I most recently went from Vandersteen 2Ce Sig II (manufacturer spec -3 dB at 29 Hz) to Thiel CS2.4 (manufacturer spec -3 dB at 33 Hz). Using a tone glide in my system/room, I could hear some output from the Vandersteens down to the mid 20s. With the Thiels, I don’t hear much, if anything, below ~30 Hz.
But in terms of music, the only song in my collection where I could hear a difference in terms of bass *extension* was Tracy Chapman’s "3000 Miles". That song has an organ tone that had at least some weight via the Vandersteens but is barely audible via the Thiels. The Thiels can reproduce everything but the left most key on a piano, so they capture virtually all musical content. In regards to bass *quality*, the Thiels are tighter and better defined than the Vandersteens.
So, yeah, I think it’s possible to hear the difference in bass extension between those Totem models but only on a tiny subset of songs.
But in terms of music, the only song in my collection where I could hear a difference in terms of bass *extension* was Tracy Chapman’s "3000 Miles". That song has an organ tone that had at least some weight via the Vandersteens but is barely audible via the Thiels. The Thiels can reproduce everything but the left most key on a piano, so they capture virtually all musical content. In regards to bass *quality*, the Thiels are tighter and better defined than the Vandersteens.
So, yeah, I think it’s possible to hear the difference in bass extension between those Totem models but only on a tiny subset of songs.