rbstehno

Responses from rbstehno

About Sony 9000ES CD/SACD/DVD Player...
i also have a 9000es sacd player. i visited dan from modwright and we demo'd modified and unmodified versions of the 9000es player. the mods made a huge difference in redbook cd playback. IMO, the sony sacd players (scd-1, 777es, and the 9000es) a... 
Best small speaker
I like my Totem Model 1's. You will need a good amp to bring out the sweetness of these speakers. The NAD won't do it. IMO 
HELP with Speakers for a 11 ft X 12 ft room???
audition the Totem model 1's, staff, or hawk speakers for a small room. I currently use the model 1's with a rel strata III sub in 1 room and a pair of totem arros in my den. They are very nice sounding speakers but I would not suggest the arros f... 
what's my problem?
i have owned many NHT speakers during the past 8 years (Super Zeros, model 1, 1.5's, 2.9's, AC2, and a pair of Sub 2's) and the only pair I currently have today are the sub twos's. NHT is not known for their "warm" sound, they are better know for ... 
Running CA Classe 100 or Parasound 1500 in mono
I demo'd many amps and owned a few (mcintosh, classe, sim, plinius, bryston) before deciding on a pair of Odyssey monoblocks. I really liked the Mcintosh and Classe gear for their warm sound and I think the Odyssey monoblocks have the same type of... 
VTL-IT85 or Classe CAP-151 for magnepan MMG
I doubt the Classe unit is causing this "flat" sound. I own Classe gear and they have a warm sound to them, just the opposite of what you are describing. I would work on the room first. When you get the room fixed, try a different set of cables. T... 
Integrateds - Revisited Yet Again
i listened to the sim and others a few years ago and purchased the mcintosh ma-6500 integrated amp to go with my nht 2.9's. The nht's need a lot of power and they need a smoother sounding amp to tame the forwardness of the nht line. The mcintosh d... 
Totem Arro: Do I have enough power?
I have a pair of Arro's in my den (almost the same dimensions as your room) and they are driven by an old onkyo tx-sv909pro receiver. The arro's sound very nice in this setup. I also hooked up the arro's in my audio room (in place of my totem mode... 
Review: Totem Beak Tweak
I currently have 1 pair on top of my Totem Model 1's and I just ordered another pair. I have been told that 2 pairs at opposite corners will give you a bigger improvement over a single pair. If there isn't any noticable improvement, I will put the... 
Review: Totem Beak Tweak
I currently have 1 pair on top of my Totem Model 1's and I just ordered another pair. I have been told that 2 pairs at opposite corners will give you a bigger improvement over a single pair. If there isn't any noticable improvement, I will put the... 
Advice on Totem model ones
you need an amp with quite a bit more power for the Totem's. I also have a pair of these and I use a pair of Odyssey Monoblock amps and the speakers sound fantastic. See if you can borrow an amp with power and then listen to the Totem's. The Totem... 
SS Pre amps Krell KRC-3 vs Classe 47.5 vs BAT VK
i have the classe 47.5 preamp w/phono board. I liked it better than other preamps that I auditioned that cost much more. Currently using balanced connections to cd player and to the amplifiers. Unit is built like a tank, and the sound is very smoo... 
Speaker cable suggestions
I agree with Pops and Sean. I am currently using 2 pairs of Alpha Core's MI3 cables to bi-wire my totem model 1 speakers. Very nice. I have auditioned many cables from Cardas, Transparent, Audioquest Everest, and others and I like the sound that t... 
Mono block suggestions
Check out the Odyssey Monoblock amps. I have had a pair for over a year and enjoy them very much. I had Klaus apply the upgrades that he offers. 
Totem's "Hawk" and "Forrest":How Hi-End Are They?
The Totem's that I own are anything but brash and glaring in the upper mids/lower highs. The sound that Chams_uk heard was probably due to the speakers not broken in or the front end equipment. Check out other reviews and your best bet is to demo ...