Owned all of the classic Totem lineup over the years...and many other Uber brands. They are special indeed. I found myself desiring an even more dynamic footprint with even less compression at high volume levels while trying to retain the openness, soundstaging and physicality of the Totem’s. On a dare, I took a pair of JBL 4429’s on loan for a trial, fully expecting to return them after a quick listen. Days turned into weeks, months and now over a year later...they just have mesmerized! Coltrane comes out on stage at the Village Vanguard and I can sense the room, smell the smoke and almost taste the whiskey 🥃 being served. He is there in full 3D with the most full sized, warm buttery smooth midrange I have ever experienced. I can crank it up to live levels with zero compression or aggression...soundstage is Maggie size yet physical and dynamic. Usually I can find a major flaw after a year and then begin looking again, but this time I’m hooked.
Totem Hawks - my impressions
I just acquired a used pair of Hawks this week and am extremely impressed with them. They have significantly more presence in the low end than my Joseph Audio RM25XL speakers and the mid-range is just magical. They have an immense soundstage, too. They don't seem to be very sensitive to set up and sound fine just a foot away from the rear wall. They are easy to move around given their small size and weight. They do need a lot of power to make them sing, probably at least 100 wpc, I would think. In my 40 years in audio, these are the best speakers I have ever had in my listening room at their price point. Oh, one other thing. With their "claw" feet, they are quite top-heavy and thus unstable on thick carpeted floors. I am getting outrigger spikes that will greatly increase their stability and mass couple them to the floor, which will no doubt improve their performance. Very highly recommended speakers!