Напольная акустика — Totem Acoustic Bison Tower

The Bison Tower is a ported two-way floorstanding loudspeaker from Totem Acoustic, engineered and hand-built in Montreal, Quebec. It was announced on 7 December 2022 together with the Bison Monitor and the Bison Twin Tower as the opening trio of the Bison Series, and of the two towers in that launch it has the lower height. The launch finishes were White Oak, Black Ash and Satin White, and Totem's current listing also includes Black Walnut. Every finish comes with a matching magnetic grille, and the series was presented under the theme of strength, stability and consistency.

Key specs that matter

Two custom engineered drivers are used - a 1.3 inch (33 mm) soft dome tweeter of laser etched textile and a single woofer, both built to Totem's own parameters by outside suppliers. Totem rates the response at 33 Hz to 30 kHz within 3 dB, sensitivity at 88 dB and nominal impedance at 8 ohm, and the suggested amplifier power is 30 to 150 W. Each cabinet measures 175 mm wide, 849 mm high and 232 mm deep and weighs 14.47 kg. The maker specifies a break-in time of 70 to 100 hours.

Engineering and use context

A crossover with a first-order slope divides the band at 2.5 kHz. Its components are mechanically crimped together on fiberboard or insulated polymer boards, and where soldering is needed Totem uses WBT silver solder. The cabinet is a lock-mitered monocoque with full cross bracing and handmade crossovers, stated to be four times stiffer than V-groove construction, and it is veneered both inside and outside. Its variable density fiberboard has greater density near the outer edges than at its core, intended to reduce repeating nodes and resonances. At the base sits a newly engineered acoustic decoupling claw made of a high-density DELRIN composite, which Totem says controls surface resonances, and the launch announcement describes the claws as optional. The port is on the rear panel and uses energy from the woofer's movement to extend bass output.

Pairing

Connection is through a four-way, bi-wire capable terminal block with gold-plated posts, which accept spades, bare cable ends or banana plugs, so the woofer and tweeter can each receive their own cable run. The Bison Monitor from the same series uses a related tweeter and the same cabinet construction, allowing a matched stand-mount pair elsewhere in a multi-room system.

Alternatives

The Bison Twin Tower is the bigger tower of the Bison range, a two-way three-driver ported design with dual woofers rated at 4 ohm, 90 dB and 31 Hz to 29.5 kHz.