Well... It sucks.
Like very few other speakers, it does have the Batman sound signature...
Like very few other speakers, it does have the Batman sound signature...
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Totem Acoustics Rainmaker Speaker Review
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
You know things are bad when the frequency response looks like the first speaker someone puts together using only on-axis measurements, with no baffle step compensation, 1/3 octave smoothing, and at least 2 beers ingested prior.
Thanks for the data!
Being a Canadian, I thought it prudent to give Totem a try when looking for speakers. I recall the shop staff glowing about the Totem brand. They were always prominently displayed in showrooms as a premium brand. I assume they paid a great commission.
However, when pitting the much more expensive Totem against Monitor Audio Silvers, I found the Silvers much easier to listen to. The Totem sounded aggressive and exciting at first, but I soon tired and preferred the more "mellow" Silvers.
At that time, I didn't know to look for frequency charts, so I was just going by ear. Fortunately, I chose the Silver and have been super happy with that choice. The next speaker will certainly be from Revel, but the MA Silvers have done a fine job all these years, and I saved me a bunch of money too.
Being a Canadian, I thought it prudent to give Totem a try when looking for speakers. I recall the shop staff glowing about the Totem brand. They were always prominently displayed in showrooms as a premium brand. I assume they paid a great commission.
However, when pitting the much more expensive Totem against Monitor Audio Silvers, I found the Silvers much easier to listen to. The Totem sounded aggressive and exciting at first, but I soon tired and preferred the more "mellow" Silvers.
At that time, I didn't know to look for frequency charts, so I was just going by ear. Fortunately, I chose the Silver and have been super happy with that choice. The next speaker will certainly be from Revel, but the MA Silvers have done a fine job all these years, and I saved me a bunch of money too.
uwotm8
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Well in old days Totem sound was described as "solid DIY speakers"
Pretty much that on graphs we see!
P.S. Amir's listening experience once again shos those of us - who actually listen to music - that things what scare ruler-equipped graphics listeners can be actually acceptale if not even pleasant. Classic upper bass and treble boost, pretty flat midrange except that resonance; what else do you need for pleasing casual listening? Drivers they used are far better than typical garbage you find in cheap studio monitors etc what sound like a dull trash despite all DSP/PEQ tryhards Once I owned a pair of Castle standmounters with simillar signature and sound was sweet, relaxing and unannoying. Just don't try to play Slayer on these and you're perfect.
Pretty much that on graphs we see!
P.S. Amir's listening experience once again shos those of us - who actually listen to music - that things what scare ruler-equipped graphics listeners can be actually acceptale if not even pleasant. Classic upper bass and treble boost, pretty flat midrange except that resonance; what else do you need for pleasing casual listening? Drivers they used are far better than typical garbage you find in cheap studio monitors etc what sound like a dull trash despite all DSP/PEQ tryhards
Once I owned a pair of Castle standmounters with simillar signature and sound was sweet, relaxing and unannoying. Just don't try to play Slayer on these and you're perfect.
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DSJR
Major Contributor
Purely a subjective knee jerk based on other speakers with 'appeared' to use a similar bass-mid driver with plastic? frame... I expected an upper mid-lower top 'squeak' and that's what appears to be here, masked by a thumping mid bass and over-hot mid top end to add some sparkle (the tweeter lift is a known way of drawing attention away from midrange faults in my experience).
Trouble is, get too used to this kind of presentation and anything remotely 'flatter' will sound boring in comparison at least until you get used to it.
Trouble is, get too used to this kind of presentation and anything remotely 'flatter' will sound boring in comparison at least until you get used to it.
An excerpt from the Totem Rainmaker white paper:
It reminds me of the B&W 805 D4:
www.soundstagenetwork.com
It reminds me of the B&W 805 D4:
SoundStageNetwork.com | SoundStage.com - NRC Measurements: Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 Loudspeakers
so you're saying the Token Rainmaker does not in fact, 'make it rain'
i would guess this is more a slice into what a company did 20yrs ago with access to specific tools to make this one conform to expected standards
but rather it was tuned 'by ear' by the manufacturer
i would guess this is more a slice into what a company did 20yrs ago with access to specific tools to make this one conform to expected standards
but rather it was tuned 'by ear' by the manufacturer
beagleman
Major Contributor
Overall not horrible, but simply "okay",
It is the price that makes them poor to me.
Polk audio can make a better speaker for like $200.00 a pair..........
It is the price that makes them poor to me.
Polk audio can make a better speaker for like $200.00 a pair..........
I had three of these as my center / left /right speakers back around 2007ish. They were the shortest lasting speakers I ever owned. Almost all Totems suffer from cabinet resonances. My wife watched one movie and said, I don’t like the sound. It was the first time she ever cared about audio, previously saying she couldn’t hear the difference between multiple speakers.
Make it rain girl, make it rain
Make it rain girl, make it rain
Make it rain girl, make it rain
Make it rain girl, make it rain
Make it rain girl, make it rain
Make it rain girl, make it rain
Make it rain girl, make it rain
Make it rain girl, make it rain
Make it rain girl, make it
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Thanks for the review.
The results were not surprising to me at all, having heard Totem speakers for many years. My friend owned some totem signature one speakers for quite a while, and our local high-end Emporium always stocked Totem speakers, prominently, displayed and playing music. Like B&W they have a house sound every totem speaker I ever heard sounded just like this one measured and how Amir described it. A combination of some lower end warmth, scoop in mids and a peak in the highs which brings out a bit of shine to the sound. My pal recently reviewed some Totem stand mounted speakers and they had that recognizable sound. I’ve found they can sound pleasant but the coloration to me is too obvious to live with.
The results were not surprising to me at all, having heard Totem speakers for many years. My friend owned some totem signature one speakers for quite a while, and our local high-end Emporium always stocked Totem speakers, prominently, displayed and playing music. Like B&W they have a house sound every totem speaker I ever heard sounded just like this one measured and how Amir described it. A combination of some lower end warmth, scoop in mids and a peak in the highs which brings out a bit of shine to the sound. My pal recently reviewed some Totem stand mounted speakers and they had that recognizable sound. I’ve found they can sound pleasant but the coloration to me is too obvious to live with.
the batman sound signature is obviously deliberate as lots of Totem speakers have weird peaks and dips. The designer tunes everything by ear. This is the definition of house sound
Some people want their food to be doused with hot sauce every chance they get. This is the audio equivalent. Never mind what the chef intended, I'm going to carry around a bottle of hot sauce and dump it on every dish I get. (it's sad, I knew somebody who just did exactly that)
Some people want their food to be doused with hot sauce every chance they get. This is the audio equivalent. Never mind what the chef intended, I'm going to carry around a bottle of hot sauce and dump it on every dish I get. (it's sad, I knew somebody who just did exactly that)
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Thanks, I enjoy the older equipment reviews as many of us junkies get our fix by looking for hidden gems on the secondary market. It also fun to compare how we perceived a brand strictly on old marketing and faulty reviews filled with flowery terms with who know what equipment in the set up. Then to see a real view of the product…
ahhh! Turmeric anyone…
ahhh! Turmeric anyone…
cavedriver
Addicted to Fun and Learning
Yeah, there are a lot of used speakers I'd like to see spinoramas for. But I won't mention them all here so everyone else isn't also trying to buy them
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Looking at the measurements fresh this morning, one of the things that stands out is the super-wide (uncontrolled) dispersion. Especially in a showroom where you're walking around and hearing things, these sound "good" a lot sooner than other, more controlled speakers do. One of the reasons I lived with my Totems as long as I did was the amount of time I spent listening to them anywhere but in their sweet spot in our mid-size condo. I would never counsel anyone to buy them for that reason, but I would almost argue that they excelled in that usage
I'd expect based on the lack of corrections that the crossovers for these are mega-simple, offering lower material/labor cost and better margins for the manufacturer and dealer in the process compared to others in their price band.
I'd expect based on the lack of corrections that the crossovers for these are mega-simple, offering lower material/labor cost and better margins for the manufacturer and dealer in the process compared to others in their price band.
Such a lazy example of a first-order speaker.
They would at least damp cabinet/port resonances and add a notch filter for break-up of a woofer.
Not much expenses and significantly better distortion graph. I just can't beleive that manufacturers are such greedy dolts.
Or maybe they expected that low impedance with expected high SPL will induce safety shutdown of an amp before customer will complain?
They would at least damp cabinet/port resonances and add a notch filter for break-up of a woofer.
Not much expenses and significantly better distortion graph. I just can't beleive that manufacturers are such greedy dolts.
Or maybe they expected that low impedance with expected high SPL will induce safety shutdown of an amp before customer will complain?
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Is this an example of a moment in time (~15 years ago) when speakers were supposed to have their own distinctive voice? Great review btw. It’s nice to see what manufacturers were thinking or not thinking about historically.
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