My brother has the Sttafs in line with a Sim-Audio i-5080 and Arcam DiVA CD. The bottom end is boomy though reasonably extended. I am amazed at the volume of bass generated by such small drivers and cabinets. Unfortunately, the boominess often masks the midrange. I don't tend to agree with comments about midrange lushness. I find it to be rather thin. Acoustic guitars sound scratchy and voices sound hollow. The tweeter is definitely a lot more relaxed than the Totem Forests, though I haven't been terribly impressed with a deeply immersive 3-D soundstage. I liked everything about the Forests except the piercing highs > 10k. Might as well drill a hole through my eardrum and be done with it!
I consider the Totem Hawks to be excellent speakers for the price, even though they are a step up in cost. The bass is tighter and more extended than the Sttafs. The mids are fuller than heard on the Sttafs. The highs didn't fatigue me in the slightest. I auditioned them on a Sim Audio I-3 with a Cambridge Audio CD player. I was blown away by the cone extension that generated the taut but extended bass with appreciable slam. I would consider saving for an extra couple of months to upgrade to a fuller and more refined sound. The Sttafs are excellent value speakers but they are still rough around the edges to me. In time, the novelty of fat bass will fade and you'll be left with a thinner midrange that just doesn't cut it in my humble opinion.
I consider the Totem Hawks to be excellent speakers for the price, even though they are a step up in cost. The bass is tighter and more extended than the Sttafs. The mids are fuller than heard on the Sttafs. The highs didn't fatigue me in the slightest. I auditioned them on a Sim Audio I-3 with a Cambridge Audio CD player. I was blown away by the cone extension that generated the taut but extended bass with appreciable slam. I would consider saving for an extra couple of months to upgrade to a fuller and more refined sound. The Sttafs are excellent value speakers but they are still rough around the edges to me. In time, the novelty of fat bass will fade and you'll be left with a thinner midrange that just doesn't cut it in my humble opinion.