Totem Arro Vs. Sttaf

Happybob,

You are finding/stating that the sub, combined with the Sttafs in stereo is redundent? Are you saying that you do not feel that the sttafs need a sub and can handle the bottom octaves sufficiently by themselves (again in stereo)? Don't get me wrong, I am not intending or implying that you are wrong, just a bit surprised.

My Hawks arrived today, but it will be a bit before I get them hooked up and burned in. I was planning on adding a REL subwoofer for either/both the Hawks and the Arros, and probably 2 (I will run one or the other pair of Totems as a zone 2 and planned to have a sub in that zone - stereo only).

Since your feeling is that the Sttafs don't need a sub, what type of bass would you say you are getting out of them and in what size room?

Thanks,

Sandman,

I'll offer my limited 2 cents. I just this week purchased a (used) pair of Arros for my 12X18 dedicated 2CH/HT room. Ceiling is single slant cathedral running roughly 8.5' up to 11/12'.

One evening of listening, since they are 2 years old, I am assuming they are pretty well broken in (though not sure what impact shipping during the winter in the northern midwest may have on that).

Do they sound good? Yes, they sound very good in many ways. Was the bass lacking? That's a good question, after watching a movie with my 6 year old daughter and finally getting down to some music, I found myself turning up my sub (for the first time in my life). Maybe I wouldn't have had to do this if I wasn't running a sub in the first place? Maybe the result of watching a movie b/4 music, movies are always bass heavy. BTW, B&K 507 S2 receiver driving them.

Tomorrow night, I will run them through my Golden Tube SE 40 and see the impact on these speakers with tubes at only 40 watts.

Not sure if I have found the right placement yet. Lot's of moving around, trying to get them dialed in for imaging. Close to the rear wall, out as far a 2.5-3'. I don't necessarily agree that placement is unlimited. As a note, they sit on either side of my 40" tall by 60" wide entertainment center with a TV mounted to the wall above it.

Anybody else with a similar set-up and Arros, I would surely appreciate any placement advice.

I am intersted in listening to the Sttafs, so I can't comment on that. If I could find a used pair, I would buy them.

BOL and if you buy a pair for testing and decide to sell them (Sttaf, Hawk, Forrest), contact me and I will consider buying them.

ckoffend

Update from my last report after having just received the Arros.

Today I ordered a pair of Hawks.

I love the Arros and am going to move them to a second zone/room and run them as stereo speakers in there.

I want a little more and felt the Arros in my 12X18 room with the cathedral ceiling were a little less. Anybody else have experience with a similar sized room?

Don't get me wrong, I love the Arros and bought the Hawks without ever getting a chance to listen to them. Hopefully they won't be for sale in the near future. I doubt it.

Itball, were the subs hard to set up or the Hawks? If you are refering to the hawks, where is your final placement (obviously not the the inch, just a starting point). My room is nice and rectangular, but has a 6 foot wide doorway/passageway just to the side of one of the speakers (no reflection, but lost sound).

How far out from the back wall did you bring the hawks and how far apart? Just looking for a starting point.

I have a sub now, but am thinking I will replace it to integrate better with these speakers versus my old speakers. Any suggestions? I am definately budget minded.

thanks, CK

Okay, guys (if anybody still is paying attention to this thread). After running the Arros for a short time, My Hawks came in and I also bought a pair of REL Q108 subwoofers.

The Hawks without doubt have a much fuller sound than the Arros and also smoother (ie. not as bright). I am running the Hawks in a second room through my zone 2 pre-amp out into a Golden Tube Audio SE 40 Amp (anybody else driving Hawks with 40 watts). I am surprised that this amp is able to drive the Hawks as well as it does at 40 wpc. But they sound good.

I am now running the Arros with the two subs which definately changes the sound all aroud with the Arros. My room, while not large at 12 X 18 with a single slanted cathedral ceiling is much better pressurized with the subs and not just at the bottom end. I have found that the Arros sound much better with the subs as volume levels do not need to be as high which has smoothed out the sound of the Arros. The sound stage is still excellent (better than with the single B&W sub which always made it feel weighted to one side and not as tight).

I really like the Arros in all regards and the addition of the REL subs really makes these speakers shine. Yes, even with the little REL Q108 which I think in a pair version is a perfect match for the Arros. This from both a matching price comparison and also soundwise.

Thinking about adding a large REL for the Hawks, but they already have sufficient base even though they are in a larger room. Typically, they are only background music.

Side by side, the Arros and the Hawks cannot be compared in many regards. While physically, the size is pretty close, the Hawks have much better extension and are generally smoother. Their soundstage/imaging is not up to the Arros though. But at twice the price, I don't think it is fair to compare the two for most people considering the Arros.

Final result - I love Totem - What took me so long?