Totem Metal v2? Anyone running these? What source/amplification? Would these be an upgrade over the Kudos 606s?
Havenāt heard that model,but Totem have in the past never really been a good match for Naim,sounding rather boring and stiff,in my opinion.
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They didnāt pass the aesthetics committee here (although the committee was well impressed with how they sounded, asking if a Janis Joplin recording was a different one to what she knew, because it āsounded betterā). The committee didnāt like the black monolith aspect of them (especially with a stack of Naim electronics and the TV in the same corner)
Of all the speakers Iāve heard, the Element Metal V2 has been the best. I ran them here with my NAP 300DR, which had absolutely no problems.
Unfortunately Kudos donāt have a presence here in NZ, so I canāt compare them
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Probably not a good match for Oliveā¦
I had the totem sky towers and also sometimes the totem tribe towers - theyāre excellent!
The Totem Tribe Tower is a great match with the ndx2/xpsdr/SN3.
Plan to run the metals with a 500 system - no dealer in in 500 mile radius carries the metals and a 500 series system.
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Well I have had a Naim 500 system and it does not have a totally different sound to an Olive system when it comes to timing etc.
Totem has in some ways the same problems as Dynaudio to engage me
Totem makes some of the most musically expressive loudspeakers Iāve heard, you donāt have to go that high on their lineup to get amazing performance.
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I run a 555/LP12/552/300 into the Totem Forest Signatures and itās a perfect match. Iām sure the Metal V2ās would be fantastic if the room is large enough for them to really move the air around. I havenāt heard the Kudoās to compare.
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Iāve enjoyed many Naim/Totem combinations at dealers. Not the Metal, though, but the older Arro, Straf, Forest, Model 1 and Mani-2 speakers. All of them were great and were very engaging. I would personally have lived to have the Mani-2, but I started out with a Nait5 that really couldnāt drive them. Theyāre hefty beasts but rewarding if you feed them current.
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I think youāve hit the nail on the head @Boekster. Totems will work ok with a smaller amp, but they wonāt really open up and strut their (quite lovely) stuff until you mate them to a brute. At present I am using Forest Signatures (an upgrade from my OG Model 1ās). I tried them with tubes and smaller SS amps, but it wasnāt until I hooked them up to an old (made in France) YBA Passion600 (250/500 wpc into 8/4 ohms, Class Alpha) that they really showed what they can do - disappear and fill the room with music. IMHO, many who find Totems flat and unengaging have not heard them properly amped. I suspect that due to their relatively small size and reasonable price, many fail to give them the juice they really crave, but if you poke around youāll see that Vince almost invariably demos his speakers with mega amps from the likes of McIntosh, Halcro, Pass and, I believe, naim, among others. But the key is that the speakers always appear to be over-matched by the amp when, in fact, they scale up extremely well with better and better amplification. I truly believe that Totems sometimes get knocked solely because they are so reasonably priced - if they cost double what they do, people would be more inclined to match them with the superior power amps that they deserve and hear the glorious music they are capable of producing.
One more thing, when I was looking for something that would do what my Model 1ās could do, but with a bit more grunt, Vince recommended the Forest Sigs over the Winds (which I coveted) or Element Metals, both of which he considers to be ābig roomā speakers. I canāt say he was wrong - Iāve been happy for over 7 years, which is a very long time for me to stay with one speaker. My point is not that you should buy the same speakers that work for ME in MY system and MY room, but, rather, that bigger is not always better - get the speakers that will best ālock inā with your space, not necessarily the most expensive or biggest, and spend the difference on amplification (or records, if youāve already got the right amplifier).
YEMV, etc.
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I think this is exactly right. I coveted the Winds too, but they are a big room speaker. Iām running the Forest Signatures too, starting with a Nova, then a SN2, then 252/250 and now 552/300 and they have given more out each time. I suppose theyād handle a 500 up them too 
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In the past maybe, although I doubt it, but not with the current lineup ā¦
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Thatās good if they now have speed and timing and boogie ,which they have lacked.
I believe Totem use Dynaudio drivers in some models so.
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Yes thatās correct and they have the same problems.
Iām not sure what the issue is, Iāve always found Naim and Totem to be a fine match. Maybe not driving them with enough current? I actually havenāt heard a speaker I prefer over the Forest Signatures.
Have you compared to a Naim speaker ?
No, I havenāt.
I see,hope you can try sometime.
If youāre in Welly at some point, drop me a message. If Iāve still got my SL2ās I can pull them out and we can compare with my FinkTeam Kims (the latter of which are sounding bloody fantastic tonight with the new The The album).
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I think you are spot on @Strat1117 . The first time I heard Totem speakers I immediately felt in love with their soundstage, detail and precision. However I noticed something was lacking, they didnāt have the grunt and the presence I would have preferred.
After that first moment, I had the chance to hear Totems with different amps, most didnāt sound good enough to my ears so I thought the brand might have not suited my taste. But then I discovered it was the dealersā fault, they didnāt know how to make Totems really sing IMHO (what a pity for this glorious brand).
Things completely changed for the better when I heard Totems matched with Exposure or Naim, the magic instantly got in place for me. Proper cables also made a huge difference, Totems are demanding speakers and you need to treat them with that in mind IMO.
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