Integrated amp for Totem Sttaff


Hello all. I am new to the site but have been ravenously reading reviews and posts the last few weeks. I am in the proccess of replacing my 20 year old Boston A 400's with the Sttafs....Now my dilemma.I am currently running a Denon 2106 and have found a helpful dealer selling...Naim, Creek, Sim, Cambridge, Arcam. I am seriously considering jumping in the deep end of the audio pool and get a new power source as well to match....My problem..The dealer is a 3 hr drive away so auditioning the Totems and the matching amps is possible, im hoping your experince may help me have a better starting point if im to drive that far....I know other brands are out there, but I dont have access to viewing them, let alone buying them. Im hoping $ 1,500 cdn will put me in a good spot to get the most from the Totems...Thanks in advance.
mxwizard

Showing 4 responses by johnnyb53

I'm gonna stick my neck out in another direction. This is such an inexpensive, safe approach it's almost risk-free.

How about an Onkyo A-9555 class D integrated amp? At its suggested list price ($799) it would be competitive, but you can get it at $500 and below almost anywhere (e.g., J&R, B&H, and Amazon, which has free shipping and a 30-day trial period). And you'll need that 30 days because it takes a good 75-100 hours to break in. I hooked up an iPod and FM tuner to break mine in 24 hrs/day. By the third day it began to astound me. It has extraordinary speed, clarity, and transparency combined with a particularly articulate and extended bass, and an overall natural sense of ease that's usually missing from inexpensive fast, detailed amps.

Can't say how it sounds against a Naim, but I like it better than what I've heard from Creek, Rega, and Cambridge, including specifically the 640A. It sounds more like a 150-200 wpc Musical Fidelity, and even there, I think its midrange is a little smoother and more natural than the MF's.

It should be an excellent match with your Totems as well. Its 85/170 wpc into 8/4 ohms fits your STtaffs' recommended power of 20-100w at 8 ohms. The Onkyo's ability to deliver current should help your STtaffs perform at their potential in bass extension and clarity, and will also bring out the best in Totem's strengths in speed and clarity.
09-09-08: Hifisoundguy
Cayin Audio 265ai...best kept secret on the market!
What happened to your enthusiasm for the Onkyo A-9555?
Back to topic, I STILL think the Onkyo A-9555 would be a great match with the Totems under discussion. I have heard myriad Cambridges, some Regas, Creeks, and Musical Fidelities, and I'd take the Onkyo in a heartbeat for being better at everything--bass extension and clarity, transparency, tonal balance, smoothness, musicality, microdynamics, macrodynamics, and low level detail in proper perspective to bloom and fullness.

It's almost risk-free to try--$474-494 at Amazon.com with free shipping and a 30-day trial period.

Just give it 100 hrs to break in and hook it up with a good aftermarket power cord. The PS Audio XStream Prelude should do just fine.

What if I'm right?
Bargie, I think you should trust your reaction to the Cayin/Totem STtaff signal chain and complete it with a Cayin integrated just like the one you heard. We can spend a lot of time mixing and matching trying to come up with a synergistic combination. When you hear one that rings your bell better than what you have at home, buy it if you can afford it. You were impressed with the Totems, but they only got you part of the way there. Get the amp.