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ghunter

Responses from ghunter

Short floorstanders?
I have the Totem Hawks and am ecstatic with their performance when driven with 100+W. Given the headroom they sing. 
whats the biggest mistake you made?
Getting sucked into the whole Naim Audio spiral was a big mistake for me. Luckily, I bought wisely and didn't lose money. However, my wife said that she's never seen me so agitated and upset at the state of my system. I'm glad I got out while I st... 
Totem Shaman vs Wind
Ulfdantes, Vince seemed to think that a properly set up Mani-2 would outperform the Wind. He didn't comment on the Mani-2 vs. Shaman as I told him the WAF ruled out the larger model for me immediately. 
Totem Shaman vs Wind
I didn't ask him too much about a list, rather specifically about my current Audio Research VS110 (100wpc) and the VT220 (200w monoblocs) that I'm thinking of upgrading to. He said that although the VS110 is around the minimum power that he would ... 
USB outboard sound card comment
Peter_s is correct - USB 1.0 is more than adequate to handle 16 bit 44.1 KHz data streams. USB 1.1 handles 12 MBits/sec and cd-quality audio requires 705,600 bits per second (16 * 44,100). 24 bit 96 KHz requires 2,304,000 bits per second so it, to... 
Totem Shaman vs Wind
I spoke with Vince on the phone a few weeks ago regarding upgrading my Hawks, and he suggested that the Mani-2 was a very finicky speaker but when it was setup correctly and driven with the exact cables and components it would rival speakers costi... 
The most emotional amp out there?
My vote goes to the Audio Research VS110. This amp replaced the famous Naim NAP 250 in my rack, and has all the speed and impact that the Naim was famous for, but with far more detail, nuance, and warmth that the Naim couldn't touch. Other high-en... 
Clicking noise with M-Audio Audiophile USB
Buffers are buffers, regardless of the interface (Firewire, USB, PCI). It's all a matter of optimizing the buffer for your given CPU capacity. FW may make it easier (as it's a higher speed interface than USB 1.0) but it probably won't change the f... 
Suggestions for upgrading audioquest interconnects
I have a system not too far from yours in cost, and am using a 2m Diamondback between pre and power amps as an interim solution. I auditioned the King Cobra and Jaguar cables but the Diamondback just seemed to have the most "natural" presentation ... 
Good Bass Floorstander under 1K
Totem Arro cost a little more at msrp but the quality of the bass is superior, and the overall sound quality is phenomenal. Give them some serious consideration.There are also a lot of smaller speakers that can put out a surprising amount of bass,... 
Totem Hawks
With an uneven floor, here are a few things you could try:- a bead of clear silicone caulk around the ball bearings (get someone else to hold the speakers in place as you're applying it)- set the bearings in Vibrapods (I have some #1's and #2's on... 
Totem Hawks
Yeah, that's a big thing given my 1.5 yr old son loves dancing in front of the speakers. I'm still using the bearings, as there is a noticable increase in the tightness of the bass and overall sound quality.This is the ONLY thing that my wife does... 
AAC or AppleLossless
Google is such a great thing... I just searched for "kmixer bypass" and "kmixer bypass itunes" and got a lot of results... 
Audio Research VS110 with Totem Mani2's
For what it's worth, I just spoke with Vince @ Totem and inquired if my VS110 would handle the upgrade from Hawks to Mani-2 Signature. He felt that it would definitely work, and is around the minimum power required to properly drive them. 
Totem Hawks
I'm using Claws on 3/4" marble slabs on carpet. I might try putting the Claws on the carpet and mass-loading them with sand.