$100k Bookshelf Speaker or a New Mercedes?

gene

gene

Audioholics Master Chief
Administrator
The Børresen Acoustics M1 doesn’t look too different from other high-end two-way bookshelf speakers, but its $100,000 price tag suggests that there is more to them than meets the eye. Even if you think the price is ridiculous, you might be fascinated to learn about this speaker’s unique technologies. You just can't help but wonder, for this price you could get a brand new Mercedes. Which purchase would truly be more rewarding?

Does the cryogenic treatment of all metal components of the speaker dive off the edge of the snake oil cliff or does it just tap dance around it?

mercedes-thumb.jpg


We did get to demo their more reasonably priced $11k/pair X-3 Floorstanding speakers at Florida Audio Expo 2023 and though they sounded quite good. Excellent clarity, good bass punch and loud and clean SPL...

Read: Børresen Acoustics M1 $100k Bookshelf Speaker Overview
 
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ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
Interesting… ;) Cool write up. Might be fun to have those 1% problems, in which case you choose BOTH! :p
 
M

MrBoat

Audioholic Ninja
Whenever I see design goals like this, I wonder when it occurs to a designer that goes to such lengths that they are going to also have to create their own proprietary music, too.
 
M

Movie2099

Audioholic General
Meh, only $100k? I only purchase speakers that are over a $1 million a pair. This $100k stuff is just crap.
 
mono-bloc

mono-bloc

Full Audioholic
Your not spending who'd ells and who'd ells of cash on a pair of stand mount speakers in a box with a fancy name. What your paying for is the so-called self inflected research and supposed development that went into this product, Someone's spend years and years sitting in the dark on his ar*e in a cave in some far away mountain range, dreaming this up. And you the gullable buyer is spending your hard earned, on something with a fancy name, That may or may-not be a supposed genuine tax deduction for someone with a fancy business and a high priced tax agent, waiting to sink his or her teeth into a nice tax refund.

Price of these in OZ is close to $150.000 aud

Just a small point do the stands came as an added costly extra.

I'm sure that sooner of latter someone from WBF or AS, will access and review these box's of snake oil..Or they will simply fade away as other products with fancy prices have done before
 
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MaxInValrico

MaxInValrico

Senior Audioholic
The Børresen Acoustics M1 doesn’t look too different from other high-end two-way bookshelf speakers, but its $100,000 price tag suggests that there is more to them than meets the eye. Even if you think the price is ridiculous, you might be fascinated to learn about this speaker’s unique technologies. You just can't help but wonder, for this price you could get a brand new Mercedes. Which purchase would truly be more rewarding?

Does the cryogenic treatment of all metal components of the speaker dive off the edge of the snake oil cliff or does it just tap dance around it?

View attachment 61601

We did get to demo their more reasonably priced $11k/pair X-3 Floorstanding speakers at Florida Audio Expo 2023 and though they sounded quite good. Excellent clarity, good bass punch and loud and clean SPL...

Read: Børresen Acoustics M1 $100k Bookshelf Speaker Overview
Go with the Mercedes.
 
MaxInValrico

MaxInValrico

Senior Audioholic
I'm partial to AMG EQE - MSRP starting at $107k, Alternatively Lucid Air Touring at similar msrp
I got a really nice deal on a '18 SL550, sticker was $124k, picked it up for $69k with only 22k miles on it.
 
Trell

Trell

Audioholic Spartan
I wonder how much money they put into having a room with good acoustics for listing to the $100k speakers?
 
Cos

Cos

Audioholic Samurai
I just test drove the new 4 cylinder AMG C43 Seadan. Gobs of tech, but missing the two cylinders. That being said, I would take a 100k Mercedes over 100K speakers, though the speakers probably depreciate less lol
 
Out-Of-Phase

Out-Of-Phase

Audioholic General
"Cryogenic treatment of all metal components of the loudspeaker results in a further significant improvement in conductivity – unleashing finest and most subtle musical details. When metal components undergo cryogenic processing, they are subjected to extreme cooling. In the wake of this process, the crystal structure of the metal contracts more and more. Alloying elements are pushed out of the grain structure of the metal, which now becomes very similar to a monocrystal. These structural changes in the metal have a profound effect on its audio properties, resulting in an increase of conductivity by 6-8%."

"All metal components of these speaker series undergo cryogenic treatment. The cryogenic processing cycle requires a 3-day-time window. Within the first 24 hours, the metal undergoes a cooling process from room temperature to cryogenic temperatures. During the second 24 hours, the metal parts are held at temperatures around -196°C (-321°F) before the temperature, within the next 24 hours, returns gradually to room temperature. The gradual cooling and heating is critical to avoid any thermal stress. The process strengthens and compresses the grain structure of the metal components and reduces inherent residual stress that occurs when metal solidifies from its liquid phase to a solid phase."


Wow. I wonder if they lowered the temperature even further if they could achieve a 10-12% increase in conductivity. I guess that will probably be in their next version of the speakers.
 
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MaxInValrico

MaxInValrico

Senior Audioholic
I just test drove the new 4 cylinder AMG C43 Seadan. Gobs of tech, but missing the two cylinders. That being said, I would take a 100k Mercedes over 100K speakers, though the speakers probably depreciate less lol
The only 4 banger I've ever liked driving was F22 longblock in my S2000. I did test drive a SL300 ( 4 cyl), AMG 43 (TT 6 cyl), SL450 (TT 6) and the SL550 V8 TT sold me.
 
MaxInValrico

MaxInValrico

Senior Audioholic
I wonder how much money they put into having a room with good acoustics for listing to the $100k speakers?
If it was less than $500k, the speakers are wasted. Also, I'm pretty sure if Wilson ever makes a bookshelf speaker it'll have to be 6 digits.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
If it was less than $500k, the speakers are wasted. Also, I'm pretty sure if Wilson ever makes a bookshelf speaker it'll have to be 6 digits.
Those Wilsons do sound great though. I have only had the pleasure of hearing a pair once. Alexia I think?
 
John Parks

John Parks

Audioholic Samurai
If it was less than $500k, the speakers are wasted. Also, I'm pretty sure if Wilson ever makes a bookshelf speaker it'll have to be 6 digits.
Wilson have had bookshelf speakers for years (I had the CUB II for a while). Their latest, the TuneTot is less than $10k.
 

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