Totem Sttafs or Rainmakers in a large room?

punk-roc

I'm going to be making a trek a couple states over to hear some Totems next month, since I figure I need to hear these things at some point. I'm considering utilizing them in my setup, but I had a question for those that have heard them in larger rooms...

My setup is in a rather large room (11x40 or so) that opens up into my kitchen area.. Some of the other Totem-related posts suggested that some Totems don't work as well in large areas.. I'm perfectly willing to pair them with a Sub if i need too..

Anyone have a thoughts about this? I doubt I'll be able to demo the speakers in my home since I'm travelling so far to hear them. Any other advice before I venture into the showroom?

Jason

jmwest1970

I love my Rainmakers, but I didn't care for them in a large room. At my previous home I had a 24x20 living room that opened up to the kitchen on one side. When I first purchased the Rainmakers I tried them in this room and they failed miserably to deliver the sound that I have in my current room.

I think electronics will also play a factor. At the time I was running them on a Cambridge Audio Integrated w/ 65 wpc. You may have something much better to drive them with.

Just my 2 cents worth...

AsSiMiLaTeD

The Rainmakers are a fine speaker (I've still got mine), but they don't work very well in a large room, they're just not designed for it. I've not owned the sttaff, but would be surprised if they're much better. There's just something about the Totem sound that doesn't mix very well with really big rooms, to me anyway

punk-roc

That was my worry.. thanks for validating my concerns I may just have to hold out until my 2-channel setup is confined to a spare bed room and I'm not allowed to take over the main floor with it haha

Jason

Face

Totem recommends that they should be placed 1-4' from the rear wall, which means there probably a minimal amount, if any baffle step compensation in the crossover. So placing them far into the room or in a large room would sound thin.

Besides, you're only going to get so much low end out of a 5.25" woofer.

The Totem Wind appears that it would work well in a large room.

punk-roc

hmm, the Wind may be a little out of my price range currently It seems the speakers I looking at are build for smaller rooms.. My seems a little small for the Amazing Platinums, but too big for the Revels or Totems that I can afford..

hmm, back to the drawing board..

Jason

mantis

Klipsch my brother , they can fill a large room like your with excellent sound.

Now just because your trying to fill a large room with sound , it matters how you plan on using this room. Tell me more about the room and how you plan on using it and I can suggest speakers that will work.

Totem makes fantastic speakers which personally some of my very favorites of all time. I'm also a dealer and know most of their line very well.

My concern about your room is the width , is it 40 feet wide or 11? Which way would the speakers fire? Is their furniture in this room and how close to the speakers will you be when you wanna listen?

punk-roc

its 40 feet long and 11 wide.. I have my room setup non-ideally with my speakers along one of the 11 foot walls.. I do most of my listening about 10 feet away from the speakers.

Its my front-room/living-room, that has a couple chairs and one couch, with hardwood floors covered by a large rug and several GIK acoustic panels throughout the room (directly behind the speakers, approximately at the first reflection points and the back wall).

I move my chair closer to the sweet spot when doing more "critical" listening, otherwise I leave my chair off-center and about 12 feet away from the speakers and just listen while I read or zone out.

I appreciate all the help gentlemen

Jason

FTGV

....

mantis

punk-roc wrote: »

its 40 feet long and 11 wide.. I have my room setup non-ideally with my speakers along one of the 11 foot walls.. I do most of my listening about 10 feet away from the speakers.

Its my front-room/living-room, that has a couple chairs and one couch, with hardwood floors covered by a large rug and several GIK acoustic panels throughout the room (directly behind the speakers, approximately at the first reflection points and the back wall).

I move my chair closer to the sweet spot when doing more "critical" listening, otherwise I leave my chair off-center and about 12 feet away from the speakers and just listen while I read or zone out.

I appreciate all the help gentlemen

Jason

Ok then a nice pair of Staff's will work just fine. I don't know you budget or what you plan on using to power them but Totem speaker require good quality gear or you will be wasting you time and money purchasing them.

The distance your listening is no problem for most speakers. Rainmakers are incredible sounding book shelf speakers which I plan on owning one day. You need high quality stands and no kids or dogs that can knock them over.
The Hawks are also a killer floor standing speakers which outperforms the Staffs by a long shot. Night and day here.
Now the Forest , they are incredible. If you can afford them and a high quality amp , your in for a serious treat. As good as the Hawks are the Forest outclasses them as well.
Totem has a brand new Element series which I'm drying to get my ears on. We didn't get any in yet but I'm so looking forward to doing so.

punk-roc

right now I have a Parasound HCA-1200ii.. but I want to find a speaker I truly like and then decent on an amp to best power them.. I figure the Parasound should do the job in the interim.. my budget is <$2,000 for speakers.

I thought the sttafs might be ok if I had a sub to fill out the low-end. I'm still interested in hearing them and trying to figure something out

mantis

punk-roc wrote: »

right now I have a Parasound HCA-1200ii.. but I want to find a speaker I truly like and then decent on an amp to best power them.. I figure the Parasound should do the job in the interim.. my budget is <$2,000 for speakers.

I thought the sttafs might be ok if I had a sub to fill out the low-end. I'm still interested in hearing them and trying to figure something out

Any Totem speaker you will be impressed with the bottom end. The Staff is a nice well rounded speaker with killer bottom end for it's size. They will impress you. I have them setup right now on Krell and they are damn nice.

arun1963

I run the Totem Forest off the Naim 552 pre and the Naim NAP 500 amp. I have it setup in a room about 14' wide by 22' long, which in turn opens up into another room 14x14.

The Totems are perhaps the most musical speakers I have heard. Some speaker brand offer pinpoint imaging, others have great tonality, Totems just seem to combine all the right attributes in the correct proportions, to give you a great musical experience. You will be hard pressed to find one thing that they do best. Close your eyes and float away . This characteristic seems to run across the entire Totem range.

As already mentioned Totems love power. I would have loved to get the Wind, but I spent too much on amps!!

arun1963

DSkip wrote: »

When did you dive into the Home realm? Last I heard you only had dreams of a home system.

Maybe its age catching up. I'm still into car audio, still spend five hours a day in the tin can. Got the amps and the CDP as a great deal. Couldn't say no .

Did you manage to get the SDA's?