In this review, we will be comparing HDI-3600 and Borea BR09, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from JBL and Triangle. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL HDI-3600 and Triangle Borea BR09 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the JBL HDI-3600 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the JBL HDI-3600 and Triangle Borea BR09 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that HDI-3600 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.
Driver |
JBL HDI-3600 |
Triangle Borea BR09 |
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 6-inch
|
HDI-3600 features a 1" Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" 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
HDI-3600 has a frequency range of 38-30k Hz whereas Borea BR09 has a frequency range of 35 - 22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the Borea BR09 can go slightly deeper then the HDI-3600's min frequency of 38Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
HDI-3600 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 HDI-3600 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. HDI-3600 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Borea BR09's is rated at 92.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Triangle Borea BR09 a more sensitive speaker compared to JBL HDI-3600, 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. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
HDI-3600 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Borea BR09 has a max power handling value of 170 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the HDI-3600.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
HDI-3600 features 5-way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Borea BR09 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
HDI-3600 has a rear firing port whereas Borea BR09 has a front firing ports. Triangle Borea BR09's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to JBL HDI-3600 with its rear-firing port.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare JBL HDI-3600's and Triangle Borea BR09's external dimensions. JBL HDI-3600 has external dimensions of 1028.0 x 259.0 x 345.0mm ( 40-7/16 x 10-3/16 x 13-9/16inch) 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 53mm narrower and 31mm less deeper than JBL HDI-3600 but it is also 67mm 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 JBL HDI-3600 is approximately 893.6cm2 / 138.5inch2 and base area of the Triangle Borea BR09 is approximately 646.8cm2 / 100.3inch2. The HDI-3600 requires 38% 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 JBL HDI-3600 weighs 28.09kg / 61.8lbs and the Triangle Borea BR09 weighs 21.80kg / 48lbs. This makes the HDI-3600 29% heavier than the Borea BR09.
Here is a comparison of how HDI-3600 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 JBL HDI-3600?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of HDI-3600:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)4 Spike feetOwners Manual
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 |
250 watts
vs
170 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
Height |
1028mm
vs
1095mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
Base Surface Area |
646cm2 (206x314mm)
vs
893cm2 (259x345mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
Price per pair* |
1850USD
vs
4180USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
General |
JBL HDI-3600 |
Triangle Borea BR09 |
Brand |
JBL |
Triangle |
Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
Power Range |
20-250 watts |
up to 170 watts |
Sensitivity |
90 dB |
92.5 dB |
Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
Impedance |
n/a |
3.3 ohms |
Frequency Response |
38-30k Hz |
35 - 22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
Woofer Quantity |
3 |
3 |
Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6" |
Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
fiberglass |
Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
n/a |
Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
Tweeter Type |
n/a |
dome |
Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
Midrange Driver |
No |
6" |
Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
310Hz and 3900Hz |
Firing Direction |
rear |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
Height |
1028.0mm (40.5") |
1095.0mm (43.1") |
Width |
259.0mm (10.2") |
206.0mm (8.1") |
Depth |
345.0mm (13.6") |
314.0mm (12.4") |
Weight |
28.09kg (61.8lbs) |
21.80kg (48lbs) |
Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
Finish |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
n/a |
Available Colors |
Grey |
Light Oak, Walnut, Black, White |
Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |