[Parabellum]

Hey!

I currently have my speakers since 7 years now and really enjoy them, but I feel it's time now to upgrade to something different. They are Totem Mani-2 Signature in maple finish as you can see in the picutre (these are actually mines but from an another ad some years ago).

As excellent as they are, they have some drawbacks. First, the load. It's 4 ohms at 85 db and they require a lot of power since this is an isobaric configuration. Before I had a McIntosh MC252 and I felt they would have needed a MC452 or Bryston 4B SST2 to really sing. Next, this is not a speaker to play loud and the metallic tweeter requires good electronics to not sound edgy.

Their sound is rich and plentiful. They really can make the room shake when properly driven. Now my modest modified Yamaha CA-1000 is quickly showing signs of fatigue when the speakers are pushed. True, I could find another amplifier up to the task but there is this desire to move to something else but also I often feel that I have to make compromise with the choice of amplification.

I wish to find a sound signature similar to them, but with an easy load of 8 ohms and better efficiency. My budget is 4-5K on the used market.

There are some models that I have found interesting. The PMC twenty5.24 is one of them. I remember I heard the OB1i at an audio show and was very impressed with the PMC sound. But still, the twenty5.24 is a two way design and I know that even my Mani-2 Signature cannot dig on some material. Before them, I had a pair of Harbeth C7 ES3 which I sold quickly because I felt they were truly lacking that grunt and weight that I like. And before them, I had the Verity Audio Rienzi. This is a 3 ways design and the bass and transparency was much better than my M2S. The thing is that I felt they needed to be cranked to sound better since only the mid is working at low volume. That's is a reason why I like a 2 ways design since the woofer is always working. Maybe I didn't have a good 3 ways design that would blend the frequencies more seamlessly.

The M2S has Dynaudio woofers. And I really like the sound of the Dynaudio Focus range. The thing is that they are 4 ohms. Maybe they would be easier to drive than that isobaric configuration.

My room is 16 ft wide X 25 feet deep but I sit halfway at 13 ft. Ceiling height is 7.5 ft all drywalled. Listening space is fully soundproofed with Roxul. Equipment consist of a Yamaha CA-1000 restored/modified and is 70W at 8 ohms. Front ends DAC and source are Bryston BDA-3 and BDP-2.

I don't like a lean sound or too much clarity as it exacerbates my ears. I like a plentiful sound with meat on the bones. Based on all this, what would you recommend to have a look at?

Thanks!