Totem Sky, Part 19
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| Posted on September 10, 2021 at 15:45:41 | ||
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Posts: 7336
Location: Bay Area Joined: December 11, 2000 |
Regarding comparisons of the Totem Sky to other loudspeakers, an Inmate emailed, "C'mon Lummy, everyone's been pointing at the elephant in the room. Everyone's been waiting for the shootout against the originals." When giving permission to quote him, he put forth, "C'mon Lummy, surely you're aware that everyone compares your writing partners. They're all arguing about who's the best or worst. Honestly, I don't have a favorite. I think they're all kind of similar in age, education, musical tastes, values, and critical assessment. It's just that some are more humorous than others."  During Memorial Day weekend 1993, my friend Kuma and her sister Maddie visited me at UC Santa Cruz. Their arrival was the only thing, which could make me put down the April 1993 Stereophile, which had a review of the original Totem Model 1. We went to Well Within Spa, where the energetic Maddie liked to bounce quickly, from sauna to shower to hot tub, and over and over again.  Back then, as an audiophile with minimonitors, you were made to feel inadequate. But as Kuma slinked into the outdoor hot tub, lay her head on the lip, closed her eyes, and soaked in the sun, she had no problems or qualms, about minimonitors. She pointed out that the Totem Model 1 had the same dimensions as my Pinnacle PN-5+, which she liked. So in Kuma's mind, the Totem Model 1 was merely a much higher-end version of the Pinnacle PN-5+. Maybe the glorious late morning sky was a sign, that years later, we'd get the Model 1's successor, the Sky.  At the time, the Totem Model 1 was only available in black ash or mahogany. Shortly thereafter, Totem made it in so-called "Aboriginal" cherry. It was a lighter shade, with a fiery undertone. Maddie thought that Aboriginal cherry was "ravaging."  In 1997, I bought the Thiel CS1.5, a small, nominally floorstanding speaker. It sounded absolutely wretched, in my square, 15'x15', overcrowded room. The CS1.5 was so bad, it drove my friends from the house. But that did encourage us to get out, and go on more road trips. By then, Maddie, who had graduated from CSU Long Beach, remained in SoCal. So why not drive down, to visit her and other friends?  When we'd get down to SoCal, it was a treat, to get Jamba Juice. In early 1998, Shania Twain came out with "You're Still The One." And that planted a seed in my brain. Since the Thiel CS1.5 was too big for my room, why not check out the Totem Model 1 Signature, which had been launched in early 1997? The Inmate above wrote, "C'mon Lummy, audiophiles stay home. We do not go on road trips with girls."  Again, if you were with us on these road trips, in dinky subcompact economy cars, you had to be very careful, if you were sitting in the backseat with a girl. She may not have been the best match, but that's how you ended up with her as your girlfriend. We'd stop, and when you got out to stretch, you often remained with that girl. With everyone else at the hotel, you and the girl went out for a walk at night. There was something about the cool nighttime air, along the California coast. The girl pulled you closer, and everything just felt right, so you kissed her.  Like sturdy speaker stands, my friend Petey easily lifted up Magdalena. On a road trip, they got together, and cemented their relationship. They eventually married each other a few years later. And that brings us to...  ...my first Totem M1S. I ordered it in cherry, which, in the late-90s, had switched to a darker and uglier finish. Because of reviews, ads, and photos, it was de rigueur for M1S owners to get 4-post stands. These brought out the M1S' (mid)bass capabilities, and prevented the mids from getting too lean. However, this drew attention to the M1S' roll-off of the top octave. The Totem Sky does not roll off the treble. Therefore, heavy-duty 4-post stands are A-OK for the Sky. The Inmate wrote, "C'mon Lummy, everyone sees the girls' influence over you. You're more like them, than us. You're the only one who cares about aesthetics."  When I got married, my wife and I got the Totem Forest in maple. This finish was so lovely, we ordered a Totem M1S in maple, for my parents' place. The Totem Sky is only available in black ash, mahogany, and satin white. It is too bad, that Totem long ago discontinued that lovely maple. Since the Sky is not available in maple, satin white is better-looking than the black ash and mahogany.  Okay, so the Totem M1S looked gorgeous, in Aboriginal cherry and maple. The other aspect where the M1S was superior to the Sky was its (the M1S') use of WBT binding posts. In practice, he Sky's awful stair-step terminal box precludes us from using spades. You have to use bananas or bare wire. But here's the thing. The Sky sounds killer, with the affordable Kimber 4TC "shotgun" bi-wire. With the M1S, we found ourselves getting the pricier speaker cables. The original XLO Reference Type 5 (and you needed two, for bi-wiring) was a sensational match for the M1S (and Sky, as well). Let's say you have a reference-level system, a small-to-medium sized room, and quality stands. There are some family resemblances, so you might think of the M1S and Sky as sisters. If that's the case, then they are different, like Kuma and Maddie. From midbass to the middle of the midrange, the M1S is warmer and fuller than the Sky. But the Sky is faster, cleaner, and more transparent. Both speakers are equally resolving, but the Sky does not roll off the treble, which is critical. If you have a couple of guests, and they are standing around, the M1S does a better job, of getting sound to wrap around them. If someone is standing near the Sky, the sound will be blocked. If you are like Kuma, who likes to hum along to songs, the M1S is subjectively "smoother." The Sky's tendency towards leanness can be easily addressed, by your choice of electronics, cabling, and stands. If you like to sing on the can, in the shower, and on road trips, the Sky does a better job of bringing that out. If you like to pretend that you are The Police's Stewart Copeland, the M1S is a little better at kick drum, but the Sky is much better at capturing how Copeland's Paiste cymbals go on forever.  Nowadays, we still, on occasion, get Jamba Juice. But the overwhelming favorite is boba. The warmer and smoother Totem M1S is more like a smoothie. The leaner, cleaner, faster, and more energetic Totem Sky is more like fruit teas. If you like alcoholic beverages, well, sorry, the girls and I do not drink, so we are not at liberty to comment :-)  Pointing at the other elephant in the room, the Inmate wrote, "C'mon Lummy, everyone knows you have the Fire. Grab Kuma or who[m]ever, and get cracking!" -Lummy The Loch Monster
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| ROTFLOL! Priceless! (nt), posted on September 10, 2021 at 20:00:09 | |
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Posts: 7408
Location: Long Beach, California Joined: January 5, 2001 |
NT
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| I am impressed by all that mildew in the hot tub enclosure. nt, posted on September 10, 2021 at 22:14:22 | |
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Posts: 7506
Joined: December 9, 2000 Contributor Since: November 1, 2005 |
nt
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| RE: I am impressed by all that mildew in the hot tub enclosure. nt, posted on September 10, 2021 at 22:20:37 | |
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not just any mildew! black mold sux ... as in, run away sux
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| Who's the Pervy One?, posted on September 11, 2021 at 05:33:14 | |
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Posts: 10581
Joined: April 12, 2002 |
The Jamba Juice cup was the Subject. If you don't like his stories, don't read his posts. Simple.
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| Agree----NT, posted on September 11, 2021 at 07:55:59 | |
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Posts: 1722
Joined: March 23, 2001 |
NT
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| Alas..., posted on September 11, 2021 at 11:17:10 | |
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Posts: 31878
Location: San Francisco Joined: July 8, 2003 Contributor Since: January 28, 2004 |
your optimism is high regarding the number 20. Laughing Sal is more well known round these parts than That Fat Lady, who, only WOULD, only COULD sing that tune. View YouTube Video "Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure 
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| "Jamba Juice" ? Doesn't that come from... , posted on September 11, 2021 at 15:31:15 | |
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Posts: 2242
Joined: February 19, 2021 |
Oh never mind.
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