Børresen X3 vs Bose 901 Series V

Short answer: the Børresen X3. It ranks #51 of 54 floorstanding speakers by sound quality; the Bose 901 Series V ranks #54.

What the Børresen X3 offers: A 2.5-way tower built around a planar ribbon tweeter, a 4.5” mid-range driver, and dual 4.5” bass drivers, spec’d at 88dB/1W sensitivity into a 4-ohm nominal load (measured minimum impedance stays a friendly 6.1 ohms above 80Hz, so it doesn’t actually need much power despite the sub-90dB rating). Watch for: A significant midrange suckout centered around 200-300Hz measures 8-11dB below the mean SPL, creating an audible hole in the mid-range that multiple independent listeners also flagged unprompted.

What the Bose 901 Series V offers: Historically distinctive direct/reflecting architecture uses eight rear-firing and one front-firing full-range drivers to create a very large, room-filling presentation. Watch for: Even with the required EQ, Erin measured only about 81dB sensitivity, grossly non-flat response, numerous impedance/resonance irregularities and very high distortion.

Buy the Børresen X3 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Bose 901 Series V if the price matters more than sound quality.

If sound quality matters at all to you, skip both of these and look higher up the 54 floorstanding speakers instead.

Specifications Side By Side

Related Speaker Comparisons

More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:

• PS Audio Aspen FR10 vs Endow Audio Bravura 7
• Dali Rubikore 6 vs Endow Audio Bravura 7
• KEF R5 Meta vs Endow Audio Bravura 7
• JBL Studio 590 vs Bose 901 Series V
• Triangle Esprit Antal Ez vs Bose 901 Series V

The Two Speakers In Full

Børresen X3: $111,000.00

Pros: A 2.5-way tower built around a planar ribbon tweeter, a 4.5” mid-range driver, and dual 4.5” bass drivers, spec’d at 88dB/1W sensitivity into a 4-ohm nominal load (measured minimum impedance stays a friendly 6.1 ohms above 80Hz, so it doesn’t actually need much power despite the sub-90dB rating). Very wide, remarkably consistent horizontal directivity around ±70° gives an expansive, enveloping soundstage, helped by the reviewer’s pair measuring essentially identically to each other for tight image precision. A pronounced high-Q bass shelf centered around 80Hz (roughly 8dB above the mean level) delivers a punchy, attention-grabbing low-end thump at moderate volumes. Harmonic distortion is clean through the midrange at 86dB, and multitone distortion stays under about 3% even though the low end is handled by relatively small 4.5” drivers rather than something larger. Detailed, extended high frequencies when seated on the tweeter’s intended axis.

Cons: A significant midrange suckout centered around 200-300Hz measures 8-11dB below the mean SPL, creating an audible hole in the mid-range that multiple independent listeners also flagged unprompted. The 80Hz bass shelf comes with the worst low-frequency ringing the reviewer says he has measured to date on a waterfall plot - it lingers well after the surrounding frequencies have decayed, giving kick drum and bass notes a boomy, one-note quality. Significant dynamic compression sets in as volume rises: bass output near 90Hz drops only about 1.5dB at 86dB SPL, but the loss grows substantially by 96dB and 102dB (around 26dB of total dynamic range), so the appealing bass punch measurably fades at higher listening levels. The upper-midrange and lower treble (2-4kHz) read soft and recessed unless the listener sits almost exactly on the tweeter’s reference axis, within about 15° - the manufacturer’s recommended setup (tweeter aimed above ear height, per their design intent) makes this worse rather than better for a seated listener at normal height. A crossover-related directivity kink between the tweeter and mid-range driver, visible in the vertical response, trades some pinpoint image precision for a more diffuse sense of envelopment compared to smaller two-way designs. Resonances appear in the impedance curve near 300Hz and 2kHz, coinciding with the measured midrange dip.

Full Børresen X3 review and specifications →

Bass Extension (-10dB)	25Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner)
Bass Extension (-3dB)	50Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner)
Country of Origin	Denmark
Dimensions	50.8"H x 13.6"W x 23.9"D (1290.0 x 345.0 x 607.0 mm)
Drivers	Planar ribbon tweeter, 4.5" mid-range driver, dual 4.5" bass drivers
Frequency Response	35Hz - 50kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Impedance	4 ohms
Recommended Power	50W minimum
Sensitivity	88dB
Weight	121.3 lbs / 55 kg

As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.

• Links
  • Official Børresen X3 Website
• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • Erin’s Audio Corner: The Hidden Secrets of BØRRESEN X3 SPEAKER Audiophiles Need to Know
  • Reddit Search for Børresen X3 Review

Bose 901 Series V: Used availability Discontinued Amazon

Pros: Historically distinctive direct/reflecting architecture uses eight rear-firing and one front-firing full-range drivers to create a very large, room-filling presentation. Erin measured a benign 6.2-ohm minimum impedance, so the raw electrical load is easier than many modern four-ohm speakers. The supplied active equalizer offers user-adjustable tonal balance and is integral to obtaining usable bandwidth.

Cons: Even with the required EQ, Erin measured only about 81dB sensitivity, grossly non-flat response, numerous impedance/resonance irregularities and very high distortion. Output above roughly 90-95dB at his seat became audibly poor; multitone testing reached only about 98dB before the distortion limit. The reflection-dominant radiation prevents precise imaging and makes results strongly room-dependent. It requires the proprietary equalizer and substantial amplifier power despite its benign impedance. Discontinued.

Full Bose 901 Series V review and specifications →

Bass Extension	Strongly dependent on supplied active equalizer and room (measured, Erin's Audio Corner)
DSP	External analog active equalizer required
Discontinued	Yes
Drivers	Nine full-range drivers: eight rear-firing, one front-firing
Impedance	6.2 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner)
Sensitivity	Approximately 81dB/2.83V/1m with tested EQ setting (measured, Erin's Audio Corner)

As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • Erin’s Audio Corner: Bose 901 Series V Review
  • Erin’s Audio Corner Website: Bose 901 Series V
  • Reddit Search for Bose 901 Series V Review
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Bose 901 Series V vs Triangle Esprit Antal Ez
  • Bose 901 Series V vs JBL Studio 590
  • Bose 901 Series V vs Definitive Technology BP-9020