Need advice totem mites with a rega opollo/ rega amp?
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New member Username: BrandonnnPost Number: 2 Registered: Jan-08 | Hi everyone I've been looking around various forums for some help and I decided to sign up and post my first thread here. I noticed this forum to have a lot of great people who not only have a lot of great advice, knowledge but have a lot of class and a genuine eagerness to help others. I am totally " green". So, I am not familiar with the terminology or much. All i know is that I am starting to understand the difference between a mass produced entry level hardware and one that isn't. All I've had so far is an integrated onkyo surround receiver cd player $300 bought in 2002. I am on a budget so I might have to start piece by piece. So thank you all in advance for any of your help or advice... I have decided on the Totem Mites for sure. I wanted to pair the mites with rega apollo cd (have to get used)and thinking about using the rega brio 3 or mira 3? At this moment with my situation I am saving to spend around $1400 for amp and cd player. I am living in vancouver British Columbia Canada So its been pretty much impossible to audition rega products here. The 1 or 2 hifi places that i contacted said they don't carry but they can order in. My questions to you.. 1)brio vs mira? I am little confused?? The rega sales guy at the hifi store in Vancouver told me that the rega amplifier wasn't good match to drive the totem mites properly? Whats your experience? I would be open to your opinions? If not what would be a better integrated amp? I will probably be getting a used rega amp as well. Is the price difference worth mira? 2)I was hoping to use rega opollo and rega amp. Is there a huge benefit to using same company's components? Or is it better in my case to break the synergy components up? Does anyone know what other brands for amplifier go with a rega opollo and totem mites? 3)Has anyone out there tried rega systems with totem mites? Is there a better combination out there? I do like what I've read about the apollo cd or rega products in general. I am open to change set up. The only part that is not changing for now is the totem mites. 4)Any advice on the best speaker wire / connect cords to use for a budget system. Particularly with my set up so far. Thank you and sorry for all the long winded rambling. I am new at this but I really want to invest in a system that I can listen and enjoy music for hours without getting tired . Listen to a lot jazz/r&b/classic/latin ..not into really huge booming bass or heavy metal. Brandonnn |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 6104 Registered: Feb-05 | The Mira 3 should have no problem driving the Mites and will obviously go well with the Apollo. I have the Mira 3 and Apollo combo and like it very much. If you get a chance (which by your statement you won't) you may want to audition the Rega R1 speakers...very good with the Apollo and Brio 3, in fact their R3's are a small footprint floorstander that go well with their amps and have a remarkably full sound. For cables I recommend Kimber Kable on a budget and van den Hul if you can afford higher end stuff (which makes little sense in light of your budget). Kimber Kable Timbre interconnects, Kimber PK10 power cord for the Mira and PK14 for the Apollo and 4VS or 4TC speaker cable. Enjoy your shopping |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 12187 Registered: May-04 | . You don't provide the reason or explanation the salesperson gave for not pairing the Rega with the Totems. Does that shop not sell one of the brands? That could be an easy explanation for the statement. If the salesperson is familiar with both products - I assume at least one is available in this shop and any salesperson should have a familiarity with what they do sell - then an explanation of the statement should be simple to come by and not just limited to, "They don't match." IMO you need to match components first by technical requirements. In the case of an amplifier/speaker combination, you must determine the requirements of the speaker and then find an amplifier that can suit those needs. This should be an area where any good salesperon can assist. Does the speaker require high or low wattage, does the speaker require high or low current drive, is the speaker - despite the on paper specs - a "difficult" load that sucks power? It would be beneficial to know the highest and lowest impedance point and how that might affect the frequency response of any amplifier. With that information you should have a reasonably good idea what amplifiers cannot drive this speaker to the best advantage of both components. After you've narrowed the field of possible good matches based strictly on technical merit, at that point you can begin to consider the "personality" of the mating components. You can read through archived threads to get an idea of what the term "personality" means to different listeners. We all should have a set of priorities which we bring to the selection process. What you hear might not be what I hear from the same performance and your own set of "I like that's" is where you begin further refining what you might choose to pair together. I'm not a big fan of BandAids so I tend to believe placing a "warm" amplifier with a "bright" speaker is a poor choice since neither component is left to do what its designer intended. The same goes for other personality traits of each component. Forward/laid back, fast/slow/, musical/analytical, etc. Put components together that play up the good traits of each component and downplay the bad aspects of any other component. Hear more of the good and less of the bad. (And each component has good and less good things it does no matter the price.) That's system synergy. If you don't have that set of priorities in your head when you begin shopping, you will very likely waste a good chunk of cash before you find the right system. Having anyone else suggest a system or a match between components is somewhat futile if you are trying to find a system that truly pleases you. I'm going to assume you would like to have a system that you can listen to. "Listen to" means sit down and listen to the music - not have the system playing while you're doing something else. If you want background music, then none of this matters. If you want a system for listening pleasure, you will need that set of priorities. You can read the priorities of most of the forum members by reading the archives. You can find the priorities of audio reviewers by reading their reviews. You learn who has priorities similar to yours by 1) having a set of your own priorities and 2) reading lots of the same reviewer's material. If you don't understand what a word or some terminology means, ask that person who used the word as if they knew. Sometimes they really don't have a clue either, so it will benefit both of you to ask. How do you go about acquiring your own personal set of priorities? There are two ways. You can make them up as you go along. That's a fairly popular route since it's quite easy - particularly if you don't really know what the terminology means. If you don't know how to cook a pot roast and end up throwing everything in the pot, you'll have a few things that come out of the pot that you like. Most you won't and you'll probably have ruined a good piece of meat. The alternative to just guessing is to find what you like about live music. Go out and hear some live music played in a decent setting before you spend any money. Listen to what makes live music interesting to you. Establish what is important and what you can live without and what you would like to have if you can afford it. Then take that list of "important to you" into the audio shop. When you hear music that has those qualities, make a note. Do not listen for whether this amplifier does this and that amplifier does that. Stop listening to components. Listen to the music. If the music sounds like it did in the live setting, then that's something that you should make note of in the context of the system you have in front of you. It may be the amplifier, the CD player or the speakers or even the cables that make the music sound alive to you. You won't necessarily know until you then change that system to another. Substitute the amplifier. Does the music sound more like live or less? Can't tell? Then you're still on the right track. Change another piece of the system and listen until something goes away that you value. It's a fairly long deliberative way to piece together a system but it works. It can't be done on one Saturday afternoon in a busy shop. It shouldn't be done mail order. Take your time while visiting a shop on a slow weekday afternoon and asking to just listen. I tell you to do this because it's the only way to ensure a system that pleases you. You say the shops don't carry Rega but they can order them. That's probably a lie. Stores have dealer's agreements with manufacturers. If you don't carry Rega, Rega will not sell their product to you. Plain and simple. So the salesperson is more than likely just shining you on to keep you in the store and stop you from going elsewhere. That's not a bad thing and the salesperson is not being dishonest. They just want you to listen to what they have to offer without making up your mind when you haven't even heard what you say you want to own. That's fine. Buy what you can audition. How did you come to pick the Rega products in the first place? Since you've not heard them, I assume it was based on what you've read about them. How do you know what you read is within your set of priorities? You wouldn't buy a car without driving it. The car costs more money but for most of us our systems are just as important. Would you buy a sofa without sitting in it? I bought a chair once because the picture in the catalog looked like what I wanted. It fits the space I have but I don't sit in it. It doesn't fit me right. Would you adopt a dog without finding out if she liked you? Would you plant an entire garden of beets without knowing if you like beets? See what I'm saying? I don't think you can pick a system by reading about the individual components. I believe that's especially true when you are just beginning to get your feet wet in this hobby. Yes, you can buy a collection of good components that someone else - possibly several someone else's - say they like. And you might get a decent sounding system. But you won't know that unless you 1) have your set of priorities and 2)have some idea what else can make music more interesting. If you're going to buy a system from a magazine article, here's my advice. Buy the system the reviewer used to review the component you most like to read about. The reviewer is telling you this system works. So buy it. Otherwise, you'll get a dozen different opinions from a dozen people who will tell you what they like. And what they like might not be what you like. Different priorities, remember? So here's my final piece of advice to you. If you want the Rega gear, find a Rega dealer - not someone who says they can order it. Listen to it and decide for yourself whether you like the way it reproduces music. If it doesn't, don't buy it. If you can't find a Rega dealer, listen to what your local dealer sells. They have hopefully put a lot of thought and effort into compiling a group of components and speakers they think do a good job at putting music in your room. If you simply cannot find a system that reminds you of live music in their shop, then you should look elsewhere. But it would be a very sorry shop that can't put together at least one system in your price range that doesn't sound like music to the extent your budget allows. (If you like the Totems because you like the way music sounds with the Totems connected to this dealer's system, then that says you like that system, not just the Totems.) Buy what you can hear from people who can help you improve that system. After you've listened for awhile, then you'll have a much better idea what those words in the magazine actually mean and you'll be in a better position to pick out which components do what and which speakers are for you. Then you might be in a better position to buy something that you've read about. Until then don't worry about whether you have the "best" system. Do you sit around and wonder what a Porsche or a Corvette does that your car doesn't do? If you do, it's a waste of time. Just listen to what you feel brings music to you whenever you want to listen. Be happy with what you've chosen. It's your and it's probably not just like everyone else's system because you have set your priorities and your priorities aren't the same as someone else's priotities. Just remember it's the music that's important and not the equipment. That said, I expect you will totally ignore everything I've said. It's easier that way. In that case, order the complete Rega system and be done with it. . |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 2655 Registered: Sep-04 | Hello Jose, Jan gives some excellent advice in his post. I believe these dealers support Rega equipment in Vancouver, BC: Sound Plus 170 West 6th Avenue VANCOUVER,BC Tel : 604-531-7666 Fax :604-531-6011 doug@soundplus.ca Yana Imaginative Audio Video 1872 Marine Drive WEST VANCOUVER,BC Tel : 604-922-0107 Fax :604-922-0174 sales@yana-online.com Innovative Audio/visual Sol. 11966, 64th Avenue DELTA,BC Tel : 604-594-9575 Fax :604-594-9573 sales@iavscanada.com I know the Totem Mites quite well and they are a relatively easy load. I would be surprised if the Brio could not drive them properly in even quite large rooms. The Mira is an allround better amplifier and it has remote control (the Brio does not). Also consider the Totem Dreamcatcher which is a peach. Bizarrely this is slightly more difficult to drive than the Mite, but it still works well with the Brio. Rega and Totem are generally a good match. In fact the West European distributor for Totem is also the Rega distributor and he regularly uses Rega with the lower end Totems to make excellent music at HiFi shows.  They are generally a good match, but Jan is right when he says you need to hear it for yourself. For all you know, you might really not get what the Regas do - or the Mites. Regards, Frank. |
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New member Username: BrandonnnPost Number: 3 Registered: Jan-08 | Thank you Art, Jan and Frank for all your input. Art: It's good to hear that you and frank say the brios/miras are more than capable of running the totems mites. I will look into the cable you suggested as well Jan: I really appreciated the time you took to give such a thorough write up. You gave me so much great advice in so many areas which I am grateful for. First thing i have to do is go and audition them. The dealer who told me the rega amps wouldn't bring out the best of the totem speakers wasn't much help today when I called again. To be honest Jan he wasn't very clear..kept talking vague and then told me that they don't carry rega products for long time and that they not likely to bring any in to audition. This dealer was one of the ones that frank was kind enough to post . I even asked him to help me and tell me what information I need to look for in the amp or speakers so I know if the amp can drive the speaker..but he told me theres so many factors and that the manufactures stats aren't always what they say it is...so fair enough. I am new at this but I left more confused. you are right I will have to audition the rega in person, I agree with you can't base a purchase on another persons review without listening yourself. Frank: Thank you for the list of dealers. The funny thing after speaking to a rega rep for canada, he told me none of those listed dealerships for Vancouver carry rega products..only few turntables. I guess they should update there online search engine. I was lucky to find that there is one store that does carry rega. I called today to hopefully ask more questions and get some audition time. What a blessing. Frank I was interested in your opinion between the dreamcatchers and the mites. What do you find the difference in strength or weaknesses to be? I don't have the trained ear to know? The price between the base model finish for the mites and dreamcatchers is around $200. I wanted to ask your opinion is the mites better quality speaker justify the difference in price? Thank you! Jose |
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New member Username: BrandonnnPost Number: 4 Registered: Jan-08 | Just little update Spoke to sales guy at the hifi store that carries the rega products. He concurs with you guys that the amps are more than capable to drive the mites. He told me though that he highly recommends the naim setup over the rega set up. He also said that the bw 600 series entry level at $600 was better speaker to the mites. I know there is a thread with the naim vs rega comparison which I'll re read and audition when I pop there hopefully soon. Does anyone know much about the 600 series bws? Wondering your opinion on the BWs 600s vs totem mites/dreamcatchers Frank? Your input or others is greatly appreciated. Jose |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 12193 Registered: May-04 | . JL - How many directions are you going to get stretched into? Why did the one guy like the Naim over the Rega? Why did he like B&W over Totem? How do you know he knows any more about the match up between the Rega and the Totems as the other guy who couldn't tell you anything? Just asking. . |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 6106 Registered: Feb-05 | Naim is a better amp than the Rega but at a price..depends on what you are willing to spend. The B&W 600 series is a decent speaker but with your listening preferences as outlined above I believe you are on the right track. The Mites or the Dreamcatchers as Frank suggested are a good match with Rega gear and are excellent with the music you enjoy. The Dreamcatcher is a fuller sounding speaker and is a better direct comparison with the B&W 600 series...with Rega I believe that the Totem's are a better match. The Mites do a little better disappearing act than the Dreamcatcher but the Dreamcatcher has a more robust presentation. I like the Mites but if I were running a system without a sub (which I am) the Dreamcatchers might be up your alley...I still say don't discount the Rega R1...great little speaker. |
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New member Username: BrandonnnPost Number: 5 Registered: Jan-08 | Hi Jan Well I am personally pulled towards the regas.Saying that I am new to this and I am open to listen to recommendations made by audiophile experts or experienced folks here. I will never really know truly if this sales rep knows much better for in the end I will make the decision based on listening to them in person. This sales person was referred by the rega rep for Canada as being the top sales rep for this store in Vancouver in terms of knowledge in rega products as well. I will go and audition the rega system against the naim system more to have something to compare (for naim is out of my budget really) how the rega system sounds from different set ups. Art: thnx for the totem mite and dreamcatcher comparison. I am hoping to get some more opinions on the two. When you mentioned that the dreams are better speaker if running without a sub am I to infer that the bass is much better than the mites? Just a question Art.. this might sound little naive on my part but I would think that the mites are quite a lot more expensive than the dreamcatchers for a reason? In your opinion what do the mites bring to the table that the dreams dont to justify totems increase in price of $200 more? I am curious because Even Frank mentioned hes not fan of the mites and recommended the dreamcatchers as well. As for the rega R1 ..I didn't see them on this stores website but i'll be sure to ask if they have them to audition when I visit their store. Thank you again Art, Jan and Frank. your insight is so helpful to newbie. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 6108 Registered: Feb-05 | I'm not sure you understood what I meant (probably because I wasn't clear) relative to the Mite vs the Dream. For some the Mite tries to do too much with too little. The Mite was designed for greater low fequency extension than the Dream. However for me the low frequency is more effortless with the Dream...probably because the cabinet and driver are lving within their limitations perhaps a little better. If you take the low frequency duties away from the Mite with a sub (a fast and expensive sub) you allow the speaker to do what it does best...imaging and sounstaging. The Dream doesn't need a sub to be enjoyed to it's fullest IMO. |
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New member Username: BrandonnnPost Number: 6 Registered: Jan-08 | Art: Thank you for the clarification. Your post really helped me understand the differences between the two totem speakers even better. I know I want to keep my system as minimal as possible..don't really want to get a sub woofer. I will go and audition the mites and dream speakers again and pay more attention to their differences. I have taken the time to read reviews on regas R1 as well. Thank you for suggesting those. I like what I've read about them..The rega dealer here doesn't carry the speakers unfortunately. When I go visit them I'll see if they can bring them in to audition possibly..well see. Frank: I wanted to ask you your comments for insights regarding the differences between mites and dreams. I am still trying to figure out what totem had put into the mites to justify the increase in price of $200? Are they that much better? It seems when I do the totem mite or dream speaker reviews..it's always the dreams people recommend not the mites. Thank you in advance Frank for your time and insight. jose |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 2667 Registered: Sep-04 | In my view the Mites and the Dreamcatchers are a veyr different presentation. Totem is an odd company in that they don't have much of a 'house sound'. their claim is that there's 'a Totem for everybody' but not every Totem is for everybody. I am not a big fan of two Totems - the Mites and the Sttafs. They use similar drive units and possibly this is why they aren't to my taste, but there's no denying they are good speakers - just not for me. As to the cost difference, I can see that the Mite is a more costly item to make. The more expensive drive unit, allied to the slightly large cabinet is bound to increase the cost of the speaker. I'm not surprised Art prefers the Mite. He likes Rega speakers of which I am also not a fan - and the Mite's presentation is closer to that of the Regas, Again, well worthwhile looking at if you get the chance. On the subject of Naim - I am surprised the dealer suggested this brand. It is a lot more expensive than the Rega kit. The entry level amplifier is almost 50% more expensive than a Mira. The really good news in my view is that he should be able to supply Naim cable which is an excellent combination with Rega. On the B&Ws versus the Totems - hmmm. The new B&W 68x series is nicely made and has some very nice attributes. I find its bass a bit overpowering for my taste but there's no doubt that a lot of people like this presentation. Regards, Frank. |
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Gold Member Username: T_bomb25Dayton, Ohio United States Post Number: 1620 Registered: Jun-05 | Goodpoints I chose the Dreamcatchers over the Mites as well,when i 1st heard all the Totems it was on Rega gear,and they are good match for the lowerend Totems.The Dreamcatcher is a much more difficult load than the Mites,constrast to what Art heard i thought the Mites sounded warmer and more full at the expense of detail and resolution and timing they both disapear well all Totems do,i agree with Frank which is rare for us the Mites and the Staff are my least favorites of all Totems as well.I owned the Dreamcatcher for 2 years its 1 of the best speakers you can touch for under $500,actually i think the Dreamcatcher is the better speaker period over the Mite,whether is costs less,more whatever,they both pair well with the Rega gear,go listen for yourself,make the salesman accomadate what you wanna hear,and dont forget take your own music that you are familiar with,thats 1 of the most important things with additioning audio gear,good luck! |
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New member Username: BrandonnnPost Number: 7 Registered: Jan-08 | Thank you Frank and Tawaun for your insights it's helping me more than you realize help me in making the best decision for myself. I will go and audition both again and bring my own music as Tawaun suggest..something I forgot to do last time. frank, good to know about your opinion on the B&Ws being on the bass side. I am learning that I don't like speakers that are too overpowering when I auditioned few last time. It's interesting that both of you like the mites and straffs the least. Frank and yourself, Tawaun mentioned that the dreams are harder to drive. That being said, I'd probably have better performance if I matched the dreams with the mira vs brio? Or it doesn't make that much difference. Only ask for Iam on a budget, but I do have patience to wait for mira used one to show up. Tawaun, thx for your input on the dreams. It seems so far everyone, even Art when I re read last post suggested the dreams are better if your not using a sub vs mites likes the dreams better. I have to get out of the newbie inexperience naive thinking that just because a speaker is more expensive, it doesn't always mean its a better sounding speaker  . Learning curve for me. Just curious Tawaun..what did you have the dreams set up with for those two years? Any advice on brio vs mira set up with the dreams? Thanks everyone |
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New member Username: BrandonnnPost Number: 8 Registered: Jan-08 | Frank and Tawaun: I understand that you both dislike the mites and straffs from their line the most. I wanted to ask you what is it in your opinion in terms of the way the sound is (mites) in your personal/professional opinion that you don't like about the mites.. Art: Question of the bass abilities between the mites and dreams. When you said " The Mite was designed for greater low frequency extension than the Dream. " does that mean that mites are more capable of producing more bass at a bigger range? You mentioned that the dreams don't need a sub to enjoy to their fullest, that mean they can handle the bass better? Sorry If I am missing your point..little new a this. Manuell |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 6114 Registered: Feb-05 | Thanks for reading my post accurately Jose. Relative to the Dreams and bass I simply meant that the Dream has a more effortless presentation than the Mite. Not surprisingly Frank and I have very different tastes in speakers...we've discussed this here before. He like a little hotter presentation than I do and that's one of the reasons I think that he likes Totems just a little more than I do. I find the Mites and R1's to be very dissimilar. The Rega's have altogether more organic sound and that = music to me. We all have different tastes and that's why I encourage you to listen on your own. All we are doing is reinforcing our tastes and what we value. We all hear differently as well. We may hear the same speaker and focus in on different aspects on the presentation. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 12199 Registered: May-04 | . What does "organic sound" mean? |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 6116 Registered: Feb-05 | The Rega sound is one that is rather dry yet natural. Sounds like real instruments in real time to me...I guess I equate the "organic" to real. For me Totem has a rather glossed over sound, like there is a sheen between me and the music. Darn this is hard to explain...like seeing very clearly through glass but needing polarized lenses to get past the glare. Again this is always going to be in the ear of the beholder. That's why I recommend listening to them yourself...hate to throw another name out there to muddy the water but Epos and Rega make a very good match and I really like the M5 and M12.2 justa thought...very good midrange. Relative to the Rega's to kind of get a better idea of how I feel about them I suggest you read my brief review of them in audioreview. http://www.audioreview.com/cat/speakers/floorstanding-speakers/rega/PRD_337423_1 594crx.aspx BTW I did not put the review in twice... |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 2673 Registered: Sep-04 | Jose, I don't know what it is. The Mites just seem to have a papery character about them I do not like. Regards, Frank. |
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New member Username: BrandonnnPost Number: 9 Registered: Jan-08 | Well, thank you all for all your personal insights to the music you hear from these speakers. It truly helps me understand more about the speakers and more importantly thats it so personal. I did audition them both today again and brought my own music. I have to say I really enjoyed the dreams a lot more this time. I found myself just listening to the dreams.. quite the little speaker it truly is. They did bring in the the rainmakers as well..I liked the dreams much better.,the rains were out of price budget as well. I will be moving in next 2 months so I am pretty set on the dreams. Once I buy them I'll take them to audio with the rega equip. Does anyone have any recommendations on a reasonably priced stands for the dreams and does it matter whether to use glass or wood ect... to place the amp and cd player? I heard its not good to stack them together.. Thanks to Art, Frank, Tawaun and Jan for your time. Believe me it has been so hard to find much advice if any in other forums or even googling for reviews. Much appreciated. Jose |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 6125 Registered: Feb-05 | Sounds like you found a winner Jose...congrats. Make that purchase fast while you are firm on your decision. Frank probably has a pretty good idea what stands wil go well with the Dreams. |
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Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 9736 Registered: Dec-04 | And thick glass or hardwood shelves are fine, as you will not be pounding the room with SPL. MDF is ideal, but the support for the componants might be worth looking into, depending if you are geting any jitter, etc. Nice setup, Jose. Where's the vinyl at? |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 2682 Registered: Sep-04 | Jose, I'm not on your side of the pond and you will get different options to the ones I have here for stands. If I were you I'd call Totem Acoustic for advice. They're a great bunch of guys. Here in the UK, I tend to use Partington stands for most things, but the Dreamcatcher is so narrow I have to order a special for the top plate to match the speaker without it looking sily. Come to think of it, another stand that works is the Sonos (not the wifi product manufacturer), but again, I doubt it's available in Canada due to the cost of transport etc. As for equipment racks, I'm generally not a fan of glass except in one or two situations. Futureglass make an absolutely wonderful glass rack for sensible money. It doesn't ring at all which is a complete surprise. Otherwise look at MDF based racks like Quadraspire, Hutter or isoblue (my favourite of this lot). Once again, this depends a lot on what is available in your area. Your dealer will have his own ideas on this so obviously you ned to quiz him on the best options available to you there. Regards, Frank. |
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Gold Member Username: T_bomb25Dayton, Ohio United States Post Number: 1621 Registered: Jun-05 | Congrats Jose the DC is amazing little speaker,the magic is that midbass driver by MB Quart the same driver that is in the Arro it has great naunce,timing and its lightning fast with good weight for a driver that small it makes music.I remember i took the Dreamcatcher to the audio store I ended up working at and they carried Meadowlark and Canton and they had Totems on the way the shop had just opened me and Rich became very good friends,well anyway we had all the speakers set up on a big Rogue Zues with a Musical fidelity 308 CDP and and Trivista Dac and needless to say the little DC's beat up on all the Meadowlarks all the way up to the Osphrey which costed $3500 a pair at the time it was amazing how great their truth of timbre and timing and resolution matched and exceeded speakers that costed that much,and if your not familiar with Meadowlark do some googling they are now defunk but they had a great run.Needless to say the DC's were really responsible for getting my audio career really going and some liftime friends i really thank them and Vince Bruzze for that,amazing little speaker to stand up with the higherend Meadowlarks like that,we were all in awe at what we heard,I'll never forget that,thats a memory i'll always cherish. |
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New member Username: BrandonnnPost Number: 10 Registered: Jan-08 | Art: Thank you, I feel really happy with that decision. The sales guy who helped me little disappointed I didn't walk out with them..but I'll be back for sure. The prices really vary with the finishes i must say. One audiophile guy there browsing said make sure you get the finish you want now then later...probably good advice, i like the maple best but cherry not bad either. Nuck: Gosh I have so much to read up. i went to chapters and tried reading the hi and audiophile magazines..so many brands , cables terminology... sorry Nuck , I am totally green. I don't even know what SPL or MDf is... I should Google it. I need to get book for dummies. As for vinyl...I'd be really interested in finding out what that experience is like...never heard vinyl with hifi equipment before. I gather your setup is with vinyl mostly Nuck? Frank: I appreciate the rack and stands advice. I think that is gong to be some work to find something that is reasonable price and also matches the decor... The stands I saw at A&B sound looked pretty non eye pleasing and those were at least $125. I'll take your advice Frank call Totem. Will the stands make that much difference? Cause My budget is getting stretched a bit...figure the cables/ wire will cost more... You make a good point Frank, The dreams are quite narrow, looked a little funny on the stands I saw. I have question to you all, would it be a big mistake to place the speakers on the rack with the other components?..cause there so small they might fit on more wider shelf on some shelf racks? Thats probably bad idea I gather..probably not goo to have them that close together , the speakers as well. Tawaun: Thanks to you guys, I was able to find something really special. Great story. I really love when you guys share these little tid bits of great information from your personal experience. So happy to hear that there are entry level speakers that a newbie can invest in thats comparable to one $3000 price Just curious Tawaun, when you first got the dreams..what was your other gear? (amp/source) Did you start with big guns or more budget components... By the way when I auditioned the mites vs dreams..they were I think using source from Myriad brand? retailing 1500$-$2000 plus range. The first time I auditioned them..the source was a 5 cd sony carosel...yuk  Jose |
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Gold Member Username: T_bomb25Dayton, Ohio United States Post Number: 1622 Registered: Jun-05 | I had Nad a 320bbee intergratedamp and a Nad 541i CDP,later on they were used with a Unison Unico intergratedamp with Mullard tubes and a Musical Fidelity 3.2 CDP. |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 2686 Registered: Sep-04 | Jose, You need stands to finish the job. Look at it this way - you've saved $200 on the Mites and now you can finish off the system correctly with that saved cash... You should not place the speakers very close to each other, and definitely not on the same rack as your HiFi if at all possible. Placing the speakers there introduces vibration. Speakers pump a lot of energy into the room and into the stand they're on. This would be transmitted directly into the HiFi - bad, don't do it. The speakers should be placed such that they form the other two points of a triangle with you when you're sitting in your favourite listening position. If you're sitting about 8 feet away from the line between the speakers, they should be anything between 5 and 8 feet apart. Too close to each other and they become congested and lose scale. Too far apart (more than the 8 feet you are away from them for example) and they sound like two separate speakers instead of combining to form a stereo image in front of you. The correct height is such that the acoustic centre between the drive units of the speaker is the same height as your ears when sitting down. Obviously, being human you move around, but this is the correct height to set the speakers, which usually translates to a 60cm (24inch) high stand. If you're not likely to sit down and listen then place them higher but not much more than 1.5m high. If stands are not an option, you can use wallmount brackets. Totem can supply Dreamcatchers with appropriate wallmount options I believe but you'd have to check with them. If this is also not an option, place them on shelves (but not the system rack please ). Shelves have a tendency to resonate at all the wrong frequencies. You can try two ways around this: 1. Couple to the shelves properly by placing 4 pea sized blobs of blutac at each corner of each speaker and squishing the speaker down onto the shelf. 2. Decouple the speaker. Get 4 1cm ball bearings and slightly larger nuts per speaker. Blutac the nuts to the shelf. Place the ball bearings on the nuts. Place the speaker on the ball bearings. Ensure the speaker cable can't pull the speaker around. Toe-in - this is the orientation of the speaker toward your listening position. Start by not toe-ing in at all. Have them square to the room. If the image they throw is vague and indistinct, toe them in by just a tiny amount, a couple of degrees each and try again. You should never have to toe them much more than 5 degrees. The image (use a vocal track for something to fix on) should snap into focus between the speakers. If you toe them in too much, the image will centre very firmly with all musicians stuck in a small central space, the lower midrange will become congested and the bass will slow down, making the track sound slow and ponderous. I hope this helps. Regards, Frank. |
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