First off, my system:
Bryston B-60R Integrated Amp
Rotel RCD-971 CD Player
Sony 7700 DVD Player
Silver Audio Silver Bullets 4.0 Interconnects
- CD Player -> Integrated Amp
- Pre-Out -> Main In (custom length 5")
Factory Interconnects from DVD to Integrated Amp

I've spent just under a week now auditioning the Totem Arrow speakers in my home. My short list for speakers are: Thiel CS 1.5, Sonus Faber Concerto, Magnepan 1.6QR and just out of curiosity, I went to listen to the new Arrows (which are at a lower price point).

The Arrows were connected to a Classe CAP-150 integrated, CAL CD Player, MIT interconnects and Transparent speaker wire. The arrows were placed about 3 feet from the back walls and about 3 feet from the side walls in a smaller size room.

My first impressions was disbelief and amazement. The soundstage was HUGE, and after moving the speakers about 2 feet from the back wall, the bass was absolutely amazing. After going through my CD collection I brought with me (classical, jazz, light pop) I had to take them home for a real demo. My first impressions told me that I found my speakers for half of what I was willing to pay (see the speakers on my short list above). I was having so much fun with these speakers in at the store, when I put in Sara McLachlan, she sounded very harsh, so I stopped her within 15 seconds. Frank Sinatra immediately went back in because he sounded so clear, and he sounded like he was right there in front of me.

My first day with the Arrows at home, I was still in amazement with the bass performance - speed, accuracy and punch. And the soundstage was so big, both high and wide. Some friends were over at the time, and they were blown away by the bass performance from such a small speaker. Everything I heard in the store was in my home now. I thought I had found my speakers.

When I was done listening and demoing (for my friends) I started to feel how strained my ears were. I thought, huh, these speakers seem pretty bright.

The second day I explored this brightness more with pop recordings. Sure enough, the strain I was experiencing was indeed from the very harsh tweeter in the Arrows. I ignored the soundstage and the bass and started to focus on the tone of the speakers and started to hear just how sharp and bright the tweeters are. I even put in a DVD to watch a movie on the Arrows. My excitement over these speakers started to diminish.

The next several days I returned to the Arrows every evening trying to listen to them - I was really dissapointed. As much as I wanted to own these speakers because of their HUGE soundstage and excellent bass, I just can't live with the upper end sharpness of the tweeter. I spoke to the sales person (of a VERY high end store who lent me the Arrows) and he said that "break in" wouldn't really mellow the speaker by any significant means. I then borrowed a set of Cardas Cross interconnects from a friend to see if I could mellow the tweeter through the interconnects - it just didn't do it.

All the reviews I read about the Totem Arrows don't even mention a bright tweeter. However, my 6 days with the speaker, moved into 2 different rooms, and 2 different interconnects demonstrated a very harsh bright upper end that to me was just unbearable. Had I explored the Sara McLachlan CD more in the store, I would have uncovered this sever weakness in the speaker.

I really want to like these speakers, but I just can't. I wonder if anyone else has had this experience with these speakers? I would sure like to know! This speake does several things amazingly right, but the tweeter is just too harsh and puts strain on the listener. I'm giving it 2 stars because I couldn't live with these speakers.

As mentioned in magazine reviews and by others below, this diminutive floor stander excels in just about every way. They are elegant in mahogany and you can put them almost anywhere, even where there is little space. Shoving them close to a wall isn't too destructive either, as they are not inclined to sound tubby. Imaging and soundstage are truly amazing, and bass is can far exceed what you would expect. But careful system matching is crucial with these. Like the guy below mentioned, they are bright and annoyingly so with the wrong electronics. The have low sensitivity. You can pretty much forget matching them up with mass market stuff. I had them running on a creek A42 amp and anthem pre 1l preamp, and the treble glare definitely got to me. Even though the creek wasn't bright on its own, I had to tone the system down, and have found a nice middle ground with a McIntosh mc7100. Everything in the system is smooth as silk now and the arros no longer sound bright. This is an excellent speaker that images like a champ. Bi wiring opens up the sound, but that includes treble, so you need to be careful.
System

McIntosh Mc-7100 amp
Anthem Pre 1l preamp
Quad CD -67 CD player
Kimber 8TC speaker / Cardas Quadlink biwire
Cardas Quadlink 5C interconnect
XLO ultra 1.1 interconnect
Rotel 940ax tuner

first off, these are wonderfull speakers.i owned a pair of totem mite speakers for a while now so i knew that totem made speakers that can only be called special.i recently had the plesure of buying a new system for my bedroom.two componets that i knew would be part of this system were a magnum dynalab ft101a and totem arro speakers. for $1100 bucks, nothing else on the market offers the quality of these speakers.other people have noted a bright treble, i have heard no such thing.[proper matching of componets,maybe?] i saw someone else mention using them in a home theater setup.why? there not that kind of speaker. the totem's are about getting the most MUSIC possible out of a resonably priced, drop dead gourgous,easy to place loudspeaker that frankly, sings like heaven!you cannot judge any componet in an hour in an audio store. it takes months of living with a stereo to really get a feel for what it does right and what it does wrong.this speaker has real punch in the bass, sweet mids, and i think, great detail in the high's.[ i'm 40, maybe my ears are not as sensitive to treble as they used to be.]anyway, the speaker must be filled with sand or lead shot, should be used in a small to medium room, and require's very good matching componets.i ended up with a rega mira intergrated, rega planet, magnum ft101a tuner and mit cables. best system i've had in the bedroom.totem should sell a million of these things, good job totem.

Ditto the comments of the Baltimore listener. I auditioned Arros with a Naim amp and Rega CD player and they were lovely and not at all bright -- good enough that I'm going to buy a pair.
If you poke around in Totem's website it's clear that their speakers are designed to please the ear of one guy, who also has strong tastes in amps -- they strongly recommend SimAudio, and suggested the Rega Mira when I e-mailed them asking about appropriate sub-$1000 integrated amps. So it's not hard to see how the wrong amp and/or digital source would produce poor results.

Amazingly huge and precise soundstaging, ulta transparent, beautiful resolution and detail, tight and controlled bass, ability to be placed close to walls without damage to soundstaging, great looks, perfect size for medium or small listening room, build quality is without rival for this price category or even for speakers costing 2 or 3 times as much. All the benefits of a stand mounted speaker (transparency) without the drawbacks (lacking in bass).

If you are using these speakers in a medium or small listening room- none. In a large listening room you will be better off with the Totem Accoustic Forests.

My system consists of the following:
Speakers: Totem Arro
Amp: Classe CA-100
Preamp: Classe CP-45
CD: YBA Special
Cables: Nordost Flatline Gold (great for long runs)
Interconnects: Synergistic Research Kaleidoscope, Luminesence
Listening Room Size: medium

In response to previous observations regarding brightness, I have yet to hear these speakers in a system that would reveal this problem. Although the previous reviewer made it seem like his ears were bleeding- I would completely disagree with his assessment (although his opinion is every bit as valid as anyone else).

Robert Harley, one of the more authoritative professional reviewers describes it in his review in The Absolute Sound as a slight "tendency toward brightness" that could be corrected with system matching (other professional reviewers have not mentioned the 'problem').

In my system the speakers are not bright at all. I have also heard the Arros driven by the YBA Integre DT (astoundingly good integrated- all of YBA's products, including the cheaper Audio Refinement series are great products- check out Stereophiles list of recommended components, or better yet listen for yourself). YBA Integre CD player, Bryston integrated, Naim, Audio Refinement- all sounded excellent with no brightness. I think too often people put too much focus on one particular component- usually speakers- when in fact all system components are equally important.

I listened to many (more expensive) speakers before choosing the Arros. In my opinion standmounted or small floor standing speakers sound better than large full range speakers in small and medium sized rooms- regardless of price. Intially I was going to purchase the standmounted speakers and add an REL sub..... with the Arro no sub is needed (unless you enjoy shaking the walls). It won't go down to the deepest bass but for 98% of the music content the bass is superb.

If transparency, soundstaging, airyness, detail, resolution and tight bass are what turns you on- look no further (and save alot of money- these speakers offer the most bang for the buck of any I have auditioned). If thick, rich, coloured and mellow sounding equipment is what you prefer- look elsewhere.

Don't just take my word for it- go listen for yourself and then read reviews in The Absolute Sound, Fi, Soundstage and others and you will see that this speaker is one amazing product.

I recently had a chance to hear these babies at HI FI 99 and was very impressed!!!! These speakers are about 3 feet tall 5 inches wide and 5 inches deep!!!! You must hear these to understand just how good they are! I know of no other speaker in this catagory that is even close!I wish I could give them 10 speakers! The sales lady Lucy at the show was also a 10!!!!

The clarity of the Arros are unmatched by any speaker in its price range. I went to the Delta exposition in the city of Laval and could find no equal in its price range. It truely passes the acid test when I tell friends to bring their speakers over and compare. I am not exagerating when I say that no one has failed the test. All who have listened and compared to their own speakers could not do better (for the price). However, I find that the arros' unpublicized specialty are as front surround speakers. Their pinpoint imaging is simply not rivalled by any competitor at the 1000$ price level.

Bass extention lacking on heavier pieces of music when played at a high enough volume. Also, when there are many bass instuments playing at the same. This gives the impression that mids and highs are a bit too loud. (solution , buy a sub, like the D-Box 600).

In summary, if your listening room exceeds 13*15 feet, forget it. These speakers, do not go well in big rooms. If you want raw power, forget. I recommend these speakers for the hybrid system that everyone I know is trying to set up. For home theatre, it is UNRIVALLED. As for stereo apllications, if your prime concern is quality of sound; than the arros are the best for the money. I have found no other speaker on the market at 1000$(cdn) that is more clear and crisp. If sound quantity is your thing, the arros may not be for you. However, how many times do you really listen to music really loud? The point is is at a normal, yet loud enough volume, I gaurenttee that you will never tire of the Arros and you may even discover certain musical tastes you did not know you had because the arros are so sharp and musical. And remember, there are speakers who play better than Arros, but none for 1000$/pair.

Similar Products Used:

Totem mite and rock, paradigm, jm lab.

Soundstage, bass

I'm just about to buy a pair but listened several time to demo units.I would have to agree with all of the positive comments. The Totem Arro is something special in today's audio world. They image like the dickens and the bass is fast and surpisingly full. Great Totem woodworking, as well. I would call this Totem a mini-monitor and rank it with the best available now or in the past. The little Rokks are pretty good as a less expensive alternative. Wish there was a 6 star value rating!

Just wanted to post a follow up to my review of last year.

The ARRO's just keep getting better. Sound continued to open up as I got past 200-300 hours break-in time, also bass is more refined. You really need to listen to these speakers fully broken-in before evaluating them critically. I have my Arros positioned about 18" from the back wall which is a built in bookshelf. Bass response is excellent with this placement.

One tweak I added is the Monster Cable HTS-2000 power conditioner. Definetely worth the $200! It really does reduce the noise floor as promised.

The other tweak I tried but did not like as much is the Totem beaks. I found that they made the speakers frequency response more linear and slightly improved imaging. On the downside, in my room and in my system they also seemed to dull the "ambience" of the recording (reduced the sense of the space in which the music was recorded).

Also, I wanted to point out that professional reviewer's continue to applaud the ARRO (see recent issue of The Absolute Sound wherein they recommend ulitimate systems for a given budget). Anyone contemplating buying these speakers or any other product really should refer to a professional reviewer's opinion and use the opinions here (including my own) as a secondary, potentially less-than-accurate source of information. The Arro's are selling like "hotcakes" all over Europe.

Finally, to provide a counter-point to Mr. Kim's review, I can attest that my speakers are veneered and have the borosilicate damping as specified in the brochures. I am not sure why his would not. As for the buzzing problem, sometimes this happens to even the best speakers and I am sure Totem would fix the problem for him without charge. I also think Mr. Kim is very brave by swapping out the resistor (I think this could possibly void his warranty). Personally, I think Totem's designer, Vince Bruzzese, is brilliant and I definitely would trust his ears more than my own when it comes to his choice of resistors. Of course that is just my opinion and Mr. Kim is free to do as he chooses with his equipment, otherwise his review is pretty good.

I don't think "enthusiast" is the right word. I listen to music 8 to 10 hours A DAY. So with that said, you know I love music!! I'll be honest with you my review of this product is in regards to my old "reference", Boston acoustics VR 30. And I also feel it important to say that I won these speakers so I won't make any comments pertaining to "value". Now I will try to judge them fairly with 6 stars being a live performance (something I'm very familiar with), I say 6 stars because frankly I see this as an impossible task. 2.5 stars being average and the rest of the ratings falling in their proper place. These are really good speakers and I have only a few qualms. First the pluses; astonishing bass down to 40Hz, a 4.5" woofer has no right to groove like that. Yummy yummy detail that makes subtle dynamic changes come to life. It makes you dig through your record collection to replay forgotten gems. Larger scale dynamics are conveyed with more snap and impact too. When the brass hits an unexpected forte piano (fp) it makes you jump. Images are solid and focused, but can sound rather two dimensional. This makes a nice segue into the problem areas. The soundstage is limited to the space between the speakers. It has fair depth, with some images clearly defined behind the rear wall (about 3.5' behind the speakers). Image height, something my old Bostons knew nothing about, is surprising, singers float about 4 to 5 feet above the floor. With most recordings almost all images are bunched toward the center (I've found this least obvious with the speakers 22.5" from the side walls). Great recordings sound phenomenal, take Stereophile's Festival CD. When it's late at night and the refrigerator has stopped running I can sit back and watch the orchestra through a window (overused audio jargon I know, but accurate nonetheless). The first time I sat down with this recording I was stunned! My Bostons, good as I thought them to be, couldn't hold a candle to these. The speakers have a slight brightness to them, a bite in the S's which I attribute to the amp, lets see if upgrades iron that out.
Associated Equipment

Yamaha DSP-A970 integrated amp
Sony DVP-S3000 DVD player spinning the 5 inchers
Music Hall MMF-2 spinning the 12 inchers
MIT Terminator 4 interconnects and T4 Bi Wire cable

The CD and Turntable are on homemade isolation platforms. The Music Hall reads this way (from top to bottom) MMF-2, kneaded rubber art eraser footers, .75" marble slab, 12" deflated inter tube, .75" granite slab, Metro steel rack (highly unrecommended), sits in the corner. The CDP reads this way. Chicago area phone book, CDP, 12" deflated inter tube, Metro steel rack. The speaker cable is on my homemade (index cards or balloons) "lifts" to get them up off that nasty ground. My listening room is 12 X 15 X 9 and very live; no acoustic treatments besides an area rug. Hope this gives you all the information you need to come to your own conclusions. Peace, Tim