The Official Totem Acoustics Speakers Thread

[BigAl87]

John you might as well buy the claws and keep your MDF base with the spikes so you can chage when ever you feel like, I like the look of the Hawk and considering the very classy look of the cabinet why not give them a wow factor with the claws once in while. I like both but some change sometimes is nice.

I like all the Totems regardless of their look they all have their little distinction.

[BigAl87]

For who ever's interested here's a good reviews on the The One and the Rainmaker.

The One
http://www.canadahifi.com/Totem_Acou...ers_review.php

Rainmaker
http://www.canadahifi.com/Totem_Rain...ers_review.php

[PSB_Paradigm_HSU]

Originally Posted by BigAl87

For who ever's interested here's a good reviews on the The One and the Rainmaker.

The One
http://www.canadahifi.com/Totem_Acou...ers_review.php

Rainmaker
http://www.canadahifi.com/Totem_Rain...ers_review.php

Heres another I just came across:

http://www.sonicflare.com/archives/t...ker-review.php

[-DLS-]

Got to see these yesterday but since I just dropped in and was only in the city for the day I couldn't demo them. Someone was taking their time enjoying the Totem demo room. The rep told me to make an appointment next time I visit so he can set up a room with the Sttafs, Hawks & Forests. Won't be back in the city til next month though and doubt I will have time again then.. The rep did not want me to hear them unless they were set up properly.. which is good I guess since they were in the big room with everything else.

Would really love to hear them all... beautiful looking speakers though!!

[BigAl87]

Originally Posted by -DLS-

Got to see these yesterday but since I just dropped in and was only in the city for the day I couldn't demo them. Someone was taking their time enjoying the Totem demo room. The rep told me to make an appointment next time I visit so he can set up a room with the Sttafs, Hawks & Forests. Won't be back in the city til next month though and doubt I will have time again then.. The rep did not want me to hear them unless they were set up properly.. which is good I guess since they were in the big room with everything else.

Would really love to hear them all... beautiful looking speakers though!!

DLS
Your digms are not too shabby either . Yes indeed I'm a lucky bastard that lives in Montreal where those are made. I have 2 dealers in my area that carry Totem both places are setup with top gear using Silver Totem Wiring. Indeed they sound beautiful not as loud as Studios 60 or 100 but I would say somewhat maybe more refined. It's a matter of taste.

You may very well prefer your Studios but they are definitely worth listening to.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by -DLS-

Got to see these yesterday but since I just dropped in and was only in the city for the day I couldn't demo them. Someone was taking their time enjoying the Totem demo room. The rep told me to make an appointment next time I visit so he can set up a room with the Sttafs, Hawks & Forests. Won't be back in the city til next month though and doubt I will have time again then.. The rep did not want me to hear them unless they were set up properly.. which is good I guess since they were in the big room with everything else.

Would really love to hear them all... beautiful looking speakers though!!

What dealer did you hear them at DLS? Bay-Bloor? A real shame you didn't get to hear them, but the rep was correct. Like any speaker, they should never be listened to in a large open showroom.

Originally Posted by BigAl87

DLS
Your digms are not too shabby either . Yes indeed I'm a lucky bastard that lives in Montreal where those are made. I have 2 dealers in my area that carry Totem both places are setup with top gear using Silver Totem Wiring. Indeed they sound beautiful not as loud as Studios 60 or 100 but I would say somewhat maybe more refined. It's a matter of taste.

You may very well prefer your Studios but they are definitely worth listening to.

The Paradigms are wonderful speakers indeed, and it seems lately that many members here are gravitating towards them.

John

[-DLS-]

Originally Posted by BigAl87

DLS
Your digms are not too shabby either . Yes indeed I'm a lucky bastard that lives in Montreal where those are made. I have 2 dealers in my area that carry Totem both places are setup with top gear using Silver Totem Wiring. Indeed they sound beautiful not as loud as Studios 60 or 100 but I would say somewhat maybe more refined. It's a matter of taste.

You may very well prefer your Studios but they are definitely worth listening to.

Thanks BigAl.. I do love my Studios and wouldn't trade them for my HT room but I do love the Totem Winds and would love to hear more from Totem since I am hoping to start a 2 ch setup upstairs... not for awhile though.

I like alot of the speakers I have heard lately and that's what I love about this hobby. Locally though I am limited to Paradigm and Energy unless I drive to the city which is 3 hours away.. but I'll take any chance I get to go to the store to listen to more speakers!

Originally Posted by John72953

What dealer did you hear them at DLS? Bay-Bloor? A real shame you didn't get to hear them, but the rep was correct. Like any speaker, they should never be listened to in a large open showroom.



The Paradigms are wonderful speakers indeed, and it seems lately that many members here are gravitating towards them.

John

Hey John! I was in Edmonton and got to hear some great speakers.. not ideal demo time but at least got to experience some more stuff from Focal.. Sonus Faber and The Paradigm Sigs again! The Sonus Faber Cremona M's were amazing speakers!! I would love to put them beside the Totem Winds since I got the same feeling as i heard them sing.. just going by memery it's hard to say what I like better but I can say they are the only 2 that really had that "WOW I wish I had that kind of money right now" effect on me!!

Vince Bruzzese was actually in the store last month to give a full info and demo session on the whole Totem line. Wish I knew about that then. I would've drove down for sure! The store actually has a Rainmaker apart and laid out on a table for an exploded view so you can see exactly what goes into them and the build is very solid and not cheap looking at all... I didn't quite understand everything the rep was explaining but he represented them very well!! I only had my phone but I don't know why I didn't take pictures of that.

And Yes the Paradigms are wonderful but like I mentioned to BigAl I would like to experience anything that I can. I do notice alot of members with them or planning to buy some Paradigms lately! I am glad I got mine at the price I did since I see there was another price increase.. It's been almost a year now since I got them and I still get excited to watch a movie like the day I first got'em. They are also great for music but I do want something simple upstairs and so far my mind is stuck on Totem but I really want a good chance to hear them properly..

[BigAl87]

I THink my next Totem audition will be the Mite, Rainmaker and the Hawk.

I want to see how the Mites perform next to their big brothers the Sttaf.

I want to be able to compare both the Hawk with the Sttaf also and the Mite to the Rainmaker see what comes out it.

I loved the Arrow for specific and were better than the Sttaf for female vocals and reproduced highs in a way that I I have yet to hear again, precisely and extremely detailed and somehow powerful but not harsh, jaw dropping experience. Overall I preferred the Sttafs for their balance and better versatility and still gave me the shivers.


So far the Sttaf is my choice for the next upgrade but I want audition Totem Rainmaker, Hawk Mites and Dynaudio Focus, Excite as well.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by BigAl87

I THink my next Totem audition will be the Mite, Rainmaker and the Hawk.

I want to see how the Mites perform next to their big brothers the Sttaf.

I want to be able to compare both the Hawk with the Sttaf also and the Mite to the Rainmaker see what comes out it.

I loved the Arrow for specific and were better than the Sttaf for female vocals and reproduced highs in a way that I I have yet to hear again, precisely and extremely detailed and somehow powerful but not harsh, jaw dropping experience. Overall I preferred the Sttafs for their balance and better versatility and still gave me the shivers.


So far the Sttaf is my choice for the next upgrade but I want audition Totem Rainmaker, Hawk Mites and Dynaudio Focus, Excite as well.

I know with a great deal of certainty that the Rainmakers will blow the Mites out of the water. I would have preferred them when I owned the Mites, but budget came into play.

I can't remember the sound detail differential between the Sttafs, Hawks and Forrest's too much as I spent most of my time auditoning the Sttafs and some Focals, but I do remember quite clearly that as you move up the line there was better bass defination and upper-end "air". I'd need to go back for a full audition to make a proper assessment between them.

John

[BigAl87]

Originally Posted by John72953

I know with a great deal of certainty that the Rainmakers will blow the Mites out of the water. I would have preferred them when I owned the Mites, but budget came into play.

I can't remember the sound detail differential between the Sttafs, Hawks and Forrest's too much as I spent most of my time auditoning the Sttafs and some Focals, but I do remember quite clearly that as you move up the line there was better bass defination and upper-end "air". I'd need to go back for a full audition to make a proper assessment between them.

John

Thanks John for the heads up I'am debating also if I go Bookshelf or Floorstander, I know that the Rainmaker can produce a tremendous amount of bass for a bookshelf in fact it has the same frequency response as your Sttafs. At 1100$ I think they would look and sound great in my Living room.

I will certainly not go with the Forest or Model One Sig as they are totally out of my price range but in fact the Model one is cheaper than the Hawk mmm! why not give them a try.

If I go with Hawk as main then I get the Rainmaker as surrounds for a total of 4000$, 4x Model one Sig. is almost 5400$.

Decisions Decisions!!!

I will not buy for another year and a half or 2 years but I'm shopping around for true ear pleaser.

Olivier

[callas01]

Originally Posted by BigAl87

Thanks John for the heads up I'am debating also if I go Bookshelf or Floorstander, I know that the Rainmaker can produce a tremendous amount of bass for a bookshelf in fact it has the same frequency response as your Sttafs. At 1100$ I think they would look and sound great in my Living room.

I will certainly not go with the Forest or Model One Sig as they are totally out of my price range but in fact the Model one is cheaper than the Hawk mmm! why not give them a try.

If I go with Hawk as main then I get the Rainmaker as surrounds for a total of 4000$, 4x Model one Sig. is almost 5400$.

Decisions Decisions!!!

I will not buy for another year and a half or 2 years but I'm shopping around for true ear pleaser.

Olivier

Oliver,

You need to check into Dynaudios. If your gonna spend almost $5500, Revel, Focal, Dynaudio, Totem and Dali.... you need to hear all of them.

[BigAl87]

Originally Posted by callas01

Oliver,

You need to check into Dynaudios. If your gonna spend almost $5500, Revel, Focal, Dynaudio, Totem and Dali.... you need to hear all of them.

Look a few posts up lol I mentioned the Focus and the Excite and trust me they are all on my list of must audition.

BTW John picked Totem over Focal-JMlab for his final decision.

[BigAl87]

Originally Posted by callas01

Oliver,

You need to check into Dynaudios. If your gonna spend almost $5500, Revel, Focal, Dynaudio, Totem and Dali.... you need to hear all of them.

2200$ for 4 Rainmaker bookshelves that can go as low as 42hz mmm that could be a money saver.

[callas01]

Originally Posted by BigAl87

2200$ for 4 Rainmaker bookshelves that can go as low as 42hz mmm that could be a money saver.

Yea,.... the Focus 110s get down to 45 hz also.... I am leaning towards the Excite X16s down to 40 hz and I hear the bass is deep sounding.... I will be listening to a lot of speakers just like you when the time comes... and in about a year or two also.... Dali, Totem and Dynaudio, although the Dyns are leading the pack at the moment..... But I will be listening to the Focal and Revels also.....

Paradigm, B&W, Energy, PSB and Monitor Audio are not even close to being in the conversation at the moment.....

[BigAl87]

Originally Posted by callas01

Paradigm, B&W, Energy, PSB and Monitor Audio are not even close to being in the conversation at the moment.....

I get ya on that I'm not considering them either even if they all make great speakers for the money I feel that Dysn and Totem have this sort of home made look.

They don't look commercial.

[callas01]

Not just that but when I heard the Dalis and the MA's next to each other I knew right away that there was another deeper level to speakers I hadn't yet fully experienced and I want to see what these brands all have to offer and pick from the best of the best at that price range..... I really think that although all these speakers, make good speakers, but what you can get from a $1200 bookshelf is better then other companies $1200 towers, I mean, that says a lot about how good of a speaker these companies make, silky highs, detailed and deep mid-range, very good slam on the low-end from a small bookshelf speaker.... I mean, I cannot wait to get the money together to get these speakers.


Oliver, what are you planning to power your new speakers with? I am thinking a NAD receiver or as a backup plan Marantz. I am hoping to walk out with the X16 and X22 Center with a NAD 747 for about $3k, and if I am lucky I want to add the DM 2/6 bookshelfs as surrounds.....

[BigAl87]

Originally Posted by callas01

Not just that but when I heard the Dalis and the MA's next to each other I knew right away that there was another deeper level to speakers I hadn't yet fully experienced and I want to see what these brands all have to offer and pick from the best of the best at that price range..... I really think that although all these speakers, make good speakers, but what you can get from a $1200 bookshelf is better then other companies $1200 towers, I mean, that says a lot about how good of a speaker these companies make, silky highs, detailed and deep mid-range, very good slam on the low-end from a small bookshelf speaker.... I mean, I cannot wait to get the money together to get these speakers.


Oliver, what are you planning to power your new speakers with? I am thinking a NAD receiver or as a backup plan Marantz. I am hoping to walk out with the X16 and X22 Center with a NAD 747 for about $3k, and if I am lucky I want to add the DM 2/6 bookshelfs as surrounds.....

Yes I would qualify the sound to be as more refined even though they don't fill room as big as studio 60 from Paradigm for example they achieve a different level of sound reproduction they don't sound commercial either. They really bring you into the music you don't have to try to find the pros and cons of the speaker they totally transport you.

I'm thinking of an external amp to power them not sure if I will change the receiver right away already I should notice great sound with something like a Rotel Amp. 1565 D class if I can get away with it for 2000$

2200$ for 4 Rainmakers and 900$ for Rainmaker Center for a grand total of 5100$.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Good morning callas!

Looks like you and Oliver have had quite the discussion in a thread that normally doesn't see much action. Wonderful to see btw, but then you can say I'm somewhat biased. LOL!

Unless I win some money I'm a long way from upgrading my Sttafs, but I will say that if I did, I would certainly not limit myself to an upgrade within the Totem line such as the Hawks or the Forrests.

I would audition more of the Focal/JM Lab offerings (again) plus the Dyns, Dalis and quite possibly the Sonus Fabers. So many great choices!

One of the things that has always attracted me about the Totem line of speakers is the simplicity and elegance of their design. I obviously bought the Sttafs for their sound signature, but their aesthetic value to my eye was also a factor and most likely the deciding one in the end. I think we all incorporate some of that thinking when making a purchase for any component.

Bottom line as we all know is to try as many speakers as possible and surely one or two will jump to the forefront. And I think that is when the true comparisons and evaluations begin.

John

[naturephoto1]

Though I have not heard them, you may want to also try to audition the new Nola Boxer monitor speakers and the Nola Viper 1A and Viper IIA speakers as well, or even the Nola Reference LCR speakers. I have heard the Nola Viper Reference II (they are now the Reference III). I have also heard many of Carl Marchisotto's previous Alon (Nola is Alon backwards) as well as his Dahlquist designed speakers. At present, I use the Nola Reference LCR speaker as a Center Channel speaker and I also have my rebuilt Dahlquist DQ-10 speakers as well as my Dahlquist DQ-6CI (the woofers are being rebuilt by Dahlquist/Regnar).

Rich

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by John72953

Good morning callas!

Looks like you and Oliver have had quite the discussion in a thread that normally doesn't see much action. Wonderful to see btw, but then you can say I'm somewhat biased. LOL!

Unless I win some money I'm a long way from upgrading my Sttafs, but I will say that if I did, I would certainly not limit myself to an upgrade within the Totem line such as the Hawks or the Forrests.

I would audition more of the Focal/JM Lab offerings (again) plus the Dyns, Dalis and quite possibly the Sonus Fabers. So many great choices!

One of the things that has always attracted me about the Totem line of speakers is the simplicity and elegance of their design. I obviously bought the Sttafs for their sound signature, but their aesthetic value to my eye was also a factor and most likely the deciding one in the end. I think we all incorporate some of that thinking when making a purchase for any component.

Bottom line as we all know is to try as many speakers as possible and surely one or two will jump to the forefront. And I think that is when the true comparisons and evaluations begin.

John

At the vinyl demo I was at in Toronto a couple weeks ago they were using Totem Staffs as the speakers. Wow, do they ever belittle their size, they were magnificent sounding, not only was I impressed by the wonderful clarity and openness of the highest frequencies and harmonics, but the low end was truly formidable for woofers that size.

Colour me truly impressed.