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 2 responses by raduray

Thanks Jaffeassc. I scored a pair of Osiri stands on A'gon last night. They may not be as heavy as some of the massive four pillar stands, but I'm hoping, based on what I've been reading, that they'll do fine. They certainly are better looking.
After reading this, and other threads here and elsewhere, I just picked up a pair of used Mani-2 Sigs off the A'gon classifieds. Should arrive next week.

I'll be driving them with a Rotel 1068 pre-pro and a B&K 200.7 amplifier. As I only have a 5.1 system, I'll be able to bi-amp by assigning 2 channels to each Mani, each channel having 385W into 4ohm. I shouldn't have any power problems.

I do have several questions.

Need stands. I've located Plateau V and Target MR24/60 at just under three hundred. Atlantis Reference 24 is a hundred more and the XL is another hundred. But I'm not crazy about the boxy appearance of the 4-pillar designs. Are there more esthetic versions available, or would I be sacrificing significant performance if I went to something like a Sanus MU-24?

I'd like grilles for protection, when I'm not into critical listening. How do you attach the optional grilles? I think I read somewhere that it'd done with velcro. Wouldn't the adhesive on the velcro pad damage the finish?

Gonna need a center. The Model 1 Signature Center seems to make most sense at first glance, but am wondering if there are any other suggestions.

Thanks!