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Totem Sttaf

I'm currently auditioning a pair of Totem Sttaf speakers. I've read so many good things about them, but I'm not particularly impressed. Their voicing, to my ears, seems to employ certain tricks to enhance the sense of imaging. The bass, while many say is strong for the speaker's size, sounds loose and undefined. The soundstage stays strictly between the speakers; I hardly ever hear it extend beyond. Depth is also not that great. Overall, they seem to lack the same natural sound that my LSA1 monitors put forth. It might be a bit unfair to compare imaging of a floor stander versus a monitor, but even for a floor stander, I'm not that impressed with the Sttaf's imaging. The sense of imaging all seems to come from a slightly enhanced treble; imaging in the midrange seems not quite as clear.

Maybe my ears are pushing my tastes beyond my wallet. But I think I can do better for the money, considering the Sttaf's $1800 retail price. I should also note that I have a small 11x11 listening room, so finding speakers that work is a challenge too. That's why I considered the Totems.
jwglista

Showing 4 responses by bdgregory

bdgregory
1,708 posts
 
the key to Sttafs is set up. They must be out from the wall, and the distance between them is also important. In my experience the Sttaf's image is huge extending well outside the speakers and in some cases past the walls. They need to be at least 3' into the room to be optimal. Also, the distance between them should be fairly narrow - maybe 6' at most. Totem's web site has these parameters for all of their speakers.

Are you auditioning them in your 11x11 room? I have a pair I'm using in my office (it's actually a 12x12 bedroom) and they sound great there. The bass is fine. This is my second pair and I have used them in a larger room - ~ 14 x 22, and needed a subwoofer there.
bdgregory
1,708 posts
 
break in may be an issue in this case with <100 hours on them, although Totem says 60-80 hours is the normal break in time. I recall the dealer telling me 100-200 hours. I would pull them further out into the room if you can. Also, try different positioning to each other. In one room I had mine set up only about 5 ft apart. It's totally counter intuitive, but with that arrangement the image was huge.
bdgregory
1,708 posts
 
sounds like it's time for you to punt on the Sttafs. They are one of my favorite speakers ever - I've never had any complaints, but tastes differ. It's possible the stiuation you have is contributing to it (amps, room, etc), but still, you tried. I've never worked at trying to make me like a component or speaker. If I don't right a way, I move on.
bdgregory
1,708 posts
 
I've used my Sttafs with tubes and a multiple different SS amps. I would not say they are a better match for Tubes, but they do sound really nice with tubes. All of the amps I have used, at least the ones that sound good with them are high power (140W - 200W) and have really good bass control. That's when they shine.
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