Second foray into non-Polk tower speakers

mpitogo

Second foray into non-Polk tower speakers are about to begin. On the way are Totem Hawks. These Hawks are second hand and likely broken in so should sound fantastic.

Let the experiments begin.

Clipdat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyC6OcG5DC4

MrBuhl

Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

Tony M

I've heard a small Totem bookie set-up with a Adcom GFA555II and they were AMAZING! I should've bought them but I wanted the 555II more.

Enjoy. I'm sure the bass will be pretty good. And if you need more, a sub added will make a FANTASTIC and almost unbeatable sound field.

mpitogo

@Clipdat that is the world famous pair destined to show up on my door steps on Monday. And yes literally it should be that pair.

I'm contemplating testing them with two different Amps: McIntosh MA-5200 and the second is the pre/amp C47/RB-1590 combo.

mpitogo

First impressions after four hours and rotating in four rooms.

Positives:
1) I really like the sound, the midrange and especially reproduction of female vocals are spot on and I can agree. References across rooms Taylor Swift and Molly Jewel
2) The soundstage claims are true, the KEF Q100 while on a different budget they really image well but compared to the Totem, the Hawks disappears throwing out a pretty wide soundstage it doesn’t sound like a box.
3) bass claims are not exaggerated, in two rooms with first shot at placement based on distance to the rear wall and distance apart the Hawks generated a good amount of deep bass surprising for its size. Both rooms happen to be on the 2nd floor of my house.

Negatives:
1) the Hawks really need power with the volume dial cranked up
2) they don’t crank out lots of volume, (but what they do is very sweet)
3) while the woofer is extra long throw it looks to work really hard to push a moderate amount sound

All use Airplay optical into the builtin DAC for all rooms except the Sansui which uses the DAC in an iPhone 5. Music played from Tidal app.

Room 1. McIntosh MA5200, Polk LSi25 vs Totem

Polk by a smidge, soundstage was fuller in the upper mids and can reach deeper even with the Polk’s subs are normally cranked way way down, they’re a bit hot.

Room 2. McIntosh C47/Rotel RB1590 Polk LSiM 707 vs Totem

Polk by a long shot, the 707s are the best full range speaker pair I own. The room may have been too big for the Hawks.

Room 3. Rotel RA1570 Martin Logan Motion 40/Dynamo500 vs Totem

Tie, this was the surprising room, the Hawks where able to keep up not necessarily in volume but quality the sub was off in comparisons and when it is active it’s volume is also turned way down and crossover at 40Hz. I can easily see the Hawks in this room with a 12” stand.

Room 4. Sansui AU-6900 Kef Q100 vs Totem

The Hawks, this room was also my favorite and the smallest at 16x15.

Conclusions: the Hawks are amazing with that sweet midrange. Possible improvements, crossover ar 100Hz and blend in a fast sub to do all the high energy bass work. It’s not really needed in smaller rooms.

Room 1


Room 2


Room 3


Room 4

mpitogo

@DSkip I haven’t decided which room to set it up in. So I just tried them all. Also in what way do you mean it can obliterate the Polk? The Polk is by no means perfect but what game? On price to performance?

These are used and near mint but the tacky substance on the woofer is a bit of a concern. It’s a dust magnet and not sure if it’ll eventually dry. I’m assuming it’s well broken in from the previous owner and is a year old so it should have out gassed manufacturing chemicals.

mpitogo

I haven’t given up on them... I will pull out the ML Motion 40, try the Hawks in the bedroom (Room 3) for one month and see how it goes. Will report back in June.

Conradicles

Only thing I don't like about the Hawks is that they are so small. For some reason I can't get into small floor standers. Small bookies however, I can.

Maybe I am used to SDA's haha.

Bet they sound great! I had the Totem Dreamcatchers and they were a very nice sounding tiny monitor.

mpitogo

No balls, original owner looking for them. If not I can find balls online.

Nightfall

mpitogo wrote: »

If not I can find balls online.

mpitogo

balls found!

lightman1

mpitogo wrote: »

balls found!

Were they in your wife's purse?

Msabot1

Hawks are decent speakers...for what they are...but will not stand up against 707's given the same amplification in any room...It's like comparing apples to oranges..

mpitogo

I know I was asking for it with those last two posts...

Joey_V

You have 4 stereo rooms?

Msabot1

DSkip wrote: »

Msabot1 wrote: »

Hawks are decent speakers...for what they are...but will not stand up against 707's given the same amplification in any room...It's like comparing apples to oranges..

Not for full range sound. For everything else the Hawk is a far superior speaker but like I said above, it takes effort to pull that potential out.

Isn't full range the goal in home audio reproduction??...

mpitogo

@Joey_V yes... might be adding a 5th. The new Totem's just displaced ML's in one room and I also have a pair of ACA mono blocks on order.

@dskip I'm starting to hear the potential half-inch at a time.

marvda1

Msabot1 wrote: »

DSkip wrote: »

Msabot1 wrote: »

Hawks are decent speakers...for what they are...but will not stand up against 707's given the same amplification in any room...It's like comparing apples to oranges..

Not for full range sound. For everything else the Hawk is a far superior speaker but like I said above, it takes effort to pull that potential out.

Isn't full range the goal in home audio reproduction??...

which is the better speaker?
raidho xt-1 80 Hz – 50 KHz
or
Polk 707 20 Hz → 40 Hz
full range does not make it the better speaker.

mpitogo

I finally got my balls in the mail! I will raise the speakers with the following decoupling solutions, 2” speaker foam blocks then 2” chopping boards followed by the balls and Hawks’ claws.

HzTweaker

This is a great thread! The information is awesome but mostly because it made me LOL at work. Can't wait to hear your thoughts now that the balls are in the picture.

Msabot1

marvda1 wrote: »

Msabot1 wrote: »

DSkip wrote: »

Msabot1 wrote: »

Hawks are decent speakers...for what they are...but will not stand up against 707's given the same amplification in any room...It's like comparing apples to oranges..

Not for full range sound. For everything else the Hawk is a far superior speaker but like I said above, it takes effort to pull that potential out.

Isn't full range the goal in home audio reproduction??...

which is the better speaker?
raidho xt-1 80 Hz – 50 KHz
or
Polk 707 20 Hz → 40 Hz
full range does not make it the better speaker.

Well..I guess you have a point...if you have ears of pure Bolivian tin...LOL!..

tonyb

Marv was raised in Bolivia, a distant cousin to Butch Cassidy....so I wouldn't piss him off too quickly.

mpitogo

Balls installed on top of 2” teak chopping boards and speaker foam blocks. Bass is now boomy. Room boundary gain in effect, same location as the previous setup but raised 4”. It seems tweaks with balls and inches do matter and it’s now floor/ceiling speaker height ratio. Speaker positioning is a 3 dimensional affair with these speakers.

mpitogo

Added slight toe in and tilt back with a disk on the front ball helped a bit. Speakers are 7.5’ apart, 1’ from rear wall to backs of the cabinet, 4.2’ from left wall and 7.5’ from right wall. I may need to pull these further into the room.

lightman1

Too much decoupling. Takes the "life" out of the speaker. Try it with the balls on the floor.

tonyb

lightman1 wrote: »

Try it with the balls on the floor.

I would agree, might be a tad cold though.

pitdogg2

tonyb wrote: »

lightman1 wrote: »

Try it with the balls on the floor.

I would agree, might be a tad cold though.

Sick muck

joecoulson

Balls on floor. Lmao

I have Totem Rainmakers. While they are designed to have extra bottom end with the cabinet/driver design, they are no where near full range. The Totem towers I listened to with Alan when he had Audio Alternative open in Lilburn GA were very nice sounding, but again not full range. I have Polk LSi-m705’s and the are closer to full range, but not all the way there. I say all of this to say that musically the Totems Kill the polks. If I play pure quartet classical, my Rainmakers will do a better job of imaging and separation than the Polks. But the Polks will impress more people not familiar with many different setups. Because they have more range than the T’s. Don’t get me wrong, I love the LSim’s, and they do a great job and are my mains, but it’s like having a 600hp corvette and a 600hp Ferrari. Both go fast, one does it with super style.

joecoulson

I keep getting mail and flyers for the Hifi Buys but I am scared (for my wallet) to go down there and visit.
Great guy, didn’t care if you were spending $500 or $50,000, would treat you the same.