Another one of those "help me decide" threads

[JHanna]

Hello all

I have recently come back to this hobby with the purchase of an NAD C320 BEE integrated. I am currently using a pair of Advent Baby II's that I bought at a Sears in 1991. I'd like to upgrade and have recently auditioned the B&W CM-1. I liked their sound but I'm concerned that my amp would have some difficulty w/ them (84dB). I'd also like to check out the Totem Acoustic Arro but my concern here is w/ bass response or potential lack thereof.

My listening room is 14x11 ft. w/ an 8 ft. ceiling. I listen mainly to 70's progressive ( Genesis, Jethro Tull, etc.) but also classical and acoustic. The hardest I'll usually go is Rush, Dream Theater and some old school Maiden. My priorities are with accuracy and soundstaging rather than absolute volume.

My price range would be $900-1500. The Arros would actually be cheaper when you figure in the cost of the stands for the CM-1's. I would appreciate any opinions on these two choices (and feel free to make any other suggestions in this price range)

Thanks in advance.

[hifitommy]

but totems are very good speakers with surprising low end. if they didnt have the deepest lows you want, a sub could be your answer. the lowest price hsu is $300. you might not even need it but its a consideration.

[eisforelectronic]

Arro's sound great and their low end isn't too bad either. I would think you might want to add a sub to almost any set of speakers you might purchase.

[emorphien]

Totems usually have surprising bass given their size and design. I'd give it a shot in home if you can.

I'd also think that your NAD could handle the B&Ws without too much difficulty in a room that size.

[basite]

totems sound good,
but with a 50 watt integrated i would pretty much rule the cm1's out (considering the 84db efficiency)
the von schweikert vr1 would also fit in your budget, if you like them.
also try monitor audio (the silver reference series) the gold series would fit in too, remember that your baby advents have 10" woofers (or 8", what is it, don't remember), and a pretty high efficiency
that is difficult to replace with small bookshelves...

if you get bookshelves, and you still want that advent bass, you'll need a sub.
or floorstanders, then the monitor audio RS8 will fit in nice in your budget, but the RS6 will do too. the 50 watt nad does make it more difficult to get some powerfull speakers though.

Peace,
Basite.

[Duds]

I'll second the Von Schweikert VR-1's. Beautiful sound and beautiful cabinets!!!

A few other members here own them as well.

QUOTE=basite]totems sound good,
but with a 50 watt integrated i would pretty much rule the cm1's out (considering the 84db efficiency)
the von schweikert vr1 would also fit in your budget, if you like them.
also try monitor audio (the silver reference series) the gold series would fit in too, remember that your baby advents have 10" woofers (or 8", what is it, don't remember), and a pretty high efficiency
that is difficult to replace with small bookshelves...

if you get bookshelves, and you still want that advent bass, you'll need a sub.
or floorstanders, then the monitor audio RS8 will fit in nice in your budget, but the RS6 will do too. the 50 watt nad does make it more difficult to get some powerfull speakers though.

Peace,
Basite.[/QUOTE]

[Carl Reid]

I'd suggest sticking with the CM1's.... despite the 84db efficiency... in a room of your size I'm sure the NAD should easily be able to handle them... and from my experience with NAD and B&W I think the pair should sound pretty good together...

As for speaker stands... keep in mind that you don't have to buy B&W's ridiculously expensive stands... my friend bought a pair of CM1's and used a simple pair of stands from Best Buy.....

But anyway, try and listen to as many speakers in your price range as you can before deciding on one...

[kexodusc]

I like a lot of Totem's speakers, and they have great bass in the right rooms. But large rooms might be too much for the Arro (which is otherwise a very good speaker). If your room is much larger than 300 sq feet, I'd probably suggest going with something else. But adding a competent sub could take care of that as hifitommy suggested.

You might consider looking at the Sttaf, which I think could be had at the upper end of your budget. It's a better speaker all around than the Arro and might be the best of both worlds.

If you even consider a subwoofer, I would suggest you give the Rainmaker a try. At around $800-$1000, it's a serious heavyweight for a standmount, has a better midrange and upper end, and almost as much bass as the Arro. It's a significantly better speaker IMO than the Arro. Surely you could find, or build quality, cheap stands - they don't have to cost hundreds of dollars.
At least give the Rainmaker a try. For the money, it has to be heard.

[JHanna]

Thanks for all the helpful advice!

Basite: My Advents are a 2-way bookself w/ a 5 1/2" bass/mid driver so I'm assuming that any of the models under discussion would beat them in the low-frequency category. The Von Schweikerts certainly look nice and have rave reviews but I don't have a dealer near me to audition them.

Kexodusc: When I go to hear the Arros I will definately try the Rainmaker also. While we're on the subject of Totem has anyone ever used the Dreamcatcher in a 2-channel setup or is it mainly for HT applications?

Thanks again.

[kexodusc]

Kexodusc: When I go to hear the Arros I will definately try the Rainmaker also. While we're on the subject of Totem has anyone ever used the Dreamcatcher in a 2-channel setup or is it mainly for HT applications?

Thanks again.

Dreamcatcher is a good speaker, but it's cheaper, and with Totem's line, well you kinda get what you pay for for the most part. I think it's a bit better than some of their older models, but compared to the Rainmaker it's just outclassed.
Seriously, the Rainmaker is impressive, you'll never believe the sound coming out of those things. They image like nobody's business.

[emorphien]

Dreamcatcher is a good speaker, but it's cheaper, and with Totem's line, well you kinda get what you pay for for the most part. I think it's a bit better than some of their older models, but compared to the Rainmaker it's just outclassed.
Seriously, the Rainmaker is impressive, you'll never believe the sound coming out of those things. They image like nobody's business.

Agreed, they're very impressive. You should listen to them, even if they're ultimately not what you chose they're worth a listen. They were probably my second favorite of everything I listened to (right after the Focal 806).

[audio_dude]

i auditionned a pair of ARRO's once, they sounded great, but VERY anemic in the bass department, a sub is non negotiable.

[emorphien]

i auditionned a pair of ARRO's once, they sounded great, but VERY anemic in the bass department, a sub is non negotiable.

The Arros have reasonable extension but very limited output in the bass department in many rooms, so I'd have to agree.

I have to update my impressions from earlier too. I re-auditioned the Rainmakers hooked up to a Rotel RA-1062 and it completely changed the character of the speaker. More dynamic and energetic, more energy and depth in the bass as well as more punch. I'm probably going to go with these now, and only if they don't work with my setup will I likely go with the Focals. Also stumbled across one more store within 20 miles that had a couple more things I wanted to try.

[kexodusc]

Keep in mind, Totem builds their speakers with smaller room sizes in mind. In a smallish room, 12 X 12 or less, the bass is fine. Any larger and they're just not a great fit. But, the same can be said for my Studio 40's, they hit below 40 Hz, wind assisted going down hill. In larger rooms, it's much, much higher. My 20 X 22 room is not forgiving of this fact. I would suspect a lot of speakers could benefit from a sub. To be honest, from what I've heard of larger tower speakers in this price range, a good speaker that does the mids and highs well matched with a capable sub is a better use of your money.

[emorphien]

I agree. I don't know what constitutes a small room in the mind of most audio folks, but I heard the Rainmakers in a 14x16' room and they were quite satisfying. My room is smaller, around 12' x 14'. It certainly is something to consider if you're going to end up moving to a bigger room. But for a nice small room stereo, Totems or many of the bookshelf speakers are quite capable.