Totem Forest Signature Impressions


It's been a long road since the late 90's and my first High End system...Dunlavy SC-5's and Levinson gear.  Then it began.  The obsession with trying to improve my system...over and over and over and...yup, got the bug and a one way ticket to the audio merry go round!  So lots of gear and many speakers later, I have always held out hope that one day I would find that magical conduit through which I could be connected to the emotional sinew of the music.  I had owned a pair of stock Forest speakers while in temporary housing around 2004-2005 but gave them up when I moved to my next home.  Those Forest's have never completely left my thoughts or my heart.  After my recent foray into the rarified air of pricey components but one more time, I found myself yet again unsatisfied.  What to do?  I sold it all and decided to revisit the past but with a twist....Forest Signatures driven by a Krell Vanguard Digital amp and sourced by a BlueSound Vault 2.  I heard this setup at my local dealer and I was flabbergasted at just how right the music sounded.  Cash was exchanged and CD's were ripped and the listening began anew....it was like hearing my first really great stereo again when I was a kid.  All my music sounded like it was alive and full of emotion!  All that makes listening engaging sprang forth from the Forest's..3D soundstage, palpable imaging, tonal accuracy, crazy dynamic swings and phase correctness like I never heard.  Everything just sounded right and true and in balance.  Music lives and breathes again for me through my Totem Forest Signatures.  They are true music makers...and they surprisingly play large, low and loud.  There are bigger speakers and there are more expensive speakers...but there are none better at communicating the essence and emotion of the music.  It took me awhile to see the Forest's for the trees, but Im sure glad I gave Totem another listen.

128x128dave_b
dave congratulations! Awesome story and glad you are loving your speakers and system so much now! Enjoy!
Tidal HiFi subscription is a must with the Bluesound if you don't have it already. Masters with MQA will sound incredible through those Totems. Enjoy.