The beginning. Despite small drivers with inverted surrounds, the X3 is properly grand, standing taller/wider than our Audio Physic 4-way Codex whose hidden 10" woofer turns sideways for a narrower baffle. In black/white contrast, the X3 looks slimmer than what the thick rounded-over side walls actually add. With standard double boxing, ultra-thick foam ends and one central foam ring over a full-length fabric sleeve, I found walking the speaker out then about on a wheeled cart still manageable. 55kg was the deciding factor. Much more and you'd want to clone yourself into two.

Wide-angle lens distortion renders the left speaker rather wider than actual.

Coming off hybrid open-baffle speakers in our Qualio IQ, the X3 quickly reminded me. I'd have to make the usual concessions for box speakers whose drivers load into enclosures then radiate omni across the lower ~3 octaves. My ears are so attuned to a boxless midrange and cardioid bass which strategically cancels more than half the room's typical time-delayed response that it's all too easy to forget the default reality of the vast majority. Before my brain switched over, I found this sound thick, warm and bloomy. It simply was nothing a few days of acclimatization wouldn't cure. Our hearing is incredibly adaptive after all.

First some words on finish. Børresen's lacquer is a fine example of the art. Even the port exhausts' potentially troublesome seams embedded in a slightly concave not flat spine execute in tidy fashion. In fact the entire form factor with its decorative carbon-fiber trim seems like an exercise in gritted teeth. Though this manufacturing pain is utterly self-inflicted, the client ought to really applaud how the brand goes through all the extra trouble when many a €10K speaker is perfectly content being a classic coffin in veneer. Even the visible baffle fasteners of my opening image disappeared for final production. This design team's bag of tricks is well stocked. On cosmetics and finish, our Polish residents are very basic by contrast. The instant takeaway? In person, the X3 most definitely looks its coin.

I'm unclear whether protruding port pipes have any performance lead over typical flush-mounted sorts. There should simply be little argument that this execution plus rakish angle add a decidedly sporty go-fast vibe. Vroom? Only the footer solution is off to a slow start. It's not height adjustable. If our floor is perfectly level, we won't care. If it's off, looking for shims seems rather declassé. Set up in my usual spots well away from the front wall, in a wide stance toed in face on, this setup mirrors how Audio Group Denmark do theirs at shows and at the factory. In my experience this is best to detach our sound from the front wall so it plays the room freely not sticks; and develops proper depth for the most unlimited soundstaging. Forcing performance speakers to play wall huggers is counterproductive unless specified. They'll still work of course; just not at peak fitness. On that score the Internet is filled with system photos that don't exactly look in—cough—top shape. On said topic, the X3's mid/woofer sits well above ear height to put a seated listener quite off axis with it. We'd certainly expect the opposite of a rug-rat stage perspective.