In this review, we will be comparing Emit M30 and Borea BR09, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Dynaudio and Triangle.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Dynaudio Emit M30 and Triangle Borea BR09 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Dynaudio Emit M30 | Triangle Borea BR09 |
|---|
| Brand | Dynaudio
Denmark · founded 1977 | Triangle
France · founded 1980 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" | 1" dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.6875" Magnesium Silicate Polymer | 3 x 6" fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-23k Hz | 35 - 22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 92.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 200 watts | up to 170 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.18kg / 40lbs | 21.80kg / 48lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 37-13/16" x 8-1/16" x 11-5/8"
961.0 x 205.0 x 296.0mm | 43.1" x 8.1" x 12.3"
1095.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Dynaudio Emit M30 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* |
Dynaudio Emit M30 |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Emit M30 is a 2-way design whereas the Borea BR09 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Dynaudio Emit M30Triangle 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 |
Dynaudio Emit M30 |
Triangle Borea BR09 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.6875-inch
|
3 x 6-inch
|
Emit M30 features a 1.1" Tweeter and 2 x 6.6875" Magnesium Silicate Polymer Woofer. 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
Emit M30 has a frequency range of 40-23k Hz whereas Borea BR09 has a frequency range of 35 - 22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the Borea BR09 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Emit M30's min frequency of 40Hz.
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
Emit M30 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Borea BR09 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 Emit M30 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Emit M30 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the Borea BR09's is rated at 92.5 dB. This 7 dB difference makes the Triangle Borea BR09 a more sensitive speaker compared to Dynaudio Emit M30, 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.
Emit M30 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Borea BR09 has a max power handling value of 170 watts RMS, 30 watts less than the Emit M30.
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
Emit M30 features Binding post type posts and Borea BR09 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Dynaudio Emit M30's Binding post terminals
Triangle Borea BR09'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 Dynaudio Emit M30's and Triangle Borea BR09's external dimensions. Dynaudio Emit M30 has external dimensions of 961.0 x 205.0 x 296.0mm (37-13/16 x 8-1/16 x 11-5/8inch) 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 1mm wider, 134mm taller and 18mm deeper than Dynaudio Emit M30.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Dynaudio Emit M30 and Triangle Borea BR09 in scale.
Comparison image of Dynaudio Emit M30 and Triangle Borea BR09 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 Dynaudio Emit M30 is approximately 606.8cm2 / 94.1inch2 and base area of the Triangle Borea BR09 is approximately 646.8cm2 / 100.3inch2. The Emit M30 requires 6% 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 Dynaudio Emit M30 weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs and the Triangle Borea BR09 weighs 21.80kg / 48lbs. This makes the Borea BR09 20% heavier than the Emit M30.
Here is a comparison of how Emit M30 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 Dynaudio Emit M30?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Emit M30:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Foam port plug
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Hex nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- Owners Manual
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty Extension Card
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 |
200 watts
vs
170 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.6875 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
23k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
961mm
vs
1095mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
606cm2
vs
646cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
1850USD
vs
2000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Dynaudio Emit M30 |
Triangle Borea BR09 |
| Brand |
Dynaudio |
Triangle |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 200 watts |
up to 170 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86 dB |
92.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.3 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
40-23k Hz |
35 - 22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6.6875" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Magnesium Silicate Polymer |
fiberglass |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
n/a |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
310Hz and 3900Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
961.0mm (37.8") |
1095.0mm (43.1") |
| Width |
205.0mm (8.1") |
206.0mm (8.1") |
| Depth |
296.0mm (11.7") |
314.0mm (12.4") |
| Weight |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
21.80kg (48lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
n/a |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Light Oak, Walnut, Black, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years (8 Years registered) |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years (8 Years registered) |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Triangle Borea BR09 is the newer design, against a 2015 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Triangle Borea BR09 digs deeper - 35Hz against 40Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Triangle Borea BR09 is more sensitive (93dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Triangle Borea BR09 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 (200W vs 170W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| 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 ($2,000 vs $1,850 a pair). |
A Dynaudio Emit M30 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. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 40Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. 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.