I have the totem forest in a small room and have struggled
for years to tone down the bass as the forest are amazing at just about everything. Rock on brother and good luck with all the lower actave thing. How low can you go? If it does not work for you
come over to my place and watch the walls rattle with out a sub. |
Hate to say it, but I wouldn't recommend it personally. I have owned a good part of the Totem line -- monitors, floorstanders, and subs. The Dreamcatcher is a decent sub, but it is a mismatch with the Forests, in my opinion. I would say the Dreamcatcher sub is the least impressive of all of the Totem products I have tried, and in fact is not nearly as good a budget sub as the Dreamcather monitors are as budget mini monitors, whereas the Forests are one the best speakers in their price range. I suspect you will have trouble blending it with the Forests, and its bass will be outclassed by that of the Forests. Again just my opinion. YMMV. |
I have Forests in a decent size room, about 14 x 20 plus an L off to one side and nothing lacking there at all, all the picture frames have been nubbed on the back to keep them from chiming in. Mind you the Pss X250 might be considered a bit overkill. Have you considered something up the chain may be detracting? |
Folks -
Thanks for the input...
I'm mainly IN LOVE with the sound from the Forests. Just that every once in a while I'm thinking bass ought to be a little stronger (very recording specific too). Not so much deeper, just a tad bit louder (and I do mean just a little). Maybe need to move more air. Does that make sense?
Mickeyf - do you run a PASS X250? You might be on to something...but this H-1 seems to have plenty of grunt (though probably not like the Pass). I can overdrive the Forests (e.g., Medeski Martin & Wood Combustication, "Latin Shuffle"), so I think it is them and not the amp. But you know what they say...there's no substitute for horsepower.
JM & DG - what amps are you using.
Thanks again to all. |
Yeah Pass X250, typo. I was going to respond about this reference CD on the coincident thread but I just couldn't bear to get serious after the Romper Room post. Anyway with Bela Fleck's Cosmic Hippo, I can get a tremendous 'curtain dance' going on about 3 feet behind the ports. These babies move serious air with that amp.... |
When I owned the Forests I drove them with Bel Canto Ref 1000s. I had them paired with a Totem Thunder sub. Sound was quite nice. |
DG - Thanks. Folks at Totem replied to an email I sent and recommended the Storm (little bro. of Thunder) and not the Dreamcatcher. I'd appreciate any info about how you placed the sub. Thanks. |
I am running a Plinius SA 100 MKIII with my Totem Forest.
My room is 10 X 12 and at times I do get bassed out
(recording dependent) This is a great match although it
lacks the great sound staging of the plinius 9100
it appears to push the speakers like butter.
I am trully surprised that you are not getting the
strong bass out of the forest. I agree with Dgaylin
there maybe something up the line your missing.
Always better to go without a sub if you can
unless you are a big movie dude and like the thunder stuff.
But for music I find if you can get all of your bass from
the one pair of floor standings you get the best crossover
in regards to timeing. If you are seeking more bass
after trying a plinius amp on the forest then I would
A/ be surprised and B/ would recommend a rell sub.
Good luck |
JJM -
Thanks for the reply...I have heard GREAT stuff about Plinius (esp. 9100/9200?) with Forests. I'm driving mine now with a JAS H-1 hybrid tube amp (EL34 power tubes; transistor pre-amp) Mainly I get great bass from the Forests...much more than you'd expect looking at the size of the drivers. 95% or more of the time I'm very happy. Maybe I'm chasing something I shouldn't? Was seeking to address comments from visitors that the Forests "aren't full range". |
Forgot I'd posted this question. An update (especially for others running Totem Forests and wondering about low freq output). Some months back I replaced the JAS H-1 hybrid w/Consonance Cyber 800SEs and Cyber Ref 50 pre-amp. No longer thinking about sub-woofers. It wasn't the speakers. It was the amp, or, probably more correctly, not enough watts (and/or "damping"???) Interesting to also find that on some recordings with bass that I initially thought "over drove" the Forests (certain passages where bass was not well controlled)...these now sound just fine(e.g. Latin Shuffle on MMW "Combustication"; "(Kiss the Frog?)" on P.Gabriel's "US". It has been an education. |
Just the other night my wife and I watched some Pacific episodes on blu-ray running through my 2 channel, still Forests out of a PASS X-250/Modwright swlp. Felt no need whatever for subs or surround. Comments coming from various rooms throughout the house and out on the patio confirmed... ;-) |
I've owned the Forests and think they are great but they don't go much below 30hz. So if you want full range you need a different speaker or a sub or two.
For me only maybe 15% of my listening requires bass lower than 30 hz but these are some of my favorites and I find the rolling off annoying.
It sounds like you are missing something. Try to find it if you can. |
Mickey and Bj -
Thanks for your input. Bj - I'm sure you are right about the Forest freq. response but honestly, right now, for what I listen to, the Forests are fine. I really don't feel like I'm missing anything BUT that is a function of education and it is entirely possible that if I heard my favorite music on other lower bass capable speakers, I'd get the yen for something more. That's unlikely to happen in the near term, however. Right now trying to optimize stage depth in a less than ideal listening area. Thanks again for your commments. (btw - any recommendations for CD/SACD recordings w/great stage depth?)
Ciao |
