Boressen speakers

I have heard many of them and owned two pairs. I went up the line from Scansonic MB-6B to Borresen Z3 Cryo to Borresen 02. The 02 are still to this date the best speakers I’ve ever owned. I am a dealer for a few other brands, not Borresen, and I still think the 02 beats everything I’ve had on my floor. Unfortunately they will have to go at some point as my business continues to grow. Since I run my dealership from my home, I only have so much space.

I’ve spent a lot of time with many models. In addition to the ones I’ve owned, I’ve heard the X3, 01, 02SSE, 03SSE, 05, 05SSE, M1, and M3.

While the Z3 Cryo I owned were a lot of fun and a great speaker at its price point, the 02 is a bit more refined and holographic. It can still fill a medium to large room without an issue, as long as the electronics can control them. I find Borresen are a bit harder to drive and quality electronics matter. I had great luck powering them with the T+A HV stack, Audionet electronics, and Luxman Class A amplification. I’ve never owned Aavik or Ansuz gear and cables to pair it with.

My favorite quality about them is their ability to image. They can make for a truly holographic soundstage and not be fatiguing at all. They are super fast, yet refined. It is really hard for a speaker to do both exceptionally well.

@gladmo by refined, I mean less etched and with more natural presentation. The Z3 Cryo had a sliiiightly more brash character - maybe just a bit more distortion. It wouldn’t get fatiguing, but depending on the rest of my system synergy (I am a dealer so I swap a lot of gear in and out), the Z3 Cryo could at times sound tipped up or a bit more piercing. Not necessarily fatiguing or painful, but in comparison the 02 are notably smoother while being more revealing and detailed. 

@steakster That comment absolutely made my day. Thank you!

@arafiq They are very, very different speakers tonally. I also have a lot of affinity for Joseph Audio and have heard all of his current speakers. I would say that Borresen is brutally more honest in the midrange. While I love the detail, tonal balance, and slightly warm delivery of Joseph, it is not the most revealing speaker. I don’t mean that in a bad way, they are simply just lovely speakers. I’ve actually reached out to Jeff Joseph to see if I could carry them since I know he doesn’t have any representation out in the Minneapolis region.

Joseph will sound more full, a bit bloomier than the X3. Switching to the X3 may be a bit jarring, and you may find them to be drier and tipped up. They deliver with a bit more contrast. They are very fast across the board, but also, being on the bottom of the Borresen line, more fatiguing. While it has the famous Borresen tweeter, the remainder of the speaker is made of cheaper components. While the tonality of the X3 is very much in the Borresen sonic signature, it is much more brash than the Z series, let alone the 0 series. It is a great speaker for those who love the Borresen sound and can only afford to spend $11-12K.

Your Perspective2 Graphene are great performers and it would likely be a sideways move to go to the X3 unless you’re craving a completely different sonic signature. Both speakers have very different strengths and weaknesses, and you will be trading one set for another. I hope that makes sense.

I’ve noticed a pair of the Perspective2 Graphene on USAM and have considered making the seller an offer. I own the Borresen 02, so that should show how much respect I have for Joseph despite their known weaknesses.

@arafiq I missed the part where you said you have an Aavik amp. Which one are you using? I see it’s not listed on your profile. 

@arafiq Given your preferences, I would stay away from the X3. If your heart is set on going Borresen down the road, I would opt for a higher series like Z Cryo or 0 which are more refined and have more density to the tone. 

I would also agree that some of the T+A speakers fall in your preferences for being richer sounding, especially the T+A Talis and Solitaire lines. I’ll shoot you a PM with more thoughts since this thread is not about T+A. Wilson and Legacy Speakers are two other brands that may fall into your consideration set. 

Thank you also for your kind of words. Much of what you say is a result of a community that has been inviting enough for me to participate and reciprocate our shared passion for audio. 

@ronboco Thank you as well! Unfortunately I have not had the pleasure of having Rockport in my system, though I have heard them at shows and dealers. I know of a few customers around the country that have th as well. They are another brand I would put up there with Joseph and Wilson. Probably closer to Wilson with a kinder tweeter. They make incredible speakers in their class.