Bookshelf Speakers — Børresen Acoustics Børresen X1

The X1 is the sole standmount in the X-series from the Danish brand Børresen Acoustics, a sibling company of Aavik and Ansuz, and was launched in February 2024. Announced at USD 5,500 or EUR 5,000 per pair, with matching stands adding USD 1,100 or EUR 1,000, it brings technology developed for the costlier Z range down to a much lower price.

Key specs that matter

The X1 uses a vented two-way layout pairing a Børresen planar ribbon tweeter with a 4.5-inch bass and midrange unit, crossing over near 2.5 kHz. Quoted response runs from 50 Hz to 50 kHz, sensitivity is 86 dB at 1 W, impedance stays above 6 ohm, and Børresen asks for 50 W of amplifier power. The bare cabinet measures 42 x 20 x 39 cm and weighs 12.9 kg, while on its stand the assembly grows to 113 cm tall, 29.5 cm wide and 23.7 kg.

Engineering and use context

The cone uses three skins laminated into one part - two sheets of spread tow carbon fibre with an aramid honeycomb spacer between them - chosen for stiffness with little resonance. In the motor, double copper caps sit on the pole rings to raise flux and cut inductance, a solution carried over from the Z-series. Dual pole rings give away a little flux, and Børresen compensates with larger magnets to hold efficiency. The X-series tweeter is a custom ribbon with less magnet and iron mass than other Børresen tweeters, which lowers its efficiency to 90 dB from the usual 94 dB. Its diaphragm weighs just 0.01 g and is fully concealed behind the front, with a vent behind it to relieve air pressure. A parallel crossover reuses parts from the Z range and is mounted to be mechanically stable with little self-resonance. The heavily braced cabinet is made of a wood composite with carbon fibre inserts, tuned with a triple-tube port system, and comes in black or white piano lacquer. The optional stand is made from a natural based composite, carries styling cues shared with Aavik electronics and has resonance control feet.

Pairing

The modest power need and a benign load keep the choice of partner wide, from integrated transistor amplifiers to moderate valve designs. The dedicated stand sets the height and decoupling intended by the designer, and a system from the same group can combine the X1 with Aavik amplification and Ansuz cabling.

Within the brand the X1 sits below the 01 two-way, listed at USD 38,500 to 55,000 per pair depending on upgrades, and next to the X3 floorstander at USD 11,000.

Alternatives

The Børresen Z1 is the next stand-mount up, adding an iron-free motor and a Nomex core cone at a higher price.