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Upgrading to Totem Mani 2's

I’m considering upgrading from the Model 1’s to Mani 2’s. I’ve read most of the forums here on A’gon regarding the Mani’s and the one thing that they all pretty much have in common is that you need a lot of power (and current) to drive them. I’m currently running a Plinius 9100 for my Model 1’s which is rated at 120 W per side (around 200 W @ 4ohms). I’m also running the Plinius on 220v which has opened it up considerably and gives the bass a lot more punch (something I know I'll need for the Mani's). My room size is approx. 15 x 22 and my listening position is about 16 feet from the speakers. I normally listen at a moderate volume (10 o’clock is loud for me and 12 o’clock pretty much drives me out of the room). I know the old adage that you can always get a bigger amp, but if I’m going to spend several thousand on a speaker upgrade I’d rather not turn around and spend several thousand more on upgrading the amplifier as well (at least not right away). In addition I'm very pleased with the 9100 and like the Plinius sound very much. So what do you think Mani 2 owners? Am I living in a bubble thinking that the 9100 has the juice or based on my room size and listening habits will the 9100 do the job for me?
jaffeassc

Showing 4 responses by ghunter

ghunter's avatar
ghunter
164 posts
 
My Mani-2 Sigs arrive this week, and I'm planning on driving them with a pair of Bel Canto ref1000 amps. They should be putting out 1000W at 4ohms, and are stable enough to handle the M2S load at all frequencies.

My Hawks sound AMAZING with the ref1000's, and I can't wait to plug in the Manis.
ghunter's avatar
ghunter
164 posts
 
After thinking about all the systems I've heard now that I've thrown out a superlative, the only other system in my memory that is in this league is ATC Active 100's (which are massive beasts with zero WAF) with a Linn cdp and Dynavector pre. The ref1000/Mani-2 combination matches that in dynamics and presence, but not in scale. Again, the ref1000/Mani-2 combination is about half the price of the ATC.
ghunter's avatar
ghunter
164 posts
 
Unfortunately, I sold the tube amp last week. My wife was getting on my case about having it sit in the living room unused for the past month, and I knew it was going to be at least a few weeks before the Mani-2's were broken in, so I chose the most peaceful domestic option :)

I'll be taking the Mani's over to a friend's house soon to try them in his awkward room, and he has an Ayre system with their VX-5 power amp.

Given how effortlessly and cleanly my Mani's are being driven to very high volumes right now, I say try the ref1000 - if you don't like them you can always sell them.
ghunter's avatar
ghunter
164 posts
 
Got the Mani-2's today. They're everything I loved about the Hawks (clear, fast, tight, lifelike) but even more so. The bass isn't amazing, but (1) I have them on some wimpy Target stands as Totem is backordered on the T4L stands and (2) I haven't spent any time positioning them, which Vince warned me is ESSENTIAL with the Mani-2. They're not supposed to be a speaker you can set down anywhere and have them sound good, which is true of most of the rest of his designs.

They absolutely disappear in the room, go stunningly loud with superb clarity, and are probably the most musical speaker I've ever heard, period. A Classe/Levinson/B&W 800D combination I once heard in a highly treated room still is my ideal reference, but what I currently have now with the brand spanking new Mani's is a very close second without any tweaking, without any break-in, and AT WELL UNDER HALF THE PRICE.

So, as you can tell, I'm a now a massive fan of the Bel Canto ref1000/Mani-2 Signature combination. There's really something to be said for just forgetting about whether or not you have enough power for the Mani's at 100-200W and feeding them 1000W. Class-D detractors need to hear this combination before saying anything else negative.

For the record, here's what else I'm using:

- Wavelength Cosecant USB DAC (ECC86 tube)
+ Cardas Golden Reference 0.5m RCA
- Audio Research LS25mk2 (2x 6H30 tubes)
+ Totem Urth Power Cord
+ Cardas Golden Reference 1.0m XLR
- Bel Canto ref1000
+ Cardas Golden Reference Power Cords
+ Totem Biwire 12' speaker cable

No power conditioning, but plugged into a Totem Urth power block. I also have a VPI Scout that needs to be set up properly before I can try some LP's, but I'm itching. Anyone near Bellevue 98006 want to trade me a Scout setup for a good bottle of wine?
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