Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Totem Acoustics Forest Speakers by the analog kid

Model:	Forest
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$3,000
Description:	Two-way floorstanding speaker
Manufacturer URL:	Totem Acoustics
Manufacturer URL:	Totem Acoustics

Review by the analog kid ( A ) on June 12, 2003 at 20:13:34
IP Address: 35.12.26.246

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for the Forest

A few months back I wrote a review (see Archives) on the Totem Forest, which is now the undisputed "King of my household." Mind you, I haven't own a pair of speakers longer than six months over the last ten YEARS - that's how difficult I've found it to find a speaker that's fully satisfying, given my challenging tastes in music (I want a speaker that can absolutely roar when I want to blast Kyuss, Perfect Circle, or Pumpkins, but can show finesse and delicacy when playing Vivaldi or Vaughn Williams).
The Forests do it all. Now completely broken in, they continue to amaze me on a day-to-day basis. Gorgeously finished, their sound is absolutely HUGE. Rich, natural, beautiful mids, pristine highs, riveting lows.
A quick note, however, about their need for POWER. In my original review, I was driving them with my (now departed) Aleph 5. IMHO, this is NOT enough power for the Forests. Although they rate fairly high sensitivity, I honestly don't think you'll hear what they're capable of unless you drive them with a good solid state amp of at least 100 watts. This is MOST noticeable with the bass. Now that they're paired with my Pass X150.5 (see my review, if interested), the bass is prodigious. I actually was considering getting a sub, until I starting pumping 150 watts through them. No more!! The bass is INCREDIBLE. Playing PJ Harvey's "To Bring You My Love" literally rattled shelves throughout the house, without a hint of compression or distortion. Damned if it didn't sound like there was a hidden sub in the room.
So, these incredible beauties continue to amaze and delight me, day in and day out. They remain the only speakers that have lasted longer than half a year in my house (a testimony to my pathological discontent), and there is absolutely NO plan to see them leave in the future.

Product Weakness: no sonic weaknesses that I've yet discovered, although they DO need at least 100 watts to really strut their stuff
Product Strengths: Prodigious bass, phenomenal soundstage, natural tone.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Pass X150.5
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Art Audio Vinyl 1
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Basis 1400/OL Silver 250/Grado Statement
Speakers:	Totem Forest
Cables/Interconnects:	Silversmith Pure Silver
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Rock, Female vocal
Room Size (LxWxH):	22 x 11 x 9
Room Comments/Treatments:	RPG Diffusors
Time Period/Length of Audition:	6 months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Monster HTS2000
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	no sonic weaknesses that I've yet discovered, although they DO need at least 100 watts to really strut their stuff
Product Strengths:	Prodigious bass, phenomenal soundstage, natural tone.