Minimonitor Choice: Proac 1sc vs. Totem Model 1s

You should check out the dynaudio contour 1.1's or the 1.3's. (the 1.3's have a fuller bass, but i only heard the 1.1's which i loved) wonderful soundstage, never bright or forward, just great music with just about everything i threw at them. Compared them to the proac 1sc's head to head and liked the dyn's better, they seemed more natural, more like real music, particularly at high volumes. The nearest dealer is Pheonix, i suggest you get in your car and hear them asap! -bring your amps so you can get an idea of their synergy.

Cellorover, could you elaborate on the ProAc/stand issue? I've only used one stand, the Lovan Imperial 2900 with both my ProAc monitors and was wondering what your experience with different stands yielded. Thanks.

I am not a stand expert, but each stand appears to have its own sound regardless of dampening. I have old Targets, some others that I cannot remember where I even got them and some that I made years ago that are twice the mass as the Targets but only have two columns and a thicker base. The sound differs with each pair. The old, lighter ones (thinner metal, not weight) sound the worse. They are 2" higher than the others and the bass is mushy and the highs a bit brighter. However, the sound is still tolerable. The 2" could be the reason for the difference in the highs, but I doubt it. It is more difficult to hear the difference between the other two. The bass sounds a touch tigher and maybe deeper with the four column Target but less airy. I prefer the sound of my own stands. It drove me crazy and I wanted to write it off as psychological and only wanting to hear a difference. I finally called Richard at Modern Audio (US importer) and he confirmed the stand sensitive nature of the 1SCs. He likes the Targets or that is the impression I got. So, case closed. You need good stands with the 1SCs. How good? That is up to you and your ears. I think the Targets are great, but heavy looking. I probably would not have them if I did not get them used. Hope this helps.

Thanks, Cellorover. My Lovans have a thin single column about 2x3" and 29" tall, they're filled with 20lbs. of steel shot each and I picked them because they are elegant and unobtrusive.

I've seen many photos of people using heftier stands like the Osiris or Stand Design with the 1SC, some utilizing four square columns with such a wide stance they're almost flush with the speaker's sides, front and back.

I never considered that a stand could have an impact on the speaker's sound beyond bass dampening. Throughout my short audiophile life I've endured a bit of top end sizzle in my various systems and always chalked it up to room acoustics or choice of equipment, but now you've given me a reason to consider spending more on this hobby, heheh!

Gunbei--
Before you go out and spend money, experiment. Try sand and shot or just sand. Are the stands spiked to the floor and the speakers to the stand? And are they level? Other considerations are your speaker wires. What is in the rest of your system?