"Beak" Tweak

[3x10^8]

Ok, I did a forum search on this and failed to find anything. I'm sure someone around here has heard of this.

Sometime ago, I saw a totem speaker system with these bizarre metallic cones sitting atop the speakers... didn't think much of it at the time and thought they were some decorative add-on.

Anyways, I came to find out that, according to totem, these cones actually have a functional purpose. They claim that the beaks are, "Tuning pods that control resonances and allow for better driver integration. Results in imaging and dynamic improvement."

So anyways, thought it was kind of weird and googled it a bit. Well, some guy up at soundstage mag decided to try it out by placing spice jars atop his speakers to emulate the concept:

http://www.soundstage.com/audiohell/audiohell200306.htm

Long story short, tried it out and it appeared, to me at least, that there was actually a noticable improvement in the spatiality of the speakers. So, my question is this: am I imagining things or is there any actual validity in these claims????

And here's another review of the totem forest speakers and a discussion of the use of the beaks:
http://www.uhfmag.com/Issue56/Forest.html

 

[3db]

I dunno. It sure sounds like Hokus Pokus to me

Ok, I did a forum search on this and failed to find anything. I'm sure someone around here has heard of this.

Sometime ago, I saw a totem speaker system with these bizarre metallic cones sitting atop the speakers... didn't think much of it at the time and thought they were some decorative add-on.

Anyways, I came to find out that, according to totem, these cones actually have a functional purpose. They claim that the beaks are, "Tuning pods that control resonances and allow for better driver integration. Results in imaging and dynamic improvement."

So anyways, thought it was kind of weird and googled it a bit. Well, some guy up at soundstage mag decided to try it out by placing spice jars atop his speakers to emulate the concept:

http://www.soundstage.com/audiohell/audiohell200306.htm

Long story short, tried it out and it appeared, to me at least, that there was actually a noticable improvement in the spatiality of the speakers. So, my question is this: am I imagining things or is there any actual validity in these claims????

And here's another review of the totem forest speakers and a discussion of the use of the beaks:
http://www.uhfmag.com/Issue56/Forest.html

I guess the real test would be a DBT with you being blindfolded and having friends placing the beaks on and off without telling you. If you nail it everytime, then you can tell. If you can't, Well ...... Walla walla washington

 

[jcPanny]

Speaker tweaks

I bet it is all in your head.
Web sites like 6moons review these kinds of products, but you won't find them here on Audioholics. They fall into the same category as exotic speaker cables. Here you will find reviews and recommendations backed by scientific measurements.

 

[j_garcia]

I'm all for room treatment, but these would fall under the BS category for me. I put things on top of my speakers all the time and there has been no change at all in the sound.

 

[corysmith01]

My question, directed at Totem, is this: if they "know" the beaks make for better sound and they "result in imaging and dynamic improvement" then why not incorporate them and make them part of the speaker/cabinet design in the first place? Why an add-on? Isn't the initial goal of the manufacturer to make their product as good as it can be? If they know that their speakers have some deficiencies that can be "improved" by the beak, why is it not part of the initial design? I dunno, but that seems like a pretty basic oversight? Why bring a product to market if it's not up to snuff for the company that's manufacturing it?

 

[Sheep]

My question, directed at Totem, is this: if they "know" the beaks make for better sound and they "result in imaging and dynamic improvement" then why not incorporate them and make them part of the speaker/cabinet design in the first place? Why an add-on? Isn't the initial goal of the manufacturer to make their product as good as it can be? If they know that their speakers have some deficiencies that can be "improved" by the beak, why is it not part of the initial design? I dunno, but that seems like a pretty basic oversight? Why bring a product to market if it's not up to snuff for the company that's manufacturing it?

Because an add-on means more $$.

This is pure BS.

SheepStar

 

[warpdrive]

I'd like to see if anybody else could reproduce the frequency response results as measured by UHF.

I can't understand how these things could possibly do anything though.

 

[skrivis]

I'm all for room treatment, but these would fall under the BS category for me. I put things on top of my speakers all the time and there has been no change at all in the sound.

I just put the cat on top of my speakers and I could hear the difference!

 

[skrivis]

And here's another review of the totem forest speakers and a discussion of the use of the beaks:
http://www.uhfmag.com/Issue56/Forest.html

The following quote seemed apropos:

"Beaks are supplied with the expensive Shaman speakers."

Shaman is a good name for any product that includes Beaks.

Silly rabbit, Beaks are for Tweaks.

 

[skrivis]

3x10^8, please don't get offended. I'm not poking fun at you. I'm just having a good time with the Beaks.

I don't see any logical explanation as to why they would produce the effect claimed (or any effect, actually), and they sure seem to fall into the same category as the Brilliant Pebbles "tweak."

I wonder if a jar of Brilliant Pebbles would work better than a spice jar?

Are some spices better than others?

If I put a bottle of Garlic powder and a bottle of Cayenne pepper on my speakers, will I get that cool New Orleans Delta Blues Sound?

 

[skrivis]

Ah, yes. I read the article at SoundStage just now. Bill Brooks has a good sense of humor.

 

[j_garcia]

If you put the beaks on your head, EVERYTHING sounds better...

 

[3x10^8]

3x10^8, please don't get offended. I'm not poking fun at you. I'm just having a good time with the Beaks.

I don't see any logical explanation as to why they would produce the effect claimed (or any effect, actually), and they sure seem to fall into the same category as the Brilliant Pebbles "tweak."

I wonder if a jar of Brilliant Pebbles would work better than a spice jar?

Are some spices better than others?

If I put a bottle of Garlic powder and a bottle of Cayenne pepper on my speakers, will I get that cool New Orleans Delta Blues Sound?

No offense taken. I just find it a bit odd that a speaker manufacturer as credible as totem is actually marketing such a thing. I'm gonna email the guys at totem and see if they can provide me with some quantitative data.

 

[jaxvon]

Why not try setting a jug of liquor on top of your speakers for "a more liquid and intoxicating sound".

 

[3x10^8]

Does anyone here know how I can upload a PDF file to share with everyone? The guys at totem sent me a file regarding the beaks.

 

[Pyrrho]

No offense taken. I just find it a bit odd that a speaker manufacturer as credible as totem is actually marketing such a thing. I'm gonna email the guys at totem and see if they can provide me with some quantitative data.

I think you are too trusting of manufacturers. Look, people often get confused about what a company's true goals are, so I will tell you straight up: THE GOAL IS TO MAKE MONEY. If they happen to make money selling a good product, that is fine, but it is also fine if they happen to make money selling garbage. The key is simply to make money. Any company that fails to do that, goes out of business. The quality of the products made does not determine the success of the business; if they fail to sell at a profit, they go under, and if they make a profit, they are a success; quality of products is irrelevant. So, if idiots buy the products of a particular company, selling them snake oil nonsense is a way to add to the profits, and thus success, of the business. The money of idiots spends as well as the money coming from sensible people, so companies are happy to get money from idiots as much as from anyone else. And, typically, it is easier to get money from idiots than sensible people (there is much truth in the old saying, "a fool and his money are soon parted"), so marketing to them can be the smartest business decision that a company can make.

 

[Pyrrho]

Why not try setting a jug of liquor on top of your speakers for "a more liquid and intoxicating sound".

For that tweak, you need to drink the liquor. If you are going to use a tweak, you should use it properly!

 

[mike67]

the other day i happen to put 2 empty carlsberg cans on top of my speakers and i get a tranquil sound that had never happen before, it work !

 

[Sarius]

I would mention one tower speaker tweak that I use that seems to help.

I've got a 20 lb box of kitty litter plus a brick wrapped in a pillowcase that color coordinates with the speakers and room sitting on top of each of my towers. The total weight for each is 25 lbs. The cost of this tweak was free, as we have cats and this the brand we use, so I'd reccommend mass loading the tops of your towers to see if you like the results. I did. There are also the sacks of playsand that you can get for cheap.

 

[Atokade]

I'm going to resurrect an old thread.

I live in Montreal, and was at a store which sold Totem speakers alongside B&W and other manufacturers. Intrigued by what is a Montreal company, I picked up the Totem catalog only to find such things as "After two years of unconventional research, bypassing traditional institutions such as Canada's National Research Council" (also found on website) as well as such claims as: at Totem, they use their ears to test their speaker models rather than scientific measurements because the ears and mind can detect minute differences not detectable by instruments (paraphrase - almost exact words).

After spending time lurking around Audioholics and reading, I was quite baffled by what I thought was a claim flagrantly going against the scientific approach preached here.

Another thing that made my skin tingle when reading through the pamphlet/catalog were the continued emphasis on words such as incredible, unbelieveable, soulful, etc. (Anyone read Freakonomics and the chapters on Real Estate agents and the words they use?)

I've seen some mentions of Totem speakers throughout the forums, but the snake-oil factor keeps coming up in their pamphlets.

Unfortunately I gave mine to a coworker who loved the graphic design of it, but I can pick up another one on Monday. It would have been easier to have given you guys links to the website but the website does not contain the same claims.

www.totemacoustic.com

I was initially interested in what is a local company with mention and recognition about their loudspeakers, but many of these things are giving me much pause. What is everyone else's thoughts and what do you know about Totem?