Total rebuild of the system, I've settled on the components listed above.
The Classe CP-35 with the Arcam Delta 120.2 produces a warm sound which really suits my musical taste (classical).
The Mark Levinson No.36s DAC was a surprising find on my local used market. An excellent DAC, both my PC and DVD player are hooked up to it. Since all my music is stored on the PC in FLAC lossless format, the Levinson enables my PC to act as a convenient transport.
I'm absolutely loving the Totem Hawks combined with the sealed Energy S12.3, even the most demanding orchestral pieces sounds detailed from top of the frequency range to bottom.
New pictures are coming, as soon as I move into my new place early January.
Totem Hawks, these sounded absolutely amazing when I auditioned them with a Simaudio I-7
Levinson No 36s
Awesome DAC despite its age.
Classe CP-35
This is an old preamp, but I really do enjoy its sound combined with the Arcam.
Arcam Delta 120.2
The warm sound of this little dual mono amp really won me over. Capable of pushing 150+wpc into 4ohms, more than enough power to make the hawks really sing.
Pioneer DV-45A
A decent DVD player and universal player (plays DVD-A and SACD). I occasionally use it to play some CD's.
Energy S12.3
Surprisingly good cheap 12" powered sub from Energy. I used a pair of foam plugs to seal the 2 bottom ports, really seems to help the quality of the bass.
Nice job on the Hawks. They are a demanding speaker but they reward you with amazing sound. They aren't super demanding like the forests, or the Mani-2's, but demanding nontheless. They need a good solid state amp to drive them well. Forget about tubes, the Hawks are already warm sounding and they need more control than most tube amps can offer. Honestly, they will sound o.k. with a minimum 125watt high current amp, but I still reccomend more power. Like 200 watts plus really makes them clean sounding. They'll sound fine with a really good integrated of 120w+, but you really won't know what they can do until you put some big clean power to them. I've got more power on mine than most people need, but I can't even begin to tell you how good they sound. A Parasound A21 will do very nicely though.
System edited: Total system edit: Preamp: Classe CP-35 Power: Arcam Delta 120.2 DAC: Levinson No. 36s Speaker: Totem Hawks Sub: Energy S12.3 It's a cheap system, but the electronics, speakers, and the sub matches in a beautiful manner. The warm, non-aggressive full range sound suits the music I listen to perfectly. Which are mostly chamber music, and some orchestral pieces.
My suggestion for you is in this order: 1 Sim Audio 2 Classe 3 NAD Master Series
Totem suggested their customers to go with Plinius but I suspect that they refer their products back and forth for each other.
I currently use a cheap NAD C372 to drive a pair of Dynaudio DM 2/10 at home. Even though I no longer have great stereo image as with my Totem, the overall sound is better to my ears and I get the lowest bottom octave that I have craved all the years. I am quite content now with my combo of NAD/Dynaudio:-))
The point is you have good speakers and you are 70% there. Just find a capable amp that is within the $2.5K or less price range and you are good to go for years.
You should stay away from that upgraditis thing. It is a nasty virus that could blow a big hole in your bank account:-))
If the I3.3 specs are indeed 100 watts at 8 ohms and 200 watts at 4 ohms, then the I3.3 has more than enough juice to drive your Hawk with large orchestra music. The only thing left to find out is whether the I3.3 sounds better than the NAD M-3 to your ears.
I think you should go with either the NAD M-3 or Sim I3.3 NAD has been known for their budget amps.
I have used NAD C352 for 5 years to drive the Rainmakers at my Mom's place and have no complaint so far. Both NAD and Sim are Canadian companies.
I have never listened to McIntosch so I cannot comment on that.
Hi Hieule, Going separates? sure thought of it:P bank account won't allow though.
The Sim I3.3 is speced to push 100wpc into 8ohms and doubles (200wpc) into 4ohms. Gotta say though, the I-1 I've got now is speced to push 50wpc into 8ohms and doubles to 100wpc into 4ohms.
At the moment, buying from the US seems to be a bad bargain because of the recent plunge in the exchange ratio between Canadian and USD. The rates we can get is around 1:1.3 it was only months ago when it war parity. So there goes 30% of my US purchasing power.
Anyway, I'm going to bring home a lot of amps during christmas break to test them all in my new room (which gives Hawks more space to breathe). That NAD M3 is definitely going on that list along with the Sim I3.3 I5.3 I7 Mcintosh MA7000.
The general rule of thumb is you need to get an integrated with at least 80 watts per channel at 4 ohms to make the Hawk sing. Why 4 ohms? My exeperience with most Totem except the Sttaf is that the speaker loads tend to drop to 4 ohms when you play them.
I5.3 seems a decent and very capable choice. I 7 is a great amp but it is too expensive, at least in my view, unless you can find a used one with less than 1 year of usage around $2.5K then it is considered a good bargain.
Does the I3.3 have enough at least 80 watts? I think the NAD M-3 used you can get around $1.3K in a great condition if you can find one locally so that you can save some shipping charges (above $100 w/o insurance). The NAD M-3 may not sound as warm as the Sim but it is cheaper and has more juice (150-180 watts at 4 ohms I think)
I think you can always negotiate the price with the more expensive pieces like I5 I7 or NAD M3 (used pieces) in a slow market like this.
My IC's are Totem Sinews, and speaker wires are Totem Trees (single wire configuration). I don't think I will be spending any more money on wires, money is needed elsewhere, namely a good integrated amp.
I suspect your amp is underpowered for the Hawks especially for large scale classical as you indicate.
If this is a problem for you look for something with more power, 100w/ch or more. A second hand Musical Fidelity A3CR amp + pre would not set you back much and get you there. Or, maybe consider Class D amps from reputable vendors.
What ICs do you use? MIT Terminator series IC do not cost much and could make a difference.
Hi Hieulu, About the Apple DAC, I don't think the Apple can work with any USB compatible DAC, you may need one of those special Ipod docks to bypass the Ipod's internal DAC. There are some good DAC's in that range, I've heard good things about the Cambridge DAC Magic 3. There's a Chinese made DAC, Citypulse 7.2 which has received praises. Those 2 are around 400USD new. There are used DAC's in that price range... but I'm an amateur of the used market.
I'm curious about the M3, when you say go for Sim over the M3, do you mean the I-7? Or even lower end Sim's like the I5.3 and I3.3.
I am thinking about getting an IPOD classic as digital source and will connect the IPOD classic to my NAD C372 integrated. Do you know any good DAC for under $300 to recommend?
Good for you that you step up to Hawk. They are a great pair with extremely tight bass. Congratulations!!!
Sim is probably the best match for Totem Hawk if you got the dough:-)) Otherwise, audition the NAD Master Series M-3. Very capable amp and a great value for the money. I just sold a NAD M-15 preamp to a gentleman here and their Master Series components are quite decent.
Hi Mimberman, I'm doing in-home audition of Simaudio I-7 and MA7000 just so I can spoil myself :P or at least get a good idea how good these Hawks could sound in my room with the rest of my electronics. There's no way I could keep either, out of my budget range. The Simaudio I-5, I5.3, I3.3, Mcintosh MA6500, are more realistic.
Hi Hieule, I believe you commented on my previous system, with the Rotel receiver and Totem Arros. Anyway I did call Totem, and their recommendations were Simaudio I-1, Naim 5i, Plinius 9200, Arcam FMJ A32, Bryston BB100.
I'm really loving the little Sim I-1's sound in most situations, but just need a bit more muscle for orchestral music. I'm going have to give the NAD master series a listen, I have never heard anything above their entry bee series.
You can email Vince or his son at Totem to ask for their recommendation regarding amplifier. Exposure is a good amp but I am not too sure if that amp can drive your Hawk (Most Totem speakers are notoriously finicky in terms of amplification)
I like Sim and NAD. NAD M-3 is a decent choice as well but if your budget allows a more expensive amplifier, you should step up to Sim.
If you're looking at the MA7000, then you should definitely consider the PASS INT-150, which is what I currently have. I heard the MA6900, not the 7000, but I think the pass is a better amp for what I'm looking for. It's a phenomenal piece of equipment which I can say more about if you're interested. It may be over $3000 used though, and since it's new may not come up much. If you're willing to spend $3000 then you should definitely check out the Sim i-7. I thought this was a great amp and something I could be happy with for a long time (I preferred the pass, however). They come up for around $3000.
Hi Mimberman, Thanks for the comments, and I will definitely put YBA on brands I'm looking for. As for the Sim I-5, it has been on my short list for some time. I'm not really in a rush to get anything now. I want to take my time with this system, wait for good deals on good components, so I can finally build a system I'm happy with and not constantly swapping and upgrading. Planning to listen to a LOT of gears before buying. Planning to get an exposure 2010s for home audition. Simaudio I3.3 later this month. Also will grab a Mcintosh MA7000 just to see if it'll blow my mind.
To be honest, I have decided to expand my budget to around 3000USD. The previous budget was just too constrained. And besides, I got an awesome DAC now :D want a good integrated to complement it.
If you listen to classical then you may want to try a YBA integrated or the sim i-5 with your Hawks. I've heard the i-5 with the hawks and was very impressed. I know a lot of people also like the Plinius 9200 with them as well, although I didn't love that amp when I had it with my Dali's. Nice system.
I've just found an amazing Mark Levinson No 36s DAC from the local hi-fi dealer. 1000 dollars! I purchased it on the spot. Hooked it up with the packaged audioquest cable (got Totem sinews shipping to me), and instant noticeable difference in the frequency extremes. Will have to do more careful listening sessions.
Bad news though, that Rega Mira 3 was defective, it was overheating, so it's been returned. Now I'm lost again, but got a few options. I'm checking out Vista Audio's integrated tubes, and some slightly older Simaudio integrated's.
Scott3709938, thanks for the feedback on my system "2 channel value." The Totem Hawks were on my buy list last year, but I found a good buy on the Vienna Acoustics first. I was able to audition the Hawks at a local store. Imaging was awesome. You mentioned that you're looking for a DAC to process your FLAC files. I don't know about outboard DAC's, but Benchmark Media Systems and Musical Fidelity seem like good places to start your search. Or, you may want to check out Slim Devices for a variation on the theme. Their Squeezebox Classic would give you DAC plus Internet Radio and more. Best of luck.
I want to first thank everybody for their comments and advice. I've picked up a second hand trade-in Rega Mira 3 integrated amplifier. I am very impressed by the combination of the Mira 3 with the Hawks. At less than half the price of the Simaudio I-1, I find myself prefer nearly every aspect of the Mira 3 over the Sim I-1.
The Rotel is still being used as a DAC processor, that will have to stay until I find a better DAC. I don't want to spend a fortune on this, but also do what something that is clearly superior than the Rotel.
I will get around to upgrading the amp again later (something in the $3000-4000 range), but until I've saved up enough money, this little 700 dollars Rega Mira 3 will do fine.
Thanks again for all the comments and recmomendations, but I realized with the recent plunge of Canadian dollar compared to the US, my budget cap was too limiting (if I buy from US with conversion/shipping/brokerage/taxes factored in) My 2000cdn budget is converted to about 1200USD that I can spend.
Scott709938, I sent you a personal message. Vynl9 has recommended a great set of amps for you but you seem to be concerned with the ad.
You said "That link you posted, I'm sure it's a fantastic tube amp, but... it's USA only :( Canadians are cut out of the loop. I live on an island lol... getting to Washington state doesn't take too long, 2hr ferry ride, but it's a big state."
I also live in Canada and I have bought and sold 98% of my audio gear from the USA and have never ever had any problems buying and most if not all ads make reference saying USA only.
Don't worry about it, if you want the product just send off an email to the seller, there are options of payment PayPal, send a personal cheque, wire money, which ever method you choose and the seller excepts, there will be a % if you use PayPal and you need a account to do this. I personally courier over a cheque, using a Canadian cheque but making reference on it that it is in US Currency or wire money. One thing is to make sure the seller has good feedback and make sure you ask questions regarding physical condition, nicks, scratches etc., working condition. If it is tube related how many hours are on the actual tubes, do research prior to buying any piece, be educated so no surprises come up. There are scammers out there so be careful, remember you are buying on what they are saying so there must be some trust there. I have had mostly good luck buying but got scammed once badly and some other pieces not in the condition as posted so I make it very clear now.
I send off a email saying "I see you have (name the piece with correct model number) posted in 8/10 condition, I would like to confirm there are no nicks, scratches, repairs or worn marks on the piece and that you have all of the original packaging and manuals. I also ask are they the original owner and how long have you had it and have they ever had any issues with it.
I checked out this seller of these amps and he has actually answered most of those questions in his actual ad, just was not clear on and scratches, dings etc. so you would want to ask. He does have one negative and I looked at that, make sure you have gear insured for the cost this way if something happens you have something to go by to recoup. Once the seller has received your payment and it had cleared then he will ship and should email you over a tracking number that you can follow. Don't forget you will have to pay for Customs (duties and taxes) upon arrival which has nothing to do with the seller.
Regarding shipping, there are lots of options and it doesn't matter that you live on a Island as I'm sure product comes and goes there or you go to shore to pick-up. Fed-Ex or who ever else, just confirm shipping cost first because you will have to send this money off to the buyer also.
Hope this assist you, I'm sure I have opened to flood gates for you now with this info.
In closing I noticed you have zero feedback, member since June 2007 and not very active on Audiogon so this could have an effect of the sellers trust in you so make sure you mention that you have been a member and make reference to your threads and go from there. We all had to start the same way.
Yeah right now I do not have a subwoofer but I am looking at some RELs. I am also in the market for a meridian g08 and some nice cardas cable.
That is awesome about the I-3.3. Really sounds like it would solve your problems with it having the DAC and all.
I couldnt help but butt in on this tubes convo. I agree with Vinyl9. Hawks do sound nice with tubes, but the rep was right about staying away from small tube integrates with the totems. They will just not have enough current to make them show all theyve got. These are some amps that you can get for under 2000 that you should be looking at on audiogon to see if you can get one that you like to ship to canada. The price is what Ive seen them go for.
1) Plinius 9100 ~$1550 2) Simaudio I-3se ~$1300 3) Classe Cap 151 ~$1200 4) Simaudio I-5 ~$1600 5) Plinius 9200 ~$2150 6) Classe 101 ~$950
Any of these amps would push the hawks fine. I dont know what the I-3.3 will be listed at, but alot of simaudio's intergrates are well over $2500.
What are you doing for cable? Do you have a line conditioner of sorts?
