Magnepan 1.7 or used Totem Forest

There are two major factors to consider that no one else can help with.

The first aspect is based on your personal priorities as to what is important in reproduction of music.

The second is these two speakers will interact with your listening room in a dramatically different fashion as the designs are different. The Maggie is a bi-polar design that radiates to the rear as well as the front. The Totem is a more conventional forward radiating box design.

I owned the Maggie 1.6QR for several years and loved it. However, when I moved in 2006, it simply did not work in my new listening room. A pair of more conventional box speakers (Spendor 1/2Es) were a far better choice in terms of interaction with the room.

I'd recommend a trial run of each in your own room if possible. If that isn't an option, you might give some details of your room size, layout, openings and furnishings.

Elb - if you're wondering how Totems or Maggies would sound in your system, one option is to buy used. There are several 1.6QRs available on Audiogon right now and a number of Totems, also.

If you buy with a bit of investigation and a level head, you can audition the equipment at your leisure and then resell it for about what you paid.

You can answer for yourself all of the questions about imaging, volume, bass, interaction with your specific room and so on you may have.