Thirty years later and I'm reviewing for Stereophile the Totem Skylight ($1000/pair), a two-way ported standmount similar to the Model 1, but closer in kinship and appearance to the…
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Reviewing a new loudspeaker from Totem feels like destiny—as if a formative moment 30 years ago has come full circle. That's because the first genuine audiophile speaker I ever owned was Totem's now-iconic Model 1, a product whose arrival altered many audiophiles' expectations of how much great—and wide-range—sound a small speaker can deliver. It's still being made today, at least in spirit (footnote 1).
I initially suspected that this midband clarity might be the result of a tipped-up tonal balance, but then I reconsidered: The speakers didn't sound etched or fatiguing. Rather, I think it was because I was accustomed to my LS50s' tonal character, which is darker overall. Through the Skylights, I was hearing more music than I was used to. And faster music, too: The Skylights served at the temple of tempo, keeping things running at a tight clip and on time.
The Skylights revealed the distinct characters of a wide range of recordings. While the music on Walters's album sounded brash,…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, stand-mounted, reflex-loaded loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" laser-etched textile soft-dome tweeter, 5.75" mid/ bass driver. Frequency response: 51Hz–26kHz, ±3dB. Sensitivity: 88dB/W/m (2.83V). Nominal impedance: 8 ohms.
Dimensions: 11.875" (301mm) H × 6.31" (160mm) W × 9.5" (240mm) D. Weight: 10.35lb (4.68kg).
Finishes: Black Ash, Mahogany, Sapele, Satin White veneers.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: SIG 01008, 01009.
Price: $1000/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 225. Warranty: 5 years.
Manufacturer: Totem Acoustic,…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: Rega P5 turntable with RB700 tonearm and Audio Musikraft Denon DL-103 cartridge.
Digital sources: Simaudio Moon 260D transport, Bryston BDP-1 USB Digital Player running Tidal, Bryston BDA-2 DAC.
Preamplification: Audible Illusions Modulus L3A preamplifier, Sonic Frontiers SFP-1 Signature phono preamp.
Power amplifiers: Antique Sound Labs AQ-1009 845 DT tube monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: KEF LS50.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Diamond (USB), BIS Audio Maestro (RCA). Interconnect: Moon Audio Silver Dragon (RCA). Speaker:…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system to measure the Totem Skylight's farfield behavior with a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone. For the speaker's nearfield responses, I used an Earthworks QTC-40 mike, which has a small, ¼"-diameter capsule that doesn't obstruct the sound from the woofer or port.
Totem specifies the Skylight's sensitivity as "88dB," presumably for 1W at 1m. My estimate was 85.4dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is about what I would anticipate from such a small loudspeaker and 1dB higher than that of the KEF LS50. However, while the Totem Skylight's nominal…
Soon after I took over preparing Stereophile's biannual Recommended Components listing from the magazine's founder, J. Gordon Holt, in 1986, I ran into a problem. With so many products listed, the magazine was running out of the necessary pages to include them all (footnote 1). To solve this problem, I looked at how long a typical product remained on the market before being updated or replaced. The answer was 3–4 years. I therefore implemented a policy that unless one of the magazine's editors or reviewers had continued experience with a product, it would be dropped from Recommended…
The bass guitar and kickdrum were reproduced with appropriate force and definition, though I felt I needed to remove the plugs from the Minos' upper ports to optimize the system's low-frequency reproduction. Mark Knopfler's vocalizing sounded clean and appropriately husky. But what really enthralled me about this atmospheric track was the depth of the soundstage. Some of the instruments had been mixed with various amounts of reverb. The piano that accompanies the acoustic guitar at the beginning before the verse, for example, was set way back in the soundstage, behind the voice and marimba…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state, class-AB monoblock power amplifier. Inputs: 1 single-ended (RCA), 1 balanced (XLR). Outputs: 1 single-ended (RCA), 1 balanced (XLR) pass-through loop for multiamping; 2 pairs five-way binding posts. Power output: 450W into 8 ohms (26.5dBW), 850W into 4 ohms (26.3dBW), 1300W into 2 ohms (25.1dBW). Class-A output power: 25W (high bias), 10W (low bias). Current capacity: 180A peak. Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, +0/–0.25dB; 2Hz–120kHz, +0/–2dB. Voltage gain: 29dB or 23dB, switchable. Input impedance: 50k ohms (unbalanced), 100k ohms (…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog source: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply, Linn Ekos tonearm, Linn Arkiv B cartridge, Channel D Seta L phono preamplifier.
Digital sources: Roon Nucleus+ file server; Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP universal player; PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream and Mark Levinson No.30.6 D/A converters; Ayre Acoustics QA-9 A/D converter.
Preamplifier: Parasound Halo JC 2.
Power amplifiers: Parasound Halo JC 1 and Lamm Industries M1.2 Reference (both monoblocks).
Loudspeakers: Vimberg Mino; KEF LS50.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I tested the Parasound Halo JC 1+ with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It"). I preconditioned the amplifier by operating it at one-third the specified power into 8 ohms for an hour with the output-stage bias set to Normal. (With a class-AB output stage, one-third power results in the maximum dissipation in the output devices.) At the end of this time, the side-mounted heatsinks were hot, at 116.7°F (47.1°C). The top panel was a little cooler, at 98.9°F (36.7°C).
The Parasound's voltage gain into 8 ohms, set to Normal,…