HT Assistance Wanted- Totem?

[Bunsen Burner]

Hello Good People of the Klipsch Forums-

I'm new to surround sound but not home audio. I'm so new to surround, that my first system is being built around my PC; just installed a new sound card and serioulsy thinking about the 5.1 Ultras or GigaWorks. Having fun reading all the stuff here...

Anyway, I'm also quite interested in getting a decent, if not good, HT going. I have several pairs of speakers with 2 pair specifically in mind to incorporate into said HT. The speakers I own are one pair each of Totem Model 1 Sigs and Mani-2s, ESL 63s and 3.6/Rs (guess I'm a small box, big panel kind of guy). The panels are in storage (bummer!) waiting on a dedicated '2 channel' room, ~225 sq. ft. My thinking goes like this: Mani-2s as fronts, Models 1s as rears and your recs for a center channel and sub (single 3.6/R hung from the ceiling, lenthwise, as a center channel?! j/k).

I've got access to a mint SR-19 for a great price as the control/power center for the system. Room is odd shaped as my house is a geodesic dome and quite open, on slab, constructed with level 5 hurricanes in mind. Stout would be an understatement.

So, what say you good folks?

Thanks-

BB

P.S. Any recs for sub to match the panels would not hurt my feelings in the least, as well.

P.P.S. My hat's off to Klipsch for such an open ended forum, allowing free and unadulterated talk of the competition, good >and< bad mouthing of their venerable name/product, etc. Salute!

[dougdrake]

Bunsen - Just wanted to say, in advance, that if you don't get much feedback don't take it personally. I've got tunnel vision (probably to my wallet's delight) and don't spend any time listening/looking at any other than Klipsch products. Many others here are the same way, so you may not find much Totem knowledge here.

[htxpert]

Hi

For good multi channel performance it is best to use speakers that have the same sonic signature (same manufacture and models) on all channels Placement for a 5.1 or 7.1 system is also important for good performance try to keep the tweeters of the front speakers as close to ear level as possible and try to keep them on an even plane with each other Placing a center channel in a very high location when the front left

and front right are in a low position will not sound balanced and will sound unnatural Pans from Left,Center,Right and Right Center Left will not be seamless for basic setup of the front mains use the

triangle rule (IE If the fronts are 10ft apart your listening position should be 10ft back) this will give you a basic place to start setting up your system Room size, shape,and room content will all be a factor in how your system will sound You also need to keep in mind that the speakers you mention for use in a home theater system are of low sensitivity 87 or 88 db 1 watt 1 meter That means you will need a very powerful amp to obtain moderate to high listening levels in a larger size room and even then these will not give you the WOW effect of a high sensitivity high impact/dynamic speaker like Klipsch or others

Hope this helps

[ironwoods]

Welcome BB, you might be barking up the wrong tree here, although many here have speaker systems other than Klipsch. The Audio Asylum is one place where you'll find forums dedicated to your chosen type.

Most recommendations would be to go with a similarly voiced speaker as center in an HT setup. Subs are a different story. We're real good at spending others money's. A round-about figure would be a good start.

[oogins]

Since I'm somewhat knowledgable on Totem speakers, I'll try to help.

Totem mainly focuses on 2 channel, but they are getting into home theatre more. They offer two centre speakers, the Model 1 Centre Sig and the Mite TC, and the recently released Dreamcatcher system. They also released the Lynks bipole/dipole speaker a little while back.

The Mani-2 unfortunately doesn't have a dedicated centre speaker, but I have heard of people using them as main speakers in an HT. Most use the Model 1 Centre Sig speaker. It's not a perfect match, but it works quite well. Another option is to use another Mani-2 as a centre. This route is definately way more expensive but it will give you a seamless front soundstage.

Hope this helps.

BTW, I hope you don't plan on using the SR-19 to power the Mani-2's. They require a decent amount of quality power, and no receiver is going to offer that.

[OnMedic]

TOTEM... ANother great Canadian speaker! A previous post is right, be sure to timber match your speakers! I have my Klipsch Reference 35's set-up with an energy centre temporarily and it sounds OK, but not great! Also, take a peak at the Arcam line for receivers, a good match for Totem.

Have fun!

Steve