Totem Hawk, Plinius 9200, Rotel rdv-1060 a match?

Totem was using a Plinius 3200 to demo the Sttaf speakers at the recent Stereophile show in San Francisco. Sounded really good to me but I didn't have the time or ability to get a really good demo. For instance, I couldn't crank up the volume or change the music.

I'd wait on the sub-woofer until you hear how the speakers sound in your room. You might consider trying the Forests and skipping the sub, unless you really like the deep, deep bass.

Other random thoughts- I think it's easier to change amps than speakers. Buying used makes it possible to change components cheaply. Rotel makes a lot of good products but you might need a dedicated, high-end CD player to get the most out of your system. My research on Transparent tended to show that the high end cables were great but the cheaper cables received some poor reviews. I haven't heard the Rotel or the Transparent so take that for what it's worth.

I've heard the Plinius 8100 driving the Totem's, and I slightly echo the "harshness" warning of Pasdrt. Grnated the system wasn't fully burned in, so that may have been it.

But listening to Holly Cole's "I Can See Clearly Now" was both exciting and excrutiating; I had to leave the room the harshness of the sibilance was bad (but it was also playing VERY loudly in a smaller room; even though it is treated with wall absorbers, it was too much for the room).

But on their own merits, I'd recommend the Plinius and the Totems; just need to hear them before buying if you can.

The Ayre may be a great combo as Pasdrt says. The Unico and Totems may also be great, for less $$. I use the Unico to drive some VMPS Ribbon Monitors right now, nice stuff indeed !

My 2 cents. Good luck.

Todd - chams_uk

I just gave an audition to the Plinius 8200 and the Totem Hawks. Work quite well together though on female voices I found a little harsh edge. The bass was amazingly deep and focused considering the size of the Hawks. I thought there was a side firing woofer but there was none. I really don't think you need a sub but just my opinion. You may want to check out the Ayre integrated amp which is the direction I am going. It is at the same price point as the Plinius and I just have not heard anything better in solid state for the price.