Granted, “back” may seem odd when discussing one of the most innovative companies on the market. And yet the Børresen X1 revives old values by taking a big step into the future.
Cross my heart (1): When was the last time you saw and heard a good, as in, really really good loudspeaker and then didn’t nearly faint after a look at the price tag? Exactly, I feel the same way. Prices are galloping, every new evolutionary step is accompanied by a price hike that only the invention of a new type of device could justify. Old wine in new bottles, where often enough, even the bottles really only get a new coat of varnish.
Cross my heart (2): When have you been really surprised by a component because of its meticulous and innovative design? Which device amazed you with its packaging, design and function? A device where you could see in every detail that only fanatical developers and no red tape wielding controllers were at work, where the best and not the cheapest solutions were implemented and individual parts were manufactured to match the design instead of reaching for the shelf of the well-known B2B suppliers? Certainly not that many, although there are components out there that show really thorough design effort. However, the overlap between these and more affordable devices is then vanishingly small.
Cross my heart (3): When was the last time you experienced a loudspeaker that came without a baggage of well-meaning advice or even rules on how it should be operated, burned in and cared for? If you wanted to follow everything that is so often given to you, you would have to completely rebuild both your system and your living room in order to get anywhere near audiophile happiness. How often does it really happen that all this advice is followed? Exactly! And how likely is it that, as a result, most of the loudspeakers out there underperform? Again: Exactly! Because most of the time you’re groping in the fog and have to guess how to react. Very few loudspeakers speak plainly in this regard.
You’ve already guessed it: the new and relatively small Børresen X1 has just shouted “here” on all three counts and promises to be one of the most exciting speakers of recent years – at least among those I’ve had the pleasure of getting a closer look at.
I could now talk about the first-class packaging, the logic of the matching parts and the correspondingly simple assembly, but that would take up space that would be better used if I were to focus exclusively on the X1. Just this much: the small Børresen come in perfectly tailored molds, and the speaker stand takes the principle of “form follows function” to such an extreme that, despite several quite extravagantly shaped parts, you don’t need an instruction manual to get the job done in no time at all. The good news for people who live with children and/or pets is that the speakers are bolted to the stand and the two parts form such a heavy unit that there is no need to worry about accidents.
As soon as the X1 is in its intended place, I naturally want to give in to my curiosity and listen to music, but this is not as easy as I would have liked. On the one hand, the stiff materials of the drivers are still a little buttoned up and audibly insist on an extended warm-up. On the other hand, and this is really fascinating, the Børresen make it unmistakably clear that they are not at all happy with the position I have chosen. The sound sticks to the speakers, soundstaging doesn’t really take place, and from the fundamental downwards I can only hear one-note boominess. A lengthy search for the ideal position begins, which proves to be laborious yet surprisingly easy, as there are often only a few centimetres between heaven and hell. In the end, a good meter from the front wall, a base width of three meters and a fairly pronounced toe-in were the means of choice.
The X1 is far more gracious when it comes to cables, providing information about quality and fit, but low quality cables don’t make it sound like it’s broken. It is also very pleasing that it handles amplifiers accordingly. Of course it has audible preferences, but it never really refuses to work. From a small Rega integrated amplifier to a large Accuphase power amplifier, it cooperated with many devices without complaint. As a general rule, quality trumps quantity. If the amplifier works well, the muscle is secondary. Since finding the root cause of all these intricacies requires some research, let’s first take a closer look at the speakers together, with the support of sales manager Morten Thyrrestrup.
After a few minutes, it becomes clear that the spot I have found corresponds exactly to the position Morten would recommend. However, he usually goes a few steps further. He is not yet satisfied with positioning the speakers by ear, rather, he uses measuring equipment to work his way millimeter by millimeter to the ideal location.
The fact that the loudspeakers provide such clear information about the correct position is no great surprise to him. According to the Danes, this clarity results from the uncompromising design, which is only possible if you can manufacture as many components as possible yourself in line with the design and do not have to adapt the development in many, sometimes very important parameters to the specifications of the supplier goods.
The company is particularly proud of the new bass-midrange drivers, whose three-layer cone encloses a Nomex honeycomb structure between two layers of specially woven carbon. The result is a cone with a mass of only 5.5 grams and exactly the same rigidity at the edge as in the center. The losses are therefore low, the powerful drive unit has an easy time and overall these drivers are four to five times faster than competitor products used for comparison. The same applies to the ribbon tweeter, which, with the exception of a weaker drive, corresponds to the chassis of the top models. At a diaphragm mass of only 0.01 grams, there is next to no stored energy, the tweeter can get moving easily and operates cleanly up to 75 kilohertz – above that, the measuring microphones could no longer keep up.
The cabinet also plays it safe and combines a multi-layer wood composite with carbon and a very complex shape, which in turn makes standing waves impossible and purportedly keeps energy storage to a minimum. The three reflex ports on the rear are due to the narrow back and the required cross-section; the front was out of the question for acoustic reasons.
So how does it sound? It should already be clear that I am very enthusiastic. Apart from a slight tendency towards slenderness (perhaps they didn’t quite find the right place after all?), the X1s refrain from any commentary and communicate everything that is played through with the clarity of a mountain lake. Even recordings you wouldn’t suspect to be audiophile, such as Johnny Cash’s American Recordings are so authentic that even my daughter, who normally avoids this musician by far, wouldn’t leave her chair for hours.
Opera recordings become a feast thanks to the immense transparency – never before have I been able to enjoy so many colors in the Walküre with Janowski and the Staatskapelle Dresden (“from the ash tree trunk shines a lightning bolt” in the violins!!!), to look into the throat and soul of the characters portrayed (Magic Flute under René Jacobs). And let the puppets dance a little louder with wild pop and rock from the 80s? Yes, this is by no means beneath the X1, either.
Cross my heart (4): The X1 has fulfilled its promise of being one of the most exciting speakers of recent years. And not only that, the smallest Børresens have far exceeded this promise. For a reasonably attainable price, you not only get the genes, ideas and know-how found in the larger and far more expensive models, but also some almost identical components. Correctly positioned and with competent playing partners in the group, the X1 leaves no questions unanswered. If you absolutely need more bass, you can turn to its bigger sister, the X2, which almost made my colleague Carsten Barnbeck’ mind explode at a presentation a few months ago, and which still remains on this side of the magic 10,000 euro mark.
So Børresen is reaching into the future and creating a phenomenal loudspeaker that, price tag wise, still lives in the good old days. Seriously, if it was 15,000 euros, you’d believe it!
Accompanying Equipment
Turntable: Transrotor Apollon TMD with SME 5, SME 3012 and others | Cartridges: Clearaudio Talisman and Stradivari V2, Ortofon Vienna and Jubilee, Denon DL-103 | CD-Player: Mark Levinson No. 390S | DAC: Merging Technologies | Preamplifier: Crane Song Avocet | Power amplifier: Digital power amplifier based on ICE Power, Accuphase P-4200 | Integrated amplifier: Lavardin IT | Speakers: Spendor Classic 3/5, Wilson Audio Sasha DAW | Cables: Vovox and others
Loudspeaker Børresen X1
Concept: 2-way ported standmount loudspeaker | Configuration: 11 cm bass/midrange driver with carbon Nomex sandwich cone, ribbon tweeter | Crossover frequency: 2.5 kHz | Frequency response: 50 Hz to 50 kHz | Sensitivity: 86 dB | Efficiency: 90 dB | Recommended amplifier power: from 50 W, > 6 Ω | Finishes: Piano lacquer black or white | Dimensions (W/H/D): 20/42/39 cm, incl. stand 30/113/39 cm | Weight: 26 kg each, incl. stand 24 kg each | Warranty period: 2 years | Pair price: around €5000, incl. stand around €6000
Audio Group Denmark
Rebslagervej 4
9000 Aalborg
Denmark
info@audiogroupdenmark.com