I live in an apartment and would like a good home theater system, for both music and movies. Has anyone heard this system? Does anyone own this system? I've heard that the subwoofer is not very good, but the monitor and center speakers are solid based on reviews in magazines and online. I would like to hear from the amateur home audio enthusiast, like myself. I don't need the top dog, the middle grade or slightly above will do nicely. What if I paired the system with Paradigm's seismic 12 or Definitive Technology's Supercube Reference?
M.B. - I'm definitely an amateur enthusiast, and don't spend hours a day in critical listening but do listen casually and like to do a lot of reading/browsing. I don't have golden ears but can hear differences in the sound of loudspeakers.
I have the Dreamcatcher system and can give it a solid recommendation. My room is 20x13 with 8ft celings. The system can easily fill the room with sound. Music on these (IMHO) is great, HT is very good. They are extremely accurate like most Totem speakers, so a little more care is required in terms of what electronics you pair them with. I have an old big Yamaha receiver at the moment, not the best combination so am looking to upgrade to something a little warmer (NAD, Marantz). Totem advises that the satellite speakers drop into the 5 ohm impedence range in the bass frequencies, so you will need more than a bargain receiver to drive them.
No issues on my end with the sub - seems perfectly fine for music and can rattle the walls for HT. Mine is in a corner as recommended to reinforce the bass. Have read that others found the sub to be lacking, but in one case they were trying to fill a monster room with cathedral ceilings. If you can get a copy of the Audio Ideas Guide review from early this year, it is a decent read. They found the sub to be very accurate, impressive for its size, almost a bargain sunfire.
But just use the review as a guide, the best thing to do is go listen. Totem dealers are a little more difficult to find, but hearing them is what convinced me to purchase. BTW, I demoed the Totems along with Energy, NHT, B&W and PSB bookshelf models and liked them best (NHT was the next choice :-).
Hope this helps, pm me if you have more detailed questions.
Nobig423- Thanks for the info., my apartment is about the same size. I have the Denon-2802 receiver, hopefully it's good enough. It's nice to know that the system sounds good, cause I think it looks pretty good via pics, not just a cardboard box or plastic but real wood. I'll try to find a dealer and take a listen. Whats your take on dipole vs. monopole? Thanks again
M.B. I'm also thinking about the just discontinued 2803 to replace my old Yamaha. The 2802 s/b fine, but would not go lower (1804, etc.). As to the surrounds, our use is at least 75% music/25% movies, maybe even higher on the music end. So the direct radiating nature works for me. BTW, I have the rears wall mounted using the metal brackets from Totem, and have the matching Totem stands in the front (you can get thru the dealer - be warned that the Dreamcatcher monitor is only 5 inches wide, very few stands have a platform that narrow....otherwise, the edges of the stand platform stick out beyond the speaker. The Totem stands and brackets are economical).
If you expect more use for movies, you may want to go the dipole/bipole solution. You can buy the Dreamcatcher components separately (2 fronts, center and sub) if you want to try the Totem surrounds (expensive) or another brand. I also read that you can diffuse the soundfield for the rears by placing the monopole speakers behind your couch on stands, facing up toward the ceiling. Never tried it...best of luck!