Totem Acoustic Tribe 3 Black Satin "Center Channel" Single Speaker

Purchased in August 2018. I am the second owner purchased pre owned. Non-smoking home. 9/10 condition. Truly an excellent piece. Sad to see it go, but must downsize.

Power and flexibility

With cutting-edge patented technology, the Tribe is luxuriously detailed and perfectly proportioned. Exclusively designed, they are among the slimmest wall speakers available, offering a brocade of rich harmonics with world-leading on- and off-axis dispersion and frequency range.

The Tribe III is a true full-range speaker that activates sound naturally and effortlessly with complete phase coherence and unequalled dispersion. It is truly one of the world’s best speakers. Using Totem’s in-house produced and hand-assembled Torrent™ woofer, it sets new standards in all domains. Nuance, inflection, detail, power and flexibility are just some of its qualities. The Tribe III is also available in Design finish.

Features

• Totem designed and manufactured woofer
• No crossover (filter) used on the Torrent™ woofers
• Slim, sleek chassis that can be used vertically or horizontally
• Flush wall-mounting system
• Magnetic grills included

Specifications

Frequency Response (on wall)40 Hz - 25 kHz ± 3 dBImpedance4 ohmsRecommended Power30 - 200 WSensitivity89 dBFlat Panel TV59" - 73" / 149.86 - 185.42 cmSize Compatibility60" - 72" / 152.4 - 182.88 cmWeight30 lb / 13.6 kgCrossover Point3.5 kHz, 1st orderWidth5.9" / 15 cmHeight36" / 91.44 cmDepth3.5" / 8.89 cm without grill, 3.75" / 9.5 cm with grill

The speakers require several hours of actual music playing time as a minimal break-in period. During this time, refrain from playing them at very loud levels. You will notice a definite gradual improvement in the cohesiveness of the music reproduction as this occurs.

It is only through the support of advocates such as yourself that true sound can be promoted...

Totem Acoustic Tribe III On-Wall Speaker System

Gary Altunian  |  Nov 15, 2007 Sophisticated sound, elegant solution.

To fully appreciate and enjoy a flat-panel television, you must team it with a speaker system of matching elegance and quality. Floorstanding speakers seem like old technology. In-wall speakers are an option to consider, but they involve more work to install and have fewer placement options. A better solution in many cases is on-wall speakers, such as the new Tribe III speakers from Totem Acoustic. They're easy to install and are designed to match the finish of many flat-panel displays. Indeed, the Tribe IIIs' black or gray finish gives them the appearance that they came with the television.

image: https://www.soundandvision.com/images/archivesart/1107Totem.1.jpg

The Tribe IIIs are Totem's third on-wall speaker model and the largest of the trio. They measure 36 inches in height, so they're aesthetically compatible with flat panels ranging from 60 to 72 inches. The Tribe I and Tribe II are shorter and designed to look appropriate with smaller screen sizes, down to 40 inches or so.

New Torrent Woofer Introduced for Totem's 20th Anniversary 
Totem Acoustic is a Canadian loudspeaker manufacturer known for designing and building high-performance speakers, including floorstanding, in-wall, and on-wall models. A few years ago, I reviewed their Inner Spirit in-wall speaker and was impressed by its no-frills design and great sound quality. The Tribe III is the company's latest on-wall speaker, complete with an exclusive new woofer dubbed the Torrent.

The introduction of the new model and the Torrent driver is timed to celebrate the company's 20th anniversary. The Torrent is a small (4-inch) but beefy driver that Totem custom builds in their Canadian factory; it is tuned specifically for the Tribe III speakers. The long-throw Torrent's poly-

propylene cone is coupled with a neodymium magnet structure. According to Totem, this gives the woofer the ideal frequency range and roll-off characteristics.

As a result, the Torrent driver is hard-wired directly to the speaker terminals, bypassing the crossover. The Tribe IIIs are also biwire- and/or biamp-capable if desired. The dual Torrent drivers flank a 1.2-inch, soft-dome tweeter in a bass-reflex cabinet with ports on the top and bottom of the enclosure. The enclosures are extremely well built, solid, and beautifully finished.

A Storm of Bass 
Even with two 4-inch drivers, the Tribe IIIs are capable of putting out a respectable amount of midbass and are enjoyable to listen to without a subwoofer. A sub is needed, however, for real bass, especially for sources with an LFE track. For a sub, I used the Totem Storm, a compact subwoofer with one 8-inch woofer and two 8-inch passive radiators powered by a built-in, 300-watt amplifier. The powered driver faces forward into the room with a passive cone on each side of the cabinet. The Storm is small enough to tuck neatly away, yet it's capable of more than adequate bass output in many situations. The Tribe III speakers and the Storm sub integrate well.

My opinions about the system's sound quality changed progressively during the first several hours of listening, reflecting the need for a break-in period. In fact, Totem Acoustic recommends at least 85 to 90 hours of extended break-in time, although I noticed a distinct improvement after about 30 hours. At that point, the system revealed much more midrange openness and greater detail. Additional playback time yielded continued improvement.

The Tribe III in Stereo and Multichannel 
The Tribe III system performed quite well with multichannel sources, both film as well as music. "Dreamer" and "One Note Samba" from the David Hazeltine Trio release Jobim Songbook in New York presented a coherent, three-dimensional soundfield that completely enveloped the listening space. Mosaic from Laurence Juber exhibited excellent guitar detail. Piano was reproduced with appropriate attack.

Dialogue was succinct and clear with film and television sources. The horizontally mounted center-channel speaker easily revealed subtle details in soundtracks. Good dialogue intelligibility is essential for film and television sound reproduction, and the Tribe III is one of the clearest speakers I've heard. It's important to note that the Tribe IIIs are capable of relatively high volume output, certainly enough to satisfy action-film enthusiasts when used in modest-sized rooms.

Stereo reproduction was also very good. "No One After You" from Anjani's Blue Alert revealed natural bass, even without the subwoofer. Anjani's sultry voice also had a natural sound quality with no coloration. The Spryo Gyra song "The River Between" reproduced excellent detail in the numerous percussion instruments. There are so many instruments layered in this recording that it can sound congested, but the Tribe IIIs easily separated the multiple percussion elements.

The Tribe III speakers are simple to install and attach firmly to the wall using one steel bracket (included) for each speaker. The speakers weigh 27 pounds each, so it's important to secure the bracket to a wall stud. The most difficult part of the installation process is routing the speaker wires inside the walls for a truly neat, customized appearance. Experiment with placement before you mount the speakers to the wall to ensure adequate separation for the best imaging and soundstage. My 60-inch flat-panel television is approximately 5 feet wide, and 6 feet of separation between the left and right speakers provided enough space at my listening distance.

A Fine Finish 
The Tribe IIIs have a satin finish that reduces light reflection from the screen, especially when you install them directly next to the television. They are available in a black or gray finish (my review samples were black) that will match almost any flat-panel TV. The speakers use magnets embedded in the cabinets to attach the grilles, and when placed near the speaker's baffle, the grilles snap neatly into place.

Summary 
Sales of flat-panel displays have hit record levels with a clear upward trend. However, the home theater experience is incomplete without the audio. The Totem Acoustic Tribe III speakers make a great match, both aesthetically and sonically for larger flat-panel displays. Once again, Totem has succeeded in crafting an elegant loudspeaker system that brings out the best in stereo and multichannel recordings. At $1,500 each, they are clearly intended for high-end audio enthusiasts, but a high-definition video display deserves a high-resolution speaker system. If you're considering a smaller display, check out the Tribe I or Tribe II models, which are priced at $750 and $950 each, respectively.

Highlights 
• The Tribe IIIs bring out the best in stereo and multichannel recordings 
• Makes a great match visually and audibly for many flat-panel displays

Read more at https://www.soundandvision.com/inwallspeakers/1107tot/index1.html#BSODeSC0kfWKrah2.99