Axxess L3

We had the opportunity to see some of the Axxess speaker prototypes when we visited Audio Group Denmark just outside Ålborg during the autumn of 2023. At the time, the Axxess speakers seemed like rough, unfinished prototypes and, considering the development times we have seen with other speaker manufacturers, we were quite impressed to see the final versions available for sale at this year’s Highend exhibition in Munich. It was not only Axxess that the company had in development. 

Although the speaker enclosures were far from finished when we visited the Danes, there was no doubt that the more expensive Børresen speakers, perhaps X2 and X3 in particular, provided excellent design inspiration for L3. There is also a bookshelf speaker called L1 and we have already had the chance to test the Axxess amplifiers. Audio Group Denmark is also well known for its hi-fi tweaks and offers a full range of cables and isolators. 

The speakers were developed by Michael Børresen in collaboration with Flemming Rasmussen. If we look at the new products released in the last 2-3 years alone, it is impressive what the two gentlemen have achieved and how committed Audio Group Denmark is when it comes to marketing. At the latest Highend exhibition in Munich, the company filled three self-built demo spaces with new speakers and a new integrated high-end amplifier. 

It hasn’t been all that long since we had the Børresen X3 in the living room for testing. It is the closest you will get to Axxess L3 in terms of size and design, even if the enclosure for the latter has been much simpler. Where other Børresen speakers have a baffle integrated in the enclosure design, Axxess has a front-mounted exterior baffle that is slightly wider than the rest of the slim enclosure. It is not as elegant and beautiful as the more expensive Børresen speakers, but the design looks good in the living room and the finish is brilliant considering the price range. This is also the case when it comes to the feet. They are also simpler than the feet used for the X3 but they still make a strong statement. Colour options are limited to black or white. 
All bass/mid-bass range elements have been mounted on the underside of the ribbon tweeter and the components consist of a ribbon tweeter, a 4.5-inch mid-bass range and two bass elements, also 4.5-inches. 
In terms of appearance, there are minor differences between the elements from X3/X2 down to the Axxess L3. The bass/mid-bass elements have the typical woven carbon finishes we have become accustomed to seeing on other speakers from this manufacturer and consist of three layers. These have been designed using two layers of woven carbon on either side of a honeycomb layer of aramid. This results in elements that are rigid, self-muffling and lightweight. The magnet system is still advanced and uses double copper covers on the pole rings to decrease inductance while also increasing the strength of the magnetic field. This is the same technique that was used in Børresen’s successful X series. 
The speaker also includes a variant of their proprietary super-light ribbon tweeter with kapton membrane. The membrane weighs 25 times less than a traditional dome tweeter. 
Even with the relatively small elements, the speaker has a stated lower limit frequency of 35Hz and the output is 88 dB at 1 watt.

We received a full bundle of Axxess kit for the test, consisting of an Axxess Forte 1 amplifier and Axxess power and speaker cables. While this worked well, the speakers are very much up for the challenge and also pair well with more advanced and expensive electronics. We also tested the speakers with our Hegel H600 amplifier and an Electrocompaniet ECi6 mkII we use for testing. This resulted in three great-sounding amplifiers with quite a major difference in sound signature. 
I put the speakers in exactly the same place as I put most of the speakers I test. It worked well, but 20 centimetres closer to the listening position and with a bit more toe in than usual, the bass was more controlled and it seemed like the holography and focus in the soundscape just slotted into place. The speakers were situated with the centre of the front around 80 cm from the wall, directly facing my listening position, and I eventually also added the isolators.

Already from the first note, the Axxess L3 presented a beautiful mid-bass range and a very powerful and rich bass range. It may not primarily be intended to be super-neutral, but what the speaker is able to do in the bass range is highly engaging and entertaining. It is tight, controlled and surprisingly hard-hitting considering the components. The two 4.5-inch bass elements also move down into the deeper bass range with relative ease. You notice that the speakers work hard to keep up when Submotion Orchestra’s Variations is played, but it never becomes a critical issue. It seems as though the speaker does not throw itself into challenges it cannot manage and it seems well-controlled with a beautiful, rich bass tone on all types of materials. 
The bass still reproduces much of the instrument’s tone, sound and definition and presents highly credible bass instruments. This can clearly be heard when I play the song Birds by Dominique Fils- Aimé. The contrabass has great charge and overture and a rich and credible sound. It also sounds surprisingly big and powerful. This track is admittedly not primarily about the bass but about Dominique’s beautiful voice and associated jazzy phrasing. There are also a lot of hi-fi extras in the soundscape, making for an interesting recording. The voice is pure and beautifully focused in the large, open soundscape. 
The speakers are carefully balanced between the treble and the mid-range and never seem intrusive or bright, regardless of what you choose to play. Instead they lean towards the warmer side of neutral and, with a good recording, voices and acoustic wind instruments provide a vibrant glow. Just listen to the trumpet of Till Brönner in Yello's Till Tomorrow. It is delightfully dusty, yet the sound is rich and natural on top of the synthetic, swaying accompaniment.

I consider it an advantage for the speakers I have at home in the living room to be versatile and capable of playing all musical genres. This is a task the Axxess L3 clearly masters and it is far from certain that you will be able to find music that causes the speaker to lose track or control. It does a great job with hard-hitting techno and heavy guitars but it also has the excess and control to manage large orchestras and their major symphonic works. The speakers play quite majestically when I put on Saint-Saëns' organ symphony (symphony no. 3) and, while it is not fiercely demanding dynamically, it is a large orchestra and an organ that should preferably sound both relaxed and clean. Fortunately, this is the case. It might not provide the greatest transparency and holography, but we also cannot expect that in this price range. 
There are often a lot of female voices at demos and exhibitions, but the speakers cope equally well with deep male voices and Hans Thessink’s Slow Train is beautifully rendered. The vocals do not become too overpowering, as they sometimes can, and there is a good distance back to the organ, drums and slide guitar. The song has a slow pace and it can soon become boring and bland if the speakers do not have enough oomph, but it is engaging and the energy is just right all the way here. 
The speaker also plays Trentemøller’s Take Me Into Your Skin with a suitable dose of energy. It leans back slightly so that it doesn’t get overwhelmed and crackly, but maintains rhythmic drive and a nice, controlled and suitably deep bass. It doesn’t go all the way down, but you don’t really miss the depth when it strikes as well as it does here. The Axxess L3 can also withstand the volume being raised significantly before you notice that the control and tidiness is challenged and using the largest amplifier for the test resulted in a proper party when the track moves towards the end.
I finish the test by playing Gojira’s Silvera. It was powerful at Tons of Rock in 2023 and it wasn’t bad back home here in the living room either. The guitars rip pretty well from the very first tone and the drums thunder away with machine precision. When the vocals come into play, it becomes a challenging task to keep the aggressive tones away from one another, but considering the price range they have done a good job. All that is missing to make the moment perfect is 20 dB more volume, a few big subwoofers and a lot of festival beer. Unfortunately, this is something that is unattainable with a regular stereo system, regardless of price and size.

The Axxess L3 plays impressively and the designer has managed to keep a resonant common thread from the rest of its speaker range, showing how well reasonably priced speakers can play when combined with a decent amplifier. When you listen to these speakers without something to compare to directly, it is not easy to pinpoint where the compromises were made and how this affects the sound. 
The speakers are very well balanced, have more depth than you would think considering the design and deliver a rich, open soundscape with a beautiful balance in the mid-range and treble. They might not have the same resolution and smooth transition between the treble and the mid-range as the Børresen X2 and X3 nor the same precision in the definition of stage and recording studio and the redrawing of instruments further back in the soundscape is also not as precise. However, it might be a bit unfair to constantly compare Axxess L3 to existing speakers at twice the price and it might be an idea to look at what you get for your money when buying speakers from other manufacturers in the same price range. In my opinion, the new Axxess L3 is very well placed and definitely makes the list of speakers to try in this price range.