In this review, we will be comparing AE309 and Borea BR09, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Acoustic Energy and Triangle.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of AE309 and Triangle Borea BR09 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | AE309 | Triangle Borea BR09 |
|---|
| Brand | Acoustic Energy
United Kingdom · founded 1987 | Triangle
France · founded 1980 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" dome with waveguide | 1" dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.2" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.2" ceramic aluminium sandwich | 3 x 6" fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38Hz - 30kHz | 35 - 22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 92.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 175 watts | up to 170 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.00kg / 48.4lbs | 21.80kg / 48lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 35.4" x 6.9" x 10.2"
900.0 x 175.0 x 260.0mm | 43.1" x 8.1" x 12.3"
1095.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the AE309 and Triangle Borea BR09 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
AE309 |
Triangle Borea BR09 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both AE309 and Borea BR09 are 3-way speakers.
AE309Triangle Borea BR09
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
AE309 |
Triangle Borea BR09 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.2-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.2-inch
|
3 x 6-inch
|
AE309 features a 1.1" aluminium dome with waveguide Tweeter, a 5.2" Midrange and 1 x 5.2" ceramic aluminium sandwich Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 296Hz and 2560Hz. On the other hand, the Borea BR09 features a 1" silk dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 3 x 6" fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 310Hz and 3900Hz.
Frequency Response
AE309 has a frequency range of 38Hz - 30kHz whereas Borea BR09 has a frequency range of 35 - 22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the Borea BR09 can go slightly deeper then the AE309's min frequency of 38Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
AE309 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Borea BR09 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. AE309 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Borea BR09's is rated at 92.5 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Triangle Borea BR09 a more sensitive speaker compared to AE309, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
AE309 can handle a max power of 175 watts RMS, whereas Borea BR09 has a max power handling value of 170 watts RMS, 5 watts less than the AE309.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
AE309 has a rear firing port whereas Borea BR09 has a front firing ports. Triangle Borea BR09's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to AE309 with its rear-firing port.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare AE309's and Triangle Borea BR09's external dimensions. AE309 has external dimensions of 900.0 x 175.0 x 260.0mm (35.4 x 6.9 x 10.2inch) whereas Triangle Borea BR09 has external dimensions of 1095.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm (43.1 x 8.1 x 12.3inch).
Triangle Borea BR09 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 31mm wider, 195mm taller and 54mm deeper than AE309.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Triangle Borea BR09 needs about 42% more floor or shelf area. Triangle Borea BR09 is 54mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Triangle Borea BR09 is 195mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the AE309 is approximately 455.0cm2 / 70.5inch2 and base area of the Triangle Borea BR09 is approximately 646.8cm2 / 100.3inch2. The AE309 requires 30% less surface area than the Borea BR09 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The AE309 weighs 22.00kg / 48.4lbs and the Triangle Borea BR09 weighs 21.80kg / 48lbs. This makes the AE309 1% heavier than the Borea BR09.
Here is a comparison of how AE309 and Borea BR09's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Triangle Borea BR09?
Here are the items that come with the Borea BR09:
- 2 x Borea speakers
- 2 x protections grids
- 2 x pedestals
- 8 x screws
- 8 x adhesive rubber plots
- 8 x decoupling spikes
- 1 x user manual
 Max Input Power |
175 watts
vs
170 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
900mm
vs
1095mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
455cm2
vs
646cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
5.2 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Price per pair* |
1850USD
vs
1899USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Acoustic Energy AE309 |
Triangle Borea BR09 |
| Brand |
Acoustic Energy |
Triangle |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 175 watts |
up to 170 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
92.5 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.3 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
38Hz - 30kHz |
35 - 22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
5.2" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
ceramic aluminium sandwich |
fiberglass |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with waveguide |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.2" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
296Hz and 2560Hz |
310Hz and 3900Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
900.0mm (35.4") |
1095.0mm (43.1") |
| Width |
175.0mm (6.9") |
206.0mm (8.1") |
| Depth |
260.0mm (10.2") |
314.0mm (12.4") |
| Weight |
22.00kg (48.4lbs) |
21.80kg (48lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
high density MDF |
n/a |
| Available Colors |
Piano Gloss White, Piano Gloss Black, Real Walnut wood veneer |
Light Oak, Walnut, Black, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Triangle Borea BR09 digs deeper - 35Hz against 38Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Triangle Borea BR09 is more sensitive (93dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Triangle Borea BR09 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (175W vs 170W). |
| Size | depends | AE309 is easier to place; Triangle Borea BR09 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. Triangle Borea BR09 sits in a wider range (11 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($1,899 vs $1,850 a pair). |
A AE309 B Triangle Borea BR09
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Triangle Borea BR09 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. In a large or open-plan room, Triangle Borea BR09 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, AE309 is the easier speaker to get right. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Triangle Borea BR09 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.