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Audio Group Denmark in Porto — Opening the Ultimate Sessions Season
Ultimate Audio has earned its place in Portugal’s high-end audio scene through the consistency of its events — almost monthly — and by refusing to limit itself to Lisbon. The 2025/26 season opened in Porto, with two rooms entirely devoted to the universe of Audio Group Denmark.
This Danish manufacturer brings together four brands — Ansuz, Aavik, Børresen, and Axxess — whose designers carry serious credentials from names such as Raidho and Gryphon. These components are not entirely new to me: I dare say that, since its inception, MoustachesToys has been the only Portuguese project to consistently follow the group’s evolution.
From the very beginning, I had in my hands the Ansuz Darkz C2T resonance control devices — which inspired one of my earliest reviews, “Turning Water into Wine.” Since then, my reference speaker cables remain the Ansuz Speakz X2. I’ve also tested their interconnects, power cables, and power conditioners, and covered the national debut of Børresen and Axxess with the X3 loudspeakers and Forté 1 integrated amplifier at the Montebelo Viseu Congress Hotel — as well as a full review of that all-in-one unit.
Ahead of this event, I had already listened to a similar setup — with one difference: instead of the entry-level Forté 1, it featured the Forté 3. Before hearing it, my curiosity was only matched by my skepticism: how could the Forté 3 possibly justify costing twice as much? But opinions without experience are worth little.The Forté 3 isn’t just a Forté 1 with Tesla Coils and copper shielding — it keeps the clarity and transparency of the original but adds a warmer, organic dimension that replaces its earlier coolness. But we’ll get to that.
Aavik — The Debut
The real novelty of this event, at least for me, was Aavik. The previous week, I’d had a small taste — shared on social media — with the Aavik U-288 all-in-one integrated and the P-288 power amplifier, both delivering 300W per channel and driving the Børresen C3 in bi-amping.
That first encounter lacked the final adjustments — no Ansuz cabling, power conditioning, or network switch. In Porto’s main room, the system was now complete — and ready to strike.
First Impressions
Visually, the system inspires absolute confidence. The perceived build quality matches the asking price: flawless finishes, noble materials, and non-trivial engineering solutions. The speakers, with their tapered design and multiple rear mini-ports, rest on bases designed to host the group’s resonance-control footers. The electronics reveal extreme attention to detail — even in countering hysteresis effects.
In short: Formula 1 audio.
How did the C3 + U-288 + P-288 system sound?
Right from the doorway: the snap of bass strings, the naturalness of percussion. Speed and attack. Perfect transients. The silences between notes form a three-dimensional landscape that pulls you into the music.
The stage and the physics of space — that’s precisely what I heard in “Ta confiance” by Kham Meslien and “Melos (Variazione Nove)” by Paolo Fresu, where the sax also stood out with organic tone.
In “Rocket Man” (Elton John), “What A Wonderful World” (Etta Cameron), and “Queen Mary” (Francine Thirteen), the stage opened in width and height, only limited by the room’s physical boundaries. Stunning focus. Speed. Scale. Power. Pinpoint accuracy. Every cubic inch of Ultimate Audio Porto’s main room energized with music.
Etta’s cymbals shimmered with the right quantity — and quality — of brilliance, transients perfectly timed.
Groove and Class D:
“Rock With You” by Michael Jackson confirmed it all. There it was — the groove! Even though drawn in ones and zeros. Delicious percussion. The band arrived in layered depth. Jackson seemed to have three ensembles — one for highs, one for mids, one for lows — all under the same roof.
Not a trace of digital harshness, but rather a slap in the face to those (myself included) who once snubbed Class D.
“Lost Without You” by Freya Ridings revealed the piano’s attack and decay, and when the bass enters, the scale and weight rumble — yet always with that Scandinavian restraint.
The scale that surprises:
“Bright Horses” by Nick Cave, which I must have heard dozens of times, opened with newfound dimension — an emotional autopsy of Cave’s wounds.
Organic and natural:
And speaking of organic — in “My Romance” (Gene Ammons), “Escrito no Destino” (Helder Moutinho), “Spain Intro” (Michel Camilo & Tomatito), and “Talking Wind” (Marilyn Mazur), the sax, piano, double bass, guitar, and percussion proved it’s possible to have surgical precision without smelling like an operating room.
The percussions impressed with absolute naturalness, impeccable speed, and dynamics. Even the recording room’s resonances felt authentic. When there’s synergy between components, there’s synergy in the music.
Stories Within the Music
“Volver, Volver” by Buika — we return to the organic, with her passionate voice and trumpet. Hard to believe someone once used this CD as a coaster… As Rui Veloso once sang: “You can’t love someone who doesn’t listen to the same song.”
In “Happens to the Heart”, Leonard Cohen sounds spicy as sriracha — textured and dense. The three-dimensionality was such that invisible speakers seemed to fill the room.
“The Swingers Get the Blues, Too” by Duke Ellington brought a trombone of exquisite presence, the speakers disappearing completely.
In “Marais maison” by Bertrand Renaudin & Olivier Cahours, the strings snapped, cymbals shimmered — vibrant and alive.
“Candle In the Wind” — yes, Elton John again — confirmed it: this system isn’t for audiophiles. It’s for music lovers. Though technically impeccable.
The Axxess Forté 3 + Børresen X3 Room
The group’s more accessible side — and a golden rule broken: never step down from Olympus. The risk is disappointment. Yet “Avalanche” by Prince helped me break that rule.
The Forté 3 is a masterclass — proof that details matter and that the Danes don’t price “by feel.” I know the Forté 1 well; I heard it at its debut in Viseu and tested it at home. But the Forté 3 plays in another league — more organic, warmer. Same precision, but with softened edges. Same design, but a different soul.
How Did the Axxess Forté 3 / Børresen X3 Sound?
“Harlem Nocturne” by Illinois Jacquet — the sax arrived with body and weight, that velvety tone that almost lets you feel the musician’s warm breath. Present, immersive, yet free from the metallic glare some Class D systems impose. Warmth without loss of definition.
“Georgia On My Mind” by Oscar Peterson — the piano breathes. There’s soul between the notes. The difference between hearing keys and hearing music. Space, intention, humanity. As if the right hand sang while the left grounded it in flesh and bone.
“Acoustic” by Billy Raffoul — a raw voice, rough in the right spots, soft in others. The guitar resonates like living wood, its strings palpably vibrating. Pure intimacy — it pulls you into the song, as if sitting in the artist’s living room.
“Wicked Game” by Daisy Gray — the voice close, almost whispering in your ear, every breath intact, emotion at full tilt. Chills.
The stage retreats slightly compared to the Aavik/Børresen system, but the emotion is lossless. There’s a warmth here — a sonic embrace.
“Flamenco Sketches” by Miles Davis — the trumpet floats, ethereal, melancholic as only Davis could make it. The double bass grounds the piece; the brushes create subtle texture. The sound sits slightly back, more intimate, warmer, comforting — like a hug from an old friend.
Perhaps it lacks that final degree of transparency or monumental scale of the system next door. But in satisfaction — the kind that moves your inner tuning fork — it’s flawless.
If I had to choose, I’d hesitate.
The Surprise
I didn’t expect such a difference between the Forté 1 and Forté 3. It’s more than an upgrade — it’s an emotional evolution.
Two Paths, One Destination
Ultimate Audio continues to do something rare in Portugal: bring true high-end systems to be heard without filters, without haste, and without sales pressure.
These Sessions are emotional laboratories where one learns that “the best system” doesn’t exist — only different interpretations of music.
The Aavik/Børresen C3 system is transparency pushed to its limits — monumental scale, three-dimensionality that defies physics, transients that slice through air.
The Forté 3 with the X3 is the warm embrace, the fireside conversation — music that wraps around you instead of overwhelming you. One expands space; the other draws the soul closer. Both move you. Both justify every cent asked.
And yes — if I had to choose? I’d tremble. Because the choice isn’t between better or worse — it’s between which emotion we want to live today.
And that, my friends, is the true luxury of High Fidelity.
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