Thread: Borresen Acoustics Loudspeakers

Sixmoon’s visit to Børresen Acoustics



Srajan Ebaen of Sixmoons.com has just published a very interesting article on his recent visit to Borresen Acoustics and the innovative new technologies used in Borresen loudspeakers. This is excellent reading for current Borresen speaker owners.


https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/borresen/



Borresen is one of the few loudspeaker manufacturers to design and build drivers in house. I was not previously aware of the use of perforated HDF discs which are claimed to create a pressure environment bigger than the cabinet and also mean [for the Borresen 02 and upward] that drivers sharing the same port don’t see each other.



Source acknowledgement: Srajan Ebaen, Sixmoons, Review Borresen 02, accessed online 27 August 2019, see above link. Photo of Borresen designed woofers together with a perforated HDF disc which sits behind the woofer.



And then there’s the esoteric stuff – dither tech which designer Michael Borresen is said to have based on an approach borrowed from marine sonar. The injection of Schuman resonance and harmonics to combat a widely known problem of cabling acting as antennas. All cables can act like antennas, both to transmit and receive and this problem has gotten significantly worse in recent times with popularity of WiFi for streaming, not to mention the proliferation of cellular and other wireless technologies used in the modern home. Accordingly, dither tech is also incorporated as filtering in some products of the Ansuz Acoustics product range.



Source acknowledgement: Srajan Ebaen, Sixmoons, Review Borresen 02, accessed online 27 August 2019, see above link. Render of Borresen 02 loudspeaker showing cabinet internals including the drivers, driver internal chambers and HDF discs. At higher SPL the behavior of the ported alignment is said to shift to more of a sealed box to improve control and power handling.

Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001

I was not aware of any Audioshark site specific policies around this and perhaps Mike could comment?

I don’t think there are such policies on the Sharks forum, but Mike could just block your account because you are a ____ (everyone to fill in what they think applies). Maybe “Friend of one of the Borresen owners”, as it says in your signature?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Ralf,

Since you and Lars asked what was the problem that we have with your posts, I'd like to point one example here:
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussio...-did-you-think

You are clearly a Raidho/Borresen Acoustics fan and actively shill/promote their products. In the thread I have referenced above you are clearly misrepresenting yourself as an audio enthusiast looking to find information on Borresen Acoustics. The Audiogon thread is there for everyone to see your disingenuous ways.


Lars,

Since you asked why some Sharks had a problem with your products ...

I was in the audience when you and Michael demonstrated your Raidho products at Munich 2017. You guys actively sold Raidho at Munich and shortly thereafter sold the brand leaving current owners in the lurch. We have several owners on here who were left with Raidho speakers that were reduced worth in the thousands of dollars. Jock has a D5 currently on sale at $38.5K (list price $220K plus). We all know this is a world where business is business but, to me, you guys cashed out at the expense of Raidho customers.

So please don't come on here and act incredulous about why we have a problem with your products and surrogate marketing tactics. We have to look out for each other and Borresen Acoustics has to earn our trust after what you have done at Raidho.

Regards.



.

Originally Posted by Nikhil

Ralf,

Since you and Lars asked what was the problem that we have with your posts, I'd like to point one example here:
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussio...-did-you-think

You are clearly a Raidho/Borresen Acoustics fan and actively shill/promote their products. In the thread I have referenced above you are clearly misrepresenting yourself as an audio enthusiast looking to find information on Borresen Acoustics. The Audiogon thread is there for everyone to see your disingenuous ways.


Lars,

Since you asked why some Sharks had a problem with your products ...

I was in the audience when you and Michael demonstrated your Raidho products at Munich 2017. You guys actively sold Raidho at Munich and shortly thereafter sold the brand leaving current owners in the lurch. We have several owners on here who were left with Raidho speakers that were reduced worth in the thousands of dollars. Jock has a D5 currently on sale at $38.5K (list price $220K plus). We all know this is a world where business is business but, to me, you guys cashed out at the expense of Raidho customers.

So please don't come on here and act incredulous about why we have a problem with your products and surrogate marketing tactics. We have to look out for each other and Borresen Acoustics has to earn our trust after what you have done at Raidho.

Regards.

Hello Nikhil,

Thanks for the post. Yes, I am a fan of Borresen Acoustics products and yes, I make a large voluntary effort to share my enthusiasm, product experience and news related to the company.

Was the Audiogon thread an act of deception? You can read it however you wish. I’d simply point out I used the same handle (kiwi_1282001) as I use on Audioshark – which wouldn’t be terribly clever if this was an orchestrated act of subterfuge. Second, the post which asked for peoples impressions on the speakers was set up before I physically received my pair of speakers. Who isn’t curious about other people’s opinions before receiving product of your own? Finally, there’s been no further AG posts since early this year since I don’t need other people’s opinions now on how they sound – because they are now sitting in my audio room and they sound bloody brilliant.


Just one other point in closing Nikhil. Lars did not sell his company after the Munich 2017 show. Dantax A/S acquired the Raidho project way back in 2009. From 2009 onwards Lars was a representative of the company. Your comment therefore that “you guys cashed out at the expense of loyal Raidho customers” is materially wrong. It is wrong not only because Lar’s wasn’t running or owning the company/brand but because today a growing percentage of former Raidho customers are now very satisfied Borresen customers.

Originally Posted by Nikhil

Ralf,

Since you and Lars asked what was the problem that we have with your posts, I'd like to point one example here:
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussio...-did-you-think

You are clearly a Raidho/Borresen Acoustics fan and actively shill/promote their products. In the thread I have referenced above you are clearly misrepresenting yourself as an audio enthusiast looking to find information on Borresen Acoustics. The Audiogon thread is there for everyone to see your disingenuous ways.


Lars,

Since you asked why some Sharks had a problem with your products ...

I was in the audience when you and Michael demonstrated your Raidho products at Munich 2017. You guys actively sold Raidho at Munich and shortly thereafter sold the brand leaving current owners in the lurch. We have several owners on here who were left with Raidho speakers that were reduced worth in the thousands of dollars. Jock has a D5 currently on sale at $38.5K (list price $220K plus). We all know this is a world where business is business but, to me, you guys cashed out at the expense of Raidho customers.

So please don't come on here and act incredulous about why we have a problem with your products and surrogate marketing tactics. We have to look out for each other and Borresen Acoustics has to earn our trust after what you have done at Raidho.

Regards.



.

I believe that you're mistaken. Lars and Michael didn't sell the brand. It was already owned by Dantax has been like that for over a decade. Lars and Michael left Raidho and Dantax since they didn't like where thing where going in terms of many things. It is not like they've sold their soul to the devil or anything. If you are to accuse anyone please have your facts straight.

Since disclaiming is the new black - I work for Ansuz, Aavik and Børresen.

Originally Posted by EmiLiuZ

I believe that you're mistaken. Lars and Michael didn't sell the brand. It was already owned by Dantax has been like that for over a decade. Lars and Michael left Raidho and Dantax since they didn't like where thing where going in terms of many things. It is not like they've sold their soul to the devil or anything. If you are to accuse anyone please have your facts straight.

Since disclaiming is the new black - I work for Ansuz, Aavik and Børresen.

Thanks for the clarification and the disclosure.
Happy to be informed of the scenario behind the whole thing.

I don't know if it makes any Raidho owners feel any better though.


.

Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001

Just one other point in closing Nikhil. Lars did not sell his company after the Munich 2017 show. Dantax A/S acquired the Raidho project way back in 2009. From 2009 onwards Lars was a representative of the company. Your comment therefore that “you guys cashed out at the expense of loyal Raidho customers” is materially wrong. It is wrong not only because Lar’s wasn’t running or owning the company/brand but because today a growing percentage of former Raidho customers are now very satisfied Borresen customers.

Ralf,

Thanks for the facts on this. It does change my perception of events.
Perhaps I should change my original post to say "exited" instead of "cashed out" ...

I'm not quite ready to let you off the hook on the other point.
I'll leave it to others to read the Agon thread and make their own conclusions.

Regards


.

Originally Posted by Nikhil

Ralf,

Thanks for the facts on this. It does change my perception of events.
Perhaps I should change my original post to say "exited" instead of "cashed out" but quod scripsi, scripsi ...

I'm not quite ready to let you off the hook on the other point.
I'll leave it to others to read the Agon thread and make their own conclusions.

Regards


.

Originally Posted by EmiLiuZ

I believe that you're mistaken. Lars and Michael didn't sell the brand. It was already owned by Dantax has been like that for over a decade. Lars and Michael left Raidho and Dantax since they didn't like where thing where going in terms of many things. It is not like they've sold their soul to the devil or anything. If you are to accuse anyone please have your facts straight.

Since disclaiming is the new black - I work for Ansuz, Aavik and Børresen.

Some background:

Raidho was hit unusually hard by the financial problems of 2008 and was taken into bankruptcy in 2009, and had been dissolved by 2010. A saviour came from an unlikely source in the form of Danish budget audio and CE company Dantax that bought the Raidho company lock stock and barrel in 2009, unusually enough, but usually in these bankruptcy cases the potential suitors only purchase selected assets, Dantax however hired all the original staff of the company and simply moved the factory to its headquarters in Pandrup and continued operations as if nothing had happened.

Source: http://audiotools.com/dead_r.html

Thanks to Mike for the insider Raidho backstory.

Raidho has had a pretty successful run since Dantax purchased the company in 2009. I don't know if Michael Borresen was with the company prior to the Dantax purchase, but if he was the original Raidho designer and Lars Kristiansen was the sales rep, Dantax did well to retain them.

I'm sure there is no perfect speaker. But for me the Raidho's have imaging and resolution strengths I've not heard from many other speakers at manufacturers, dealers, or RMAF. I've read Borresen has a degree in physics and a different approach to audio design. I've owned used Raidho speakers since 2009 and really enjoyed them musically. I now own some Ansuz products that have elevated my musical enjoyment further by adding more dynamics and resolution. I definitely want to one day audition the Borresen speakers.

IMO the biggest mistake I've made for years was trying to find an all encompassing speaker that would produce visceral bass within my budget. Even after I built a music purposed acoustically designed dedicated room, I didn't experience emotional bass. I finally concluded a really great, well integrated subwoofer and active crossover coupled with a speaker that excels at frequencies >80 Hz. is the most cost effective approach for all but those with unlimited resources.

Lastly, I have to say I've been put off by some of the contentious posts in this thread - it occurs far too often in many forums. More facts, less hearsay and rumor spreading, especially those used for a destructive purpose, would be most welcome.

Originally Posted by LenWhite

.... Lastly, I have to say I've been put off by some of the contentious posts in this thread - it occurs far too often in many forums. More facts, less hearsay and rumor spreading, especially those used for a destructive purpose, would be most welcome.

As an ex-Raidho owner, I have some insight into, and experience with, much of the controversy surrounding Raidho, including, among other things, engineered bass emphasis, pricing, and sales tactics. Some of this controversy has also (logically) affected Borresen Acoustics.

I stand with Jock in noting that extreme discounting was common in the U.S. for Raidho products when Lars K and Michael B worked there, and when they claimed to be among the principals of the company. It would not surprise me to learn that a similar pricing model is being used with Borresen Acoustics products. In fact, I would be more surprised if they weren't relying on very heavy discounting here given the paucity of U.S. dealers (one? two?) and general lack of a U.S. presence.

Further, Lars K told me personally, in front of a witness in 2013, that he and Michael B "owned" Raidho, along with a passive investor (John Peter Jensen). Again, I would not be surprised if this claim was made to others, or if that was the general impression among the industry or public.

Also, for those who deny any mid bass emphasis, engineered or otherwise, I was told by Lars K (again, in front of a witness) that Michael B intentionally emphasized the bass in Raidho speakers because they were designed for low level listening in fairly close quarters. I know of at least one acknowledged audio expert who confirmed this emphasis with in-room measurements. Whether that's acceptable, or desirable, is a topic that seems to have been covered ad nauseam, and ultimately depends on one's personal, and subjective, preference.

While I understand Borresen Acoustics is a different brand with new products, many of their employees, including both principals, are ex-Raidho. So while I am sure they have learned from past mistakes, it seems fair to question how different the new brand and products really are.

I was a happy Raidho owner, and I am a happy ex-Raidho owner. And I hope that Borresen Acoustics finds all the success that its products, business acumen, and integrity deserve.

Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001

Sixmoon’s visit to Børresen Acoustics



Srajan Ebaen of Sixmoons.com has just published a very interesting article on his recent visit to Borresen Acoustics and the innovative new technologies used in Borresen loudspeakers. This is excellent reading for current Borresen speaker owners.


https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/borresen/



Borresen is one of the few loudspeaker manufacturers to design and build drivers in house. I was not previously aware of the use of perforated HDF discs which are claimed to create a pressure environment bigger than the cabinet and also mean [for the Borresen 02 and upward] that drivers sharing the same port don’t see each other.



Source acknowledgement: Srajan Ebaen, Sixmoons, Review Borresen 02, accessed online 27 August 2019, see above link. Photo of Borresen designed woofers together with a perforated HDF disc which sits behind the woofer.



And then there’s the esoteric stuff – dither tech which designer Michael Borresen is said to have based on an approach borrowed from marine sonar. The injection of Schuman resonance and harmonics to combat a widely known problem of cabling acting as antennas. All cables can act like antennas, both to transmit and receive and this problem has gotten significantly worse in recent times with popularity of WiFi for streaming, not to mention the proliferation of cellular and other wireless technologies used in the modern home. Accordingly, dither tech is also incorporated as filtering in some products of the Ansuz Acoustics product range.



Source acknowledgement: Srajan Ebaen, Sixmoons, Review Borresen 02, accessed online 27 August 2019, see above link. Render of Borresen 02 loudspeaker showing cabinet internals including the drivers, driver internal chambers and HDF discs. At higher SPL the behavior of the ported alignment is said to shift to more of a sealed box to improve control and power handling.

Thanks for the link kiwi. Srajan Ebaen of Sixmoons.com writes about a great deal of new technology being used in the Borresen line. I already know from using some of the Ansuz products Borresen knows a lot about A/C power conditioning/distribution and resonance control. Look forward to hearing the speakers one day. Hopefully Borresen Acoustics will be successful in the U.S.

Originally Posted by LenWhite

. Hopefully Borresen Acoustics will be successful in the U.S.

It is getting the the point where I wonder what it is going to take for any speaker company to be successful in the US or elsewhere. I quickly looked thru the recent Absolute Sound "high end speaker and cable issue". I was absolutely stunned to see that there are about 70 speaker from 32 manufacturers with pricing from about $100k and up. IMHO there are not that many companies with the bona fides to play in that sandbox.

There are indeed a lot of speakers in the marketplace. I'm attaching an article by Roy Gregory in the "The Audio Beat" speaking to some of the sales issues of Raidho prior to Dantax ownership. While Gregory gives much design credit to Michael Borresen, his critique of business practices is something they should carefully consider if their companies are to be successful.

Gregory's article also gives much credit to Dantax for Raidho technical and marketing advancements. It sounds very much like Raidho is in good hands.
http://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/raidho_xt5.htm

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

So, Jim, how would a given company's "bona fides" be qualified and assessed?

Cheers,
Stephen

By establishing a historical track record of producing outstanding sounding speakers at a lower price point first.

Ken

I wouldn't think it would be by having your first model out of the gate being a limited frequency 2-way monitor starting at $30k plus another $5k for the stands. But that's just me as I'm sure there is a group that will have a different opinion shortly.

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Fair enough. From a practical perspective, how are these metrics established and agreed to? E.g., how is oustanding "measured" and what would be the target price point? And over what time frame for to establish a "historical record"?

Outstanding sounding is not something you can necessarily measure, although measurements sometimes do support what you hear (i.e. flat frequency response). It is something you ascertain by listening. Lower price point could be anywhere from $20K to $60K. Historical track record from 5 to 10 years. YMMV.

Ken

Originally Posted by LenWhite

Thanks for the link kiwi. Srajan Ebaen of Sixmoons.com writes about a great deal of new technology being used in the Borresen line. I already know from using some of the Ansuz products Borresen knows a lot about A/C power conditioning/distribution and resonance control. Look forward to hearing the speakers one day. Hopefully Borresen Acoustics will be successful in the U.S.

I’m pleased you enjoyed the article Len. I understand there will be a follow on article sometime in the near future. Are you able to make it to the RMAF show next month in Denver?

Originally Posted by still-one

It is getting the the point where I wonder what it is going to take for any speaker company to be successful in the US or elsewhere. I quickly looked thru the recent Absolute Sound "high end speaker and cable issue". I was absolutely stunned to see that there are about 70 speaker from 32 manufacturers with pricing from about $100k and up. IMHO there are not that many companies with the bona fides to play in that sandbox.

Hi Jim. Speaking generally, many foreign manufacturers have found the U.S. market a tough nut to crack, so much so that some elect not to offer their product there at all – which is a shame. Success in the U.S. market can be elusive. Sometimes principals make a poor choice of distributor or mess up pricing policy. Sometimes resellers/dealers don’t represent the brand well. Othertime’s principals who are often unfamiliar with the U.S. market just do something stupid. There’s a lot to get right and channels are evolving with more manufacturer direct to retailer relationships and certainly more manufacturer direct selling to customers.

Originally Posted by VT Skier

[…] I stand with Jock in noting that extreme discounting was common in the U.S. for Raidho products when Lars K and Michael B worked there, and when they claimed to be among the principals of the company. It would not surprise me to learn that a similar pricing model is being used with Borresen Acoustics products. In fact, I would be more surprised if they weren't relying on very heavy discounting here given the paucity of U.S. dealers (one? two?) and general lack of a U.S. presence. […]

Remembering back to an old Raidho thread where Mike offered what I thought was some sage advice to John Jensen (the major shareholder of Dantax A/S, parent of Raidho) on Raidho pricing policy, discounting, channel discipline (among other things) it was clear Mike, at that time a Raidho dealer, was keen to see reduced MSRP and discounting on the product range. Unfortunately the request appeared to fall on deaf ears as nothing meaningfully changed. The point here is that pricing policy is usually in the hands of or at least approved by the company CEO / owners.

No doubt past mistakes have been made as you quite correctly paint, but there is cause to be hopeful that some learning has come from them. As we have learned from an earlier post Borresen has a different pricing policy to Raidho. Further, at RMAF next month Borresen will launch the first model of its Z-series, the Z01. Pricing will be along the lines of what Mike had hoped from Raidho i.e. a loudspeaker comparable in quality to the Raidho D-1.1 but at a significantly lower MSRP. A step in the right direction? Time will tell.

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

So, Jim, how would a given company's "bona fides" be qualified and assessed?

Cheers,
Stephen

Ken hit some of the points in Post#65 plus they need to have an established dealer and service network.

Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001

I’m pleased you enjoyed the article Len. I understand there will be a follow on article sometime in the near future. Are you able to make it to the RMAF show next month in Denver?






Hi Jim. Speaking generally, many foreign manufacturers have found the U.S. market a tough nut to crack, so much so that some elect not to offer their product there at all – which is a shame. Success in the U.S. market can be elusive. Sometimes principals make a poor choice of distributor or mess up pricing policy. Sometimes resellers/dealers don’t represent the brand well. Othertime’s principals who are often unfamiliar with the U.S. market just do something stupid. There’s a lot to get right and channels are evolving with more manufacturer direct to retailer relationships and certainly more manufacturer direct selling to customers.

Of course as Ken points out having great sounding speakers at a reasonable price point is helpful. Remembering back to an old Raidho thread where Mike offered what I thought was some sage advice to John Jensen (the major shareholder of Dantax A/S, parent of Raidho) on Raidho pricing policy, discounting, channel discipline (among other things) it was clear Mike, at that time a Raidho dealer, was keen to see reduced MSRP and discounting on the product range. Unfortunately the request appeared to fall on deaf ears as nothing meaningfully changed.

No doubt past mistakes have been made as Jon I think quite correctly paints but there is cause to be hopeful that some learning has come from them. At RMAF next month Borresen will launch the first model of its Z-series, the Z01. Pricing will be along the lines of what Mike had hoped from Raidho i.e. a loudspeaker comparable in quality to the Raidho D-1.1 but at a significantly lower MSRP. A step in the right direction? Time will tell.

Just to be clear my comments were not aimed towards Borresen.

I cannot speak for the global speaker market but as for the US sector I find it absurd that 32 manufacturers are offering product in range from ~$100k and up.

Originally Posted by still-one

Ken hit some of the points in Post#65 plus they need to have an established dealer and service network.

Excellent point, Jim. That didn’t occur to me but is very true.

Ken

The company also would need to be trustworthy to warrant such high prices. That will be Borresen’s Achilles Heel, as the marketing approach is dishonest.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by still-one

Just to be clear my comments were not aimed towards Borresen.

I cannot speak for the global speaker market but as for the US sector I find it absurd that 32 manufacturers are offering product in range from ~$100k and up.

That was understood Jim. Thanks.

Beyond offering products at sane pricing I further agree an established dealer and service network is important. Easier said then done though.

Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001

I’m pleased you enjoyed the article Len. I understand there will be a follow on article sometime in the near future. Are you able to make it to the RMAF show next month in Denver?

Not this year, but perhaps next year as my daughter lives in the Denver area.

I thought the 6 Moons review was very well written. It's the first time I read a clear explanation of the differences between audio playback vs. live music.

I really do appreciate what Borresen is doing for audio, particularly cabling and resonance control which I've heard in my audio system. I wouldn't mind trying two sets of Track Audio Isolation Feet mentioned by Roy Gregory in his XT5 review, but I don't know of any way to remove the original aluminum feet on the D3s. And just putting resonance control under the existing feet would raise the entire speaker. Roy Gregory also mentioned in his Raidho XT5 review that adjustment of rake angle and attitude is a critical factor in maximizing the performance of any speaker with this tall and narrow a radiating area.
http://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/raidho_xt5.htm

Photo / Source Acknowledgement: Test Børresen 01: Kompaktlautsprecher vom anderen Stern, accessed online 28th August 2019, LowBeats ist ein innovatives Online-HiFi-Magazin.


Being an owner of Borresen 01 loudspeakers I’ve been patiently waiting for some reviews to come out. I had hoped to see a review on the Model 01 from Jonathan Valin but perhaps after his Munich High End 2019 Best Loudspeaker Report he’s decided to jump on some Borresen 05’s instead, which he favorably compared to his current reference loudspeakers, the giant and simply fabulous $260k MBL X-Tremes.


So this then is the first Borresen 01 speaker review I’ve seen. Unfortunately its in German – but don’t fear – your browser should offer a translate function which seems to do a reasonable job of conveying the message of Mr. Frank Borowski of LowBeats a German Online HiFi Magazine.




https://www.lowbeats.de/test-borrese...tlautsprecher/




There is always a “feel good” factor when you read a glowing review of any audio product you own and Mr. Borowski’s conclusion was quite effusive “Nevertheless, I can not help but call the 01 soberly the best compact speakers I've ever heard. And the "compact" could actually be deleted in the sentence for many areas. In my opinion, driver technology represents one of the biggest advances in loudspeaker development in many years.”

Originally Posted by LenWhite

Not this year, but perhaps next year as my daughter lives in the Denver area.

I thought the 6 Moons review was very well written. It's the first time I read a clear explanation of the differences between audio playback vs. live music.

I really do appreciate what Borresen is doing for audio, particularly cabling and resonance control which I've heard in my audio system. I wouldn't mind trying two sets of Track Audio Isolation Feet mentioned by Roy Gregory in his XT5 review, but I don't know of any way to remove the original aluminum feet on the D3s. And just putting resonance control under the existing feet would raise the entire speaker. Roy Gregory also mentioned in his Raidho XT5 review that adjustment of rake angle and attitude is a critical factor in maximizing the performance of any speaker with this tall and narrow a radiating area.
http://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/raidho_xt5.htm

Hello Len,

I am not familiar with the footers used on the Raidho XT5, though Roy Gregory clearly believes they are an improvement over the original design used in the Raidho C & D series.

To be honest I never really had a problem with the original footers as used on your speakers – my only wish being that they were adjustable since floors are rarely perfectly even. What I did with the C-series and D-series speakers I owned was sit them on a wool carpet or mat that was dense enough so that slight variations in flooring evenness was absorbed and the speakers were thus stable. Done just right a small sliver of the aluminum should be visible when looking at it from floor level as seen in the below photo which I borrowed from a Jeff Fritz review [Ultra Audio / SoundStage!, “The World's Best Audio System - Ribbons and Revelations: Raidho Acoustics C2.1 Loudspeakers”, 01 May 2012]





I am not familiar with your current implementation but can I suggest – if you haven’t already – give carpet a try.

Another but more expensive option is to contact your Raidho dealer and ask them what options are available. I believe the D3 footers can be removed and replaced with adjustable diamond or aluminium feet, available as accessories from Raidho. Beyond balancing out uneven floors this would give some rake adjustment ability - though if your ears are at tweeter level you should already be enjoying excellent high frequency performance.

I’m not sure that Track Audios Isolation feet are a step in the right direction or whether there is any easy way to implement them in your case. I can tell you designer Michael Borresen hates spikes with a passion and there is a growing trend by some of the world’s leading loudspeaker manufacturers (for example Magico) and 3^rd party accessory providers (for example Nordost & Ansuz) to offer speaker upgrades which replace spikes with a very different type of floor coupling.

Originally Posted by LenWhite

Not this year, but perhaps next year as my daughter lives in the Denver area.

I thought the 6 Moons review was very well written. It's the first time I read a clear explanation of the differences between audio playback vs. live music.

I really do appreciate what Borresen is doing for audio, particularly cabling and resonance control which I've heard in my audio system. I wouldn't mind trying two sets of Track Audio Isolation Feet mentioned by Roy Gregory in his XT5 review, but I don't know of any way to remove the original aluminum feet on the D3s. And just putting resonance control under the existing feet would raise the entire speaker. Roy Gregory also mentioned in his Raidho XT5 review that adjustment of rake angle and attitude is a critical factor in maximizing the performance of any speaker with this tall and narrow a radiating area.
http://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/raidho_xt5.htm

Raidho does offer the adjustable diamond foot option. I never wanted to believe they were worth the money. But when I got my D2.1's they had the diamond feet. After having the speakers for a couple of weeks I asked my dealer to put the original feet in to save a few bucks. It worked out great because he had an order for the diamond feet who wanted them right away. Hate to say it but the 2.1's lost a layer or 2 of resolution. After a week I asked my dealer to order me the diamond feet. When I ordered my D3.1's I was able to keep the base with the diamond feet because the bases are interchangeable. Another option would be the Ansuz Darkz D-TC adjustable footers that have dimples on the top to be used under the D1/D2/D3 feet. The retail is about the same as I recall. They do raise the speaker up and according to Mike Borresen that won't make a significant difference in SQ if any. I never tried them under my 2.1's or 3.1's. That said when I had D1's I did put granite slabs under the stand which raised the speaker height. Until then the D1's were sitting on padded carpet over concrete. The sound got a bit more forward from top to bottom which for me was an improvement. A friend who had D2's at the time that sat on a non carpeted surface tried some granite under them. Honestly it really didn't make any difference compared what I heard with the D1's. The downside of the granite is if the speaker slides off the slab they will fall over. That happened to my friend when his big dog went wild and ran into one. Luckily he was right there to catch it.

As far as changing the angle I tried it with with the 3.1's and I tilted them back. The one thing I noticed with all the Raidho's I had is when when you stood up you lost some of the highs. It helped some. It doesn't happen with my 03's so I keep the 'level'.

Originally Posted by octadyndude

[...]
As far as changing the angle I tried it with with the 3.1's and I tilted them back. The one thing I noticed with all the Raidho's I had is when when you stood up you lost some of the highs. It helped some. It doesn't happen with my 03's so I keep the 'level'.

That's a really interesting observation George. Yes, I also noticed that with the Raidho speakers but not with the Borresen's where the vertical dispersion and HF content of the tweeter remains excellent even when listening in a standing position.

Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001

Hello Len,

I can tell you designer Michael Borresen hates spikes with a passion and there is a growing trend by some of the world’s leading loudspeaker manufacturers (for example Magico) and 3^rd party accessory providers (for example Nordost & Ansuz) to offer speaker upgrades which replace spikes with a very different type of floor coupling.

I really do think it's likely the Darkz resonance controls used as supports on the Borresen speakers make a real difference. The Darkz's really made a difference on my source equipment. Thank you for all the information.

I used 27 diamond Darkz with my D5s to tame them. And that worked GREAT. Made an amazing diference. Each footer took 3 1/3 of the Darkz.

I have not found them to be that good on other equipment. They are like Stillpoints, at first they make such a difference it seems like they are GREAT, but when you take them out later you realize everything they take away. So using sparingly makes sense on other things.

generally speaking. I bought a pair of 285 lbs ea speakers that 85 lbs was the plinth and the previous owner, probably thinking the weight was enough, never tried the floor spikes. I'm a believer! once I got the speakers placed I put the spikes on them, the bass tightened up, imaging became more focused and what had already sounded like a quality speaker was improved in every regard.

Originally Posted by LenWhite

I really do think it's likely the Darkz resonance controls used as supports on the Borresen speakers make a real difference. The Darkz's really made a difference on my source equipment. Thank you for all the information.

Hello Len,


Agreed on the Darkz. The footers of the Borresen speakers are designed to accept add on Ansuz Darkz resonance control devices and Borresen say doing so will further upgrade the performance. It’s not something I’ve experimented with yet, so I can’t verify the claim. I did however change the Darkz between the stand top-plate and the bottom of the speakers, upgrading them to Ansuz T2s [Ansuz T2 SUPREME] and I wrote about the audible results of doing that recently in my system thread





Photo / Source: Borresen Acoustics ApS. Ansuz Darkz may be added to feet. According to Ansuz the Darkz provide a ‘mechanical grounding’ or in other words, serve for a targeted dissipation and redirection of vibrations which are inevitably generated by all audio components and which diffuse parasitically. Resonances primarily emanate not only from loudspeakers but also from all electronic music components, power supply units, power strips, and cables.




As far resonance control devices under electronic products is concerned the results have been mixed. I really like Nordost Sort TC Kones and Ansuz Darkz d.tc but some other well known brands like Stillpoints were a disappointment.


Don’t forget your equipment rack too. Most racks, especially lower cost ones have spikes. The problem is the spikes will act like a cartridge picking up vibrations from the floor. Replacing spikes with something relatively low cost like Nordost Pulsar points or more expensive Nordost Sort Füt or Ansuz Darkz feet can yield awesome results.




Ps. I also replied via PM re your other question.

The new Critical Mass Center Stage 2 feet have been the best I’ve tried so far. Magico Q-Pod’s are right up there too.

Borresen Acoustics at RMAF 2019



Borresen Acoustics together with related companies; Aavik Acoustics and Ansuz Acoustics are exhibiting at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest - High-end Consumer Audio Show (RMAF 2019) in Denver, Colorado, Sept 6-8.


Located at the level 3, Willow Lake Room 5, Borresen Acoustics together with Next Level HiFi (Chicago) are initially showing the Borresen Model 01 speakers together with Aavik U-150 integrated amplifier and DAC.


I say initially showing because the intent is to exhibit the new Borresen Z-01 speakers and the new Aavik U-380 integrated amplifier and the new Ansuz PowerSwitch – assuming the pallet which contains these items makes an appearance.

Should you get to hear the set up - please share your thoughts in this thread.







Photo: Borresen Model 01 speakers, Aavik U-150 integrated amplifier and DAC, Raidho rack, NAIM CDP used as a transport, Ansuz cables, distribution and resonance controls - thus similar to a system shown at the 2019 Florida Audio Expo [video below]

Kiwi,
Do you know what the “Power Switch” is???

Originally Posted by Afveep

Kiwi,
Do you know what the “Power Switch” is???

Released in August 2019 the Ansuz PowerSwitch which comes in four quality levels (X-TC, A2, D2 and D-TC SUPREME) is a combination of a LAN switch and a PowerBox (also available as a separate Ansuz product) for active Ansuz D2, D-TC and D-TC SUPREME digital cables.


As widely recognized in high-end audio everything matters and the advent and increasing popularity of music streaming has to some extent exchanged convenience (easy access to vast music libraries) for added complexity (more boxes and cables) and with it unfortunately a degradation of sound quality. Common switches / bridges by the likes of Linksys and Cisco are ok but they are not optimized with HiFi audio in mind and the PowerSwitch is an attempt by Ansuz to remedy this.




Photo: Ansuz Acoustics PowerSwitch – An Ethernet switch and active digital cable powerbox conceived and constructed with high end audio usage in mind. Ansuz, Aavik and Borresen Acoustics is fascinated with on-going research in how our environment (RFI/EMI/vibrations etc.) can degrade audio. With high-end audio everything matters and "everything" includes your LAN switch, its PSU, its resonance controls and more...

Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001

Released in August 2019 the Ansuz PowerSwitch which comes in four quality levels (X-TC, A2, D2 and D-TC SUPREME) is a combination of a LAN switch and a PowerBox (also available as a separate Ansuz product) for active Ansuz D2, D-TC and D-TC SUPREME digital cables.


As widely recognized in high-end audio everything matters and the advent and increasing popularity of music streaming has to some extent exchanged convenience (easy access to vast music libraries) for added complexity (more boxes and cables) and with it unfortunately a degradation of sound quality. Common switches / bridges by the likes of Linksys and Cisco are ok but they are not optimized with HiFi audio in mind and the PowerSwitch is an attempt by Ansuz to remedy this.




Photo: Ansuz Acoustics PowerSwitch – An Ethernet switch and active digital cable powerbox conceived and constructed with high end audio usage in mind. Ansuz, Aavik and Borresen Acoustics is fascinated with on-going research in how our environment (RFI/EMI/vibrations etc.) can degrade audio. With high-end audio everything matters and "everything" includes your LAN switch, its PSU, its resonance controls and more...

I wonder why the did not keep that separate? I’ll ask them if time prevails at RMAF


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001

Released in August 2019 the Ansuz PowerSwitch which comes in four quality levels (X-TC, A2, D2 and D-TC SUPREME) is a combination of a LAN switch and a PowerBox (also available as a separate Ansuz product) for active Ansuz D2, D-TC and D-TC SUPREME digital cables.

Got it, thanks! yes, I was aware of the coming ethernet switch but did not know the "Powerswitch" name. Love the guys but the product "training is not always the best. Not sure how I feel about combining the switch and a power box as they are not likely to be positioned in the locations in a system that are convenient to their common use.

Originally Posted by UltraFast69

Ansuz / Borreson was in two areas. Both had a good sound coming from stand speakers, they selected the right music to play with to not get too low, which the REL May pair nicely with.

They had their new switch working highlighting power supply and noise reduction, both mechanical and electrical. Puma would have been proud!








Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the Borresen Acoustics loudspeakers room.

In addition to the level 3, Willow Lake Room 5 (a very large room); Borresen also has a further standard size room on level 4, room 4118, I believe.


Products from Ansuz Acoustics can additionally be found in room 4117.


Did you ask them your question on the Ansuz Acoustics Power Switch i.e. why they chose to integrate a LAN switch with a power box for cables?

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

What's the price?

Please ask your local Ansuz Acoustics dealer for pricing. Indicatively, the base model Ansuz PowerSwitch is circa US$2.4k

Borresen Acoustics Loudspeakers Model Z-01 Launch


Below are some photos of the new Børresen Z-01 loudspeaker currently being launched at RMAF 2019 show in Denver CO. I believe that the stand design is still being finalised. Indicative retail pricing is in the range of US$12 – 15k, thus significantly less than Borresen Acoustics current entry level speaker the Borresen Model 01 which in the USA is priced starting from US$30k (walnut with Darkz C resonance control) excluding the stand.


The Borresen Acoustics Z01 has its own resonance decoupling between the top plate of the stands and the speakers. The Z-01 uses the same tweeter as found in the Model 01,02,03 and 05 range with a modified motor system for the mid/woofer.


Peter Breuninger of AVShowrooms has visited and taken a video of the room and hopefully will post that shortly after editing. In his Facebook comment Peter noted the Borresen Z-01 exhibited “Amazing clarity and soundstaging!” so it seems the Z01 has been imputed with the DNA of its far more expensive siblings.














Photos: Borresen Acoustics Loudspeakers – New model launch, Z-01 compact two way loudspeaker. System: Ansuz Acoustics PowerSwitch (Used for Streaming), NAIM Uniti Core Reference Music Server, NAIM CDP & PSU used as a transport, Aavik U-150 integrated amplifier with integrated DAC, Ansuz D-TC distribution bar, Ansuz Darkz resonance controls, Ansuz cabling, Raidho rack.

The 01's in the large 3rd floor room were quite impressive. Hearing a "similar room size" setup a number of years back at the RMAF old location when Raidho launched their D1 (I think it was the D1...it was the smaller stand mount) paired with Constellation front end, I was expecting a bright and edgy top end and flabby bottom from the Borrensen 01 as well. What I heard yesterday was not bright or edgy on top nor flabby or over-extended on bottom. The 01's completely surprised me with how smooth from top to bottom they were and was also completely surprised that they could fill a room of that size without strain. Would like to hear them in a more normal sized room to see if they retain similar qualities. I sat in the front row center and listened for 20 minutes or more, truly enjoying the experience. Tyler was playing some great tunes.

Price is very high though...and that will prevent many people (including me) from ever seriously considering them.

Mike any chance did you hear the Borresen Z01's?