Borresen X3."Hi Fi" or High End as in natural realistic sound ?


Seeing much praise for the X3 spiked my interest so was able to listen very briefly and was impressed but wondering if long term their "hifiness" (?)  as described elsewhere on this forum can wear thin overtime and become too much. FWIW they were being driven with an Accuphase E5000 integrated and from what I remember Ansuz D2 cabling.Note * without optional Ansuz Darkz.

Any feedback from those who have heard them extensively over time is greatly appreciated.

rost

Previous Borresen owner here, of both the Z3 Cryo and 02. I‘m also sitting in the Audio Group Denmark room at Southwest Audio Fest as we speak listening to the Borresen X6 and have heard the X3 on multiple occasions. In my experience, Borresen is very much more “hifi” sounding than delivering natural sonics, especially with the X series which are largely less refined and more peaky than their more refined lines. Even with the Z Cryo series, I found it very hard to get natural presentation given their brashness. That said, I have a lot of respect for the 0 and M series, but those are largely unaffordable by most.

The X series in my opinion is a nice gateway to the rest of the Borresen line at a modest investment, but the takeaways I got from them are similar to walking into a Best Buy to shop for TV’s and being attracted to the dynamic contrasts of HDR, only to return home with one and realize how fatiguing it is. 

The X series is a  bit of a chameleon and appears to be rather drastically tailorable with different electronics for your individual taste. 

 

@blisshifi - I am personally biased as I love and own the Borresen product.  Understand that preferences differ but I have yet to find a product that sounds so lifelike and real to my ears.  

It's a bit odd to see your negative sentiment/criticism towards Borresen the last couple of years on this forum.  Tyler mentioned to me that a couple of Axpona's ago (2022) you had inquired to request a Borresen dealership and that could have been a possibility once you have/had a brick and mortar store (Borresen policy)...given that history your negative feedback should be thoughtfully considered among the community you aim to serve.

@rost As I mentioned before, I’m a bit biased. I own the O3 SSE and I do pair them with Aavik products. I absolutely love the X series. If I didn’t invest in the O series I’d be very content with a pair of the X3s and a Forte 3. Every time I listen (and it’s been a few years) I always find content that makes me smile. For me music is a way of life. Alows me to forget reality and enjoy what makes me happy. 

If you’re going to be at Axpona 2024 next month stop by and say hello. Tyler or Josh with Next Level HiFi will answer any questions. It’s an amazing product. There is a reason why the press and reviews are giving it awards. Price to performance is insane. Enjoy the ride brother. It’s totally worth it. 
 

jeff