Stand Loudspeaker Reviews

Manufacturer's Comment

The Fire V2 is a "system" that not only includes revolutionary crossover-less Torrent Driver technology, but additionally provides a harmonically tuned advanced geometrically aligned cabinet, connectors, and tweeter crossover that seamlessly and correctly activate a powerfully Dynamic and Totally Seamless Spatial Soundscape "In a Room Environment." If there are seemingly termed "resonances," these are purposefully accentuated or manipulated to add or subtract sound activation in the room in a purposeful manner.

Today's Torrent-based speakers are revolutionary in their sonic and technical merits and deserve a more critical technical and 21st century, true-life measurement scenario.

Totem speakers are designed for practical use in a room and to be deployed with little to no toe-in. This allows for a wider sweet spot and enjoyable real-world experience for the customer. In order to do this, power response must be uniform and there can be no beaming or breakup. Off-axis is actually the preferred axis and 0° horizontal will be the worst measurement. Totem is the only maker where an in-room response can be better than a nearly full-field response. The process is to work with the room, not against it.

• Our measurements indicate between 15° and 30° horizontal is the flattest, most true timbre for playback and as said above, results in uncolored sound to a wide sweet spot. No one wants to listen in a praying mantis position.

• The ideal power response and linear phase characteristics of Totem speakers result in surreal imaging where speakers disappear, and the listener enjoys a true soundfield.

• While we thank Stereophile for its efforts and of course Herb for this review, we rebuke traditional measurements, as no one is listening in an anechoic chamber and the need for excessive toe-in creates a narrow, nonideal, harder-to-enjoy listening arrangement.

• Totem was not able to reproduce the suckout in any way. Further backed by an independent analysis.

• John Atkinson does understand traditional loudspeakers and their goals. But this Totem Fire V2 is simply not a traditional loudspeaker.

Torrent Crossoverless Drivers are a huge step up in speed, transient articulation, and clarity without having control loss on the lower two octaves of music. This eliminates tone and clarity issues which invariably lead to harmonic inconsistencies higher up the frequency register. Without any reservations, the Fire V2 does not need either a crossover or specific time aligning via tilt- or low-pass filters, as our full analysis of FFT slices in the band that covers Torrent-to-tweeter integration is more than exemplary. Remember, this is the 21st century.—Totem Acoustic