And I guarantee you that will not have that upgrade bug bites for a very long time with this Totem Sttaf/Rega Apollo/NAD C352. Who knows? Maybe you could have $100 left in change to buy a knock off LV handbag and pull the Husband of The Year award:-)))

Just for some input on an integrated. I like Creeks top two offerings, also not really an integrated but for about integrated prices you can get the fabulous Parasound P3 and A23 combo which I've driven the Sttafs with personally so I can attest, it sounded great.

Hieule5: The Mite's are the only model from Totem that I am not intimately familiar with, and it seems like most of your "overpriced" gripe is based around this one model so I really can't comment on that. Totem says that it's been one of it's long standing best sellers, so maybe it's just supply and demand who knows. My "sell Out" comment was just about companies that use different sizes of all the exact same driver because of the cost savings. One driver can't possibly be best in all applications. (One reason for Totems additional cost since they choose the best driver for the job) My point about the "looks" of the speakers was exactly what you are saying, you listen with your ears, but people judge the Totems before they ever listen because of their looks and never get a chance to HEAR. The first time I saw the Arro's I laughed. The first time I heard them I was amazed. A lot of people post about speakers that they have never heard in comparison to one that they like. But I suspect that they are judging on the Looks of the speaker that they have not heard and making conclusions based on that.
It's a bit odd that you say that the Rainmaker and Arro outsell every other model, because I used to sell Totem speakers, and I never sold a Rainmaker even though we had them for demo. The Sttaf, and Hawk far outsold any other model. I would say in our store saleswise they went Hawk, Sttaf, then Arro or Forrest.