After ordering the Mosaics I decided to go a different way. I want something smaller and not as picky about placement. Living in the city, I have to think about the place I live in now, and the place I will live in next. Which will probably be small.
I love the sound of both of the Totems. The Sttaf sounded a little better to me and that might be the slightly better bottom end. However I don't think it sounded $645 better. The Rainmakers are about $645 cheaper but will require stands. Also, I kind of get a kick out of hearing that sound come out of those bookshelf speakers.
I prefer Rainmakers. They have better resolution, are more room friendly, and have better pace when on appropriate stands. Stands make or break a 'bookshelf' speaker, so choose carefully. i.e. listen to your dealer and if possible have a demo that includes different stands for you to choose from.
How would you compare the Totem Rainmaker to the Dynaudio Focus 110? Which one is the more smoother, neutral sounding speaker that excels with all types of music?
I have the Musical Fidelity A3 integrated and the Onix CD-2 cd player.
I prefer the Rainmaker. The FOCUS is great fun and I guess could be called the smoother of the two, but the Rainmaker has something more engaging about it. You should check the specs on the A3 too because the FOCUS 110 is quite a difficult speaker to drive. My impression is that the Rainmaker is easier to drive, although I haven't directly compared them to prove the point yet.
Have you listened to Dynaudio Audience 52 or Audience 52SE? I prefer these over both the Rainmaker and the Focus 110, and would be a lighter load on your A3.