In this review, we will be comparing Oberon 1 and Borea BR03, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from DALI and Triangle. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of DALI Oberon 1 and Triangle Borea BR03 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
DALI Oberon 1 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.125" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 5.25" Wood Fiber Woofer
- 51-26k Hz Frequency Response
- 86 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:25-100watts
- Weight:4.18kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 275.0" x 6-7/16" x 8-15/16"( 275.0 x 164.0 x 228.0mm )
Triangle Borea BR03 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 6" fiberglass Woofer
- 46 - 22k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 100watts
- Weight:6.26kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 380.0" x 8.1" x 12.3"( 380.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm )
What size room are the DALI Oberon 1 and Triangle Borea BR03 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* |
DALI Oberon 1 |
Triangle Borea BR03 |
| Near-field |
Average |
Average |
| Small Room |
Good |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
Bad |
(* 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the DALI Oberon 1 and Triangle Borea BR03 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both Oberon 1 and Borea BR03 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
DALI Oberon 1 |
Triangle Borea BR03 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.125-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 6-inch
|
Oberon 1 features a 1.125" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Wood Fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2800Hz. On the other hand, the Borea BR03 features a 1" silk Tweeter and 1 x 6" fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3600Hz.
Frequency Response
Oberon 1 has a frequency range of 51-26k 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 Oberon 1's min frequency of 51Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Oberon 1 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Borea BR03 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Oberon 1 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 Oberon 1, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Oberon 1 features Binding post type posts and Borea BR03 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
DALI Oberon 1's Post terminals
Triangle Borea BR03's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Oberon 1 has a rear firing port whereas Borea BR03 has a front firing ports. Triangle Borea BR03's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to DALI Oberon 1 with its rear-firing port.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 Oberon 1's and Triangle Borea BR03's external dimensions. DALI Oberon 1 has external dimensions of 275.0 x 164.0 x 228.0mm ( 10-13/16 x 6-7/16 x 8-15/16inch) 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 42mm wider, 105mm taller and 86mm deeper than DALI Oberon 1.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of DALI Oberon 1 and Triangle Borea BR03 in scale.
Comparison image of DALI Oberon 1 and Triangle Borea BR03 Size and External Dimensions
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 Oberon 1 is approximately 373.9cm2 / 58.0inch2 and base area of the Triangle Borea BR03 is approximately 646.8cm2 / 100.3inch2. The Oberon 1 requires 42% less surface area than the Borea BR03 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Here is an another comparison that shows both speakers on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet, next to a standard size amplifier and turntable in scale:
Size Comparison image of DALI Oberon 1 and Triangle Borea BR03 on a Media Console
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 DALI Oberon 1 weighs 4.18kg / 9.2lbs and the Triangle Borea BR03 weighs 6.26kg / 13.8lbs. This makes the Borea BR03 50% heavier than the Oberon 1.
Here is a comparison of how Oberon 1 and Borea BR03's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of DALI Oberon 1?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Oberon 1:
2 Bookshelf loudspeakers2 Grilles8 Rubber bumpersManual
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