Totem Mani-2 and tubes

I heard the Mani 2s powered by conrad johnson Premier 12 monoblocks in Montreal in 1998. They sounded fabulous so I know they can be powered by tubes. As you know they do require an amp that can provide the current. At the time I also had a 4BST and brought it in to that same shop to hear the Mani 2s with the Bryston. The overall sound, drive and impact just didn't match what I heard with the cjs. And I'm a solid state guy (currently using Krell). Of the amps you listed, my guess is that the Rogue or Cary will provide the best current needed to bring these speakers to life. Keep us informed as to your decision and results.

I had a pair of Manis' hooked up to a buddy's Audio Research M-300 MK II's. 300 watts of tube power- it really woke them up- glorious! I also had them hooked up to my previous Altec 1570B's- 160 watts in triode- lotsa power, and a sweet sound. I ended up putting 5 Mani-2's in an HT system, driven by a SS Theta Dreadnaught, and @ 400 watts in to the Mani's 4 ohms- that was great, and an indication that SS can sound great on the Mani's, not just tubes.

In fact, you will probably find most Totem dealers recommend SS with the Mani's simply because of the tough load and low impedance (those internal isobarik woofers operate in a push-pull configuration, and are a b***ch to drive, but once you do it properly, the results can be very, very good).

In summation- yes, the Mani-2's can sound great with tubes or SS, just be sure that your amp(s) have the power to keep up to the task...

you can actually use both.
I tried using SS at the bottom pair of binding posts with great results.
You should also have an extra volume controll for the higher gain amplifier(preferably SS) to adjust tonal balance.

I am using an ARC VT-100 on my Mani-2s with excellent results. I also use a Pass Aleph 5 on them with equally good results as the amps are similar in their character. No sub needed in either case.

of the brands you mention, the mese baron(not tigress)will drive the mani's complete with good bottom end. the others don't quite have the grunt.