Totem Mani 2 and Polk LSi9

[mightymouse]

I am on a roll here trying to compare bookshelves that are comparable to the LSi9's.:)

Has anyone heard the Totem Mani 2 side by side with the LSi9? I am just curious to see what do you think of these 2 speakers.

The Totem website lists the -3 dB point of the Mani as 29 Hz. That's just AMAZING for a bookshelf. The -3 dB point of the LSi9 is 50 Hz.

[Gaara]

Ask Zero, Sean has had LSis and a few different Totem speakers. I have SIA Rothschilde A2s which look very similar to the Mani 2s but a little smaller. They were a decent step above my LSi7s in almost every aspect of musical reproduction.

[Zero]

Mightymouse; That's not a fair comparison. Not by a long shot. The Mani-2 still stands as one of the crowning achievements in compact monitors. Enough said.

[SolidSqual]

I've heard both extensively. The Mani is an amazing speaker, but is very picky with what gear you pair with it. The LS9 is happy with most any amp that can deliver a clean 150 - 200 watts. In terms of sound, both are very different. I prefer the Mani. It has a refined full bodied sound that mates extremely well with tube gear. I think with the right gear, mos t people would prefer the Mani.

[mightymouse]

Thanks guys for the replies. :)

I know it's not a fair comparison. I am just curious, since the LSi9's are known for big bass in bookshelf size. I am just wondering what the Mani 2 sounds like.:D

So Zero, what are your thoughts on the Mani 2's sound?

One thing that bugs me is, does the Mani 2 sound as good as a small floorstander? I am asking because one of the main attractions of Mani 2 is the bass. But if you step up to a small floorstander, you also get more bass. So do you lose anything by going with the Mani 2 as opposed to a small floorstander?

[mightymouse]

SolidSqual, thanks for putting down your experience.

What do you think of the metal tweeter on the Mani 2? Is it fatiguing? Over the years I have learned to avoid metal tweeters, because they also seem to give me ringing in my ears.

How would the Mani 2 sound paired with just solid state gear? Would that be too bright?


And oh, is it true that you have pay extra for the optional finishes like that maple finish? Which finish is the prettiest? :)

[Roland P]

I've just checked the price on the Mani 2's
One set is more expensive then my complete speaker setup including receiver and subwoofer...
Why are you comparing those?

You can better think of a budget you want to spend and then look for speakers whithin that budget.

I've decided the LSi9's are good enough for me (bit of an understatement). More expensive means more expensive center, surrounds, expensive amplification etc.

[Roland P]

What do you think of the metal tweeter on the Mani 2? Is it fatiguing? Over the years I have learned to avoid metal tweeters, because they also seem to give me ringing in my ears.

You are right about that. I've heard the PMC EB1's (9,999.- euros) and, although extremly clean and boxless sound, the highs made me extremly nervous (All of the PMC's did).

I know it's not a fair comparison. I am just curious, since the LSi9's are known for big bass in bookshelf size. I am just wondering what the Mani 2 sounds like.

I think the bass of the LSi9 depends on amplification, positioning and the room you are listening in. In a concrete apartment I had major problems in the 80/100Hz range (I guess). Now I live in a house with much wood and that's better. I've used the active crossover @60Hz wich sends all the bass below 60Hz to the sub (REL Storm III). This results in a much tighter/lower bass in my situation.

[Zero]

Mightymouse; If bass is your thang - a good affordable monitor to check out in the LSi-9's class would be the Ascend Acoustics Sierra 1.

As for the Mani-2:

It can dig deep enough, and output more acoustic energy than many floor standing loudspeakers.

It's also a power hog; meaning that you'll need that transistor love, and lots of it. As always with any transparent loudspeaker, the amplifier you chose can/will directly impact its sound.

And yes, if you want cherry or maple - be prepared for fork over some extra coin. Personally, I feel that maple is the most becoming look on the Mani-2.

[dkg999]

From my experience in listening to various Totem models, they require the room, placement, and gear to be raised to the same level of performance the speaker offers, to really make them sing.

That said, I've been really impressed with the models I have heard.

[Zero]

DKG, You're insight is dead on. Adding to that; each Totem is unique in that each model typically has a certain situation it prefers. Eg: What works for the Arro will not work for the Forest, and visa versa.

[mightymouse]

Thanks guys for all the great advice. Really appreciate it!

[zombie boy 2000]

I miss my Arros immensely.

[AudioFilet]

I would like to see the LSi9 compared to the NHT Classic Three. Now that would be a shootout. They are right about the same price range too.

[dorokusai]

I haven't heard a Totem that I didn't like. It's a wonderful loudspeaker.

[skykeys]

What do you think of the metal tweeter on the Mani 2? Is it fatiguing? Over the years I have learned to avoid metal tweeters, because they also seem to give me ringing in my ears.


Hello Mightymouse. I just wanted to comment about the metal tweeters. I'm not familiar with the Totems, but I am a big fan of the Paradigm speaker line and had them in my surround system until recently. Paradigms use an aluminum tweeter, and I think they are the sweetest tweeters I've heard. Very smooth highs, not harsh at all - at least to my ears. Believe me, I don't like harsh.

I just recently installed LC265i, LCi-RTS-C and LC80i surround setup and I like them a lot. And while overall these sound better than the Paradigms, I still think the Paradigm tweeters are a tad smoother.

Regards.

[mightymouse]

Thanks for pointing out about the metal tweeters. I've read many great things about Paradigms. I will keep my mind open about metal tweeters. Thanks.:)


Hello Mightymouse. I just wanted to comment about the metal tweeters. I'm not familiar with the Totems, but I am a big fan of the Paradigm speaker line and had them in my surround system until recently. Paradigms use an aluminum tweeter, and I think they are the sweetest tweeters I've heard. Very smooth highs, not harsh at all - at least to my ears. Believe me, I don't like harsh.

I just recently installed LC265i, LCi-RTS-C and LC80i surround setup and I like them a lot. And while overall these sound better than the Paradigms, I still think the Paradigm tweeters are a tad smoother.

Regards.

[LuSh]

I would use your ears and nothing else.

Personally speaking I've never heard a Totem speaker I've liked. I've owned the Staff for well over a year, heard the Mani's and Mani 2 Sig's as well as the Arro's and Hawks. I don't 'get' the Totem sound. If you like ultra laid back mid row presentation and listen almost entirely to jazz/vocal music and you have the time to screw around with positioning and amplification then I would recommend the speaker to you. I would also recommend the speaker to anybody who is retired as many hours will be spent trying to get these speakers to sound right.

I don't get the Totem magic. Frankly speaking I've never in my life encountered a more unfriendly speaker. I've never taken measurements but in room response must look like a roller coaster ride if plotted on a graph. I would hear things I hadn't heard before in recordings in comparison to other speakers; but I would also not hear things as they were often muted. This made the entire listening experience very frustrating to the point I would hate listening to music if it were on a Totem based system. I can't tell you how many combinations I've heard in regards to amplification including: Naim, SimAudio, Krell, Musical Fidelity...the results were almost always the same. Weird twisted abomination of sound.

But those were simply one mans conclusions. Listening is a must. I'm simply somebody you've never met on the internet, so you must ask yourself who's opinion would you rather trust? Your ears and a good dealer, or a bunch of people you don't know.

[Zero]

Ah; read the poster name. Why am I not surprised?

That said; it does illustrate that there is no one product for everyone.

[dorokusai]

That's exactly what I thought as well...funny, but true either way.

[mightymouse]

Thanks Lush for your advice. I will definitely have to audition them and see if I like their sound before I put up the big bucks (which wont happen for quite some time).:)