Totem KIN Monitor User manual

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OWNERS MANUAL

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Discover yours.
CONGRATULATIONS and THANK YOU
We sincerely thank you for having granted Totem the special place in your living environment. These
speakers are designed to redefine your musical understanding and open corridors of new experiences.
We hope you not only enjoy but experience Totem as your guide to a new and rewarding listening
environment! You will without a doubt experience a Totem moment.
OUR VISION
Created in 1987, Totem’s mission is to develop loudspeakers capable of producing an involving
performance that is true to the artist’s intention. Our goal is to provide designs that are affordable,
cosmetically timeless, and invoke an emotional response. Music, movies, TV, and video games are
accurately rendered with a powerful focus that is yet soul stirring. Discover yours today.
Each speaker is a ‘piece de resistance’ that attests to the profound sound staging that can be
reproduced by adaptable and innovative engineering. Listen and believe...
Please take the time to fully read this manual prior to beginning set-up. The manual will clearly guide
you to achieve the best possible sound that these newly acquired Totem speakers can provide.

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Totem Design Characteristics
Acoustic and aesthetic objectives of all Totem projects include:
• Enormous sound and powerful bass from a smaller cabinet that can be conveniently
integrated into any room. These are often considered mutually exclusive characteristics.
• Meticulously crafted for peak performance that lasts decades. Designed obsolescence is
rampant in consumer electronics, we favour longevity.
• Aesthetics must be timeless and not trendy. Totem speakers never goes out of style.
All Totem speakers are developed with these 4 design characteristics:
1-Proprietary scientific formulas are the foundation for the essence of Totem, eschewing outdated
design guidelines and parameters.
2-Customized drivers, each quite unique and either manufactured by us or built to our exacting specs.
3-Meticulously designed crossovers composed of the most exotic components and painstakingly
assembled.
4-Artisinal cabinet construction, designed to maintain peak performance for decades.
The 4 design characteristics produce the following 3 sonic signatures:
1- Holographic imaging for a three-dimensional, expansive soundstage.
2- Bass impact that is forceful and logic defying, considering the conveniently sized enclosure.
3-Most importantly, the linear phase response for uncanny, almost magical realism.

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TOTEM LIMITED WARRANTY
Please register online at www.totemacoustic.com within two weeks of the purchase date. The Totem
speakers must be purchased from a TOTEM AUTHORIZED DEALER.
Keep your original bill or receipt obtained from your Totem Authorized Dealer.
Retain the sturdy carton and all packing material; all warranty repairs are required to be shipped in their
original packaging. This ensures no damage during transportation.
All Totem products are created with the utmost care and quality in mind. If ever a problem should arise,
Totem’s speakers are covered by a five (5) year limited warranty, (excluding subwoofers) starting from
the date of purchase. The Totem limited warranty applies to products in normal home use only. The
warranty is void if serial numbers have been altered or removed. The warranty is void if products show
signs of abuse. The warranty is void if the speakers have been tampered with.
Totem KIN Monitor speakers require 75-100 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.
We reserve the right to any future change or modification without notice. If you have any further
queries or require any classifications, feel free to contact your Totem Authorized Dealer.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION
All Totem products are designed to comply with international Restriction of Hazardous Substances
(RoHS) and CARB certification.
UNPACKING
Totem Acoustic keeps to a strict quality control regimen and all factory-sealed products leave our facility
in perfect condition. If there are any damages visible or concealed that has occurred in handling it must
be reported immediately to your Authorized Totem Dealer. Carefully remove the speaker(s) from the
box(es); take caution as the size often defies the actual weight. Save all custom cartons and packaging
foam for future use.
For further assistance, contact your TOTEM AUTHORIZED DEALER or visit the Support
Section of the Totem website at www.totemacoustic.com/support.

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SPEAKER POSITIONING AND PLACEMENT
Totem produces speakers with great dispersion, both on the vertical and horizontal axis. They can be
placed in extremely varied positions and still produce a large and accommodating, non-shifting
soundstage. Keep in mind that a room with a variety of materials will deliver a much more harmonized
sound. Below are some guidelines for general in- room placement than can help optimize performance.
Bookshelf speakers should be placed on appropriate stands, or shelves, at ear level or above. If they are
placed extremely close to the ceiling, you can position them upside down, with the tweeter underneath
the woofer. Totem speakers not only image in-between their individual positions but also towards the
outside of their axis (both vertical and horizontal). In placing the Bookshelf speakers in room, one may
optimize their performance by placing them closer to one another.
Totem generally recommends that bookshelf
speakers be positioned 12 in (30.5 cm) from the
back wall and side wall to allow a better energy
flow and cleaner bass response. Moving them
closer to boundaries will result in more bass
enhancement but can negatively affect the
perceived depth of the soundstage. Moving
them farther will result in less bass
reinforcement. Placing them anywhere from 4-
10 feet (120-300 cm) apart will generally ensure
a proper stereo image. A popular guideline is
for the listening position distance to be 1.5
times the space between the speakers, so if
speakers are 6 feet (180cms) apart you would
be 9 feet (270cms) from them. But, all rooms
and listening positions are different, so we
encourage you to experiment with finding their
final ultimate resting spot. We are confident you will thoroughly enjoy them whether they are placed
on stands, in a bookshelf, on furniture, wall mounted, and anywhere else you want them.
More information can be found on the Support page of our website. www.totemacoustic.com
Wall Mounting
The KIN Monitors can conveniently be wall mounted with the appropriate bracket. We recommend the
clamp style design, as opposed to those that require fastening screws directly into the speaker, to
maintain cabinet integrity for peak performance. Ensure the bracket accommodates the width and
depth (w x d: 5.11″ 7.48″ / 13 x 19 cm) and weight (8.25lb/3.74 kg) for a secure installation.

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CONNECTIONS
All connections should be made with the equipment turned
off.
Be certain to connect the positive red (+) terminal of the
speaker to the positive red (+) output terminal on the
amplifier. Be certain to connect the negative black (-) terminal
of the speaker to the negative black (-) output terminal on the
amplifier. The speakers will sound out of phase (bass loss and
image distortion) if there is an error in your connection.
TRESS SPEAKER CABLES
Speaker cable is an important element of the overall system
performance so ask your dealer about Totem Tress cable. Tress is a twisted pair
of 14-gauge, multi stand, linearized oxygen-free silver-plated conductors coated
in black and white Teflon. Dielectric shielding makes it impervious to damage
and oxidization. Tress can be run long distances -in-wall and around room and
maintain peak performance. It provides great extension in both high and low
frequencies, excellent spatial ability, has no capacitance buildup, and is FT4 rated. It is one of the best
performers out there, yet remarkably economical.
DECOUPLING
Totem recommends decoupling the loudspeaker with the
supplied feet to break down cabinet resonance for optimum
results. Turn the speaker upside down and apply the adhesive
backed feet to the 4 corners of the cabinet.
OUR THOUGHTS ON GRILLS
KIN Monitors come equipped with magnetically attaching grilles included in the box. This is a departure
from our original practise as for years we did not include grilles and only made them available as an
optional accessory. We firmly believe that our customized drivers are of the highest quality, the cabinet
is a timeless design, and the combination provides an extremely appealing esthetic.
Most importantly however, therefore, are the micro details that are lost when a grille, no matter how
supposedly acoustically transparent, is in place in front of the drivers. Totem’s absolute dedication to

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phase consistency and subsequent holographic, almost interactive soundstage are slightly altered with
attached grilles and while the effect is admittedly extremely small, it is not insignificant to us and
probably not to you, a Totem owner.
Our intense listening sessions are conducted without a grille and we believe yours should as well. Only
our architectural speakers are voiced with a grille in place because of the strong cosmetic preferences
associated with their very specific application.
AMPLIFIER DISTORTION
The most common source of speaker damage results from amplifier distortion. Your amplifier may run
out of clean power upon listening at loud levels. A direct consequence of such an overuse is distorted
power, producing a greater quantity of distortion than its rated output power. This provides a threat of
damage to any loudspeaker.
The greater the amplifier power, the safer the loudness potential. A 50 watt/channel amplifier, if driven
above this 50 watt/channel limit, will naturally produce multiplicatively more distortion than at 50
watts. A 120 watt/channel amplifier will have substantial distortion above 120 watts but will not allow
any significant distortion below 100 watts. To conclude, more amplifier power provides cleaner power
and less possibility for damage.
VOLUME
Volume controls on the amplifier/ receiver/preamplifier are very misleading. Please note that the
volume control does not address power-output, but simply adjusts the audible level of music. It is the
type of music being played that has an incidence on the amount of power used at a given volume level.
Less dynamic music utilizes lesser amplifier power than more dynamic music does. With most music, the
amplifier reaches its maximum power between the 11 and 1 o’clock position on the volume dial.
Distortion is inevitable when the amplifier is pushed above its rated output level, which may result in
speaker damage. This occurs with any type of speaker. This type of damage constitutes abuse and may
not be covered by warranty. Be attentive to the instant distortion commences, turning the volume
control down to prevent speaker and/or amplifier damage.
LIMITS
Be wary of providing more power than is appropriate for your speakers and damaging them. Although a
more powerful amplifier may provide better sound, it is very important to utilize speakers within their
power-range rating to prevent damage.

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SPECIFICATIONS
Design: Compact monitor
Tweeter: 1” Metal Alloy Dome tweeter
Woofer: 4” Natural Hybrid Woofer
Power Handling: 20-100w RMS
Frequency response: 65Hz – 22kHz +-3dB with proper positioning
Impedance: 6 ohm
Sensitivity: 89dB
Dimensions (WxHxD) : 5.11" x 10.62" x 7.48" / 130 x 270 x 190mm
Weight: 8.25 lb / 3.74 kg each
Break-in Time: 50 - 100 hours
Placement from rear wall: 6" - 2' / 15.24 – 60.96cm
Placement distance apart: 3' - 12' / 91.44 – 365.76cm
We sincerely hope you enjoy your Totem speakers and greatly appreciate your patronage. New
products are consistently being developed so be sure to periodically visit your authorized Totem dealer
or our website to keep informed on everything Totem has to offer.
We very much would appreciate if you took the time to register your product online. Product
registration leads to quicker assistance and more efficient support in the rare case that your speaker
should have a problem. This can be done quickly and easily in the support section of our site:
https://totemacoustic.com/register-your-product/
If you require additional information or further assistance on the Totem you’ve discovered, contact your
TOTEM AUTHORIZED DEALER or visit the warranty section of the Totem website at:
https://totemacoustic.com/warranty/
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