Punchy And Authoritative

FOR Energetic entertaining performer; strong dynamics

AGAINST Needs careful partnering and set-up

Ask us to name our favourite premium stand mounters and we’d have no hesitation in recommending ATC SCM19s (£2150) and PMC’s Twenty5 22 (£2450). Both are exceptional performers with talents broad enough to worry far pricier alternatives. It’s a measure of how much we like Totem’s Skys that we feel they should now be added to that short and rather exclusive list.

Anything but ordinary

The Skys are easy speakers to underestimate; at a casual glance they just look so ordinary. As is Totem’s way, there’s little that’s overtly glamorous here, but look carefully and there’s plenty to suggest the company has an obsessive way with engineering.

Those compact 31cm tall cabinets – available in white, black or the mahogany of our review sample – may look plain by the standards of the price, but they’re immensely rigid thanks to mitred joints. Give them a tap and they make a short, sharp crack rather than a dull thud, suggesting any unwanted energy is dissipated quickly. Take a look inside and you’ll find the panels lined with borosilicate damping to provide resonance control without deadening the sound too much.

High power rating