I've owned a pair of Mani-2s for about ten years. I have listened to the B&Ws in audio stores, so I haven't actually compared them side by side. That said, from what I remember, the B&Ws are considerably brighter and more analytical sounding. They may be a bit more revealing and detailed than the Totems. Compared to the B&Ws, the Totems are more laid back and relaxed sounding.
The Totem's have amazing bass for such as small speaker, particularly when used with an amp with some guts. I was driving them with a Krell FPB-300 when they were in my main system, and now with a Krell KSA-200.
The Totems imaging is good but not great (compared to other speaker's I've owned). Since I haven't listened to the B&Ws in the same environment with the same equipment, I can't say if they are any better or worse, but I suspect they may have the edge here.
I've generally had the Totems a bit further off the rear wall than you are proposing. They do have a rear port, so I think you may have some issues with them so close to the rear wall, particularly if you're measuring from the front of the speakers. You might be able to mitigate this by stuffing the ports with a bit of wool batting (or a sock).
Overall, I've been pretty pleased with the Mani-2 - it's easy to listen to, with no significant flaws and surprisingly good bass for a small stand-mounted speaker. But if you are looking for a speaker with lots of detail and a more forward sound, the B&Ws may be the better choice.
The Totem's have amazing bass for such as small speaker, particularly when used with an amp with some guts. I was driving them with a Krell FPB-300 when they were in my main system, and now with a Krell KSA-200.
The Totems imaging is good but not great (compared to other speaker's I've owned). Since I haven't listened to the B&Ws in the same environment with the same equipment, I can't say if they are any better or worse, but I suspect they may have the edge here.
I've generally had the Totems a bit further off the rear wall than you are proposing. They do have a rear port, so I think you may have some issues with them so close to the rear wall, particularly if you're measuring from the front of the speakers. You might be able to mitigate this by stuffing the ports with a bit of wool batting (or a sock).
Overall, I've been pretty pleased with the Mani-2 - it's easy to listen to, with no significant flaws and surprisingly good bass for a small stand-mounted speaker. But if you are looking for a speaker with lots of detail and a more forward sound, the B&Ws may be the better choice.