The Bison epitomizes Strength, Stability and Consistency. 3 words that accurately describe Totem Acoustic’s 35 year journey of continual global success as a loudspeaker manufacturer in the high-performance audio spectrum. Being the largest and most powerful terrestrial mammal in North America, the Bison is symbolically sacred to many indigenous tribes; a culture that has been a beacon for Totem Acoustic throughout the company’s storied existence. The new series is comprised of 3 models and this will grow organically over time. The Bison Monitor redefines the luxury bookshelf category, defying visual expectations with its impactful sonic performance which is rarely associated with such a small enclosure. The Bison Tower and Bison Twin Tower are aimed at those who want a loudspeaker that’s equally proficient with all sources and mediums. Totem Bison loudspeakers are not finicky about placement or electronics and were created to take charge and effortlessly manage today’s music that continuously expands in both sheer volume, as well as available sources. In essence, each of these Bison models will seamlessly elevate your music to a higher echelon, going even further than the award winning SKY series.
Embracing a bolder and more compelling sound … The Bison Monitor has exceptional width and depth of image was extracted from Element FIRE V2, resulting in more spatial and lifelike restitution, a prairie like (re: wide open) soundscape, ultra fast responsiveness, and exquisite harmonics, particularily in the upper octaves. The newly developed woofer is the result of 4 generations of development that provides a greater dynamic capability and when combined with a 43% increase in the cabinet volume vs. the SKY Monitor, yields a true “plug and play” monitor that is both easy to drive and flexible with regards to placement. Furtermore, the Bison Monitor possesses an remarkable ability to resurrect live recording ambience and create great separation of instruments, all the while still remaining very cohesive sonically. As well, the bass foundation is nothing short of a an even more jaw dropping experience thanks to all these improvements. The lateral soundstaging abilities of the Bison Monitor were applied to both the Bison Tower and Bison Twin Tower, resulting in ultra wide and deep characteristics with great centerfill, whereby musical information hits you from all sides. Both Bison Towers are easier to drive and offer up a more flexible setup than the highly regarded SKY Tower and easily exceed the performance of the now legendary Totem Hawk, especially in terms of midrange and harmonics. The Bison Tower and Bison Twin Tower sound “right” in terms of tonal accuracy in any application with any genre of music thanks in part to uncanny 3D harmonics. The Bison Twin Tower offers a more powerful scale that is capable of filling a larger listening space while maintaining virtually the same phase coherency as the Bison Tower, yet is still comfortable in a smaller room. Finally, both Bison towers create the perception of a slightly warmer sonic signature in comparison to the Bison Monitor as a result of a frequency response that extends well into the bottom octave, yielding bass response that is round, sumptuous and fast, while sounding musical. All three Bison series models employ a new tweeter that was designed to our specifications and guidelines. This tweeter is a neodymium activated, 1.3” laser etched, textile, soft dome, modified especially for our Towers. It extends up to 30kHz and low enough to contribute to the midrange band, creating an uncanny charm. The artisanal cabinet design features a lock-mitered, monocoque cabinetry with incorporated full cross bracing. Lock mitering produces a cabinet 4 times as rigid as V groove assembly and provides a substantially larger contact point for gluing. The extra gluing surface area allows for expansion and contraction over many decades without any sonic degradation whatsoever. The Variable Density Fiberboard (VDF) used for the Bison series is aunique recipe with a density of 90% on the exterior sides and 65% towards the interior. The denser extremities increase strength and help maintain shape whereas the less dense interior is acoustically preferred, causing no repetitive nodes or underlying resonances. A single piece monocoque design chassis is for much better structural integrity similar to a Formula 1 race car. Finally, Borosilicate coating – an industry unique dampening material – manages energy dissipation in a desired, controlled manner within the enclosure while keeping the cabinet musically alive and yielding an improved transient response. As well, this coating significantly adds to the longevity of the loudspeaker.
The success of Totem’s “Acoustic Decoupling Claw” on other tower models has made it appealing to include with both Bison Towers. A newly engineered version was created specifically for both the Bison Tower and Bison Twin Tower that uses a high-density composite to successfully break up standing waves. The Claw controls surface resonances, tightens bass and accurately heightens the soundstage. They are fitted with 1⁄4”-20 thread inserts to accommodate optional spikes which are not included. The Bison Towers were voiced using the claw without spikes, which are neither required nor recommended. The thread inserts have been integrated should the rare need for spikes arise, for instance to add stability on a thick carpeted surface. All 3 Bison models are available in either new White Oak, Black Ash or Satin White finishes, include matching magnetic grills and feature high quality 4-way bi-wireable speaker terminals.
Bison Monitor Significant Design Features: ● Ported 2-way design with 1.3” laser etched textile soft dome tweeter and a 5-1/4”long throw woofer with 3” voice coil. ● Nominal Impedance 8 ohms / Sensitivity 87dB @ 1watt / Crossover Frequency 2.5kHz (first order) ● Frequency Response 40 Hz to 29.5 kHz ± 3 dB and recommended power 30-150W. ● Dimensions (h x w x d): 13.11” x 6.73” x 9.57”. ● Recommended placement: 6” – 3’ from rear wall; 3’ – 8’ apart
Bison Tower Significant Design Features: ● Ported 2-way design with 1.3” laser etched textile soft dome tweeter and a 5-3/4” woofer with copper capped voice coil. ● Nominal Impedance 8 ohms and Sensitivity 88dB @ @ 1watt / Crossover Frequency 2.5kHz (first order) ● Frequency Response 33 Hz to 30 kHz ± 3 dB and recommended power 30-150W. ● Dimensions (h x w x d): 33.46” x 6.89” x 9.13”. ● Recommended placement: 6” – 3’ from rear wall; 3’ – 8’ apart. ● Mass loadable cabinet to effectively modify interactions with room acoustics without altering the speaker’s placement. ● Includes optional sound isolating Claws, increasing the cabinet’s height by 0.59” and overall width by 1.57”.
Bison Twin Tower Significant Design Features: ● Ported 2-way/3-driver design with 1.3” laser etched textile soft dome tweeter and dual 5-3/4” woofers with copper capped voice coil. ● Nominal Impedance 4 ohms and Sensitivity 90dB @ @ 1watt / Crossover Frequency 2.5kHz (second order) ● Frequency Response 31 Hz to 29.5 kHz ± 3 dB and recommended power 30-200W. ● Dimensions (h x w x d): 38.39” x 7.36” x 10.24”. ● Recommended placement: 1’ – 3’ from rear wall; 4’ – 12’ apart. ● Mass loadable cabinet to effectively modify interactions with room acoustics without altering the speaker’s placement. ● Includes optional sound isolating Claws, increasing the cabinet’s height by 0.59” and overall width by 1.57”.
The Bison Monitor is available now with an MSRP of $2,250.00 USD The Bison Tower is available now with an MSRP of $3,000.00 USD The Bison Twin Tower is available now with an MSRP of $4,000.00 USD
The MaiA DS3 (My audio integrated Amplifier) is a new reworked all-in-one compact amplifier solution. It combines both, analogue and digital inputs to suit all different sources. With its 140 watts per channel at 4 ohms you can easily power your favourite speakers. The whole electronics are packed into a beautiful machined full aluminium case which protects it againsted outer interferences. The MaiA DS3 is handmade in Europe and available in an either black or silver finish. The MaiA DS3 offers you following inputs: •1x Phono (MM or MC) •3x Line (CD player, tuner, etc.) •2x S/PDIF Optical•1x S/PDIF Coax •1x USB •1x Bluetooth 5.0 AptX HD
Use your favourite headphones to privately enjoy your favourite tracks or connect your speakers with 4 mm banana plugs, spades or naked wires to the gold plated speaker outputs. The variable RCA outputs also allows you to include a subwoofer or another power amplifier in your setup. Use the fixed output to distribute the audio signal to another device unaffected by the volume cont-rol to feed an audio recorder for example.With the supplied remote control you are able to analo-gue change the volume with the motor driven potentio-meter and switch your input. The new MaiA DS3 is carefully designed and handmade in Europe. The goal is to develop a technically flawless device in a housing that is only as big as necessary to safe raw materials. Due to the timeless design & rigid aluminium casework, the MaiA DS3 is built for eternity.
•Powerful 140 watts per channel at 4 ohms •Magnetic side panels available separately •PCM 1795DB 32bit/192kHz Delta-Sigma DAC •BT 5.0 receiver with aptX, aptX HD, A2DP profile •9 different analog & digital inputs•Sub output & variable output •Phono input – MM & MC capable •Dual mono design •XMOS asynchronous USB 24bit/192kHz •DSD capability (DSD64, DSD128; DSD256) •Headphone output 2 x 430mW at 32ohm (1%THD) •Trigger in- & output •Heavy aluminium casing protects against interference •Remote control included •Available in silver or black
Following the success of the A10 Classic, Advance Paris offers a more powerful version of its High-End Hybrid Integrated Amplifier, with more connectors and a dual-mono construction for the amplification part.
In the great tradition of Advance Paris to design products with many connectors, the A12 Classic is no exception to the rule … From HDMI to Phono (MM/MC), analog RCA to AES-EBU, USB for computer to multiple optical and coaxial inputs, 2 speaker zones, Bluetooth (optional with X-FTB01 / X-FTB02). The selected source is pre-amplified by a tube circuit for a musical sounding amplifier without aggressiveness.
Great power and sound quality starts with a good power supply. The A12 Classic will drive any speaker with its 2 toroidal transformers located on each side of the product. With 180W per channel in Class A/B, you can choose any speaker from bookshelf to large floorstanding.
Even the outputs are well treated with balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) Pre-OUT connectors. And don’t hesitate to connect 2 subwoofers if you wish thanks to its two subwoofer outputs.
PowerOutput 8Ω 2X190W RMS PowerOutput 4Ω 2X280W RMS Frequency response 10Hz-50kHz Distorsion Inf. to 0,007% Signal to noise ratio 103 dB Channel separation 75 dB Transformer power (2x) 300 VA Transformer type (2x) Toroïdal Product size (LxHxP in cm) 43×19,5×45,5 Net weight (kg) 17,9
Swiss high-end audio firm, Nagra, announces the upcoming release of its first phono cartridge – the Nagra Reference MC cartridge. Initial units are scheduled to be delivered in December.
The Nagra Reference MC cartridge is the product of a number of years of intense R&D supplemented by extensive listening tests. This moving coil cartridge will be available in 4 and 6 Ohm variants. Designed in parallel with the Nagra 70th Anniversary Reference turntable/tonearm system, it is an ideal companion component to complete the ultimate LP playback platform.
The Reference MC cartridge features a number of significant and unique elements. While traditional moving coil transducers utilize a single layer coil body, the Nagra Reference MC cartridge employs a multi-layer transducer featuring a double layer coil body wound with hyper-pure silver windings. The 6 Ohm Reference outputs 0.45mV @ 5cm/S. The 4 Ohm Reference achieves an output of 0.30mV @ 5 cm/S. A stiff ruby cantilever is mated to a high strength titanium structure featuring a DLC (diamond-like carbon) coating. The titanium structure utilized in the coil body/cantilever interface addresses a traditional source of resonance and substantially reduces vibration unrelated to the musical signal. The stylus tip is a Swiss produced, Fritz Gyger S profile chosen for its wonderful combination of detail retrieval and musicality. Further evidence of the obsessive attention to detail in the cartridge’s design is found in the connector pins. Those employed in the Reference MC cartridge eliminate the commonly found connection joint between the pin and the coil. In the case of the Reference MC, the pin is a continuous single piece from its external end point to its internal point of contact with the coil, resulting in a welcomed lowering of inductance.
In addition to the extensive focus on the generator system and groove/stylus/ cantilever interface, Nagra’s team of engineers and designers paid great attention to the Reference MC cartridge body. Substantial material science investigation lead the team to a unique, non-ferrous alloy called EXIUM AM. Born from aerospace materials research, EXIUM AM is the result of a collaboration between the CNES (the French equivalent of NASA), the Ecole de Mines de Paris and the French firm LBI Foundries. It was developed to address the need for an alloy with very high damping properties – a necessary attribute for a particular Mars mission whose purpose was to measure minute seismic activities on the red planet. Nagra engineers determined that this high damping characteristic alloy was perfect for use in audio applications where the elimination of unwanted vibrations and resonances is an extreme priority. As a result, the Reference cartridge utilizes an EXIUM AM inlay at the critical interface between cartridge generator and the cartridge body. (An examination of Nagra’s 70th Anniversary Reference turntable will reveal that the table’s platter features a precisely CNC machined ring of EXIUM AM.) Nagra’s use of EXIUM AM is exclusive. Nagra has secured the sole worldwide right to use EXIUM AM in audio products. In order to produce a cartridge of optimal weight for the Reference Anniversary tonearm, while maintaining high internal damping properties, a proprietary super magnesium alloy is utilized for the balance of the cartridge body.
The Nagra Reference cartridge has exceptional tracking ability, resonance control and exemplary specifications. It will match most tonearms and phono stages but will reach its ultimate potential when paired with the Nagra Reference turntable/tonearm system and Nagra phono stages. As these highlights indicate, Nagra is committed to being a world leader in state of the art LP playback products. We look forward to the upcoming release of the Nagra Reference MC cartridge. We are anxious for serious vinyl lovers around the world to experience their collections like never before.
Specifications Impedance 4 or 6 Ohms Compliance 12 μm/mN Ouput voltage 0.45 mV (6 Ohm) 0.3 mV (4 Ohm) @ 5 cm/S Channel balance < 0.5 dB Crosstalk > 30 dB Weight 14.3 g Stylus FGS Cantilever Titanium / Ruby Transducer Multi-Layer Core Coil material Pure Silver Tracking force 2 – 2.2 g
On November 5 and 6, 2022, the Brussels Noir & Blanc auditorium organized a very beautiful show with 22 very high quality listening rooms. Moreover, it is this notion of quality that prevails thanks to the particularly well-organized demonstrations due to the expertise and professionalism of the exhibitors. A welcome initiative that we hope to see again next year.
The Grimm LS1v2 is a monitor that integrates top quality digital signal processing, converters and amplifiers in one of the speakers’ legs. As a consequence, the LS1 is not just a loudspeaker, but a complete audio system that only needs an analog or digital line source to perform.
Vivid audio loudspeakers look, and sound, unlike any you’ve ever experienced before. From a blank sheet of paper to a finished product, every Vivid Audio loudspeaker is created for a single purpose – to bring you perfectly transparent, natural sound, free from colour, resonance and reflection.
PMC Fenestria are matching elegant design and advanced engineering to produce involving musical listening experience. The top-of-the-range fact model combines new materials, innovative aerodynamic engineering, groundbreaking vibration-cancelling design, cutting-edge cabinets and drivers, PMC’s patented Advanced Transmission Line.
Yamaha C-5000 preamp and M-5000 power amp were matched by a Lumin server. But you could also listen to the fantastic one box R-N2000A receiver.
IsoAcoustics is a Canadian brand specializing in speaker stands for both hi-fi and pro audio. They are making the Gaia isolators which consist of acoustic isolators contained within an elegant machined dark chrome metal housing. Incorporating IsoAcoustics patented design principles, these devices provides a high degree of isolation while resisting lateral movement and oscillations to maintain alignment with the listening position.
The Violectric DHA V590² PRO is the new top device in the Violectric range and is delivered from the factory with the 256 step relay. It offers a state-of-the-art D/A converter and a headphone amplifier. The D/A converter is a new development and includes a 32-bit resampler / reclocker and two 32-bit D/A converters per channel.
The Feliks Audio Envy Standard tube headphone amp is designed to power any headphone or pair of headphones as efficiently as possible. It benefits from an Electro Harmonix Gold 300B tube amplification capable of delivering a power of 5 watts under 16 ohms. Coupled with XLR and ¼-inch jack outputs, the Feliks Audio Envy Standard can drive any headphone or pair of headphones up to 600 ohms impedance.
The excellent French manufacturer Audionec presented a monumental server like no other. To power his excellent loudspeakers, he used electronics from Riviera Labs.
Very large room with several listening booths to present the entire KEF and Hegel ranges. You could listen to a KEF Reference set-up and also a KEF Blade 2 with new pre/power set up from Hegel : P30A + H30A.
Martial Hernandez in his works. Our national demonstrator had set up a very nice system composed of Musical Fidelity Nu Vista electronics and large Fyne audio speakers. Wiring, optimization, fight against vibrations, everything had been implemented for the best possible demonstration. But Martial it’s also an impeccable playlist where all styles are mixed with pleasure and inspiration…
A particular effort of decoration had been made to present almost the whole range of Pro-ject turntables with in particular the superb Yellow Submarine and the incredible Metallica.
This small Opticon 1 mk2 Monitor speaker, one of the most affordable of the Danish manufacturer’s range, managed to offer a quite eloquent performance in a very large listening room. Decidedly, Dali is always at the forefront to propose products with an excellent quality-price ratio.
Two beautiful vintage speakers from Fyne that perfectly fit their name. The Scottish manufacturer never stops revisiting its repertoire or more precisely the one from which its engineers have come…
The huge speakers Fyne audio was associated in a large room to the tiny electronics Heed. The Hungarian manufacturer has an enviable reputation, earned in part by the astonishing performance that its amplifiers are capable of delivering.
The very small Spendor Classic 4/5 are a free adaptation of the LS3/5a myth. They use a very modern technology in a box that respects the traditional side of this mythical product.
A complete rack of small Silent Angel electronics: network drive, switch, separate power supply, server, everything you need to create a high-end digital source.
A brand new model from a very big name in analog: the Atessa model signs the return of Roksan on the field of turntables.
In the Noir&Blanc listening room, demonstrations were made using the IBW Living Voice columns.
A very beautiful system had been implemented with in particular a Brinkmann turntable a DS audio cartridge associated with its specific preamp, a complete digital source of the Greek manufacturer Ideon Audio and an hybrid amplification of the brand Trilogy. The cabling was overwhelmingly entrusted to the American brand Analysis Plus.
What most of the world’s reviewers agree is the best headphone system in the world, the dCS Lina set, was listened to with various high quality headphones from the catalogs of Focal, Hifiman, Audeze etc.
In the listening room of Musikae, we found the excellent Living Voice columns together with the Scandinavian electronics of the Engström brand. Mono blocks, preamp with separate power supply, superlative integrated amplifier, only beautiful products, driven by a Brinkmann turntable and a French Eera digital source.
A world premiere discovery from Canada: the new Totem Bison Twin Towers were powered by Chord electronics. According to our information, the Canadian manufacturer launches its Bison range at the end of the year it will include a Monitor, a column with a woofer, and this last column with two woofers.
