Totem Staffs

Posted by: Greg Beatty on 15 February 2002

After finishing my ProAc testing at Soundworks, I felt obliged to ask the chap what speakers he would recommend in the $1,000 - $1,500 range. He immediately said the Totem Staffs were the best in the shop at this price point. Two blinks later and we had the diminutive floorstanders hooked up to the Naim system.

WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!!

This was the first time of the day that I listened all the way through the test tracks we had been using: Ella Fitzgerald 's "I'm Old Fashioned", some hard swing by the Tom Cunningham Orchestra (local group), and a song on a Christmas CD that has male vocals). All of this was just pure fun.

Now I really wanted to see if these speakers could rock. I popped in Tommy (The Who) and halfway into Overture I had turned the volume up three times and was looking to get my hands on a beer. Make mine a double - there is a PARTY going on here. And I was all alone (how often does THAT happen?). Man, these speakers are seriously good. I was hearing more and *getting the point of the music* better than I have in years. The last time Tommy sounded like this was when I was spinning it on my Technics turntable in High School.

I've not heard the Totems with other amplification so I can't say if Naim is the best to feed them with. I have heard a fair number of speakers on the end of Naim and a Naim owner can shortlist these without fear. These arereally good speakers.

The *only* thing I noticed is that they have an upper mid-range emphasis compared to the ProAcs. I don't know which speaker is more accurate - but when the Totems get swinging, I'm not sure I care. These things just dance at the end of a speakerwire. If I wasn't a Certified Audio Weenie I would have bought the Totems on the spot and laughed all the way home knowing I had gotten the Audio Bargain of the Century. But, I do not like to buy and sell stuff so I need to audition some other kettles of fish before buying. Magneplaners and LS3/5a's are on the shortlist. What else should be on the shortlist?

The Totems are made in Canada so for us US buyers they represent great value. The components and quality of wiring are not seen in US or UK speakers at this price point here in the US.

And I may just keep the ProAc Response 2's. They are very good speakers. Not quite as much fun as the Totems, but very good and probably more accurate.

- GregB

Insert Witty Signature Line Here

Posted on: 15 February 2002 by Bernard Paquet
Just imagine the price we pay here in Canada! The same price as you but in Canadian dollar!!!

Bernard Paquet

Posted on: 15 February 2002 by Mike Sae
Greg,
I'm glad you wrote this, as I'm starting to understand your speaker tastes.

I did some casual dems of the Totem line (Staff, Hawk and Forest) vs. the Epos line and much preferred Epos. I found the Totems had certain qualities that I wanted to get away from by going to Naim in the first place.

Therefore, ignore all my previous recommendations wink

Posted on: 15 February 2002 by Greg Beatty
I've been poking around on the 'net looking for stuff on the Totems. It seems that the scuttlebut on these is that they are imaging monsters. The way we had them set up and using Naim kit wink the result was rather flat-earthish. These Totems were very dynamic - although I'm using ProAcs as my reference point and others have stated they find ProAcs laid back. So I dunno...

When I bought the ProAcs, they were the most dynamic speakers I had heard short of horns or Naim's speakers. But I couldn't live with the coloration of the Naims, so no SBLs for me. I may not be able to live with the upper mid-band warmth of the Totems either.

- Greg

Insert Witty Signature Line Here