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Totem Hawk a underated "Jewel"

Is it just me or is the Totem Hawk the most underrated/underrepresented speaker in the Totem lineup? There seems to be few discussions on these little gems and I just want to tell everybody that my recent visit to a Totem dealer to demo the YBA Passion Integre yielded a surprise that I didn’t expect. That was of course the Totem Hawk (French-Canadian) hooked up to the YBA Passion (French) and YBA CD Integre utilizing Totem Bi-Wire Cable and Sinew Interconnect Cable. Absolutely flabbergasted with what I heard I consulted a couple sources and read what reviews were published on this speaker. The Audiophile voice did one review a while back and he quotes “Over all, the Hawks are more natural sounding than any other full-range system I’ve had at home” and he goes on talking about the Balance and Integration of the Scanspeak Revelator woofer and MB Tweeter, Overall I agree with all his assessments on the speakers and more. These speakers just sound “right” and I have much experience with the Forests and it is my personal belief that the Hawks paired with the YBA offered me more expressive communication and “PASSION” than any Forest setup I have ever heard. What’s so great is the system was so damn simple; no super exotic interconnects or cables. When people on these forums always talk about that “musicality” and that point they reach when the music communicates with the soul and nothing else seems to be relevant, that point of satisfaction, I experienced that today. I would also like to point out that that the reviewer was actually using Tara and Music Metre cables and had really poor results, so much so that he called Vince to ask what was going on, Vince sent him the Totem cables and he was startled with the magnitude of improvement, Totem apparently engineer’s all there cables to there speakers, furthermore they incorporate all there cables exclusively at shows and exhibits. I purchased the entire setup for a fair price, speakers are breaking in as I speak. Now, to what hobby should I take up now?

P.S. What is everybody’s thought on the Hawk vs. Forest?
slov_dream
sutts
697 posts
 
5 Mani-2's; Sim Audio Attraction; Theta Dreadnaught- my old HT system- still miss the dynamics...
ghunter's avatar
ghunter
164 posts
 
I've been meaning to do a Hawk vs. Forest "test" at my house, as I know of a guy near me who owns some Forests. I love my Hawks, and they provide an AMAZING full range sound when driven by my 100 wpc Audio Research VS110. In our last home I had more volume to fill and they were able to mate PERFECTLY with a Lightning sub. Since moving, the Lightning has moved into our family room to sit beside a set of Rainmakers in the Home Theatre.

Which reminds me, the Rainmakers are another Totem jewel. I also own some Spendor S3/5se's (up for sale here so maybe I shouldn't say this) and the Rainmakers walk all over them. More rhythm, more body, more extension, you name it. They absolutely disappear in the room no matter where they are.

Another Totem revelation comes with the beaks. I was skeptical, but bought some anyway. I loved them so much I bought another pair. The second set doesn't add as much as the first, but it is still an improvement.

As far as cables go, I've a/b'ed the Sinew against Chord Chorus/Anthem/Singature, Audioquest Diamonback/King Cobra/Jaguar and even some Acoustic Zen Silver Reference. The only one to really compete was the AZ at nearly three times the price. The rest of my system is now Sinewed.

I'm torn right now whether to upgrade my preamp or put the Urth power cables in place. I'm a real believer in Vince and his team of magicians.

I can't say yet whether the Hawk is better or worse than the Forests, but I can say that the Hawk is an awesome speaker in its own right.
audiobroke's avatar
audiobroke
51 posts
 
Yes, I think so. Hawks vs. Forest was my big decision, cost being no object. I'm already sold on the Totem brand, because they are amazing at what they do, and a great value in the market. I was lucky enough to have both pairs brand new for demo, on my exact electronics. (I'm a dealer) I initially liked the Forests for their greater sense of power and bass. But then the Hawks started to break in more... After good break in on both pairs, I began to realize the glorious midrange of the Hawks was winning me over. It's 6db crossover slope is a phase corherant design, and the drivers blend seamlessly. The Hawks dissappear sonically, and image like nothing I've heard before. For me...Magic! If you favor power, and as deep of bass as you can get, or are using them for home theater get the Forests. But for those dicerning few who value midrange liquidity and a holographic soundstage as well as great bass and treble, go with the Hawks. Power them well though. Today I ordered my own pair of Hawks.
bjesien
1,239 posts
 
I tried to sell a pair of Forests to a guy that wanted the Hawks. He says the crossover in the Hawks is 1st order and much better to his ears than the Forest. His take is that even though the Forests go deeper and offer more dynamics, the way Hawk crossover ties together the drivers is most important to him.

Both are great speakers but I prefer the Forests. Ultimatley I changed over to a different speaker.
kiwi_1282001
312 posts
 
I use the Hawks in my second system and think highly of them. They communicate well, have a great mid range and a surprising amount of bass.

To get the most out of the Hawks (due to their inefficiency) i would recommend around 100w of amplification. Surprisingly, the addition of 'Beaks" was also helpful. The beaks can be placed on the inner or outer edge depending on whether you want more focus or a wider soundstage.

Re Hawks vs. Forest - the Forest is clearly superior in the bass arena, but for the mid range i liked the Hawks better. Audiobroke mentioned mid range 'liquidity' which i feel is on the money.
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