Полочная акустика — Totem Acoustic Bison Monitor

The Bison Monitor is a ported two-way stand-mount loudspeaker designed and assembled by hand by Totem Acoustic at the company's facility in Montreal, Quebec. Totem announced it on 7 December 2022 as the compact member of the new Bison Series, launched with three models that the company said would grow over time. Totem says the series is meant to stand for strength, stability and consistency. At launch it was offered in White Oak, Black Ash or Satin White, and the current product listing adds Black Walnut, with a matching magnetic grille for each finish.

Key specs that matter

Up top is a 1.3 inch (33 mm) unit whose soft dome is made of laser etched textile and driven by a neodymium magnet. It sits above a 5.25 inch long-throw woofer driven by a 3 inch voice coil, and Totem states that the tweeter extends to 30 kHz. The maker rates the system response at 40 Hz to 29.5 kHz within 3 dB, sensitivity at 87 dB and nominal impedance at 8 ohm, and recommends amplifiers of 30 to 150 W. The cabinet measures 171 mm wide, 333 mm high and 243 mm deep, or 253 mm deep including the grille, and Totem quotes a weight of 13.49 kg. A break-in period of 70 to 100 hours is specified.

Engineering and use context

Totem describes the woofer as exclusive to the brand, with proprietary elements and magnetics, built to strict parameters by outside driver suppliers. The crossover hands over at 2.5 kHz with a first-order slope. Its parts are hand-assembled and mechanically crimped instead of being mounted on a circuit board, and the joints use WBT silver solder, which Totem calls the purest in the industry. Cross bracing runs throughout the lock-mitered monocoque enclosure, which Totem rates at four times the rigidity of a cabinet joined by V-groove assembly. Its walls use variable density fiberboard, and borosilicate damping replaces conventional fill inside, chosen for longevity.

Pairing

The rear panel carries two sets of gold-plated, high-conductivity terminals, allowing bi-wiring or operation from two amplifier channels per side in a bi-amplified system. Within the Bison Series the same textile tweeter design appears in the Bison Tower and in the Bison Twin Tower, so the monitor can share a system with either floorstander.

Alternatives

Within Totem's monitor range, the Signature One is a 30th anniversary model using a 6.5 inch mineral infused woofer and a 1 inch aluminum dome tweeter in a rear chamber.