Audiophilepure

https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/equipment-menu/1303-sphinx-element-3-loudspeaker

he Engström Arne made my job easy. I swapped in the Arne, and instantly I was soaking in a warm bath, rose petals sprinkled over the water, cucumber slices on my eyes. The bass was still tight and expressive, the highs still extended and silky, but the midrange! Holy hell, the Arne added a sensation of texture and inner light that left me feeling all tingly. So as to not get too precious, I’d like to refer you to Tom Waits and his beastly Bad as Me (16/44.1 FLAC, Anti‑Epitaph / Qobuz), specifically the title track, which is distasteful in its grinding sound and its lyrics. Via the Arne driving the Element 3s it wasn’t quite as unpleasant. The backing instruments gained an enticing sense of depth and texture, and the rasp in Waits’s voice, while just as abrasive, gained more emotional depth and roundness, and therefore made me feel sorry for him, rather than angry at his very existence.

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/0426/Borresen_T1_Silver_Supreme_Edition_SSE_StandMounted_Loudspeaker_Review.htm

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Yes, these are expensive – by anyone’s standard. This has been a point observed/commented on since the earliest Børresen loudspeakers were introduced. Even for learned audiophiles conditioned to sticker shock and drained bank accounts, they can raise eyebrows. Are they worth it? That, of course, is an answer left to the ears (and eyes) of the beholder. My response remains what I offered in my 01 review: If one is capable of commanding this level of audio investment, the return will be an unending oasis of musical reality, brought to you in ways likely unimagined. Your investment reflects countless hours of research, application, and evaluation that have resulted in one of the finest generators of recorded music available.

So yes, their efforts are to be applauded and compensated, with the market appearing to bear it. And let’s be balanced – In recent years, Børresen has made great strides towards introducing newer, less expensive speaker models that offer a significant percentage of trickle-down technology in more cost-friendly forms. One thing’s for certain: the Børresen T1 SSE will involve you, and you will learn much. And lest we overlook, we’re all here for the music.

Giddy? You bet. As an audiophile and as a musician, the Børresen presentation brings me to the gig every time, and for those “giddy” audiophiles seeking the holy grail of recorded musical reproduction, the Børresen T Series, and in particular, the T1 SSE stand mount loudspeaker, may just be your portal to audio nirvana.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/jbl-summit-ama-loudspeaker

JBL’s huge, varied range of loudspeakers can make it hard to work out what belongs where, but one look at the oh-so-stylish Summit Ama will tell you it’s a flagship model. It has all the attributes of one too, from the quality of its craftsmanship (including the partnering stands) to a pristine performance that brings out all the life and energy of your recordings. A peaky blinder, if you’ll pardon the pun…

https://www.stereophile.com/content/egglestonworks-andra-5-loudspeaker

The Andra 5 sound tends toward detailed and revealing. Recordings that can stand up to sharp focus and honest reproduction of their tonality will shine. Poor recordings may sound worse than they do through more forgiving speakers. EgglestonWorks’ stated goal is “to re-create a musical experience so vividly and accurately that it evokes the same emotion as a live performance.” The Andra 5s succeed at that if that emotion was captured in the recording.The look of the Andra 5 is unique and may be polarizing. The limitless choice of paint color gives buyers the choice of either blending them into the room decor or having them be more visually conspicuous. Fit and finish is superb.My brief relationship with the Andra 5s involved some adjustment and accommodation. In the terminology of modern human relationships, I had to put in the work. Then they delivered the promised sound qualities, and the work was quickly forgotten. It was a fun ride.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/sphinx-audio-element-3-loudspeaker

The pounding drums and soaring, repeating harmonies of Philip Glass’s Akhnaten [Stuttgart State Opera/Dennis Russell Davies; CBS Masterworks M2K 42457], found the Element 3s shaking the room with thundering bass. They then opened up wide with the intertwining voices of ‘The Window Of Appearances’, sung between the countertenor Akhnaten and the contralto Nefertiti. This is always tricky for any system to reproduce as the voices reverberate over each other. The Element 3s held it all together, before gathering things up with more dramatic power chords as the scene ends.

Time to dial back and examine how well the Element 3 handles more relaxed music. Given the thoughtful Espen Eriksen Trio cover of ‘We Don’t Need Another Hero’ [What Took You So Long; Rune Grammofon RCD 2129], the simple clarity of piano, bass and brushed drums was so effective. As was the rock-solid stereo soundstage picture, creating a ‘you are there, as good as live’ experience. And I swear I have never heard Elvis Costello’s vocals on Squeeze’s ‘Tempted’, from their East Side Story set [A&M 96kHz/24-bit], quite so shiver-inducing.