In this review, we will be comparing UFR52 and Borea BR09, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from ELAC and Triangle.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 and Triangle Borea BR09 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 | Triangle Borea BR09 |
|---|
| Brand | ELAC
Germany · founded 1926 | Triangle
France · founded 1980 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" soft dome | 1" dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 5.25" Aluminum | 3 x 6" fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-35k Hz | 35 - 22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 92.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 140 watts | up to 170 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 23.80kg / 52.4lbs | 21.80kg / 48lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 39-9/16" x 9-1/4" x 13-5/16"
1005.0 x 235.0 x 339.0mm | 43.1" x 8.1" x 12.3"
1095.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 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* |
ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 |
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.
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Drivers
Both UFR52 and Borea BR09 are 3-way speakers.
ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52Triangle 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 |
ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 |
Triangle Borea BR09 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 5.25-inch
|
3 x 6-inch
|
UFR52 features a 1" soft dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 3 x 5.25" Aluminum 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
UFR52 has a frequency range of 40-35k 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 UFR52'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
UFR52 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. UFR52 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 ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52, 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.
Borea BR09 can handle a max power of 170 watts RMS, whereas UFR52 has a max power handling value of 140 watts RMS, 30 watts less than the Borea BR09.
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
UFR52 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Borea BR09 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Triangle Borea BR09's Binding post terminals
ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 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 ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52's and Triangle Borea BR09's external dimensions. ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 has external dimensions of 1005.0 x 235.0 x 339.0mm (39-9/16 x 9-1/4 x 13-5/16inch) 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 29mm narrower and 25mm less deeper than ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 but it is also 90mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 and Triangle Borea BR09 in scale.
Comparison image of ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 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 ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 is approximately 796.7cm2 / 123.5inch2 and base area of the Triangle Borea BR09 is approximately 646.8cm2 / 100.3inch2. The UFR52 requires 23% more surface area than the Borea BR09 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 weighs 23.80kg / 52.4lbs and the Triangle Borea BR09 weighs 21.80kg / 48lbs. This makes the UFR52 9% heavier than the Borea BR09.
Here is a comparison of how UFR52 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 ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of UFR52:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Jumper-bars (pre-installed)
- 2 Stabilizer-bars
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Knobs
- 6 Machine screws
- Hex-key
- Operating Instructions
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
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1005mm
vs
1095mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Max Input Power |
170 watts
vs
140 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
86 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
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Base Surface Area |
646cm2
vs
796cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1850USD
vs
2400USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
ELAC Uni-Fi Reference UFR52 |
Triangle Borea BR09 |
| Brand |
ELAC |
Triangle |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 140 watts |
up to 170 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86 dB |
92.5 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.3 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
40-35k Hz |
35 - 22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
fiberglass |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
n/a |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
soft dome |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
310Hz and 3900Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1005.0mm (39.6") |
1095.0mm (43.1") |
| Width |
235.0mm (9.3") |
206.0mm (8.1") |
| Depth |
339.0mm (13.3") |
314.0mm (12.4") |
| Weight |
23.80kg (52.4lbs) |
21.80kg (48lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
n/a |
| Available Colors |
Satin Black with Walnut Sides, Satin White with Oak Sides |
Light Oak, Walnut, Black, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
3 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
3 Years |
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 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. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (140W vs 170W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52: bi-amping. Triangle Borea BR09 sits in a wider range (11 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Triangle Borea BR09 is cheaper - $1,850 against $2,400, about 23% less. |
A ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 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 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take ELAC Uni-Fi Ref UFR52 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 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.