Audio Group Denmark, parent company of the audio brands Børresen and Aavik, has launched the new Børresen M8 Gold Signature floorstanding loudspeaker and the Aavik M-880 Class A mono power amplifier. The new loudspeaker and amplifier are truly exceptional in almost every technical and aesthetic aspect. This is reflected in the price. If you even have to ask about the price, you won't be able to afford it. Read on and dream for a moment.
Børresen M8 Gold Signature
Designed and built in Denmark, the Børresen M8 Gold Signature represents designer Michael Børresen's most ambitious loudspeaker project to date. The project combines technologies developed for the loudspeaker, amplification, and noise reduction brands across the entire audio group. In total, the M8 Gold Signature features 15 drivers: one tweeter, two midrange drivers, and twelve woofers.
The Børresen M8 Gold Signature was developed without the usual commercial or technical constraints, with the explicit goal of addressing spatial interaction, resonance control, and dynamic behavior at an extreme level. The speaker is designed as a reference speaker rather than a conventional home product, both in terms of size and design. And not to forget the price.
At over 2.2 meters tall and weighing 325 kilograms per speaker, the M8 Gold Signature is designed as a full-range system that delivers high output power and wide bandwidth while maintaining consistency across different listening environments.
A defining feature of the Børresen M8 Gold Signature is the folded dipole bass system. Each speaker contains two bass modules with a total of twelve 8-inch woofers. These are positioned to radiate low frequencies forward and backward with opposite polarity, aiming to control the bass energy before it reaches the listening room.
This approach is derived from Bærresen's earlier BM series bass modules, which have been scaled up here for use in top-of-the-line models. According to the company, the goal is bass reproduction that is less dependent on room size and placement, while maintaining speed and control.
The Børresen M8 Gold Signature is built around the company's focus on low moving mass and fast transient response. All drivers utilize Michael Børresen's patented ironless motor system, designed to reduce inductance and magnetic hysteresis.
The high frequencies are reproduced by the RP94 Gold Signature ribbon planar tweeter, while the midrange and bass frequencies are distributed to separate iron-free drivers. The specified frequency response ranges from 20 Hz to 50 kHz, with a sensitivity of 87 dB.
The Børresen M8 Gold Signature isn't designed as a standalone passive loudspeaker, but as part of a system architecture. It supports bi-amping and is designed to work with external analog active crossovers, such as those found in Aavik electronics.
The bass and mid/high frequency sections are controlled separately, allowing for independent control and system optimization. The speaker was developed in conjunction with Aavik reference amplifiers, with the aim of minimizing system bottlenecks when used together.
Aavik M-880
According to Audio Group Denmark, the Aavik M-880 mono amplifier was developed in direct response to the demands of the Børresen M8 Gold Signature loudspeaker. As loudspeaker designs have evolved in speed, resolution, and scale, conventional stereo amplifier designs, according to the company, no longer sufficed. The M-880 was therefore designed as a true mono power amplifier, prioritizing complete channel independence, power stability, and loudspeaker control as part of an integrated system approach.
The Aavik M-880 mono amplifier utilizes a redesigned Class A gain stage. Instead of following a traditional Class A design, the output stage maintains a bias voltage that remains 0.63 volts above the required current level at all times. This approach is designed to ensure continuous Class A operation regardless of load or signal conditions, while maintaining a lower operating temperature than conventional Class A amplifiers, improving long-term stability and reliability.
Keeping current consumption and heat dissipation somewhat within limits is also necessary, as the Aavik M-880 can deliver 400 watts into eight ohms, 800 watts into four ohms, and approximately 1,300 watts into two ohms, all in Class A operation. The output impedance is exceptionally low, resulting in a damping factor of over 1,000 into eight ohms. These specifications are intended to provide a high degree of control when driving demanding loudspeakers.
Instead of a traditional linear power supply, the M-880 uses four high-speed, low-noise switching power supplies, each rated at 500 watts/20 amps. These are supported by a local 266 mF energy storage bank, with a rated energy capacity of up to 1,050 J and a peak current of up to 130 amps. Reduced heat dissipation allows the energy storage to be placed close to the output components, shortening current paths, reducing noise, and improving efficiency.
Noise control is addressed through a combination of patented technologies from Aavik and Ansuz, including active Tesla coils, active square Tesla coils, third-generation analog dithering technology, and anti-air resonance coils implemented in the internal wiring.
The M-880 measures 794 x 342 x 501 millimeters (H x W x D) and weighs 70 kilograms. No, it won't fit in an audio cabinet.
Price and delivery information
And how much does all this beauty cost? The Børresen M8 Gold Signature has a suggested retail price per pair equal to the lowest positive number with six zeros, before the decimal point. The Aavik M-880 has one zero less, but that's per pair. Two are required for stereo playback. Delivery information has not yet been announced.
