Totem Acoustic Staff Loudspeaker Review!

[@jaytea2891]

I've had the Totem Sttaf's for over a year now and love them. They are a great speakers for the price and well suited to the urban environment (big city small spaces). These speakers are perfect for for those of us who want the sound and depth of a floor standing speaker but are limited in space. I stuck with the French theme and paired these speakers with Atoll components (100 series) and couldn't be happier.

[@andyOsalek]

This is probably my favourite speaker with right amp. My favourite combination is with vincent.236mk can listen for hours without fatigue and this combo gives me more joy from listening than many 2-4x the price setups I used in the same room at the same time

[@rustyfan89]

I put 5lbs of sand for mass loading and I think it made a world of difference for the better

[@Mrdavidr23]

I bought a pair of these in cherry and they rock! Matched with a Naim Uniti I couldn't be happier. I listened to ProAc, Dynaudio, Spendor +++ These took the prize. Also not a fatiguing speaker, I can listen all day and they're not even broken in.

[@phantasm1004]

Awesome looking speakers! Great review. Killer legs!!!

[@kenship1972]

Last Sat. I picked up a used pair in white, a 3 year old, paid less than half of the org. price, a steal deal I must say. Hooked it up to a Marantz 2245, very sweet sound from Alison Krauss. My question is: is it a good idea to biwire it using the main+remote speaker terminal from the 2245?

[@jlmain5777]

Nice review. These look like a great choice for a small room, as well as the Arros.

[@paulantoniuk3503]

I bought a used pair of these, and also bought matching bookshelf, mahogany finish, both of them

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

The Hawks are magical. I bought them myself, so yes. If you can swing the extra money and can power them well, go for it. 1.5ft from the wall is perfect.

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

I don't know where this hate comes from. Mass loading does not reduce the volume, it has it's own sealed chamber just for that purpose. Your comments are a load of crap.

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

They'd sound great paired with decent electronics. The tweeter is a textile dome, so yes the top is very smooth. Price varies on finish but in the US currently they start at $1950 a pair.

[@2024Warren]

I know it's been a long time, but what would you regard as the relative strengths of the Sttaf vs the Arro? I have a pair of Arros and I can buy a pair of Sttafs for cheap (and sell the Arro's I guess) if it is a real upgrade in sound quality. I note that the Arro is still a current model as of 2022 while the Sttaf is not. I wonder why that is.

[@TheNecrocoil]

Hey Clint, very soon I'm buying my father's previous system consisting of Totem Staff which recieved the filter upgrade by Totem (Staff's after that date came with upgraded filters in place) and the Rega Brio (old clamshell version) and the old Rega Planet. Already bought Chord Chorus interlinks and Totem Tress speaker cables for the system :) It will all fit into a Solidsteel 6.4 rack. The Brio and Planet have both recieved multiple upgrades.

[@MercerHockey]

Thanks so much for your response!! your time is greatly appreciated

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

@sieracki001 Well this is definately not how they were designed, but feel free to experiment and let us know what you think. Not all speakers sound best "On-axis" though either. Totem doesn't even recommend toe-in until they're quite far apart.

[@philipgardiner2003]

How would stack these up against B&W 685 or PMC twenty 23 or 24? And would Parasound A21 w P5 pre amp work well with any of these? Thanks. Great review.

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

Different sounds, you'd just have to listen to understand. The Totems are pretty magic though, their limitation being max volume and impact. Their advantage is pretty much everything else. An A21 and P5 would be fantastic, that's what I've got connected to them at the store. The A21 would be fine with just about any speaker too. An A23 would work on the Staff too.

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

Thank you. For my personal tastes and the slight difference in price, I'd go with the Staffs. You get deeper bass response, a warmer mid-range and a fuller sound. The Staff is a giant killer.

[@MercerHockey]

Great reviews! I love them! My room is about 20x 12 with the speakers on the 12 foot wall, would you recommend the Arros or the Staff? I do have a sub that I could use in this system if needed. I listen a variety of music from Jazz to Metallica. Most of my critical listening is done on vinyl. the Arros I would drive with my 50 watt Arcam, the Staff I would drive with my 110 watt Odyssey. Any recommendations would be appreciated! thanks!

[@anjin_x]

The Martin Logan owner that was depressed after hearing the Sttaf's must be doing some very wrong. I've got Martin Logan Montis right beside my Totem Earth and the ML's absolutely lay waste to them (not an easy pill to swallow as I'm a long time Totem owner). Maybe when I get the Metals around September they will be able to keep up.

[@alfredtolentino8614]

+anjinsan1977 Hi, I have the ML Vistas in a small room. I was thinking of trying out the Sttaf to see how they would perform next to my MLs. Interest in more of your input and experiences with both speakers. What will I miss from my MLs if I went the Totem route?

[@anjin_x]

+alfred tolentino You will miss out on speed and transparency if you get rid of the Martin Logans. The Sttaf is the only Totem speaker that I don't really like. Personally I'd go with Arros or Hawks. With the Totems you will gain musicality, if that's something that can be measured.

[@alfredtolentino8614]

+anjinsan1977 Actually the Arros were on my list first, but I thought Id loose alot of bottom-end with the small driver, but my REL should compensate for it. Is the imaging on the Totems THAT good? Better/larger sweet spot than the MLs?

[@anjin_x]

+alfred tolentino Totem just has a very different sound. It's like comparing apples and oranges. The big thing is Totem speakers are very picky with amplification

[@alfredtolentino8614]

+anjinsan1977 Thanks for your input. There's not a dealer around me that carry's both models to do an A+B comparison. I'll be running a Mac Amp. Are there certain genre's of music you prefer to listen to with the Totems over the Martin Logans?

[@ca77721]

Totem's have the ability to produce amazing imaging,sound stage and detail.They use some serious parts/materials and technology.Considered one of the best value in speakers.

[@sieracki001]

I just have one observation to make. Traditionally the midrange drivers should be essentially at ear level to be on axis (generally this is where the energy is). So would these speakers be better off on a stand maybe 1-1.5 feet tall?

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

I believe they use the paint in all thier designs. We have both the Arro's and the Dreamcatcher's in our store and the Arro is definately "better", but at nearly 3 times the price it should be. It's got a different tweeter, and outputs suprising bass as well. The Dreamcatchers are a great mini-monitor though.

[@MercerHockey]

Wow that was fast, Thanks!! The Hawk worth looking at? $1000 more and the amplification would cost an extra $500. Plus I cant move them out very far from the wall, about 1.5 feet.

[@Stere0guy]

Clint, how do you think the Staff's would sound in a bedroom system? About 10 inches away from the back wall and sides. Is the top end smooth? How much do they cost? Thanks.

[@derekhellmann515]

Thumbs up wife approved Totem Staff.

[@petedertouzos789]

It seems like Totems are very sensitive to what's driving them. Is a Marantz SR5008 a suitable amp for these speakers?

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

It should power them, but I generally recommend either separates or a quality Integrated amp instead. It should work without problems but there's more performance to be had.

[@kloug2006]

Are they pleasing to husbands too ?

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

Ha, yep! These have been replaced by the Sky tower though, and then the Bison Tower now.

[@alfredtolentino8614]

Will these "Image like crazy" just as the Arros?

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

Well, you've got to hear these on a pair of JC-1 monoblocks. They will amaze. The Hawks are even better with that much power.

[@MASTERVETEAM4]

What about the TEAC AH500. It is small but it got plenty of power. And a huge toroidal transformer? :P

[@raymondleggs5508]

Pyle PT395 also has toroidal transformer. And so so a lot of dayton and audio source power amps. Which makes hem a good value for the price.

[@johnstarling1246]

Would a Marantz PM6005 integrated power these ok is a smaller room?

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

I think you mean Ember's. I've heard them and they are awesome, I agree.

[@ronnieseek]

Awesome review! ^_^

[@Gdlen1]

is the Mahogany real wood veneer or vinyl? not that it matters to the sound, just curious

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

Real wood veneer, also veneered on the inside as well. Totem doesn't use any vinyl.

[@TheNecrocoil]

Hoping to upgrade to a Rega Cursa 3 and two Exon 3 amps in the near future, after getting a decent power filter. Totem Staff are amazing speakers which never stop amazing me even after knowing them for a long time.

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

TheNecrocoil Yep, the Staff is an awesome speaker, enjoy them!

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

This is my day off, the store is closed, or am I not allowed to wear shorts ever?

[@tkc324]

Hey Clint, great reviews! Would you recommend Arro or Sttaf for a smaller room?

[@harryt988]

Like the legs

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

@ronnieseek Thanks!

[@lucioquinzio948]

raise them by 30 cem and you will see (and hear) the big difference

[@NavStuff]

make a video of your workout?

[@Roof_Pizza]

It's STTAF not STAFF.

[@ca77721]

Doesn't matter where there they are made(Though Canada makes kick ass audio speakers!).Because the consumer always gets fucked in Canada!

[@raymondleggs5508]

You can't quite get real bass from a "baby" floorstanders like these. something like the fluance signature, Jamo's flagship towers, Polk signatures, Digital research DR1610(dont laugh) to getthat. Big deep cabinets multiple front and side woofers huge bass ports you can stick your fist in.

[@ericeagleson8309]

You're wrong. The bass these little guys fill a small to moderate size room with is unbelievable. Obviously you'll get more bass with a giant speaker, but the fact these put out sub 40hz out of a 5 inch woofer defies physics.