Totem KIN Play Tower Speaker Review

A built-in amplifier gives the listener everything needed for great sound with nothing more than a smartphone or tablet. With Bluetooth HD technology and a wide selection of inputs that include gaming and even a turntable, you can be up and running in minutes. It even has an output for a powered subwoofer if you are a “bassophile”.

Totem has been around since 1987 and has several lines of speakers ranging from elegant towers to bookshelf and powered models. I first read about Totem in audio magazines back in the 90s and got my first look at them at CEDIA in Atlanta about 12 years ago. At the time, I made a mental note to check them out someday, but apparently, I misplaced my mental notebook. In any case, when these speakers came up on my review radar, I jumped at the chance to set them up in my media room for a thorough listening session. I recently reviewed an amplified speaker from (DALI the Oberon 7C) and was impressed with its sound and flexibility. My expectations for the Totem KIN Play speakers are on the high side.

Totem makes its own drivers, and their customized digital amplification is designed to make full use of them. You can also play audio from your TV, CD player, and even a turntable. The Sub Out is just icing on the audio cake.

Once unboxed, the first thing I noticed was the KIN Play Tower’s slim and compact design. My review samples came with a high gloss piano black finish, but they also make them in gloss white. The KIN series is designed to work together both sonically and aesthetically. You can add a soundbar and subwoofer from the KIN line for a matched home theater system. They come with magnetically attached grills, but I liked the way they looked bare and left them off for my review.

The right speaker houses the amplifier and the in/outputs. Connecting the right speaker to left is done with the provided 12-foot speaker cable (the left speaker being the slave). The speakers have an understated elegance to them. Some might call them plain, but I liked their curbside appeal. There is nothing shiny or flashy about them on the outside. On the front is a one-inch titanium dome tweeter with a protective screen and two 5.25-inch hybrid woofers.

Beneath the woofers of the right speaker is a selector knob that can be used to adjust the volume as well as the inputs (also found on the remote) and an indicator light that changes from red (off) to green (on) and blue (Bluetooth connected). As mentioned, the included remote is small but functional. I liked that it was metal and had a solid feel to it and I liked that the buttons were designed to keep dirt and debris from getting into the spaces around the buttons. The remote is not backlit, but I only care about that feature in a home theater setting.

The fit and finish of these speakers are excellent. Rapping on them with my knuckles made no odd resonance and confirmed to me that they are solidly braced internally. The cabinets had no visible seams or flaws in the finish, and the joiner of the MDF panels is tight. Their weight was light enough that most people should have little trouble moving them around to adjust their sound and imaging. I had a good result with them placed about a foot and a half off the back wall and spaced about seven feet apart from my seating position, nine feet away. There is a single bass reflex port on the back.

On the bottom of the plinth are rubber pads to protect hardwood floors. No carpet spikes are provided. The 12-foot connecting speaker cable is provided with banana connectors on both ends which was a nice touch. One thing that can not be hidden, of course, is the connecting speaker cable and the power cord. For that matter, any devices that you plug into the back of the KIN will likely be seen on the floor running into the back of the right speaker. Still, with a bit of thoughtful setting up, you can hide the extraneous wires with a rug or behind a piece of furniture. Totem makes a transmitter for a wireless subwoofer hookup if that appeals to you, as well.

I paired them quickly to my iPhone and was able to access my Qobuz account. I had some high-resolution streaming going in just a few minutes. Totem recommends that you break the speaker drivers in for at least 70 hours. That said, they sounded good right out of the box with a wide and deep sound stage with more bass than I was expecting. As time went on, my ears grew accustomed to the Totem sound, which was detailed and a bit more forward in presentation than my Sonus faber Sonetto Vs. I’ll come back to my listening impressions a bit later in this review, but my initial impressions were positive.

After a half hour of inactivity, the KIN Play Towers power down automatically. There is no standby mode, so when they shut off, they do not wake automatically. You will need the remote or press the selector button on the front of the right speaker. Not a deal breaker, but I know that some of us are used to a subwoofer that powers up automatically when an input signal is detected.

With Qobuz, I could put the KIN Play through many different types of music. I, of course, have a “favorites” list of selections that are designed to test the mettle of a speaker’s design. Human vocals, both male and female, along with acoustical instruments are a great place to start.

I played a lot of orchestral music and some smatterings of jazz. I found the KIN Play speakers to be adept at playing anything I could stream their way. I know that a big soundstage is important to some readers, and the KIN Plays do image well, but I think these speakers are more designed for someone who wants great sound and volume for having music playing while they have guests over or they want something in the background while they work or lounge around the house.

TOTEM KIN PLAY ACTIVE TOWER SPEAKER, The ease of setup and simplicity of streaming make these a great lifestyle speaker system and a great value. They are well built and deliver the sonic chops to get my recommendation.

More speaker makers are introducing powered speakers and I think that is a great thing. It’s fun to review these products and read up on their design philosophies to see how each one sets out to produce a versatile and sonically superior product. The Totem KIN Play Tower Speakers met my expectations and make me want to explore some of their higher-end speakers, like the Element Metal V2 or Wind. Some of these come in a gloss red or real wood veneers…yeah, baby! If you are in the market for good-sounding towers that are easy to install, easy to move, and don’t call a lot of attention to themselves, place the Totem KIN Play Tower Speakers on your shortlist.