My new Hi-Fi reference for a reason: Totem Tribe tower loudspeakers defies physics
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- Опубликовано: 3 фев 2021
- This is my totem loudspeaker review. Simply one of the best high-end floor stander speakers I have owned and will perhaps continue to own in my hi-fi system.
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This video is not sponsored
for more info on how we work:
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There's no such thing as defying physics buddy. Are these really 89db sensitive as they say the are (with the gobs of bass you seem to be hearing)?
Should be sponsored you put in alot of work appricate ya young blood ! 😆
What are the frequency response of these speakers ?
❌✅ Do they out preform Magnepan lrs with a 10” sealed subwoofer added❓ are which one sounds more true to life on vocals ❓
Did I win something from your channel!? If not, this your account may have been hacked.
Thanks Jay, I should try and review some Totems, it's been too long. Nice review!
Yes. That would be rad I am very intrigued...
Can you show some measurments of frequency response.
And the spectral decay
Some have said that they had a problem with resonance when owning the tribe towers. So itd be interesting to see what ur opinion is on that.
I wonder these vs Large Klipsch horns
This is an amazing video! I think it's by far your best, and your old ones are already really great. The way you do the conversation is just, flawless.
I agree. This one & when Jay decides to upgrade from the Tribe to the Totem Metal.
The best review you've ever done. Very exciting and encouraging. Good job. Keep listening.
Thank you for reviewing this product. I am glad you finally did a review on this speaker. Great video.
I was so impressed by this speaker that I had to ask Vince Bruzzese (Totem Founder and Speaker Designer) why not everybody makes speakers sounding like these (dumb question I know, but I was so blown away by the sound). He answered smiling as always: „They can try. Our Torrent Driver is like NASA technology. You can’t recreate it just cause you want to. You have to understand how to use it in a loudspeaker.“
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Wow ! Nothing else to say. They have to be just amazing! From this review . Having followed you from the beginning brother, this is real deal holyfield that was awesome Jay.,.❤️✌️
Great review Jay! I’ve been stressing about tribes for years but nobody believed due to their size. It is not true that only big speakers can sound big!
Props to you for reviewing even though they wouldn’t provide a demo pair. I have Totem forest and rainmakers along with Klipsch and Revel speakers. What totem can do is amazing. Tone, sparkle, balance and imaging are pretty impressive especially for their size. You just enjoy listening to a sweet sound.
It's great that you're reviewing a good few fairly unusual and interesting designs. Some of the other channels are turning into Whathifi
One of the best speakers I have heared and it’s nr 1 on my wishlist
"Every other speaker sounded like it was broken!" - Say no more! Midrange is the money register. I love my Totems - Winds and Signature Ones. Great review - tone is everything, for that's where the feeling is! Nice room too!
How do yours compare to the tribe towers?
Really cool looking speakers!
Excellent review, Jay! Really glad you finally got your hands on a set of Totems. I used to own a pair of Model 1's and absolutely loved them. Sadly, I had to sell my high end home system many years ago. The guy who bought my speakers sent them back to Totem and upgraded them to Signature series. I've had two occasions at CES trade shows in Toronto to meet and talk to Vince Bruzzese from Totem, as well as audition many models over the past several years. If I ever found myself in a position where I was in a better apartment/home, and wanted to again set up a great sounding 2 channel stereo rig; the first brand I'd be looking at for speakers is Totem.
Brought a pair of these home today and holy smokes they are hugely impressive speakers! They play as big and full as any typical floorstander. Even deeper than some I've heard or owned. Soundstage and imaging are big, clear, and solid. Superb separation. I think they might be even more detailed in the midrange than my Joseph Audio Perspectives. Great tonal balance, centered in the heart of the midrange where I like it. I am using them in a bedroom system where space is very limited. It was very easy to position them with just a little toe in. They are driven by a Boulder 866 integrated are not outclassed. It's a great match and amp and speaker both allow each other to shine. Very happy with the Totem Tribe Towers so far!
My Totems are being shipped.
I will be pairing these speakers with am Outlaw Audio preamp/processor
& a newish Parasound Halo A52+ 5 amp.
I am hopeful that it will be a nice pairing.
Shame on Totem for not supplying you a review pair! :(
Did they not ??!! :-)
@@edwardbalboa5528 He bought his own
Thanks for your review
Totem makes many great speakers... Clearly do not get attention from the regular press (which is likely Totem's own fault) yet clearly worth the attention of the actual audiophile consumer. This review fills a major gap in the audiophile review world, thanks for doing it!
I have been listening to music via hifi since the 1987 and I have had the Totem Arros supported by a good subwoofer since 1998 in my main 2 channel system. My upgrade to the Arros are the Tribe towers. Thanks Jay!
jay, im new to your channel but i follow many other channels, im a big fan of totem and the tribe towers are next on my list
Thanks for taking one for the team Jay!
Wassup Jay, Wassup Steve. Love watching you guys, Never stop posting!
This review reminds of how I felt about the PMC GB1i’s. Truly unbelievable the sound that comes out of such a slim tower with the transmission line tech. They do things that few speakers can do. Have to hear the Tribes now
Fantastic, this is hard to believe! Love that piano weight! 👏👏👏👏
Being a huge fan of Totem and owning my own pair of Winds and Hawks I really appreciated this review. Thank you
Eric, which amp you pair them with? Which you think would be a good match to totems?
@@peterjarunek7949 depends on what speakers you have. I’m powering my Winds with a Bryston 4B sst 2 and my Hawk’s with a Anthem MCA 50.
Wow, what a cool review. The choice of speakers is great and even makes me doubt whether I should switch from my Audio Physic Classic 30, which are excellent, to these Totem speakers. The design of the Totems is great and unique. The sound seems to be overwhelming. Great impressions, thank you!
I went from Audio Physics Tempo Plus speakers to Totem Fire V2’s. Yesterday I placed my order for the Metal 2’s.
I enjoy your reviews and respect your opinions. I remember clearly your review of the Kinki Studio EX M7 preamp and B7 monoblocks. You were equally enthusiastic about those amps, also saying they were your new amplifier reference point.
Your review of those amps was brimming with positivity as it was with many other reviewers. So much so, that I bought them. They’re undoubtedly very good. But not to my taste. They are extremely staccato and hence, lack the acoustic mass that I prefer. I prefer a more legato reproduction, it just sounds more natural!
My point, for your viewers, you are obviously an experienced reviewer and knowledgable chap, but you are giving an opinion, naturally biased toward your own preferences.
Excellent review. Thank you. I wish I could hear them.
Thanks for the video. I heard this speaker in Munich and it was one of the best at this show. Crazy speaker.
Nice video, I’m watching it in my home theatre which is equipped with Totem Tribe Three on walls. I was seriously impressed when I first heard them at my local dealer.
Reminds me a bit of my Sonus Faber Sonetto V.
Light in weight, yet so tuneful & powerful in the bass. Lifelike mids... but the tweeter here is perfection.
Same price point. I never have heard the Totum brand in any of the 3 stores I used to manage back in the day. Nice review Sir! 👌🎼✨
The amazing sound was at CES perhaps 10 years ago. First was the Element bookshelf and the next year a floor stander. Following Vince made the smaller Tribe driver for on wall speakers to reduce the depth. Jay would like the discontinued Element bookshelf for a reference. The second generation on their website has a new Element floorstander. These are the only two woofer type drivers built in house from scratch. A labor on love, a driver that takes a whole day to build.
This sounds kust like Vince himself talking. I love your Totem Tribe speakers. Thanks for everything you do.
Recently bought a used pair of Totem Dreamcatchers and totally understand what you mean by defying physics and the midrange tone. Had a pair of ProAcs before that and dare I say these are more musical. Would love to get my hands on a pair of these here in Australia. Great review.
Great review Jay!! I think I just found my new towers!
Great and accurate review Jay. I have owned these for 2 years and love them. I auditioned them against the ATC SCM19 and Harbeth M30.1. The Totems smoked them both.
What type of tweeters are they...aluminum, carbon?
@@davidstein9129 Soft dome tweeter.
Hi Jay, I have just started watching your videos and I really like your approach to the reviews and the way you analyze their character.
Based on a few of your reviews I contatacted Audio Eden and arranged a trade with Robert. I gave up my loved B&W 801's for a pair of the towers.
So glad I did too, they are amazing speakers with everything I like, great imaging accurate tone and tmbre, and tght , quick & deep bass.
Keep up the great work Jay
I went with Totem Sky bookshelfs with A Sugden 21Se Class A Amplifier last month, very amazing and a great match for me room. Really impressed with Totem! Will get the tribe towers in the years to come. I am concerned with my room dynamics so keen to stick to Totem for ease of placement.
Great Review, I've always wanted some Totem Bookshelves.
How do they compare to the ELAC Vela 407s that you reviewed?
I've heard a variety of Totems at shows and they always impress.
Hi Jay
Another great review love your channel
Looking for speakers now just added these to the list have listened to Spatial Open Baffle say sapphire or M3 Turbo
How would you compare these to Tekton Double Impact SEs for a medium sized room, about 20'X30' driven with a Muzushare X7?
I own Double Impact speakers and I bought Totem Tribe Tower based on this review and I sold them in less than a month. I tried to listen to them hoping that I would get used to the sound but every time I switched back to the Tektons the difference was night and day. The Totems sound so colored, veiled and overemphasize the mid and if this is what people call musical, I'd stick with transparent speakers with good clarity. If you own Tekton speakers and you like how they sound, these Totems are not for you.
Wow - big call Jay in regards to tonality. But thats awesome. still like you have indicated i cant see how these speaker defy physics
First solid pair of speakers were rainmakers, totem has a special place in my heart. Build quality was solid, but that was a longtime ago. Deff have their own sound tho.
I tried the Forests but ended up buying the Tribes. They are excellent! I bought them at Audio Eden in Aurora. Mike was great to deal with. These replaced a pair of Proac Response 3 speakers that weigh 120 lbs each with sand in them and are over 41 inches tall and the cabinet is huge....yet the Tribes put out more bass! :)
great review!
Two thumbs up for a great Canadian company👍👍 and a great product from a proud BC boy!
I think you should review more Canadian products.
Nice work Jay.
Can't say I really fancy the look of these but pulling the trigger on a pair some day, seems more than likely inevitable. 😁
Enjoyed review, however I also would sure like to see your review of the Spatial M5 Sapphire spkrs @ $3,450. or better yet the M3 @ $4,950. & how they compare/contrast
with Klipsch Cornwall IV & Tekton Lore References, Best Regards !!
great review
Keep them. Totem is a stand out company. I had a set of Forest from 1999. Wish I still had them. Back then they used a modified Dyanudio driver and seas tweeter.
The model one is among the best sounding Book shelve you can get.
What frequency does it take to make a speaker harsh and bright ? It has to be 20 khz or below as that's the maximum human frequency range. My tweeter has a 38 khz break up, yet my speakers never sound harsh.
how would you contrast the sound with that of the Esse Quadro 177? independent of price, aside from the bass (which these Totems seem to be better), how would you compare the rest of the SQ?
I'd like to know if you have walked us through your system so we know the path the sound takes before it hits the speakers. Please.
Have you checked on golden ear triton 5 towers,they got down to 26hz and are priced very well.
Two cents: What you are referring to in Wilson and Totem bass is a bass hump from a resonant ported design. The bass authority you hear is simply the longer undamped resonance response which centres around a specific frequency a specific characteristic “tone”. This can become tiring because you lose some ability to depict bass timbre properly and a lot of material will sound similar with a characteristic pleasing “tone” in the bass. To get proper bass you need huge speakers so the aesthetic compromise is often worth it fir many domestic listeners.The 4” woofers look awesome and this is a great size for excellent lower mid sound - that is where most two ways fail and this may contribute to your observation of “tone”. The optimal size cone for mid range is probably 3”. This is physics. Good luck with your channel! Nice reviews!!!
I have not heard the Tribe Towers before but your description match my experience with the Totem sound. A bit of a V curve, surprising bass weight for the size and a very natural pleasing midrange. Nice job Jay!
Would love to learn more about that rose streamer. Pls do a review and comparison against other streamers. Thx. Would love to buy it. Let’s us know where we can get one !
Im interested in that also! hope jay does a vid on that ,
Hello there..thanks for the video...last year you did a review on the Elac VELA bookshelf speakers.. and you were impressed..how do these compare with the Elac's...
Totem vs. Double Impact. Which one would you keep?
Great review, I'm the owner of PSB speakers and I know for a fact that Canadian Audio Companies really product some of the greatest audio stuff that is around. I would like to see someone review more of the products that come out of your country some of the reviewers To Me are full of Bull, but not you. I think you are a Young man with a Old Mans music ear. Keep up the great work and Review some PSB stuff NAD also.
I am big fan of Good Ol' PSB speakers too. They give the consumer a lot of bang for their buck.
Heard these today at a show with Prima Luna Amp and Dac. Took me a minute into the second song (which I was familiar with) to realize these were very special. The only speakers that ever impressed me as much were Reference 3a MM MkII. They reminded me of them, but with more extension. No wonder then that I learned that the Totems like the Reference use very advanced drivers with basically no crossover. I guess I will have to get a pair…
What kind of PrimaLuna amp did you listen to the Totem Tribe speakers on?
* Does anybody know if the Totem Tribe Towers will integrate well with the
Model One Signature center channel speaker and Model One bookshelf speakers in a suround sound home setup?
I have read several times online that every Totem speaker line is designed to sound differently from each other.
I've "seen" that you don't need big drivers to get low bass because my Elac FS507 goes all the way down to 26 Hz with their "tiny" 180 mm (7,1") drivers.
how would you rate these against something like the Tekton Double Impact good sir?
Funny, just today I was wondering where all the Totem reviews were on RUclips.
I love my Totem Forest Signatures!! They are phenomenal speakers for sure.
I have a pair of loth x bs1 extremely hard to find in the UK love them just a capacitor on the tweeter as well
Great video and some bold statements. I have the Harbeth SHL5+ 40th Anniversary and I love the tone and midrange and actually even the bass though it doesn’t go as low as this. Do you think these totem’s would be an upgrade as I am in the market? Not sure if you have heard those Harbeth’s but thought I would check.
Hi Jay, I really appreciate your work. I think I need to get on patroon, but I can’t figure out which level. Decisions! Anyway, I was quite intrigued by the Tribe Towers and wondered what amps you paired with them.
Jay, really liked your review and the demo track at1:05. Can you tell me the track name album and artist please?
Thanks,
Greg
Considering Jay use to sell $50,000 speakers this video says a lot!🤯🤔😇
I know you sometimes work with Soundstage and noticed that they published measurements last year. Objectively, they appear quite uneven and are so different than most other manufacturers. How do you factor in measurements when you listen to speakers?
Would love to hear these based on your review. Any chance you are able to record a sound demo?
Hair on fleek bro 👌
Have you ever heard or reviewed any Omh Walsh speakers?
I own a pair and love love and love them. Will never let them go.
@@itsGnTO Well I guess I know what speakers I'm getting next. Haha... Thanks for the comment!
Jay, that's a tall order. when you mentioned the crossovers, the Zu's came to mind. are there any similarities? Also i would think they would have been more efficient. How are the dynamics?.
Hi Jay,
I really appreciate your videos and comments on the various hifi material reviewed, thanks;
I'm looking to buy a pair of Totem Tribe Tower;
I would like to know your opinion on what is the best amplifier to drive the Totem Tribe Tower...
Hegel H390, NAD M33, or another one you've tested?
I appreciate the tonality, the soundstage, the transparency and the control without ever being aggressive in the treble zone.
Thanks
awesome review, i don't like how these Totems look though
Is there any chance you could take a look at PMC MB2 SE speakers?
Other than price, in your opinion, how do they compare with Alta Audio Alec's?
You are that dude from that other channel. I hated your videos before. Hearing you on the other channel made me a fan. I’m gonna subscribe. Warning: I troll hard lol
How are they vs similarly priced tekton models?
A very good question
I wonder how this would sound playing "" Flight of the cosmic hippo"" by Bella Fleck ?
Enjoyed your review Jay. Ended up getting a pair of Totem Tribe Towers to go with my Bryston System. Any suggestions on audio stand/rack? I'm also in Canada. Cheers.
Awesome review. Could you share the info on the song that you opened the video with please? Would love to check it out.
How do they sound with the NAD C298? Is AB or tubes better sounding than class D Purifi ?
Great review Jay ...But .wut about your very own Canadian based Bryston A2s for 2k less ...iv not ever heard you ever mention the Canadian based Bryston speaker family.....iv heard great reviews of them for a few years now..any thoughts?.I am forsure intreaged by your Totem s as well....Thanks
I would like to hear your results after playing a track like My Little Universe by Depeche Mode from their Sounds of the Universe album. Those 4 inch drives will be traveling somewhat lol. But seriously what is the length of travel of those cones?
My initial impression from a visual aspect for a $5k speaker is that surface mounting the 4 inch drives on a plate does not look like $5k manufacturing quality, but I would need to take a much closer look
Great video Jay. Can I ask what size your room is? Thanks
I will experiment with how far I pull out these speakers from the back wall.
Can someone kindly give an estimate of how far I should move the speaker away from the back wall?
In my listening space, the distance from the back wall to the front wall/ listening area is 16 feet.
Thanks
Thanks, Jay for your review. Can I know the first unit that you switch on with the big screen? Is it a streamer?
I sure hope these are as good as you say Jay.
I have been struggling to hear these since your review. First I contacted Totem Canada to locate a dealer in my neck of the woods. Then gave me the US sale rep's number and he said he had a pair of Tribes in his garage and that he could send them up to a local shop 20 minutes away from my house! So, I contacted the shop, found out they are moving and just starting to remodel their new place, so call back mid-summer.
Next, I called around the next big major city, which is a 2 hour drive south from me. I called 4 dealers, finally the last one has a pair! Mad an appointment to drive down and give them a listen the following Saturday, then they shop owners Mother suddenly passed away, so we cancelled that demo.
After missing a few more demos due to me recovering from a second Coivid vaccine dose (BOY, was I sick) and my wife getting over an infection, we are now FINALLY going down to hear the Tribes, tomorrow at 11 AM.
I sure hope there as good as you say Jay...
Wow, that’s amazing. I admit I prejudged em when I saw their size
no shame there. I was the same way
Is that Hifi Rose streamer? Beautiful
I wonder about the distortion at high volumes. Drivers that travel this far have to struggle staying linear through their full extension. The surround creates a lot of force on the drivers when they travel this far as they need to travel much farther than a large driver. Physics is physics.
Interesting though.
I was thinking the same. I wonder how they sound at low levels. I have several pairs of speakers and have found that my larger driver speakers sounds better at low levels.
I think you might be right. Because I demo'd Totem speakers before years ago and remember the salesman saying don't push them to hard or the woofers will distort.But they did sound fantastic at lower volumes.
I think that they do have a lot of distortion in mid to high volume, I've listened to those extensively and found them to be harsh, bright and to me, it seemed like they had no bass extension whatsoever.
I'm very surprised by Jay's review.
I heard these speakers at audio fest and they had them playing loud in a large open room and they were distorting.
@@DW-ue3fs Me too, I heard the same
whats your opinion on the rose dac/streamer?
I heard them some years ago... It was like the speakers have nothing to do with the sound that sits like a hologram in the room... They are so transparent and yet musical.. I heard Angels singing... I love my larsen 4.2 speakers, they are great... but these are mind blowing ..... clear and free sounding like a crisp bell yet substantial like a chestful wooden instrument. I will get them someday
I would love to purchase these sound wise, but unfortunately don’t think they look very good.
Hi Jay, I owned the Element Fire's for a short while - just like you said, what Totem does with these hand made bass drivers is unreal. It was as I remember, one of the fastest drivers I've experienced in this price class. Its hard not to buy another used pair. The Metal's are one of my short list dream speakers. Great review!
Did you find with the Totem's you had, did you find that the imaging was holographic?
@@davidstein9129 they certainly were amp dependent. Lower quality amps did not bring out the best in the Totems. However, once I hooked up a Mark Levinson No.331, I was gobsmacked by the resolution and imaging - almost like a pair of high quality headphones, they imaged so well with that amp.
@@2ChannelListening I am using a 5 channel amp. It's a Parasound Halo..rated at 300 Watts into 4 ohms×5.
I should be fine.