Which speakers best match the Supernait 3?
I really like the sound of the Totem speakers, but I have also had very good feedback from the Focal Kanta 2. I would like to gather some opinions from those who are employing these speakers
I had Kanta’s and thought they were excellent, would prob still have them but following a house move they didn’t work so well (they are voiced differently to the other focal speakers and better for it)
The moment I knew I wanted them was at a show with a supernait 3 and NDX2.
Speakers interact with rooms different so home demo is usually the answer….
But to answer your question if your room isn’t challenging then I would whole heartedly recommend the Kanta and they look very cool too!
I would suggest going to a few dealer musical evenings and doing some demos as so many options out there. A faff but worth the effort.
Gary
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I ran Kanta 3’s with sn3 and loved it for a good while before separates temped me away. I always wondered if 2’s would have been a better match. They’ve not embarrassed themselves at all as I’ve upgraded the stuff feeding them. I also really like how they look. I’d never have got away with such big speakers if they didn’t soften nicely into the room (if my wife was to post on this forum I suspect I’d be corrected with her real-rather than my imagined, opinion) colour choice dependant of course.
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Totem
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Do you own totem forests? My concern is that they are a somewhat dated design with a somewhat smaller frequency response than the Kanta. I have read that the sound of Totem Forests remains more analog and warm compared to the Kanta which are more detailed
Indeed, I ran Kantas with a 552/300/NDS/555 so they can be a keeper anywhere between a supernait and 500series!
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I have Totem Tribe Towers and they go really well with the SN3 and they aren’t very fussy about positioning
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I demo’d both and choose the Forest Signatures. I found them more organic and natural sounding over the Kanta 2. The Forests have plenty of detail but are not as analytical as the Kantas.
I had the Forests with a SN2, 252/250 and now a 552/300, They are end game speakers for me.
Can you demo both?
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Do you still consider totem forests a current choice despite the fact that they are a design with technological solutions that are not recent?
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Ls3/5a speakers were designed in the 70s and are still being made today; there’s very little if anything in a speaker design that in any way makes it dated.
Just buy the one you like the sound of; try in your room if possible, you might discover that your favourite on paper or in the demo room doesn’t work at home.
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Yes, provided you are considering the Signatures, not the earlier version. As Robert says, best to demo if you can.
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I’ve heard both Kanta 2 and Totem Forests in different setups with different Naim gear. In my opinion and personal preference, I’d easily choose the Forests. I think they are some of the nicests speakers around. The Kantas are great and impressive speakers nevertheless, I appreciate them but they aren’t for me. I think the Forests have better soundstage, clarity and detail with properly matched gear and good cables. I’ve heard the Forests both with the SN3 and 202 / 200 DR / Flatcap. The better the amplification, the better they sound.
@Mike_S has always preferred the Forest Signatures. So far I’ve concluded that they aren’t probably worth the extra money, at least in the setup I’ve heard. Who knows if my POV would change under different circumstances, I’d be very curious. However if you want to get to a proper conclusion, you have to test them yourself, maybe (or maybe not) you’ll agree with @Mike_S opinion.
The Forests have been constantly upgraded over time despite looking identical, however as @robert_h said, I would focus on the sound you like.
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The Totem Forest Signature are out of my budget unfortunately, so I should stick with the Totem Forests. I have read that they are not on the same level but I hope that something in common when it comes to musicality. The Forest Signature are an improved upgrade of the Forests but by switching from my Sky Tower to the Forests I could already make an interesting upgrade
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@Mike_S The Totem Forest Signature are out of my budget, but switching from my Sky Towers to the Forests might already make an improvement
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Interesting, I didn’t know anybody here with the Sky Towers, I have them as well. My goal would be to get the Forests, that’s why I’ve listened to almost the whole Totem line up to understand what each speaker can offer. IMO the Forests are the real sweet spot and they benefit a lot from quality gear. What’s your system like right now?
@GraemeBC mentioned he has the Tribe Towers. I know people who went from them to the Forests. I guess there’s no real answer, it’s a matter of taste, gear, room, etc. By the way the Tribe Towers are impressive, I really liked them despite having a preference for the Forests.
If I were you, I wouldn’t focus on what you see written in articles or whatever. Sure, it’s important to get info, but your point of view and taste might be totally different from what everybody else says. For instance I remember that there were almost no articles and reviews about the Sky Towers, yet I think they are the best speakers I’ve heard at that price point (and I prefer them to the Bisons too).
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my doubt about the Totem Forests refers to the frequency response. The Sky Towers have very good values in the mid-high range with a really good acoustic result.
The Forests have lower values on this and I fear the result may suffer a bit in genres like folk jazz and acoustic which are the ones I listen to the most
Here is the comparison in the values
Sky Tower: Frequency Response: 36 Hz - 30 kHz ± 3 dB
Forest: Frequency Response 30 Hz - 20 kHz ± 3 dB
Focal Kanta 2:requency Response 35 Hz - 40 kHz ± 3 dB
On this aspect what do you think? @Mike_S @Blacknote @robert_h
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I have the Forests but they are a 10 yo pair. I like them a lot. I use the Harbeth P3ESRxd in my main system. I like them more. That said I put most emphasis on midrange
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The Sky Towers have more prominent highs than the Forests, but also the whole presentation is different. The Forests are more natural and organic and if you compare them to the Sky Towers you’ll feel (at least in my experience) that the latter ones have too many highs and they aren’t refined as much.
I mostly listen to jazz fusion so I highly value soundstage, clarity and general depth, the Forests didn’t disappoint every time I had the pleasure to listen to them. I’d say that they are fine with acoustic music too. If I’m not mistaken, I’ve seen a previous then deleted message where you said you have Nordost cables. So far it seems we have many similarities taste wise and I can tell you that if you choose the right Nordost cables, there will be a huge difference. For example I changed my interconnects from Blue Heaven to Frey 2 with my NDX 2 and the difference was astonishing, highs and mids have never been so great (drums, decay time, life like feeling were all on a different level). So keep the cable difference in mind. Which Nordosts do you have?
Values just tell you part of the story, IMO they have to be taken only as a general indication and they might be useful only to a certain point. In the past I questioned myself about the range difference between the Sky Towers and the Forests, but then I compared them with different gear and cables in the same room and that was way more important to understand them. If I may, go beyond those numbers and trust your ears.
@GregU uses Harbeths… I’ve tested the Super HL5 Plus XD a few times, they have a fantastic presentation and I think they are perfect with classical music for instance. However among Focal, Harbeth and Totem I personally prefer Totem for a more complete experience. But this doesn’t mean the Kanta 2 or the Super HL5 are bad, quite the opposite… all great but suited for different tastes. I’d be happy to have a second system with one of those other brands too.
@GregU do you have a NAP 200 or NAP 200 DR? The Forests do change a lot with the last version of that amp.
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I’ve never really given the frequency response specifications much thought to be honest. I had Hawks (still do, with the Nova) and just demo’d the Forest Signatures against the Kanta 2. I think specs won’t get you too far, can you demo them?
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Which ones do you have? I’ve the Superlumina full loom, which I’m happy with, but have wondered about power cables?
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