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Minimonitor Choice: Proac 1sc vs. Totem Model 1s

Has anyone directly compared these two speakers? I've heard the Totems, and they image so well, though may be a little congested in the midrange. How do the Proac's compare? I've got Proac 2.5's, I think they are great, but currently find the tweeters a tad bit aggressive (but am working on that with cable selection). I've heard still better things about the tweeters in the 1sc's. I'm using great amps in my systems right now (Pass Aleph, ARC VT100 mk2, Berning ZH270).

Anyhow - I love good imaging, but not at the expense of tonal balance. Considerations that I'm aware of between these two speakers are:

1) Which has better/more natural bass response? (I want to avoid the subwoofer approach if possible - but I do like to listen to all sorts of music, including rock, orchestral, jazz, female vocals, etc.).

2) Is either more sensitive/dependent on positioning? This includes speaker positioning in the room and listener positioning (e.g. size of sweet spot)?

3) Do either have characteristic tonal biases that I should be aware of? (I've already described some impressions of the Totem Model 1s).

Thanks for your input everyone. Also, are there other minimonitors I should be considering or auditioning (when traveling outside of my small town of Flagstaff, AZ).
peter_s

Showing 3 responses by gunbei

gunbei
2,327 posts
 
Cellorover, could you elaborate on the ProAc/stand issue? I've only used one stand, the Lovan Imperial 2900 with both my ProAc monitors and was wondering what your experience with different stands yielded. Thanks.
gunbei
2,327 posts
 
Thanks, Cellorover. My Lovans have a thin single column about 2x3" and 29" tall, they're filled with 20lbs. of steel shot each and I picked them because they are elegant and unobtrusive.

I've seen many photos of people using heftier stands like the Osiris or Stand Design with the 1SC, some utilizing four square columns with such a wide stance they're almost flush with the speaker's sides, front and back.

I never considered that a stand could have an impact on the speaker's sound beyond bass dampening. Throughout my short audiophile life I've endured a bit of top end sizzle in my various systems and always chalked it up to room acoustics or choice of equipment, but now you've given me a reason to consider spending more on this hobby, heheh!
gunbei
2,327 posts
 
Cellorover, I've considered changing the stand fill to sand. I'm a bit lazy though. You can see my system at virtual systems next to my name. The components seem a good match fo rmy 1SCs, but I've always been suspect about my rooms acoustics. I'll be trying out some Sonex acoustic squares this weekend and see if the cabinets which seem to be in the vicinity of first reflection can be helped. Thanks for the suggestions.
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