The state-of-the-art Børresen Acoustics 05 speakers and their cables have become perfectly acclimatized in my listening room since my review of their initial installation. (HERE). The system plays even more beguilingly than when I wrote the review. But more interesting than any kind of effusiveness may be the reasons for so much euphony, and Michael Børresen gives them in the following interview.
Just as a reminder: Roland Dietl and I conducted the interview on the day when Lars Kristensen and Michael Børresen had set up the 05 SSEs very close to the side walls of my listening room, as is usual for them, and precisely aligned them with the listening position. This positioning had both bewildered and fascinated me, which is why it came up again and again in our conversations. Roland Dietl hadn't heard the speakers at that time, but made up for this later. He experienced them in the set-up described in the review, (HERE), which allows two people to enjoy the immense capabilities of the 05 SSE, and was just as enthusiastic as I was. The Børresens once again confront me with a question of conscience: Should I enjoy them as long as possible, or should I rather quickly return to my own speakers before I get used to the 05 SSEs, which will make the separation all the more painful?
Let me say a few words about the recording situation during the interview: Lars Kristensen actually wanted to leave the work to his colleague and made himself comfortable on the sofa, while Michael Børresen, Roland Dietl and I grouped ourselves around the dining table and the small Nagra dictaphone. In between, however, Lars Kristensen couldn't resist making one or two remarks. Unfortunately, they weren't recorded quite adequately acoustically. Furthermore, passing trains and my wife with her camera, are to be heard. She also used it to take the pictures of the various drivers, which were not yet available in the photo studio during the photo session of the speakers. You can very much look forward to hearing impressions that not only talk about B&O, but also about the Mosad and F16s.
Lars Kristensen and Michael Børresen refine the 05 SSE set up close to the wall with Zirconium Darkz feet.
The first issue was—as mentioned—the positioning of the speakers, which was very unusual at the time (HERE).
The diaphragm is composed by a three-layer sandwich.
Since, according to Michael Børresen, this set-up can only work if the transducers reproduce music almost completely free of interference—or as he calls it: noise—the special diaphragms of the drivers manufactured in Aalborg were our next topic that can be heard HERE.
Even more important than the sandwich material of the diaphragms is, according to the developer, their completely ironless magnet system is explained HERE.
Here you can clearly see the silver ring between the two ring magnets.
Once again, this is about the positioning and the interaction of the speakers with the room (listen to that being explained HERE).
After Roland Dietl had completed our round, Michael Børresen once again explained to him in more depth the advantages of his ironless drivers and the copper and silver rings between the four neodymium rings (listen to that being explained HERE).
The developer explains the advantages of his drivers to Roland Dietl.
Then I wanted to know from Michael Børresen whether or not an extremely exact matching of a pair is the reason why there is no acoustic hole in the middle even between very distant speakers (listen to that being explained HERE).
Not only the cone drivers are in-house developments; the ribbon tweeter is manufactured in Aalborg as well (listen to that being explained HERE).
The tweeter as seen from the front...
The current ribbon tweeter is by no means Michael Børresen's first engagement with the subject, as a brief look at his hi-fi vita shows (listen to that HERE).
...and from behind.
An almost massless ribbon and an extra mass loaded bass/midrange: How does that go together in terms of velocity? The developer has an answer here too, of course (listen to that HERE).
The very special crossover, which for once is not a Michael Børresen development, plays a large part in the incredibly harmonious and homogeneous performance of the 05 SSEs. Sometimes it's also helpful to be familiar with hi-fi history (listen to that HERE).
Even though the crossover takes a considerable share in the success of the two-and-a-half-way concept, for the developer the focus lies on his patented drivers.
Of course, the special circuitry of the crossover is not realised with the well-known audiophile components. Michael Børresen has quite a firm opinion on this (listen to that HERE).
At the beginning of the review of the 05 SSEs, I noted that when I visited Aalborg, it was its design that made me arrange a review right away. Now we have come full circle, and Michael Børresen concludes on the subject of design (listen to that HERE).
After the work is done, let's swap over to a Bavarian tavern!
LISTENING EQUIPMENT
- Turntable: Brinkmann LaGrange with tube power supply
- Tonearms: Einstein The Tonearm 12", Thales Symplicity II
- Cartridges: Transrotor Tamino, Lyra Olympos
- Phono preamp: Einstein The Turntable's Choice (balanced)
- NAS: Melco N1Z/2EX-H60 with external AudiaZ linear power supply, WDMyCloud
- Streamer: Auralic G2.1 with 2TB SSD
- Up-sampler: Chord Electronics Hugo M-Scaler with Ferrum Hypsos
- D/A converter: Chord Electronics DAVE with linear power supply
- LAN switch: Ansuz PowerSwitch D-TC Supreme
- Tape recorder: Studer A80
- Preamp: Audio Exklusiv P7
- Power amp: Einstein The Poweramp
- Loudspeaker: Goebel Epoque Aeon Fine
- Subwoofer: Velodyne DD+ 10 (2x)
- Cables: Goebel High End Lacorde Statement, Audioquest Dragon HC, Tornado (HC) and Dragon Bi-Wiring and Fog Lifters, Swiss Cables, ForceLines, Ansuz Digitalz D-TC Supreme and Mainz D2
- Accessories: AHP sound module IV G, Audioquest Niagara 5000 and 1200, Synergistic Research Active Ground Block SE, HMS wall sockets, Blockaudio C-Lock Lite, Acapella bases, Acoustic System Feet and Resonators, Artesania Audio Exoteryc, SSC Big Magic Base, finite elemente Carbofibre° HD, Harmonix Room Tuning Disks, Audio Exklusiv Silentplugs, Arya Audio Revopods, Waversa Isolator-EXT-1 (3x), ADOT media converter (2x) with Keces P3 and SBooster BOTW P&P Eco MKII, Singlemode Duplex optical fibre cable, Ansuz Sparkz
SPECIFICATIONS
Børresen Acoustics 05 Silver Supreme Edition
- Frequency response: 25Hz-50kHz
- Efficiency: 90dB/1W
- Impedance: >5 Ω
- Recommended amplifier power: >50W
- Tweeter: Børresen planar ribbon tweeter
- Bass/midrange: 2x Børresen patented iron-free bass/midrange driver, 11.5cm diameter, 4x Børresen patented iron-free bass/midrange driver, 15.5cm diameter
- Finish: Walnut veneer
- Dimensions: (W/H/D) 30,5/155/58cm
- Weight: 75kg
- Price: 166,670 euros (05 Silver Supreme Edition), 3,400 euros (Darks Z2S) x8
BØRRESEN Acoustics
Rebslagervej 4, 9000 Aalborg
Danmark
