Power & Authority. The criteria was as follows...I needed an amplifier with a lot of power, The Mani-2 is not the embodiment of efficiency and it s low ohm swings required an amplifier with bass grip. As most of you already know the Mani-2 works an ISO-BARIK configuration and is world renowned for its world-class low bass from a mini-monitor. Obviously it must fit-the-bill all things being equal in what I consider good sound, and it does.
Lucid and balanced. I found that if I attempted to swap out the sinews with a more expensive exotic interconnect I would achieve certain attributes that would best the sinew, adversely it would affect the balance of the system that could never seem to be obtained like that with the sinews. Overall the sinews have been engineered with all totem products and I believe that is the clear-cut advantage in this case.
The best cable is no cable at all. Again, like the sinew, the Totem Bi-wire just seems to fit when it comes to the expressiveness of the system in its entirety. It consists of high quality WBT terminations and utilizes the same wiring used on the crossover leads on the Mani-2 ensuring perfect continuity.
Pure Musicality. That pretty much sums it up, the Mani-2 is a phenomenal speaker in all its regard. It truly is an engineered masterpiece that gives you all the qualities of a mini-monitor with the low frequency extension of (a lot of the time surpassing) a quality floor-stander. Totem uses all house products at there expositions with the exception of source & power. John Atkinson of Stereophile deemed the Mani-2 at this years CES the best sounds of the show almost NINE years after its introduction and first (glowing) review of this fantastic speaker.
Low Noise Floor. I use the Urth on both my amplifier and source which provides me with a lower noise floor and allows for the Mani-2 to communicate in all its expressiveness.
Lush. The JD-100 Tube Based CDP is a Giant-Killer in my books, In combination with the Krell I get the best of both realms, Dynamics and Bloom.
I am always open to suggestions and appreciate all comments. Lately I have been toying with the idea of doing an all-tube system which would mean selling off my Mani-2s for something more efficient, not sure if the tradeoff is worth it :) What do you guys think?
no need to let go of your Mani-2's to go for an all-tube system. A few months ago, I went to the Montreal Hi-Fi Show and there the most stunning music came from Mani-2's driven by Conrad-Johnson Gear (one pre-amp and 2 mono-blocks) and a Chord transport and DAC64. You can find some pictures on the Web through a Google search for the Montreal Festival Son et Image 2006. Granted the full set-up was somewhere short of CDN $50,000, but you already seem half-way there, if not more.
Mani, I think you are really onto something with your system! I just brought home a Jolida JD100 to pair with my 400xi and Hawks. The combination is magical, the best of both worlds. Yes, the Jolida gives up some transparency and resolution to my Krell SC/DVD, but it simply communicates on a more emotional level and is so much easier to just listen and enjoy!
I know you were considering going with tube amplification. I am coming from that camp. I had a Cairn Fog, PrimaLuna Prologue Two, Totem Arro set up in a small room and the sound was glorious! Totems upper models need a lot of power to really shine and the 400xi has that! Adding the Jolida brings back some of that tube magic to the presentation. I preferred it over the AA Prima CDP in fact!
I also replaced the stock Jolida tubes with Goove Tube 12ax7-m's, man what a difference - probably the best $40 ever spent in any system!
Replacing the Krell SC/DVD with the Jolida also brings me financially closer to the Winds! I can't wait!!! ;)
i listened to the winds at ces this year. nice speakers for a ht setup, but i will keep my mani 2's for music. i heard some pretty impressive setups at ces this year. the speakers that compared with the mani's all cost 2 times and more of the price of the mani's. Mani_canadian, what other speaker cables did you try before deciding on the totem bi-wires? i looked at the totem speaker cables and i thought they would be too thin for a 10ft length. what are your thoughts? thanks
"Lately I have been toying with the idea of doing an all-tube system which would mean selling off my Mani-2s for something more efficient, not sure if the tradeoff is worth it :) What do you guys think?" Mani canadian
The answer is almost certainly "NO!" Mani-2 speakers are extremely good. It would probably be quite difficult to outdo them without spending a whole lot of time and money. Even then, no guarantee of success, either. It's tough to achieve the kind of satisfaction you describe above, especially at the kind of price the Manis sell for. I wouldn't do it, unless I personally heard a demo of something that sounded obviously and strikingly better. It would have to be a slam dunk decision. That's very unlikely, given the sound you describe, and knowing the reputation of those legendary speakers.
nice system! i just listened to a pair of Totem Hawks today on the krell kav400xi and they sounded great. i am thinking of bringing the krell home for good. the jolida jd100 crossed my mind to pair with it and it's interesting to see that you did just that.
i listened to the krell SACD standard and it sounded great, but for $4k it is pricey with the upcoming blu-ray/hd-dvd coming out, i don't know if i want to invest that much in a front end right now? might be better to wait a year or two and see what happens in the realm of the universal player?
Get a Krell FPB amp, any model. It will drive the Mani2s like nothing else on the market and you will hear your JD100 for sure. But this may a little pricy since you will need a preamp.
keep the mani's. i have had 3 other totem models of speakers and the mani's are the best i have heard. i have also listened to other speakers that have cost double what the mani's cost and i prefer the mani's. i would like to hear the winds though. good luck
