Bookshelf Speakers — Davis Acoustics Nikita 3.0

The Nikita 3.0 is a two-way design for stand mounting from Davis Acoustics, the loudspeaker company Michel Visan set up in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés in 1986 and moved to Troyes in 1994. The original Nikita was drawn up in 2005 by his son Olivier Visan, who has managed the firm since 2014, and the 3.0 is its current form. Davis files it in the CAPSULE collection and pitches it as a substitute for a floorstander. French and Italian pricing sits between EUR 6,950 and EUR 7,290 per pair, with matching stands supplied.

Key specs that matter

The cabinet holds just two drivers. A 21 cm Kevlar-cone unit handles bass and midrange, and a 28 mm soft dome tweeter is crossed in at 4,000 Hz. Rated response runs from 40 Hz to 20,000 Hz within 3 dB, with a sensitivity of 91 dB. Impedance is given as 4 to 8 ohm, and the power rating is 80 W nominal with a 150 W maximum. Each cabinet stands 38 cm high, 23 cm wide and 40 cm deep, and one boxed speaker weighs 19 kg. The only finish offered is black piano lacquer.

Engineering and use context

The larger driver is the 20TK8, a Davis design first launched in 1989 as a semi full range unit with a TiCoNAl magnet, and here it is asked to cover a very wide band before the crossover hands off. Its partner is a newer tweeter built around a double decompression chamber. Placing the single crossover point this high keeps the filter simple and leaves most of the vocal range on one cone. The filter uses Mundorf parts, the binding posts come from WBT and the internal cable is made by the French brand Esprit. Air from the reflex enclosure vents through an opening in the rear panel. The supplied stands were designed for this model and can be filled with sand, bringing each speaker and stand assembly to about 45 kg and giving the cabinet a heavy, stable base.

Pairing

The sensitivity rating means moderate output needs little power, so low-wattage transistor designs and good valve amplifiers are both workable partners. The bottom of its impedance rating calls for a partner that remains stable with 4 ohm class loads, and staying within the nominal power rating protects the drivers. Because the port faces rearward, the stands should sit some distance from the wall behind them, and a sand-filled base helps on hard floors.

Alternatives

The Davis Olympia One Master 35 is a smaller two-way stand-mount with a 13 cm Kevlar woofer and a soft dome tweeter.