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Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.
What reviewers think
Bloggers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below. Links to full reviews follow.
Product Strengths
- Alluring design stops enclosure vibration cold, providing striking clarity
- Provides tonal purity and low-level detail
- Optimized for rooms of lesser volume, producing almost identical sound in terms of quality, tone, and timbre compared to larger Estelon models
- Low distortion returns breathtaking clarity, and acoustic-music aficionados will be astonished at their tonal purity
- Exceptional driver integration and a cohesive musical picture
Product Considerations
- Ceramic drivers exhibit barely any cone breakup, so there's a small margin between driving them to distortion and driving them to damage
- Slightly forward tonal balance—combined with its ability to resolve detail—needs to be considered when choosing the proper amplifier
- Estelon models need at least a few hundred hours to sound their best, especially in the low-frequency range
- Some may want a touch more ultra high frequency 'air'
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Versus Estelon XA: The XC is designed for smaller rooms and lacks the last bit of the XA's dynamic punch, but has 2db more of sensitivity (91db versus 89db)
- Versus Focal Diablo: The XC is not as bright or sharp as the Diablo
Takeaway: The Estelon XC is a fantastic speaker with a compact shape, suitable for most rooms. It is highly revealing and makes for an excellent cornerstone for a no-compromise system.
All
XC
reviews
Manufacturer details
- Type: 2-way passive loudspeaker, bass reflex
- Drivers: 2 x Mid-woofer: 173 mm (7") Accuton, ceramic membrane
- Tweeter: 25 mm (1") Accuton, ceramic inverted dome
- Internal wiring: Kubala-Sosna
- Frequency Response: 45 - 30 000 Hz
- Power rating: 150 W
- Nominal impedance: 8 Ω (min 4.9 Ω at 3.4 kHz)
- Sensitivity: 91 dB / 2,83 V
- Minimal amplifier power: 20 W
- Cabinet Material: Marble based composite
- Dimensions: Height: 1260 mm (49.5"), Width: 332 mm (13"), Depth: 394 mm (15.5")
- Net weight: 49 kg (108 lbs.) per piece
- Recommended room size: 16-45 m² (172-485 ft²)
Brand highlights
Taking a step back to look at reviewers' thoughts of the brand's entire lineup—not just this product—what stands out most is the following:
- Estelon's unique cabinet design, sculpted from a proprietary marble-based composite, minimizes internal standing waves and external diffraction for enhanced sonic clarity and imaging.
- The brand utilizes Accuton ceramic drivers in many of its models to deliver high resolution, neutrality, and quick transient response.
- They prioritize phase coherence in their designs, seeking to create a seamless and immersive soundstage where the speakers effectively "disappear."
- Estelon speakers, known for a blend of high-end audio performance and luxurious aesthetics, are hand-built and tested in Estonia.
Select products
Estelon YB
- Positioning: The entry-level model in the Estelon lineup, offering a balance of design and performance.
- Description: Features a unique asymmetrical design that enhances sound quality by reducing reflections, making it ideal for smaller rooms. Its marble-based composite cabinet provides exceptional rigidity and acoustic control, distinguishing it from other models like the XC Diamond, which uses a similar material but focuses more on high-frequency clarity with its diamond tweeter.
Estelon Aura
- Positioning: A mid-range model designed for immersive audio experiences in various room sizes.
- Description: The standout feature is its thermoformed composite cabinet, which offers superior acoustical properties and a unique design. Unlike the YB, which is more compact, includes a powerful down-firing woofer for rich bass.
Estelon XC Diamond
- Positioning: A high-end model known for its impeccable aesthetics and soundstage.
- Description: Features a diamond tweeter that eliminates distortion, providing a wider frequency spectrum than the YB. Its integrated stand and advanced crossover contribute to a life-like 3D presence.
Estelon Forza
- Positioning: The flagship model that combines powerful performance with timeless design.
- Description: With its custom-designed drivers and Symmetric Driver Loading technology, offers a realistic soundstage and deep bass, unlike the X Diamond, which focuses on high-frequency clarity.
Estelon Extreme
- Positioning: The ultimate flagship model, offering the highest level of sound quality and customization.
- Description: Its adjustable upper module and advanced connector technology provide exceptional sound articulation and microdynamics, surpassing the Forza's already impressive capabilities.
Our take on the brand
Look inside the brand
Our interview with the brand
What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?
- The Estelon speakers are engineered with both form and function in mind. Our cabinets are not only visually sculptural but are also acoustically optimised to eliminate internal resonances and diffraction. The distinctive curved shapes, made from a proprietary marble-based composite, ensure ideal dispersion characteristics and phase coherence, allowing our speakers to disappear sonically and create a truly three-dimensional soundstage.
- Estelon integrates carefully selected drivers, often from Accuton or other high-end manufacturers—with meticulous in-house tuning. Every driver is individually measured and matched to its cabinet to ensure perfect performance. This “obsessive” attention to detail results in an effortless, natural sound that remains coherent across all frequencies, even in complex musical passages.
What's your approach to customer support?
At Estelon, customer satisfaction is a top priority, and we are committed to providing exceptional support at every step. In most cases, customers should first contact their local dealer or distributor, as they are trained and equipped to assist with product-related matters. However, we are always available to support our partners and end customers directly if needed.
If a customer experiences an issue, they can expect a prompt and professional response. We work closely with our partners to ensure that any problem is resolved efficiently, whether it involves replacement parts, technical guidance, or logistics. Our engineering and production teams are also directly involved when necessary.
Our team is small, dedicated, and accessible. We know many of our customers in person, and we treat every support request with the same care as we would for a friend! For special cases, such as custom finishes or installations, we often go beyond standard procedures to ensure everything meets our standards and the customer's expectations.
What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?
This is a personal selection, of course. At the Estelon factory, we use a wide range of music covering various genres to ensure our speakers perform exceptionally with all types of music.
Here are three of my current favourite tracks for showcasing the strengths of our products:
- Geoff Castellucci – The Sound of Silence
- California Guitar Trio – The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
- Carolin No – Still Waters Run Deep (Live)
Again, while these are a couple of my personal favorites, we regularly test and fine-tune our products using a wide variety of music to ensure outstanding performance across all genres.
What other products pair best with yours?
At Estelon, we test a wide range of electronics during the development of our loudspeakers to ensure broad compatibility and exceptional performance across different systems. Our goal is to create speakers that not only reveal the finest musical details but also perform beautifully with a variety of high-end electronics.
Some of the brands we frequently use in our facilities include Vitus Audio, MSB Technology, Accuphase, CH Precision, Soulution, Pass Labs, and many others. In addition, we collaborate closely with partners who represent carefully selected lines and brands that pair exceptionally well with Estelon speakers. This means customers can rest assured that they will be guided to a system that delivers the best possible outcome, both sonically and aesthetically.
Used
Estelon
What if you spend more?
The Silver Supreme Edition loudspeakers are the absolute flagship versions among the Børresen loudspeakers. By replacing the copper pole rings by in-house manufactured, hand-crafted silver rings the inductance is reduced substantially. Additionally, all metal components, are subjected to a cryogenic treatment. These loudspeakers set a new and unsurpassed benchmark. Clarity, refinement and sound staging at its very best.
The patented Børresen iron-free magnetic system has been further refined. Børresen uses iron-free drivers in all its loudspeakers. Their inductance is about ten times lower than that of conventional drivers. This exceptionally low inductance has now been even further reduced to an unprecedented new minimum level – about 12 times lower than the inductance level of conventional, iron-based drivers. Since silver has 6-8% better conductivity than copper, we replaced the copper pole rings with in-house manufactured, handcrafted silver rings.
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.
The Børresen membrane consists of a composite of two layers of very thin carbon on both sides of a 4 mm Nomex honeycomb core. This composite structure – like the one used in formula 1 type of racing cars – provides the ultimate combination of stiffness to weight ratio. The exceptionally low weight of only 5.5 grams allows a very high acceleration factor in the driver, resulting in both outstanding resolution and higher efficiency.
The cabinets are heavily braced, block milled, compressed wood structures, beautifully veneered in walnut and fitted with solid walnut inserts. They follow the best of Danish furniture design traditions paired with the stylish shapes that were initially created by the late Franco Serbelin from Sonos Faber. The tweeter section is vented to balance out the build-up of air pressure. The bass sections consist of tuned ports calibrated for musically relevant frequencies.
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Our summary
Product Strengths
- Exquisitely built with walnut veneer and artisanal fit and finish
- Uses patented iron-free magnetic motor, which reduces inductance
- Produces full-thickness bass down to 50Hz, and good, well-controlled bass down still further
- Presents an extremely accurate rendition of music played, offering a fast, reactive and uncolored performance
- Connectivity options should be considered
Product Considerations
- Requires 50–100 hours of music replay for break-in, with gradual improvements over the next few hundred hours
- Poor recordings sound really poor because of its revealing nature
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Magico Q1, Raidho D-1 and Alta Audio FRM-2M Celestas, the Børresen 01 Silver Supremes are superior in every way
Takeaway: The Børresen 01 Silver Supreme Edition speakers offer exceptional clarity and refinement and a superb soundstage, and they reveal the artistry of musicians. They provide an amazing musical experience.
Video review
Our take on the brand
What competes at this price?
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Very high transparency, very neutral, very accurate sound elevates the reproduction of music
- Extraordinary leading edge response makes instruments, especially brass, sound lifelike
- The beryllium tweeter provides some of the best high-frequency response reviewers have heard
- Spatial aspects of recordings are delivered incredibly well, with imaging that is wide, spacious, and tall
- Solid construction uses birch wood bracing inside the cabinet and thick aluminum side plates for structural rigidity and dampening
Product Considerations
- The speakers are expensive, requiring a significant financial investment
- Low sensitivity rating of 85 dB potentially requires a high-powered amplifier for optimal performance
- While the bass response is clean and tight, some listeners may prefer to supplement with subwoofers for deeper bass extension, particularly for genres like electronica or organ music
- One reviewer found that the NAD M23 Class D amplifier pairing was a bit too transistory, too hard, not enough warmth—not enough soul
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Klipsch Jubilee: The Jubilee offers greater scale, plays louder with greater ease, and has bigger bass and dynamics, excelling in larger rooms
- Vs PureAudioProject Due at 15: The PureAudioProject offers greater scale and energizes the room more completely, representing significantly better value for the money
- Vs Kharma Elegance dB7-S: The Kharma offers greater bass shove but a less neutral, 'flamboyant' sound profile compared to the more 'modest, measured' CE1TX
Takeaway: The TAD-CE1TX offers high accuracy and neutral sound that audiophiles who value imaging and clarity will enjoy. With its high resolution, this is a speaker that rewards you with a quality sound.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Creates a realistic sense of scale, moving beyond the walls and ceiling to adapt the room to the recorded venue
- Exceptional immediacy and clarity across the musical spectrum
- Capable of producing deep and accurate bass, especially given its size
- Offers a very accurate rendition of music—completely uncolored and offering ultimate refinement
- Retrieves a high level of detail, harmonic separation, and immediacy due to fast and efficient drivers
- Speaker terminals will only accept banana/BFA-styled cable terminations
Product Considerations
- Has limited low-frequency extension given it is a stand-mounted monitor
- Requires careful system matching to ensure optimal performance
- Poor recordings will sound really poor due to the speaker's revealing nature
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Franco Serblin Accordo Essence: Børresen has the upper hand on resolution and transparency
Takeaway: The Børresen 01 offers a high-fidelity experience by communicating musical nuances, capturing a live experience. These speakers excel in presenting the artist's intent, bringing listeners closer to the original performance.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Exceptional transparency and insight reveal details in recordings that other speakers miss
- Vivid dynamics and an ability to communicate shifts in musical mood explicitly
- Impressive engineering and design, with a cabinet that minimizes unwanted sound and resonances
- A convincingly layered and precisely focused soundstage is produced, with cohesive drive unit dispersion
- Highly differentiated bass reproduction reveals structure, fine dynamic gradations, and delicate shadings
Product Considerations
- A top-class partnering system is demanded due to its high level of transparency, and it will not hide weaknesses in other components
- Placement can be sensitive, requiring careful positioning close to a wall
- Frequency response rises noticeably towards the highs, which can be too much of a good thing with poor recordings
- Deep bass extension is lacking compared to larger alternatives
- Sound is sensitive to placement and acoustics
Takeaway: The Discovery 3Zero is a transparent and revealing speaker that offers an electrostatic-like sound, freeing music from any earthly weight. When partnered well and carefully set up, it is capable of sounding magical and delivering a highly exciting acoustic discovery journey.
Video review
Our take on the brand
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