If you like your totem/YBA setup then for dear god leave audiogon. Actually, I think this is a great place, and I like your setup, but ultimately I don't think the hawks are as good as the forests. Don't get me wrong, I think the hakws are great speakers, but inbetween the arrows and forests, they just don't stand out enough. Ultimately, if the synergy of everything you got is grea,t then there's really no reason to compare for now...
Totem Hawk a underated "Jewel"
Is it just me or is the Totem Hawk the most underrated/underrepresented speaker in the Totem lineup? There seems to be few discussions on these little gems and I just want to tell everybody that my recent visit to a Totem dealer to demo the YBA Passion Integre yielded a surprise that I didn’t expect. That was of course the Totem Hawk (French-Canadian) hooked up to the YBA Passion (French) and YBA CD Integre utilizing Totem Bi-Wire Cable and Sinew Interconnect Cable. Absolutely flabbergasted with what I heard I consulted a couple sources and read what reviews were published on this speaker. The Audiophile voice did one review a while back and he quotes “Over all, the Hawks are more natural sounding than any other full-range system I’ve had at home” and he goes on talking about the Balance and Integration of the Scanspeak Revelator woofer and MB Tweeter, Overall I agree with all his assessments on the speakers and more. These speakers just sound “right” and I have much experience with the Forests and it is my personal belief that the Hawks paired with the YBA offered me more expressive communication and “PASSION” than any Forest setup I have ever heard. What’s so great is the system was so damn simple; no super exotic interconnects or cables. When people on these forums always talk about that “musicality” and that point they reach when the music communicates with the soul and nothing else seems to be relevant, that point of satisfaction, I experienced that today. I would also like to point out that that the reviewer was actually using Tara and Music Metre cables and had really poor results, so much so that he called Vince to ask what was going on, Vince sent him the Totem cables and he was startled with the magnitude of improvement, Totem apparently engineer’s all there cables to there speakers, furthermore they incorporate all there cables exclusively at shows and exhibits. I purchased the entire setup for a fair price, speakers are breaking in as I speak. Now, to what hobby should I take up now?
P.S. What is everybody’s thought on the Hawk vs. Forest?
P.S. What is everybody’s thought on the Hawk vs. Forest?
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had experience with both of 'em. forrests sounded better imo with lower powered setup as well as with plenty of power for'em compared to hawks that could also impress me with imaging and stage. i more tended to lean for dynamic values rather than stage and imaging, however forrests have plenty of both as well. |
I currently own the Arros and am moving up to the Forests - should be geting them in the next week or two! ;) I demoed the Forest and Hawks, and IMO the Forests just communicated with me so much more than the Hawks. I have heard the Hawks several times, on different gear and have never been particularly impressed with them. Maybe I just haven't heard the right combination yet? However, if you have found sonic bliss - that's really all it's about! Just sit back and enjoy the music! |
Interesting. Vincent was demoing the Hawks at the NY show and I was wondering why not the Forests. He also told me that the Hawks would work well with 60 Watts or so, while the Forests really required more. He was using the Ayre integrated and CD player. I didn't listen that long, but they had incredibly deep bass. To me, they seem like they might be a very nice choice for an apartment system where the owner wants a full-range sound without getting too big or going to subs. BTW, he also showed the Mani 2 signatures, which were very impressive. |
Just to second Chayro without getting into full frety ("leave Audiogon"-my my!) but the Mani -2's (a dual coupled design?) are for those who want/need 2 way monitors are, to tell the unitiated absolutely bass monsters.Even if for a monitor they are a bit larger than mostmthey areb amazing in the low end.Maybe for mids or full spectrum I'd rather some of the Brit designs but if you want listen to techno and don't have space for sub (and have no neighbors) the Manis deliver the bottom end. Chazzbo |
Mimberman wasn't trying to be rude. Anyways, I still feel the Arro, Forest, and Mani-2 are the "jewels" in the Totem lineup. I do own the Mani-2 but am considering going back to the Forest, as crazy as that sounds, the Forests just have that "magic" for me. John Atkinson did a follow up review this year on the Forest and spoke VERY highly of it. Not to mention the gorgeous look too |
I've been meaning to do a Hawk vs. Forest "test" at my house, as I know of a guy near me who owns some Forests. I love my Hawks, and they provide an AMAZING full range sound when driven by my 100 wpc Audio Research VS110. In our last home I had more volume to fill and they were able to mate PERFECTLY with a Lightning sub. Since moving, the Lightning has moved into our family room to sit beside a set of Rainmakers in the Home Theatre. Which reminds me, the Rainmakers are another Totem jewel. I also own some Spendor S3/5se's (up for sale here so maybe I shouldn't say this) and the Rainmakers walk all over them. More rhythm, more body, more extension, you name it. They absolutely disappear in the room no matter where they are. Another Totem revelation comes with the beaks. I was skeptical, but bought some anyway. I loved them so much I bought another pair. The second set doesn't add as much as the first, but it is still an improvement. As far as cables go, I've a/b'ed the Sinew against Chord Chorus/Anthem/Singature, Audioquest Diamonback/King Cobra/Jaguar and even some Acoustic Zen Silver Reference. The only one to really compete was the AZ at nearly three times the price. The rest of my system is now Sinewed. I'm torn right now whether to upgrade my preamp or put the Urth power cables in place. I'm a real believer in Vince and his team of magicians. I can't say yet whether the Hawk is better or worse than the Forests, but I can say that the Hawk is an awesome speaker in its own right. |
Yes, I think so. Hawks vs. Forest was my big decision, cost being no object. I'm already sold on the Totem brand, because they are amazing at what they do, and a great value in the market. I was lucky enough to have both pairs brand new for demo, on my exact electronics. (I'm a dealer) I initially liked the Forests for their greater sense of power and bass. But then the Hawks started to break in more... After good break in on both pairs, I began to realize the glorious midrange of the Hawks was winning me over. It's 6db crossover slope is a phase corherant design, and the drivers blend seamlessly. The Hawks dissappear sonically, and image like nothing I've heard before. For me...Magic! If you favor power, and as deep of bass as you can get, or are using them for home theater get the Forests. But for those dicerning few who value midrange liquidity and a holographic soundstage as well as great bass and treble, go with the Hawks. Power them well though. Today I ordered my own pair of Hawks. |
I tried to sell a pair of Forests to a guy that wanted the Hawks. He says the crossover in the Hawks is 1st order and much better to his ears than the Forest. His take is that even though the Forests go deeper and offer more dynamics, the way Hawk crossover ties together the drivers is most important to him. Both are great speakers but I prefer the Forests. Ultimatley I changed over to a different speaker. |
I use the Hawks in my second system and think highly of them. They communicate well, have a great mid range and a surprising amount of bass. To get the most out of the Hawks (due to their inefficiency) i would recommend around 100w of amplification. Surprisingly, the addition of 'Beaks" was also helpful. The beaks can be placed on the inner or outer edge depending on whether you want more focus or a wider soundstage. Re Hawks vs. Forest - the Forest is clearly superior in the bass arena, but for the mid range i liked the Hawks better. Audiobroke mentioned mid range 'liquidity' which i feel is on the money. |
A local dealer has sold the Totem line for 20 years and my friends have owned Totems. I find Totem speakers have an initially attractive sound - warm enough in the lower mids and bass, then they get uneven as you get to the upper mids to high frequencies, with dips and spikes that give the sound some recessed spaciousness and then some peaks for added sparkle. You can see it in virtually all the measurements of Totem speakers, e.g: https://www.stereophile.com/content/totem-acoustic-signature-one-loudspeaker-measurements And https://www.stereophile.com/content/totem-acoustic-skylight-loudspeaker-measurements And any of the Soundstage Totem measurements too. Don’t get me wrong, as I said I understand the attraction to the sound. But for me it wears off its welcome pretty quickly as too obvious a trick/coloration in the house sound that I can’t ignore . |