@karld the general presentation is surely different, highs are a bit more recessed in the Forests (but there’s still proper clarity and resolution IMO). However in my personal experience the Forests do change a lot (for the better) with proper cables and amps. @Mike_S had that experience too if I’m not mistaken.
Personally, despite being good value, I don’t enjoy the Bison Towers as much as the Sky Towers. To my ears the Sky Towers seem more rounded and softer in the highs, they are really great and enjoyable speakers. I like the sparkling highs of the Sky Towers but they can be a bit shouty and too much in your face at times, especially if you know how the Forests sound.
White Lightning holds everything back a lot, really. I’ve tried the Forests with a 202 / 200DR / FlatCap and they do shine, they sound very different to what you’ve been recently hearing with the SN3. If I were you, I’d try different interconnects in the first place. You’d clean the mids and get those highs back.
If I didn’t hear the Forests with those separates, I wouldn’t be keen on buying them despite their qualities. WIth better amps, to me it’s pretty clear why the Forests are a step ahead the Sky Towers.
However did you tweak the speakers’ position? Is your room treated? At least this is a free upgrade.
@Mike_S that’s interesting, I knew they were coming, just didn’t expect them these days. Did they say the retail price as well? I wonder if they are going to cost as much as the Winds. It might be interesting to compare the two speakers, I’m sure they will sound very different though. By the way I still haven’t understood how they choose the name for their speakers.
@Blacknote I am using the Forests with the SN3 integrated, certainly with separate electronics you would have an improvement although the SN3 integrated that theoretically should drive them without too many problems. The room is treated with panels and sounded very good with the Sky Towers. I was reading that the Forests need to be spaced from the back wall, so I will try to move them as far apart as possible. The differences I found, in my opinion, are due to the materials used and the design choice. Aluminum tweteers are stiffer and have faster decay. To this must be added the value of Crossover slopes: 12dB/octave. Employing test tracks these respond in high frequency very differently between the two speakers. In my case I preferred the performance of the Sky Towers for Folk or vocal-dominated tracks (I also did comparative tests using audirvana which increases the airiness of the tracks) , then of course preferences are personal. On the rest, soundstage spatiality and mid-bass range nothing to say, the Forests are better, but took an improvement over the Sky Towers for granted. I think the Signature version is far better, not surprisingly still the most recommended to date.
@Mike_S@Blacknote I have read early reviews that deine the Totem Tribe Thunderbirds as mini Metal V2 with a relaxed, highly articulate, and immersive vocal presentation. The Frequency Response values (28.5 Hz to 29 kHz ± 3 dB in room) are really interesting. The price above the Wind
As someone who is thinking about changing speakers, I’m quite interested in this new speaker. I had the Sky towers in a second system & rather enjoyed them, looks like this new speaker uses the same/similar tweeter. Haven’t seen the CDN price yet but from US prices looks like their around 20-25% less then the Metal 2’s (depending on finish).
@daren_p Just by reading the specs, the performance is far better than the Sky Towers (as you would expect, given the price). Then you have to listen to the speakers to understand their true value. The advice is to do several tests where possible.
Absolutely, I wasn’t implying they’d be similar in performance, just that I quite liked the Sky towers & thought they offered excellent price/vs performance. I actually did try them in my acoustically treated, dedicated listening space with my 252/SCDR/300DR combo just out of curiosity before I sold them & was extremely impressed with how well they scaled when fed with a front end far above what they’d normally expect. I’ve heard the Tribe towers & Metal 2’s a number of times (not in my own space), just wasn’t sure if the Metal 2’s would be too much for my space (believe they do better with some space to breath), so these might be an ideal option for me.
@karld the SN3 can surely drive them, no doubt about that. Maybe you’d benefit from a HiCap DR too. How far were your Sky Towers from the back wall? Mine are around 50-60 cm. I’m glad your room is treated, it can really help a lot. You don’t seem to be that satisfied so far, am I wrong? By the way you also need time to set everything properly, cables need to be changed when possible, etc. So lot of things to do.
The Thunderbirds are quite pricey then!
@daren_p it’s fascinating to see how Totems behave with better amps, I’ve been very impressed as well. I do wonder how the Sky Towers could sound with a 252 / SCDR / 300DR. They are already impressive with a humble FC / 202 / 200DR.
I agree the Metals v2 need room to breathe and it’s key to their performance as well, otherwise it’s better to stick with smaller speakers IMO.
@Blacknote SN3 I also had the Sky Towers about 50-60 cm apart, I will try to move the Forest further apart to see the result. I had worked a lot on the room and also on the digital part with dedicated switches and subnets, I like to take care of details where possible.
The Forests are very good speakers, they have a wide soundstage and a very good range in the mid bass, I will try to achieve the same balance with them as I did with the Sky Towers. Cabling and positioning will be the next steps to take in the future.
@Mike_S Thank you very much, I will do some tests in the next few days in case I get back to you. You had Signature if I remember correctly, at what distance did you place it from the back wall?
@karld I suspect the Forests need a bit more room behind them, or maybe just a different treatment on the wall behind. You are right, details can have a deep impact and it’s important to take care about them. In some cases, they made a night and day difference in my case.
Also, have you ever tried the Beaks? I was surprised when I used them with the Sky Towers.
@Mike_S Do you think the Forests need any particular precautions to sound at their best? Especially when compared to their smaller siblings.
I don’t find them too busy. I’ve had them with the Nova and SN2 in the large lounge, and with a 252/250 and now 552/300 in the smaller music room. They do respond with system upgrades, but will go well with a SN3. They do like some space and air to breathe, so some space from side walls and rear walls - I’ve just gone with the Totem guidelines. @karld - are they new? They will improve drastically after 100 or 200 hours…
@Mike_S Yes the Forests are new, my room for now is small compared to yours, in a while I will be able to move to a bigger space, you have given me a good reference to optimize, I am grateful. I would have gotten the Signature with my eyes closed, but in Europe they are at a higher budget than the Forests. What genres do you usually listen to with them? Do you hear them balanced in the high frequencies?
For Totem fans, I have some information on a new speaker that will be introduced very soon.
The Totem Tribe Thunderbird. It is a model that uses a 6 inch version of the torrent drivers. It looks like a bigger Tribe Tower, or a small Element metal V2. About 15k canadian and available in late summer 2025.
