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totem winds destroy dali helicon mk2

ok, the result is in. After three days, I can tell already that the totem winds, just hands down destroy Dali helicon mk2 400. I just traded in my mk2 for the winds.

first off, the winds compete with speakers way way above their price list. Yes I side by side them againts sophias, sonus, and even hanson. With hanson being the winner but at 24 thousand who is doing that now days?

these totems have not even broke in yet and i can tell already, they vanish like no other. dynamics are far better then the helicons. bass is more controled and they keep giving more and more when pushed. all the while staying controled and real. the Dali's became to lean with the mk2 version, i am just amazed that more people really dont line up and give the winds a chance. they are first rate build, in cherry, they look wonderfull with the cuts. you see no seams in the wood. you will be hard press to find a speaker that has this type of sound, quick real sonics, disappears better then most speakers. voices just float, you see far out in the corners of the stage, not only in the front but back. they really do blow way your walls.

i am willing go go out on a line, and say, i bet if you do a blind test with the winds, and three other top speakers in their price range and up to ten thousand more, i bet you will pick the winds 8 out of ten times if you didnt know the price. they are that good. I almost feel like i found a hidden pot of gold that people just forget to look for.
ltleo74
rgs92
974 posts
 
Can the Winds be placed near the wall behind them (2 or 3 feet?) Can they be OK sitting about 7 feed from the fronts?
Thanks.
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
hi ltleo74:

i'll bet $1000 if you put any panel speaker up against the totems and the rest, cone designs, i will prefer the panel-- any magnepan, any martin logan, any quad, any apogee, any analysis audio. any planar speaker is preferred over any cone speaker.

you blindfold me and i'll pick the panel.

panels rule. don't be an acoustic suspension fool.
ltleo74 OP
28 posts
 
as far as placement it all depends on your whole room. that is the first factor. I have the winds about 2 feet from the rear wall. all is fine.
plato
1,543 posts
 
Mrtennis,

That panel speakers are always superior to cone type speakers is not true... I'm sure you can usually pick a panel speaker blindfolded because they normally lack dynamics, bass extension, and other qualities that many audiophiles value.

Also, a lot (but not all) panel speakers lack fine detail and suffer from wave cancellation problems in the bass, and time-smear vagueness in the highs. I will give you that many of them sound pleasant, coherent, and open... But nearly all strict panel designs need to be augmented by dynamic woofers and/or ribbon-type tweeters.

Martin Logan mainly uses bass-reflex woofers on their hybrid-stats (probably not as well-controlled or extended as acoustic suspension woofers). And using a curved stat panel increases its sweet spot a little at the expense of losing a bit of dynamic capability.

To say there is wide variation in the sound and sonic performance of panel speakers would be a great understatement. And this is so of cone speakers, ribbon speakers, and pretty much any type of speakers.

Does a Quad 57 sound like an Apogee Diva, Sound Labs M-1, or a Martin Logan CLS??? Not the ones I've heard! They all have things they're good at, but none of them are good at all things.

I was in love with panel speakers for decades and still hold some of them in high regard. Yet I have moved on because I have found some ribbon-hybrid speakers and certain cone speakers that provide qualities I was unable to coax from panel types.
albertporter's avatar
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albertporter
4,949 posts
 
Does a Quad 57 sound like an Apogee Diva, Sound Labs M-1, or a Martin Logan CLS??? Not the ones I've heard! They all have things they're good at, but none of them are good at all things.

I was in love with panel speakers for decades and still hold some of them in high regard. Yet I have moved on because I have found some ribbon-hybrid speakers and certain cone speakers that provide qualities I was unable to coax from panel types.

Well stated, I agree having owned several panel speakers including the wonderful Sound Lab Ultimate One.

I understand Mrtennis love affair with the design. All the years I owned Sound Lab I was completely satisfied with what I heard. However, once I changed to my current speaker (dynamic woofers plus ribbons), I have no desire to go back.

My choice for panel speakers was back in 1989, when cone speakers and dynamic drivers in general were not nearly so evolved as they are today.

No doubt both technologies have progressed but modern dynamic drivers have reinvented themselves completely. Distortion is a fraction of what they once were, especially high frequency diamond tweeters, ribbons and ceramic midrange.

In my opinion, many of these modern drivers sound more free, uncolored and faster than previous electrostatic designs. I'm sure advances in chokes, wire, capacitors and cabinet design play an equal role, but whatever the forces at play we have some stunning choices today.
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