Brionvega Updates Its Totem Stereo for the Design’s 50th Anniversary

When it comes to home appliances–whether you’re talking about the cooking devices in the kitchen, the audio devices throughout the house, or anything else–you want pieces that do their job while looking good in the process. Enter Italian brand Brionvega and, specifically, the Totem Stereo System originally designed by Mario Bellini in 1971 with a desire to “give a pleasing form to the system, so as to make it easier to place in a domestic setting, and not necessarily in a room set aside for the use of professional equipment.” The modular and stunningly designed original retains a place in MoMA’s permanent design collection, but the bigger news is that there’s an all-new version with modern technology that’s as stunning as the original. The Brionvega RR231 Totem Stereo System utilizes the same cube-like, unfolding design that pairs high-performance “wing” speakers on the top with a turntable, radio, USB jacks, and a control console with more RCA jacks than you’ll ever likely use. It’s not a stretch to declare this one of the most beautiful sound systems we’ve ever seen.