I'm thinking about putting together a new stereo system and noticed new Totem Arros are priced very close to 'gently' used Totem Hawks. I don't have a ton of money to dump into the integrated amp and cd player. So, I wondering if I stick with an amp/cd combo such as NAD C372/542, Outlaw RR2150/Cambridge Audio 640C, Creek Evo Amp/Cambridge Audio 640C would this do the Hawks justice? Or would I really need to up-level the amp/cd combo to make the jump from Arro to Hawk worthwhile? Another speaker I was considering was the Studiolab Reference One, which is similar to the Arro but less expensive and a bit larger, closer to the size of the Hawks. On the same thread, is there any rule of thumb on how much to invest in the source(CD player only) versus the amplifier and speakers or does this vary too much from geography to geography? I plan to audition the Arro/Hawk and NAD combos but this is the only combination available at any of my local dealers. I prefer the look of the 'slim floorstanders' to something like a bookshelf on a stand (although something like the Epos M5 or M12.2 with stands would be in a similar price range).
I have listened to the Arros but not the Hawks. I bought the Sttaf's and love them. The Arros didn't have the bass extention of the Sttaf's and I thought the Sttaf's just sounded better to me. I have heard that the Hawks are incredible speakers, just to much $ for me.
normally I'd say you should spend the extra on the electronics, but in this case you're not spending extra by buying used. The Hawks are a fairly easy load, not really more difficult to drive than Arros, so they should be a reasonable match provided you choose an amp with at least some drive to it. The 372 is a powerful punchy amp so it should fair well. The creek EVO is not so powerful so I'm not sure how it'd do, although it's a good amp. So be careful about how you match the speakers and you should do well. FWIW, the Hawks are wonderful speakers which will allow you to upgrade further than the Arros. The Arros are great in a sympathetic installation, but their limits can be reached more quickly than the Hawks'.