In this review, we will be comparing Triton Seven and Borea BR08, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from GoldenEar and Triangle.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of GoldenEar Triton Seven and Triangle Borea BR08 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | GoldenEar Triton Seven | Triangle Borea BR08 |
|---|
| Brand | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 | Triangle
France · founded 1980 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | Folded Ribbon | 1" Break_in |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene | 2 x 6" fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 29-35k Hz | 40 - 22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 10-300 watts | up to 150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 14.55kg / 32lbs | 18.85kg / 41.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-1/2" x 10-1/2" x 14-1/2"
1029.0 x 267.0 x 369.0mm | 40.1" x 8.1" x 12.3"
1020.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the GoldenEar Triton Seven 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* |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
Triangle Borea BR08 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 Triton Seven is a 2-way design whereas the Borea BR08 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.
GoldenEar Triton SevenTriangle 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 |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
Triangle Borea BR08 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
Triton Seven features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer. 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
Triton Seven has a frequency range of 29-35k Hz whereas Borea BR08 has a frequency range of 40 - 22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 29Hz, the Triton Seven can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to 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
Triton Seven and Borea BR08 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Triton Seven sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Borea BR08's is at 92 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Triangle Borea BR08 a more sensitive speaker compared to GoldenEar Triton Seven, 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.
Triton Seven can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Borea BR08 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Triton Seven.
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
Triton Seven 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
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Triton Seven has a rear firing port whereas Borea BR08 has a front firing ports. Triangle Borea BR08's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to GoldenEar Triton Seven with its rear-firing 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 GoldenEar Triton Seven's and Triangle Borea BR08's external dimensions. GoldenEar Triton Seven has external dimensions of 1029.0 x 267.0 x 369.0mm (40-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 14-1/2inch) whereas Triangle Borea BR08 has external dimensions of 1020.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm (40.1 x 8.1 x 12.3inch).
GoldenEar Triton Seven is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 61mm wider, 9mm taller and 55mm deeper than Triangle Borea BR08.
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.
GoldenEar Triton Seven needs about 52% more floor or shelf area. GoldenEar Triton Seven is 55mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall.
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 GoldenEar Triton Seven is approximately 985.2cm2 / 152.7inch2 and base area of the Triangle Borea BR08 is approximately 646.8cm2 / 100.3inch2. The Triton Seven requires 52% 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 GoldenEar Triton Seven weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs and the Triangle Borea BR08 weighs 18.85kg / 41.5lbs. This makes the Borea BR08 30% heavier than the Triton Seven.
Here is a comparison of how Triton Seven 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 GoldenEar Triton Seven?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Triton Seven:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Locking nuts
- Owners Manual
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
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
29 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
dual 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Height |
1020mm
vs
1029mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
646cm2
vs
985cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1600USD
vs
1798USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
Triangle Borea BR08 |
| Brand |
GoldenEar |
Triangle |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
10-300 watts |
up to 150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
29-35k Hz |
40 - 22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
fiberglass |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
n/a |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Ribbon |
Break_in |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
215Hz and 3500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1029.0mm (40.5") |
1020.0mm (40.2") |
| Width |
267.0mm (10.5") |
206.0mm (8.1") |
| Depth |
369.0mm (14.5") |
314.0mm (12.4") |
| Weight |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
18.85kg (41.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
n/a |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
Light Oak, Walnut, Black, White |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Triangle Borea BR08 is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | GoldenEar Triton Seven digs deeper - 29Hz against 40Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Triangle Borea BR08 is more sensitive (92dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | GoldenEar Triton Seven takes more power (300W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Triangle Borea BR08 is easier to place; GoldenEar Triton Seven is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Passive Radiator vs Ported. |
| Expandability | depends | Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. Triangle Borea BR08 sits in a wider range (11 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Triangle Borea BR08 is cheaper - $1,600 against $1,798, about 11% less. |
A GoldenEar Triton Seven 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?
The usual trade-off: GoldenEar Triton Seven measures better, Triangle Borea BR08 costs about about 12% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 40Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Triangle Borea BR08 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate GoldenEar Triton Seven the better fit for a very large room, and Triangle Borea BR08 for a mid-size room.
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.