My worst demo ever (so far...)

[busb]

Totem speakers & certainly Arros are particularly demanding regarding amplification if they are not to sound bright as I found out when I bought my Primare power amp. With the right speaker cable, positioning plus getting used to a brighter sound than I'd been used to - they can be spectacular. Very few speakers image like Arros. Their bass is more agile than "big".

First of all, my "worst demo ever" was not all about Totem; it was more the whole *experience* that made it what it was.

Having said that, if the Totems limit the choice of amps to those that can bridle their brightness (well, it was more than bright to my ears, it was unpleasant), then I think they're not for me, superb as their imaging may be (and was).

It's more a case of can sound bright but that applies to many speaker manufacturers or models apart from Totem! As for amplification, its probably more to do with some of their models not being the easiest to drive. My Arros are nominally 4 Ohms & probably even lower depending on frequency. Probably not suitable for SET valve amps!

I did hear a pair of Arros firing down a long room in a dealer's demo - they sounded awful! Three weeks later, I bought a pair ex-demo from another dealer - having heard them sounding stunning a few years back. The are now fairly expensive at £1600 for the basic wood vaneer finishes. Get the system right & they are difficult to beat for their size. They have surprised many a visitor!

 

[empacher]

... if the Totems limit the choice of amps to those that can bridle their brightness (well, it was more than bright to my ears, it was unpleasant), then I think they're not for me, superb as their imaging may be (and was).

I think that is the reality - they do require careful matching. Typically warmer or darker amp are recommended. Naim, McIntosh and tube amps (if you are not looking big volume) to name a few are often mentioned as good pairings. Interestingly I've heard several people recommend Moon as a good option which doesn't seem to fit in that category. I've been seriously thinking of getting a Moon amp to see what a lot more power will bring to the Model 1s but I am a little leary about brightness as well. We'll see. I have no complaints at the moment but only listen at low to moderate volumes.

Don't know the Dreamcatchers or Tribes but have heard the Sttafs and I don't think they are the best ambassadors of the line. The Arro's and Mani's are really the classic totem's IMO. The Mani's powered by a big McIntosh amp is quite something to hear and it is mind boggling that the sound is coming from standmounters.

 

[plastic penguin]

As for the worst demo - had to be Cyrus in the basement at Bristol about 7 yrs ago: too loud, very harsh with no audience to soak it up - empty apart from what looked like 3 air hostesses working for them.

The last hi-fi show I went to at Hammersmith Cyrus had their own room. There was a pre/power combo + CDP + outboard power supply on amps and CDP. The speakers were Cyrus's own floorstanders. Probably the worst 'racket' I've ever experienced.

I have heard Cyrus amplification since & it sounded fine but their stuff is never going to be accused of being pipe & slippers sounding for the fawn-coloured Cardigan wearers fan club!

Oh ****. That's me out then. (Just off to put the Lurchers in the Range Rover).

 

[shropshire lad]

As for the worst demo - had to be Cyrus in the basement at Bristol about 7 yrs ago: too loud, very harsh with no audience to soak it up - empty apart from what looked like 3 air hostesses working for them.

The last hi-fi show I went to at Hammersmith Cyrus had their own room. There was a pre/power combo + CDP + outboard power supply on amps and CDP. The speakers were Cyrus's own floorstanders. Probably the worst 'racket' I've ever experienced.

I have heard Cyrus amplification since & it sounded fine but their stuff is never going to be accused of being pipe & slippers sounding for the fawn-coloured Cardigan wearers fan club!

Oh ****. That's me out then. (Just off to put the Lurchers in the Range Rover).

Funny , I had you down as a black labrador sort of chap .

 

[busb]

As for the worst demo - had to be Cyrus in the basement at Bristol about 7 yrs ago: too loud, very harsh with no audience to soak it up - empty apart from what looked like 3 air hostesses working for them.

The last hi-fi show I went to at Hammersmith Cyrus had their own room. There was a pre/power combo + CDP + outboard power supply on amps and CDP. The speakers were Cyrus's own floorstanders. Probably the worst 'racket' I've ever experienced.

I have heard Cyrus amplification since & it sounded fine but their stuff is never going to be accused of being pipe & slippers sounding for the fawn-coloured Cardigan wearers fan club!

Oh ****. That's me out then. (Just off to put the Lurchers in the Range Rover).

i thought I recognised you at the last AGM!

 

[oldric_naubhoff]

Looking for info on ESLs , I found a (very positive) review on the Finals. The link to the company website didn't work - as Final had ceased to exist, I discovered. Further googling gave me quite some forum posts (most in Dutch), à la "My fathers Final ESLs died on him - again" or "all Finals brake down, most often the stators; that's why the company went bankrupt, several times" or "for Final, count on new foils every 2 years"... it went on and on. There might have been a "publication bias", of course. But it was striking.

thanks Doc. that's interesting. Pio is too young to draw any conclusions yet though. let's hope they will build up on the goods of Final and leave the bads behind.

The modification is not cheap, indeed. For MG12s, it comes to some $2500 (ex. shipping and taxes). Do you have the knowledge to assess what he does? The options to choose the wood species, the style and colours on the other hand (matching the veneer of the furniture!) may have a dramatic effect on the WAF. I might contact the guy to get some more info.

if you browse through his web site he explains the mod in quite a detail. in a nutshell he swaps the standard MDF frames for the wood frames and upgrades the xover (not only does he swaps the parts for better quality ones but also changes configuration - essentially you're getting a 1st order xover @ around 600Hz).

the wood frames are said to be beneficial (not counting the visual aspect) in that way they have damping properties on the diaphragm which is directly attached to the frame in case of Magnepans. since MDF has vibration rejecting properties this is no good. on the other hand wood has proven vibration absorbing properties. so the movement of the diaphragm gets "soaked" into the frame rather than being bounced back inside. this is said to lower THD distortion. I've never seen comparable measurements but I can surely see this to be so in practise.

the benefit of xover upgrade comes without question. not only is it changed to 1st order on both sides (AFAIK the stock is 2nd on woofer and 1st on mid-tweeter) which means you get better phase integration between drives but also you get better quality components (better tolerances) which is the most crucial in case of a passive crossover. IMO that is the main reason why an expensive multi-way speaker would sound better than a budget multi-way speaker. it's not so much about the cabinet or the drivers but the xover implementation and quality of parts used.

But in the meantime, I'll schedule a demo op the Pio, and a new audition of the MG12, comparing it with the 1.7, and also of (properly broken-in) Tritons. I'll report back (but it may take a while).

keep us posted! looking forward to your another review.