Audio Group Denmark Brings Danish Audio Supremacy to New Jersey: T.H.E. Show New York 2025

T.H.E. Show New York 2025 is took place in—brace yourself—New Jersey. Before anyone starts with the geographic outrage, let’s remember: the New York Jets and Giants play at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, the New York Red Bulls call Harrison home, and half of Manhattan’s social life depends on “Bridge and Tunnel” types who actually know how to drive.

Having lived in the Garden State for 23 years, I’m immune to the predictable coastal sneering. We know New York City sucks. Westchester’s not much better. The New Jersey Devils are first in the NHL standings, and the Toronto part of me still smiles every time “Da Yankeeees Lose.” Much love to Vladdy Jr. and Big Papi — and welcome to the one “New York” show that actually has parking.

Yes, New Jersey has brutal property taxes, and our electricity bills have basically tripled — elect stupid politicians, win stupid prizes. For those of us who escaped the chaos of North Jersey (Bergen County refugee here) and settled along the Shore in Monmouth or Ocean County, life’s different. Not cheaper — just less claustrophobic. More space, fewer neighbors, and, unfortunately, almost no hi-fi stores.

Was Hasbrouck Heights an inspired choice for T.H.E. Show New York 2025? Meh. But finding an affordable, decent-sized event space in the NJ/NYC area is like finding a parking spot in Hoboken during a snowstorm. You go where the people are. Personally, I would’ve gone closer to Philly; better cheesesteaks, more audiophiles in places like Cherry Hill — or maybe near Princeton, where folks still have taste and larger homes.

The Shore’s too empty this time of year anyway. As for the actual venue? I’ve been there — even for a Christmas party — and let’s just say the best thing about it is how quickly you can escape via I-80, the Turnpike, or Route 17 South. Not exactly the Ritz.

The timing of this year’s T.H.E. Show New York 2025? Less than ideal. It landed on the same weekend as both the Warsaw Show and the Paris Audio/Visual Show. For the uninitiated: the Warsaw Show has quietly become Europe’s largest high-end audio event, and it’s attracting a much younger crowd. Eastern Europe is the new frontier for high-end audio — companies there are booming, everyone wants a piece of the action, and the buzz is real.

Meanwhile, with the Munich Show packing up and moving to Vienna in 2026 (and already early grumbles about the “sonic” properties of the new rooms), this was not exactly the week to expect record attendance for T.H.E. Show in New Jersey. Timing matters, folks.

Health reasons limited how long I could stick around this year — I’ve got two gastro procedures looming over the coming days and weeks, so survival was my top priority. That said, a few things did stand out. Expect some reviews down the line. This was not a show for bargain hunters — affordable gear was scarce. And let’s be honest: no dedicated headphone section? Big mistake. If you’re chasing that kind of experience, you’ll need to make the trek to CAF in Rockville, MD in a few weeks.

Audio Group Denmark: The Danes Run the Room

Danish high-end audio is living rent-free in all our heads right now — and it’s not hard to see why. Gryphon, Dynaudio, Buchardt, DALI, Bang & Olufsen, Ansuz, Børresen, Aavik, Raidho, CANVAS HiFi, Audiovector, Lyngdorf, Ortofon… the list just keeps going, like some kind of Nordic flex at the expense of everyone else. Denmark has quietly — and very efficiently — dethroned America, Japan, the U.K., France, Germany, and Canada as the new epicenter of state-of-the-art high-end audio. Call it precision, call it obsession — either way, the Danes aren’t just eating our lunch; they’re serving it with pickled herring and charging extra for the aquavit.

This weekend was my first real encounter with Audio Group Denmark — and it definitely won’t be my last. Not a chance. Ansuz, Børresen, and Aavik were out in full force, thanks to their North American team and HiFi Loft, their dealer with locations in New York City (West 44th Street) and Glens Falls — that charming stretch of upstate New York just north of Saratoga Springs, not far from Lake George, where “summer homes” often cost more than some college endowments.

Let’s be clear: this is not gear for anyone trying to cap their system budget at $30,000. The combination of stand-mount speakers, integrated amplifier with streamer, and cables alone will blow past that before you’ve even thought about a turntable or phono preamp. Both systems at T.H.E. Show New York 2025 landed somewhere between $90,000 and $360,000 USD — and no, that’s not a typo. Danish audio excellence doesn’t come cheap; it comes with the same sticker shock as a Copenhagen apartment.

System #1 (~$360,000)

System #1 was pure Danish excess — and I mean that in the best possible way. The setup included the Børresen M2 Loudspeakers ($199,000), Børresen A3 Bass Modules ($21,000 each x 2), Aavik I-588 Integrated Amplifier ($30,000), Aavik SD-588 Network Streamer/DAC ($30,000), Aavik P-588 Power Amplifier ($30,000), and a full loom of Ansuz cabling, power supplies, and what might be the most effective Ethernet switch I’ve ever heard (sarcasm).

Total system cost: $363,000 USD. You’re fully entitled to roll your eyes — or start calculating how many years you’d need to work on a Danish fishing boat to pay it off. Maybe several lifetimes, depending on the catch.

Effortless, spacious, and packed with seemingly endless power — the kind of noise floor that drops so deep it might’ve hit the hotel’s bedrock — and clarity so pure it felt surgically clean. Sounds great, right? And it was. But here’s the thing: it didn’t move me the way the “more affordable” setup in the other part of the room did. Not that $90K is pocket change, but compared to $363K, it’s practically working-class Danish hi-fi.

Audio Group Denmark shouldn’t feel deflated — system #1 was technically flawless. But that second rig had a certain musical pulse that hit different — enough to have me on the Børresen website later, wondering if they’d sell me the C3 in glossy walnut without a mortgage.

System #2 (~$90,000)

System #2 was where things got interesting — and, frankly, where the magic happened. It featured the Børresen C3 floorstanding loudspeakers ($40,000) paired with the Aavik U-288 Unity Amplifier, an all-in-one masterpiece that packs a high-res streamer, DAC, line stage, preamp, and power amp into one sleek chassis.

The U-x88 series is the product of a fascinating collaboration between two heavyweights: Gryphon Audio’s legendary founder, Flemming Erik Rasmussen, who joined Aavik in 2021, and Michael Børresen himself. Rasmussen brought over three decades of design artistry; Børresen supplied the hardcore engineering. The result? The U-188, U-288, and U-588 — amplifiers that don’t just look the part, but completely rewrite what you expect from Class D.

If this is their take on Class D, everyone else in hi-fi might want to toss their schematics in the shredder and start over. Full-bodied, rich, and utterly effortless. Thunderous bass with total control. Zero smear. Vocals locked dead center like they were pinned to the air. The tonal balance leaned cooler than what I usually hear from Class A/B or British loudspeakers, but the resolution, texture, and dynamic contrast were in another league entirely.

The Børresen C3 is no lightweight — literally or figuratively. Standing 55.7 inches tall and tipping the scales at 150 pounds each, these floorstanders mean business. With a frequency response of 25Hz to 50kHz, 88dB sensitivity, and an impedance north of 6 ohms, they demand a serious amplifier — ideally one like the Aavik U-288, which was clearly built with them in mind. Each speaker packs a Børresen RP94 ribbon planar tweeter, two DCC5 Neo bass/mid drivers, and two DCC5 Neo bass drivers, all working in perfect Danish precision.

Listening to Bob Dylan, Christel Alsos, Seinabo Sey, Lalo Schifrin, and some Scandinavian rock loud enough to knock the MDF furniture off the shelves at an IKEA across the sea in Sweden — the C3s handled it all with stunning composure. The presentation was vast, detailed, and powerful — like a sonic stretch from Copenhagen straight to Stockholm.

Maybe a touch clinical with the wrong amplifier or source, but with the Aavik gear, the synergy was dialed in tight. This is not a small-room speaker; think at least 20 x 16 x 9 feet — because when those bass drivers wake up, you’ll want plenty of space between you, the back wall, and your fragile belongings.

I’m usually pretty snarky about systems in this price range; it’s practically a reflex — but System #2 was one of the best I’ve heard in years. From anyone. At any price. They also make phono stages that I absolutely can’t afford, but after hearing this, I’m not convinced you need to climb any higher in their lineup. This is their mid-tier. Let that sink in.

For more information: Audio Group Denmark

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