DALI Menuet SE vs Triangle Borea BR03 Comparison

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DALI Menuet SE

Passive Bookshelf | 59-25k Hz

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Triangle Borea BR03

Passive Bookshelf | 46 - 22k Hz

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DALI Menuet SE

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Triangle Borea BR03

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DALI Menuet SE

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Triangle Borea BR03

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DALI Menuet SE vs Triangle Borea BR03 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Menuet SE and Borea BR03, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from DALI and Triangle.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of DALI Menuet SE and Triangle Borea BR03 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	DALI Menuet SE	Triangle Borea BR03
Brand	DALI Denmark · founded 1983	Triangle France · founded 1980
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1.1" Soft-Dome	1"
Woofer	4.5" Wood fibre	6" Paper Cone
Frequency response	59-25k Hz	46 - 22k Hz
Sensitivity	86 dB	90 dB
Impedance	4 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	20-100 watts	up to 100 watts
Weight	—	7.40kg / 16.3lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	9.84" x 5.91" x 9.06" 250 x 150 x 230 mm	14.9" x 8.1" x 12.3" 380.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm

The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.

Drivers

Both Menuet SE and Borea BR03 are 2-way speakers.

DALI Menuet SE

Triangle Borea BR03

TweeterWoofer

Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver	DALI Menuet SE	Triangle Borea BR03
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1.1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 4.5-inch	1 x 6-inch

Menuet SE features a 1.1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 4.5" Wood fibre Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3000Hz. On the other hand, the Borea BR03 features a 1" silk Tweeter and 1 x 6" Paper Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3600Hz.

Frequency Response

Menuet SE has a frequency range of 59-25k Hz whereas Borea BR03 has a frequency range of 46 - 22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 46Hz, the Borea BR03 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Menuet SE's min frequency of 59Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.

Low Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Menuet SE

Borea BR03

Min

Average

Median

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

Menuet SE is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Borea BR03 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Menuet SE can provide this impedance level.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Menuet SE sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the Borea BR03's is rated at 90 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Triangle Borea BR03 a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Menuet SE, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

Menuet SE

Borea BR03

Min

Average

Median

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.

Both handle the same maximum of 100 watts RMS, though Menuet SE is rated 20-100 watts and Borea BR03 up to 100 watts.

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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

DALI Menuet SE

Triangle Borea BR03

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Menuet SE features Binding post type posts and Borea BR03 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Triangle Borea BR03's Binding post terminals

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 DALI Menuet SE's and Triangle Borea BR03's external dimensions. DALI Menuet SE has external dimensions of 250 x 150 x 230 mm () whereas Triangle Borea BR03 has external dimensions of 380.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm (14.9 x 8.1 x 12.3inch).

Triangle Borea BR03 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 56mm wider, 130mm taller and 84mm deeper than DALI Menuet SE.

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 BR03 needs about 87% more floor or shelf area. Triangle Borea BR03 is 84mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Triangle Borea BR03 is 130mm 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 DALI Menuet SE is approximately 345.0cm² / 53.5inch² and base area of the Triangle Borea BR03 is approximately 646.8cm² / 100.3inch². The Menuet SE requires 47% less surface area than the Borea BR03 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of Triangle Borea BR03?

Here are the items that come with the Borea BR03:

2 x Borea speakers
2 x protections grids
8 x adhesive rubber plots
1 x user manual

Reasons to choose DALI Menuet SE over Triangle Borea BR03

High Frequency Response	25k Hz vs 22k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Height	250mm vs 380mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	345cm² vs 646cm²	Takes less floor space

Reasons to choose Triangle Borea BR03 over DALI Menuet SE

Sensitivity	90 dB vs 86 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Nominal Impedance	8 ohms vs 4 ohms	Less selective with amplifiers
Woofer Size	6 inches vs 4.5 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	46 Hz vs 59 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Price per pair*	599USD vs 3200USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

DALI Menuet SE vs Triangle Borea BR03 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	DALI Menuet SE	Triangle Borea BR03
Brand	DALI	Triangle
Speaker Type	Bookshelf speakers	Bookshelf speakers
Power Range	20-100 watts	up to 100 watts
Sensitivity	86 dB	90 dB
Impedance	4 ohms	8 ohms
Impedance	n/a	4.2 ohms
Frequency Response	59-25k Hz	46 - 22k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	1
Woofer Size	4.5"	6"
Woofer Composition	Wood fibre	Paper Cone
Tweeter Size	1.1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Soft-Dome	n/a
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Crossover Frequency	3000Hz	3600Hz
Firing Direction	n/a	front
Physical Specs
Height	250.0mm (9.8")	380.0mm (15")
Width	150.0mm (5.9")	206.0mm (8.1")
Depth	230.0mm (9.1")	314.0mm (12.4")
Weight	n/a	7.40kg (16.3lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Bass Reflex
Available Colors	n/a	Light Oak, Walnut, Black Ash, White, Blue, Green
Mounting Bracket		No
Grille	Yes	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years

Verdict

These sit in different price classes - DALI Menuet SE costs roughly 5.3x what Triangle Borea BR03 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	B	Triangle Borea BR03 digs deeper - 46Hz against 59Hz.
Amplifier needs	B	Triangle Borea BR03 is more sensitive (90dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Amplifier match	B	Triangle Borea BR03 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it.
Headroom	evenly matched	Similar power handling (100W vs 100W).
Size	depends	DALI Menuet SE is easier to place; Triangle Borea BR03 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 BR03 sits in a wider range (11 models), so a matched surround system is easier later.
Price	B	Triangle Borea BR03 is cheaper - $599 against $3,200, about 81% less; arguably a different class.

A DALI Menuet SE B Triangle Borea BR03
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 BR03 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take DALI Menuet SE if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 59Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Triangle Borea BR03 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, DALI Menuet SE is the easier speaker to get right.

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.