In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers. DALI Sonik On-Wall is a On-wall speaker whereas the Borea BR04 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of DALI Sonik On-Wall and Triangle Borea BR04 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | DALI Sonik On-Wall | Triangle Borea BR04 |
|---|
| Brand | DALI
Denmark · founded 1983 | Triangle
France · founded 1980 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.14" Soft-Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.25" Wood fibre | 6" Paper Cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 55-26k Hz | 44 - 22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-100 watts | up to 110 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 8.64kg / 19lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 15.16" x 9.65" x 4.84"
385 x 245 x 123 mm | 16.7" x 8.7" x 12.3"
425.0 x 220.0 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 Sonik On-Wall and Borea BR04 are 2-way speakers.
DALI Sonik On-WallTriangle Borea BR04
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 Sonik On-Wall |
Triangle Borea BR04 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.14-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 6-inch
|
Sonik On-Wall features a 1.14" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Wood fibre Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2400Hz. On the other hand, the Borea BR04 features a 1" silk Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6" Paper Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3200Hz.
Frequency Response
Sonik On-Wall has a frequency range of 55-26k Hz whereas Borea BR04 has a frequency range of 44 - 22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 44Hz, the Borea BR04 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Sonik On-Wall's min frequency of 55Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the On-wall class in our database.
Low Frequency
On-wall 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
Sonik On-Wall is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Borea BR04 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Sonik On-Wall sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Borea BR04's is rated at 90 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Triangle Borea BR04 a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Sonik On-Wall, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
On-wall 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.
Borea BR04 can handle a max power of 110 watts RMS, whereas Sonik On-Wall has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 10 watts less than the Borea BR04.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Borea BR04 features Dual binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Sonik On-Wall has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Triangle Borea BR04's Dual binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Triangle Borea BR04 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 DALI Sonik On-Wall's and Triangle Borea BR04's external dimensions. DALI Sonik On-Wall has external dimensions of 385 x 245 x 123 mm () whereas Triangle Borea BR04 has external dimensions of 425.0 x 220.0 x 314.0mm (16.7 x 8.7 x 12.3inch).
DALI Sonik On-Wall is 40mm shorter and 191mm less deeper than Triangle Borea BR04 but it is also 25mm wider.
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 BR04 needs about 129% more floor or shelf area. Triangle Borea BR04 is 191mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Triangle Borea BR04 is 40mm 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 Sonik On-Wall is approximately 301.4cm2 / 46.7inch2 and base area of the Triangle Borea BR04 is approximately 690.8cm2 / 107.1inch2. The Sonik On-Wall requires 56% less surface area than the Borea BR04 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Triangle Borea BR04?
Here are the items that come with the Borea BR04:
- 2 x Borea speakers
- 2 x protections grids
- 8 x adhesive rubber plots
- 1 x user manual