Boressen speakers

A Borresen+Aavik+Ansuz setup is certainly top tier sounding. I've heard Borresen 5 and Z1 Cryo with assorted Aavik and Ansuz gears. They certainly sounded precise, organic, and not clinical at all. 

If money is no object, sure, just walk into an Audio Denmark dealer, and get the whole package. No need to worry about system synergy since these brands are meant to complement each other. 

Can you get equal or even better quality cheaper with other brands? Of course, but then you would have to experiment and do your research. My own Cabasse setup is equally as good or even better than the Z1 Cryo setup I've heard, but it took me a while to tweak the setup. 

Consider Gaudek Akustik as well, their sound signature is nearly identical to Borresen. I've heard Berlina RC3 paired with Perreaux 300ix and they sounded no different than the Z1 Cryo setup. 

@arafiq I am very curious to hear X3 as well. My local dealer has it now, I will probably make a trip soon. 

I don't know how Joseph Audio speakers sound. There used to be a local dealer but apparently didn't sell well enough. 

In the category of compact floorstanders, the best I've heard was the Gryphon EOS2. I actually preferred it to much more expensive Borresen 05. IMO, the Gryphon had the same level of refinements as Borresen but more fun sounding. I enjoyed my time with Borresen but with Gryphon I was tapping my feet and genuinely had a roaring time. 

I have finally listened to the Borresen X3. It was driven by Aavik I-180 and S-180 and powered by Ansuz conditioner and cords of course. The last floor-stander I’ve heard was Tad Evolution One TX. Those were lovely and a true high-end. I didn’t expect the X3 to equal the Tad, but for their asking price my expectation was still high and I expected the X3 to be close to Tad in quality.

I fired up a couple standard female vocals tracks. The first thing I noticed was the noise floor was noticeably higher compared to other speakers around this price range. There was also a healthy amount of bass, but unfortunately the bass sounded rather boomy. With vocals, jazz, and indie rock, the overall experience was still enjoyable and still coherent. Separation was decent but the soundstage seemed to lack depth, the vocal and the band seemed to be compressed together in the same row. When I started listening to the classical tracks, the setup struggled to maintain composure. The boomy bass reared its ugly head here and muddled the presentation. I listened to Nelson Freire’s recording of Emperor Concerto and it was quite hard to differentiate the instruments. There seemed to be also a slight high roll-off as the piano notes lacked sparkles at higher register.

The elephant in the room is Z1 Cryo costs the same as X3 and is a far more competent pair of speakers technically, definitely deserving of its high-end status. Accurate, airy, realistic timbres, with just the right amount of bass. I loved the Z1 when I listened to it and it is in my shortlist of my next pair of speakers. So why on earth would you get X3 which IMO at best mid-fi in quality?

There are better alternatives at lower price points. Just one day later I listened to Triangle Duetto 40th Anniversary powered by Marantz 40N. This setup was cheaper than a pair of X3 yet more detailed, accurate, and realistic. The Berlina RC3 I’ve heard weeks ago was also very good. My own Cabasse setup costs less than a pair of X3 total and it is also far more competent. 

I suspect X3 exists just to elevate the rest of the the Borresen’s more expensive lineup.