In this review, we will be comparing F501E and Borea BR08, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Fyne Audio and Triangle.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Fyne Audio F501E and Triangle Borea BR08 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Fyne Audio F501E | Triangle Borea BR08 |
|---|
| Brand | Fyne Audio
United Kingdom · founded 2017 | Triangle
France · founded 1980 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 1" Break_in |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6" | 2 x 6" fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 36-34k Hz | 40 - 22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30 - 150 W watts | up to 150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 17.80kg / 39.2lbs | 18.85kg / 41.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38.74" x 9.84" x 11.57"
984.0 x 249.9 x 293.9mm | 40.1" x 8.1" x 12.3"
1020.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Fyne Audio F501E and Triangle Borea BR08 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* |
Fyne Audio F501E |
Triangle Borea BR08 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
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
Both F501E and Borea BR08 are 3-way speakers.
Fyne Audio F501ETriangle Borea BR08
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Fyne Audio F501E |
Triangle Borea BR08 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
x 6-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
F501E features a " Tweeter and x 6" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 250 Hz, 1700 Hz. On the other hand, the Borea BR08 features a 1" silk Break_in Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6" fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 215Hz and 3500Hz.
Frequency Response
F501E has a frequency range of 36-34k Hz whereas Borea BR08 has a frequency range of 40 - 22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the F501E can go slightly deeper then the Borea BR08'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
F501E and Borea BR08 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. F501E sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Borea BR08's is at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Triangle Borea BR08 a more sensitive speaker compared to Fyne Audio F501E, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 150 watts RMS, though F501E is rated 30 - 150 W watts and Borea BR08 up to 150 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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
F501E features Binding post type posts and Borea BR08 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Triangle Borea BR08'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 Fyne Audio F501E's and Triangle Borea BR08's external dimensions. Fyne Audio F501E has external dimensions of 984.0 x 249.9 x 293.9mm (38.74 x 9.84 x 11.57inch) whereas Triangle Borea BR08 has external dimensions of 1020.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm (40.1 x 8.1 x 12.3inch).
Fyne Audio F501E is 36mm shorter and 20.1mm less deeper than Triangle Borea BR08 but it is also 43.9mm 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.
Fyne Audio F501E needs about 14% more floor or shelf area. Triangle Borea BR08 is 20mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Triangle Borea BR08 is 36mm 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 Fyne Audio F501E is approximately 734.5cm2 / 113.8inch2 and base area of the Triangle Borea BR08 is approximately 646.8cm2 / 100.3inch2. The F501E requires 14% more surface area than the Borea BR08 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 Fyne Audio F501E weighs 17.80kg / 39.2lbs and the Triangle Borea BR08 weighs 18.85kg / 41.5lbs. This makes the Borea BR08 6% heavier than the F501E.
Here is a comparison of how F501E and Borea BR08'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 Triangle Borea BR08?
Here are the items that come with the Borea BR08:
- 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
 Low Frequency Response |
36 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
34k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
984mm
vs
1020mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Base Surface Area |
646cm2
vs
734cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1600USD
vs
1799USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Fyne Audio F501E |
Triangle Borea BR08 |
| Brand |
Fyne Audio |
Triangle |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30 - 150 W watts |
up to 150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
36-34k Hz |
40 - 22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
|
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
fiberglass |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Break_in |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
250 Hz, 1700 Hz |
215Hz and 3500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
984.0mm (38.7") |
1020.0mm (40.2") |
| Width |
249.9mm (9.8") |
206.0mm (8.1") |
| Depth |
293.9mm (11.6") |
314.0mm (12.4") |
| Weight |
17.80kg (39.2lbs) |
18.85kg (41.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Light Oak, Walnut, Black, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
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 | A | Fyne Audio F501E digs deeper - 36Hz against 40Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Triangle Borea BR08 is more sensitive (92dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (150W vs 150W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | B | Triangle Borea BR08 is cheaper - $1,600 against $1,799, about 11% less. |
A Fyne Audio F501E B Triangle Borea BR08
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. Match it to your room: we rate Fyne Audio F501E the better fit for a small room, and Triangle Borea BR08 for a large room. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Triangle Borea BR08 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.