I found the Signature One's were fatiguing on some recordings and not others. I listened to Duke Ellington's, 'His Mother Called Him Bill' and I found it pretty grading on my ears. Listened to Bernstein's Mahler Symphony #7 and it was sublime...true, room acoustics, cabling, sources will be different than at home.
I just wish I could audition a pair of Lenehan ML1's. |
You definately have to address the tweeter's characteristics by paying close attention to room acoustics, cables and type of equipment used. They can be hot sounding, especially when pushed:O) |
Sorry to reopen an old thread. I listened to the Model 1 Signatures with a newer version Sugden amp. Was astonished at the bass performance and loved the soundstage - but, I found that metal dome a little harsh to my ears. Tried the Sttaf and liked the tweeter but missed the overall accuracy of the 1 Signatures.
I would definitely be interested in The One if it has a smoother high end (silk dome fan over here) - anyone care to comment. |
Mr. Rumadian
I think I should clarify my post a bit.
I was comparing the Focus line whose emphasis inclined more toward the midrange & vocal rather than the high & the low as in the case of the other Dynaudio models like the Contour & Audience lines NOT with Totem The One or Model One Sig.
That is why I said the Focus 110/140 are similar to the Model One Sign & The One because they focus more on the mid than the high & the low.
Dynaudio & Totem are different because they are designed for different consumers.
Totem speakers are for people who listen to opera, jazz, & vocal for the most part.
As for me I listen to Ice Cube, Tchaikovsky, The Eagles, Patricia Barber, Massive Attack, some Asian pop/vocal artists and anything that I could get my hands on so I prefer a utility speaker like Dynaudio.
Dynaudio & Lenbrook Industries are the two companies that I like the most when it comes to electronics. They have consistently designed budget products that can give you sonic satisfaction for less money than their competitors at almost any price range. |
Ditto to Rumadian. I have owned the Dynaudio Focus 140 and Totem Model 1 Signature. I since have gone to Dynaudio Contour 1.4; then on to the Confidence C1. It wasn't until the C1's that I got the imaging of the Model 1 Sigs. |
On one hand, I agree with Hieule5's assessment of The One's dropping off at 60Hz. Although I actually got solid output down to around 35hz from The One's in my tiny listening space, they really do seem to lose their 'acoustic density' at around the 60-70hz mark. Really though, this is about what you'd expect from any monitor their size. I'd also agree that while The One is smoother in contrast to the Signature - it is still imbues a bit of 'metallic tinge' here and there.
On the other hand, I have to disagree with the comparison between drawn The One's and the Dynaudio Focus 110's/140's. They sound absolutely nada alike to these ears. The Danes are dark/laid back and warm, whereas the Totem's are agile and far more 'holographic'. These speakers sound nothing alike, in my opinion.
I also believe that the 140 has the least accurate bass of the bunch. Sure, it can charge a room very well, but its quite sloppy when compared to the little Focus 110, and flat out bloated when sat next to the lightning-quick 20th anniversary Totem's.
As always, the above is nothing more than my opinion. |
Agreed with Chuck. They are beautiful speakers that can pass the WAF test easily and fit in with almost any decor. They focus in mid range and thus they will not have enough bass for people who listen occasionally to rock & rap besides vocal.
Dynaudio Focus 110 & 140 are very similar to Totem The One. Their emphasis is also on mid range for jazz & vocal listening but they have better bass than The One, especially the Focus 140.
From my experience, both The One & Model One would quickly roll off around 60 Hz. A good fast sub like REL or Outlaw is required to fill up the bottom. The One high is smoother than that of the Model One but it is still a bit hot for my ears.
Maybe my ears are made of tin can???? |
I will add to my own post regarding Totem THE ONEs. I got the Totem STORM subwoofer. Still in the break-in and set-up process, but the STORM seems to have done the trick. It appears that the STORM crossover should be set at about 65 - 75 Hz, which is more than the 50 Hz bottom of THE ONEs. I have all 3 speakers lined up, so am not adjusting the STORM's "phase." It is tempting to crank up the STORM's volume, but a fairly low setting seems to make it blend best with THE ONEs. It is now a full-range system. THE ONEs are now freed-up to promote more detail and focus. Of course, the STORM blends well, and gives all the bass needed. I telephoned Totem, and was told to wire all 3 speakers directly from my TACT AUDIO "diggy" amp (not from amp to sub and then from sub to speakers). They indicated that that was simply too long a run of wire(s) to get to the speakers. Also, I added 2 Totem BEAKS on top of each of THE ONEs, and they really do make a difference. Adds, more & more detail and more & more focus. And, the sound stage got wider. Yikes! I can hear ivory piano keys, wooden fiddles, and Dizzy's spit in-bent-trumpet. These 3 little boxes are giant killers. However, please note: high-end associated equipment is required, and they are best suited for mid-to-small rooms and mid-to-low volumes - exactly what I require. |
I just had a blow out with Erick Lichte at the Stereophile forum regarding his follow up review of the Forest loudspeaker. I just couldn't give him a pass on the incorrect description of their ability to throw a spacious soundstage with pinpoint imaging....if they do anything it's soundstaging!! FYI The "ONE" is a great speaker:O) |
The One is one level above the Signature One and they should sound better. It is a souped up version of the Signature One.
If you like opera, vocal & pin point stereo imaging, Totem The One & Sig. One are great speakers. A fast subwoofer like Totem Storm or a REL is strongly recommended. Totem Storm is probably Totem's best sub and its xover should be set somewhere between 80-100Hz since the Dynaudio woofers on The One & Sig. One are tiny. Outlaw sells some fast subs but they are bulky so I don't think you like them as much as I do.
I don't appreciate Forest as much as the Mani 2 or the Rainmaker because Totem uses cheap Hi Vi China made drivers on the Forest. Forest does have great bass but I don't think they are better than Dynaudio Excite or Focus floorstanders in terms of bass definition.
Gentleman, ever wonder why their flagship speakers Mani 2 & The One sport Dynaudio drivers? |
When I was using the Totem Model one back in the early 90s I was using it with the MUSE model 18 with a their custom crossover card for the Totems.
This Muse and the Totems worked very well for me in my old room and had this for four years before making a change.
Would agree that a sub will help but you have to choose the sub carefully.
Have not heard the Totem sub therefore cannot comment.
THE ONE is such a good speaker and it does so many things well I can live with it's lack of deep bass. Maybe I will drag it into my main listening room but that would mean dragging out the Maxx IIs, nah way too much work.
Enjoy the ONE, it a special speaker. |
If you already like what the Model One Signatures can do, than you will likely appreciate how The One's take every aspect of performance to that next level. Having owned just about every Totem currently in production, I have to say that The One's really stand above the others (to my ears) in terms of upper midrange and treble performance. The big downside however, as mentioned above, is that they can be short of providing good low end, particularly if you place them far from the rear wall.
Will you be able to justify the $1000+ price jump? That's hard to say. On my system, I'd say the additional cost was well worth it. |
My "The One"s are just about broken in at 200 hours. I am shooting for 300. Fantasitic, except have no lows, or mid-low punch. Can't quite hear the "wood" in violins, or the "tin" in horns. They need more bottom-end to sound full enough to do all that. Therefore, I have just ordered the Totem "Storm" subwoofer. Hope it fills in the gap. I am using high-end gear and tweaks. However, they do have more detail and clarity than my old (very full range, and very big) $6,000 Energy Veritas V2.8 speakers. How low can we go........? |
Pulled the trigger and bought THE ONE.
Have them on auto-repeat in order to break them in. |
The ONE vs TS1's are about better dynamic shadings and tonal purity assuming the ancillaries are able to resolve the differences. I think the Forest speakers are the world champs if the space allows...look Ma, no stands:) |
