Bookshelf Speaker Reviews

Test tones confirmed that the Sky had quite audible bass output below the 48 Hz -3dB limit that Totem specs for the speaker. There was also an incredibly even match in the timbre of both Skys when I played pink noise on them. Switching from test tones to music, I played a reference track, Bill Frisell's “Blues Dream,” from his With Dave Holland and Elvin Jones CD and heard, clean, tuneful, and notably extended bass given the Sky's compact size. Frisell's electric guitar had a clear presentation and crisp bite, though I wouldn't say it ever veered off into sounding sizzly or harsh.

To double-check and confirm that the Sky's rendering of high frequencies was something I could live with, I streamed the track “Darling,” by Indie rock band Real Estate, from Tidal. The song's bright, jangly 12-string electric guitar sounded well forward in the mix on the Totems. Here again, though, I didn't find the presentation harsh or edgy. Nonetheless, it became very apparent to me that the Sky is a very revealing speaker compared with a more forgiving model like my GoldenEar Tritons, which usually sound fine with most things you throw at them.

To check the Sky's imaging abilities, I played a high-res 24-bit/96 kHz HDtracks download, “Alabama,” from the album In Movement by Jack Dejohnette, Ravi Coltrane, and Matthew Garrison. The shimmering sound of DeJohnette's cymbals spread wide across the room and I heard plenty of detail in his deft drum rolls. I also noted good front-to-back depth in the recording, with ample space between the drums and Coltrane's saxophone. The powerful, raw, textured quality I heard as Coltrane plowed through his solo also showed the Sky to be highly capable of delivering fine dynamics.

Another track, “Is this the Life We Really Want?” from the recent Roger Waters album of the same name further demonstrated the Totem speaker's dynamic ease. Waters' voice floated palpably at dead center while dry flourishes of strings heaped drama onto the laid-back beats and bass. The Skys conveyed the song's expansive mix in an authoritative manner, with precise layering between instruments and voices in the mix.

When it comes to speakers, my personal preference favors lushness over precision, though I'm glad to hear it when a speaker can provide some of both. Listening to a Tidal stream of a techno track, “Syncope,” by Steve Hauschildt, the electronic kick drum had a taut wallop and I heard impressive low-end extension when the synthesized bass drifted in. I was also impressed by the Sky's rendering of ambience: the swirling female vocals had a rich, airy presentation and soared without strain when I turned the volume knob up. Another thing about the Totems that impressed me on this track was their ability to deliver consistent performance at different volumes. Bass remained solid and present even when I turned the level down, and the strands of voices, synths, and percussion retained a vivid, layered presence in the mix.

Conclusion
Totem Acoustic's Sky speaker delivers dynamic, exciting sound from a surprisingly compact package. I normally crave a subwoofer when listening with a standmounted speaker like the Sky, but in this case I was happy with the bass that it managed. I was also impressed with the speaker's imaging, and by its ability to render complex music in a precise, detailed manner without sounding clinical.

Reservations? While I found the Sky's overall sound exciting, on some tracks the presentation could be a bit in-your-face. There are also other great-sounding compact speakers to consider in the under-$2,000 price range, including numerous models that are priced quite a bit less. Still, the Sky is undeniably well-engineered and well-crafted, and it should appeal to listeners seeking something extra from a compact speaker.