As a Totem speaker lover, I’ve always been curious to experience the whole range. Somehow I managed to test most of their speakers in the current line-up, including those with the Torrent drivers (Tribe Tower, Element Fire v2 and Element Metal v2).
Did you experience and maybe compared them to their “conventional” speakers? Did you test them with Naim gear and what do you think of them? I find it hard to properly judge them as I haven’t been able to directly compare them with the same gear.
I have no doubt saying that the imaging is excellent with the Torrent drivers, I’d say it’s superior compared to the Forests or Winds. So I can easily see why Mr. Bruzzese is enthusiastic about these drivers. The bass is fast and deep too. The Tribe Towers have a fantastic response in medium sized rooms while IMHO and IME, despite of what they state, the Elements (both of them) need bigger rooms to really shine, also they need power to deliver what they can do. The Tribe Towers are surely much easier to position in small and medium sized rooms compared to the Forests or Forest Signatures, so I can easily see the advantage in some systems. However I suspect that if you use fast cables with the “conventional” range, you’ll be somehow much closer to the feeling of the Torrent drivers.
I’m curious to hear your point of view. Thank you very much in advance!
If I’m not mistake @Mike_S has the Forest Signatures, the Hawks and the Rainmakers. I think I’ve read somewhere that he dreams of the Element Metals. If he’s heard them with Naim gear, I’d be curious to know his POV of course. Maybe he’s been able to compare the Forest Signatures and the Tribes too, who knows!
Indeed, those are the 3 pairs of Totems I have. The Forest Signatures are in a smaller room (5.1m by 3.7m, low ceiling) with the 552/300 and it works really well. The Hawks are with a Nova in a large open plan lounge area, which works well - I did have a NDX2/SN2 plus PS’s with the Forests in that room before I moved the main gear to my office downstairs for a dedicated listening space.
I would be keen to have the Element Metals, but I would want a much larger room for them - though some have said they are fine in smaller rooms. The Forest Signs are just so good, I’ve no need to really change them.
I’ve heard the Tribe Towers but I don’t recall with what application. They are very good, but I’d prefer the Hawks or Forests for the lower end performance provided you have enough to drive them at their best. I have the Forest from a Nova, SN2, 252/250 and now 552/300 - they are a completely different speaker with more current up them. Lower down the Naim range I suspect the Tribes would be a better match. I’d think the Metals need a 300 or 500 to sing.
Thanks @Mike_S for your reply. Do you think your room could accomodate speakers like the Winds or do you think it would be the same story with the Element Metals? Some told me that the Winds would be fine in small rooms too, but I doubt, especially if walls are reflective. As you said, I think these speakers need some power to perform really well. I’ve heard the Winds with the NSC222/NC250 and they performed surprisingly well despite my initial doubts, but I’m pretty sure they would be better off with a 300 DR or the new 350.
The Forests give a more complete package compared to the Tribe Towers, I do agree about the low end performance. The Tribe Towers lack of that despite being incredibly good for their size.
Out of curiosity, how did your Forest Signatures change during your upgrades? I’ve heard the Forests (not Signatures) with Exposure 3010S2 D, SN2, SN3 and 202/200 DR. They really started to shine and open with the latter combo and it’s intriguing to see how the speakers react and change (sooner or later I want to upgrade my speakers and I have a soft spot for the Forests). Unluckily I couldn’t directly compare them to the Signatures, I know you clearly prefer them.
Mostly the weight and dynamic range opened up a lot more, slam, speed of transients, tighter texture and definition in the bass, that type of thing. It would be fun to try a 500 with them
Juicy stuff then! I think your Signatures would sound amazing with a 500 and I suspect you crave for it. Totem speakers seem to be very happy when they get more quality power. I’ve been amazed by my small Sky Towers so far. I bet you must have been very happy even with your little Rainmakers, I think they sound delightful.
Right now my system is NDX2/NAC202/FLATCAP/NAP200DR. I’m very happy with it but my actual speakers are the real limit, so sooner or later an upgrade is needed. My room is a little bigger than yours and I think the Forests would blend it pretty well. Have you been able to compare the normal Forests and the Signatures with a setup like mine? Maybe the Signatures need more power and control to shine.
I think the Forest Signatures would be fine with a 202/200 set up. I ran mine with a SN2 in my music room (the same room I use now with the 552/300), and the 202/200 should be a step up from that. My dealer always said that the Signatures were just a step up from the originals, in that they just did everything better on the back of the same system.
Maybe, but the system is finished unless there is an unexpected windfall.
When I demoed the SN3 against my actual system, the difference was substantial to my ears. More clarity, more weight, more dynamic, etc. If you were fine with a SN2, my setup would be good without a doubt. I’d love to compare both the Forests and the Signatures in my system, hope to do that.
Never say never, hope you’ll get the 500 one day!
In case you are interested, it’s rumored that a new Torrent floorstanding speaker is coming out next year and should be positioned between the Tribe Towers and the Element Metals.
When I was looking for speakers to replace my SL2s, the Totem Element Metal was the speaker that I loved the most. Amazing sound signature (552/300), and they worked really well in my room (5.5 * 7m, so not too large), even with polished wooden floors, lots of glass, and nothing in the way of room treatment.
Unfortunately, my wife wasn’t so keen on the black monolith aspect of their design
Thanks @frenchrooster, it seems all the Totem aficionados are lurking in this forum.
@JonoB Did you compare the Totem Element Metals with the Winds for example? Unluckily I’ve heard the Metals with an amp I’m not really fan of. I do wonder how all the Torrent drivers would behave when driven differently, especially the Element Fires. At any point did you ever feel the Metals were too much on the bright side? Was the holographic soundstage too prominent? However I could clearly hear that the Totemness I love was still there. What a pity you didn’t end up with the Metals.
That confirms one of the strenghts of those drivers, they adapt better to different listening rooms.
Curious where you heard this? I’m a fan of Totem & have their torrent based speakers on my list of potential new speakers but have wished there was something between the Tribe Towers & the Metal 2’s in a floorstander size, so that would be great news if true. I have wondered if my room would be a bit on the small side for the Metals, so an in between model might be just what I need.
I no longer have the Totem tribe Towers. I upgraded!
The Tribe Towers are nonetheless amazing little speakers. Those 4 inch Torrent drivers pump out a lot of sound. In a small to medium room like mine, they fill the room with sound.
They also look good and take up very little space. I enjoyed my time with them.
I’ve heard that rumor from a dealer who recently visited the factory. I bet the supposedly coming speaker will be the sweet spot in the Torrent range. The Tribe Towers are exceptional for their size, I have no doubt @DanielH enjoyed them. But they lack of base, even though they want to hide it and they are good at that. My room is roughly 5m x 5m, what about yours? Right now I have doubts that something bigger than the Forests will sound good and perfectly optimized, especially because I wouldn’t like to sacrifice the holographic soundstage and the airy sound.
@DanielH I noticed the Tribes do fill a medium sized / big room very well, I was astonished at first. Did you compare them side by side with the Forests, maybe with a Naim amp? I wonder what made you upgrade from those speakers, maybe the lack of bass?!
I would be just slightly smaller ~3.8m x 6m, have you had the Metal 2’s in your listening space, if so, how’d they work? My room is a dedicated listening space & is acoustically treated (including 16" ASC tube traps in all 4 corners, floor to ceiling)
No, it was not the lack of bass. I thought they were ok.
I had funds available, so I got myself a pair of Sonus Faber Electa Amator III. The Electas have a bit more bass than the Tribes.
The EA3 is a better speaker, but is twice the price.
I think your Signatures would sound amazing with a 500 and I suspect you crave for it. Totem speakers seem to be very happy when they get more quality power. I’ve been amazed by my small Sky Towers so far. I bet you must have been very happy even with your little Rainmakers, I think they sound delightful.
