Børresen M1

[Pearljam5000]

4.5 inch passive speakers that cost $100,000
What am I missing here?
Is there anything that could justify it?

 

[Matias]

I suppose the stands are extra 10k or so? Crazy...

 

[LearningToSmile]

Obviously the price is ridiculous but seems like at least they're using the money for some fancy bespoke components, which is more than can be said for a lot of similarly priced products. Apparently "topology-optimized 3D-printed basket made of zirconium", woofer is "two layers of spread tow carbon fiber, a layer of aramid honeycomb spacers in between, and a titanium skin with Ansuz Supreme coating", the tweeter is also in house it seems. That makes it slightly less egregious than demanding astronomical prices for off-the-shelf components. Whether any of this actually makes it sound good is anyone's guess, but I don't think that's much of a concern to their target audience.

 

[MAB]

No, that's 100 USD and 94 Euro! Great value. Get them before they raise the price!

 

[MAB]

"topology-optimized 3D-printed basket made of zirconium", woofer

I wonder if they play Frank Zappa well? Zircon-encrusted tweezers are featured prominently Apostrophe.

 

[Doodski]

I wonder if they play Frank Zappa well? Zircon-encrusted tweezers are featured prominently Apostrophe.

RFLMAO.. My old workmate bought a bunch of zircon sort of jewel thingies and epoxied them onto large tweezers and used those for many years at the electronics lab. Zappa and Pantera where the test tunes for years too.

 

[MAB]

RFLMAO.. My old workmate bought a bunch of zircon sort of jewel thingies and epoxied them onto large tweezers and used those for many years at the electronics lab. Zappa and Pantera where the test tunes for years too.

Oh gosh, that rocks.

 

[VintageFlanker]

What am I missing here?

Well, you have to know this brand charges you 6000€ just to cryogenize their speaker. Lot of BS around here...

By the way, I've heard their 32k€ floorstanders (Z3) and they just sounded... awful.

 

[Doodski]

Alrighty, this requires a honorary link to Frank Zappa for the sake of Frank (RIP) and my old workmate.

 

[MAB]

Alrighty, this requires a honorary link to Frank Zappa for the sake of Frank (RIP) and my old workmate.

Zappa was the first live music event I ever saw. I was 14, and it overwhelmed me. I really had no idea what I had just seen, or why my parents even allowed me to go. I guess they figured I had my 12 year old brother to keep me out of trouble. It was profound, I just didn't realize that things like that could be done live.

 

[muad]

These speakers aren't meant for people who listen to music

A local high end hifi dealer recently told showed me the system a guy had purchased and hadn't picked up for months and months. Everything was super high end and had a certain aesthetic (machined aluminum). The turntable was some $60000 piece.

Supposedly he hadn't picked it up yet because he was renovating his place to have a platform to raise his Ferrari into his living room.

I asked if he was batman....

 

[Doodski]

Zappa was the first live music event I ever saw. I was 14, and it overwhelmed me. I really had no idea what I had just seen, or why my parents even allowed me to go. I guess they figured I had my 12 year old brother to keep me out of trouble. It was profound, I just didn't realize that things like that could be done live.

Lol.. Frank is one of a kind. A genuine article. Music for the sake of music and lyrics to match. I can only wonder what would have become of him had he not succumbed to cancer. His politics where wholesome and realistic and he did excellent interviews that made people think just like that concert did for you at such a young age. I've smoked so so many joints listening to Frank and had a great time without worries and stuff.

 

[MAB]

Lol.. Frank is one of a kind. A genuine article. Music for the sake of music and lyrics to match. I can only wonder what would have become of him had he not succumbed to cancer. His politics where wholesome and realistic and he did excellent interviews that made people think just like that concert did for you at such a young age. I've smoked so so many joints listening to Frank and had a great time without worries and stuff.

So true. My Zappa LP collection is one of the reasons I still play vinyl! I got modern digital copies too, but I am hopelessly nostalgic and just love the music, and the LPs bring me joy even if the fidelity is mixed. And the clicks and pops bring a sense of familiarity. And, I read the album covers.

 

[Doodski]

So true. My Zappa LP collection is one of the reasons I still play vinyl! I got modern digital copies too, but I am hopelessly nostalgic and just love the music, and the LPs bring me joy even if the fidelity is mixed. And the clicks and pops bring a sense of familiarity. And, I read the album covers.

The old workmate used to buy the same Frank Zappa CD's over and over again because they would get damaged when working on mechatronics that would eat them when brainless and ruin them. He considered it as a cost of doing business and keeping his sanity while doing that by listening to Frank Zappa. We serviced Denon electronics in-warranty and ordered Frank Zappa CD's direct from Denon as I remember. Apparently Denon had part numbers for them and was affiliated in some way. Those Frank Zappa CD's had very good sound quality, the mix was excellent and even the RF eye pattern was decent which for store bought CD's is not common at all.

 

[thewas]

When you think it can't get more silly, the audiophool reality shows that there is always step lower, see here for example a single driver design for similar money with a FR like the Alps.

 

[Martin]

I've heard the Borresen 01 at a number of different audio shows and I thought they sounded utterly fantastic. (I swear they had a subwoofer hidden in the room. They said they didn't but I'm not sure I believe them.) At $55,000 per pair including the stands they are way over priced. They are freakin' gorgeous though...

$100,000 a pair is insane money.

Audio Group Denmark (Ansuz, Aavik and Borresen) are snake oil specialists.

Martin

 

[raest]

iirc someone on Erin's FB mentioned that 3d printed basket alone costs 4000€ or more to make, and it has a lot of other fancy tech in the drivers etc, so i wouldn't really be surprised if the cost to actually make these was in the 10s of ks.... unlike plenty of other "high end" manufacturers

whether these sound any good, though, i have no idea... but given the Raidho hateclub on ASR...

 

[nerdoldnerdith]

For what it's worth they did sound quite good at AXPONA, which can't be said for most of the systems there. But the Polk Audio speakers also sounded as good and cost 99% less...

 

[alex-z]

A $4000 custom speaker basket is not a sign of a good product, but management treating customers like suckers.

You could CNC a woofer basket from billet aluminium for far less, and even then struggle to find the slightest audible benefit. Purely an exercise in making the speaker intentionally expensive to build so their own profit margins can be higher. Brands like Purifi and KEF who are actually pushing driver technology forward have sane prices and actual measurements to back up their claims.

 

[audiophile]

I've heard the Borresen 01 at a number of different audio shows and I thought they sounded utterly fantastic. (I swear they had a subwoofer hidden in the room. They said they didn't but I'm not sure I believe them.)

I’ve heard Borresen’s entry-level bookshelf-sized Z1 alongside their 05 floorstanders. I was totally convinced 05s were playing until they actually switched to them from the Z1. Unbelievable bass.