In this review, we will be comparing Borea BR02 BT and HD6, two Powered Bookshelf speakers from Triangle and Audioengine. Being Powered speakers, they both have built-in amplifiers so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp to power them.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Triangle Borea BR02 BT and Audioengine HD6 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Triangle Borea BR02 BT | Audioengine HD6 |
|---|
| Brand | Triangle
France · founded 1980 | Audioengine
United States · founded 2005 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Built-in amplifier | 120-watt RMS | 100-watt RMS (200-watt peak) |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" fiberglass | 5.5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 47-22kHz | 50-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90dB | — |
|---|
| Max depth / sample rate | 24-bit / 48 kHz | 24-bit / 192 kHz |
|---|
| Bluetooth | Built-in 5.0 | Built-in 5.0 |
|---|
| Weight | 10.20kg / 22.4lbs | 5.50kg / 12.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 12.2" x 6.9" x 10.8"
310.0 x 176.0 x 274.0mm | 12.375" x 7.1875" x 12.5"
314.3 x 182.6 x 317.5mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Borea BR02 BT and HD6 are 2-way speakers.
Triangle Borea BR02 BTAudioengine HD6
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Triangle Borea BR02 BT |
Audioengine HD6 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
1 x 5.5-inch
|
Borea BR02 BT features a 1" EFS fabric Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" fiberglass Woofer. On the other hand, the HD6 features a 1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.5" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Borea BR02 BT has a frequency range of 47-22kHz whereas HD6 has a frequency range of 50-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 47Hz, the Borea BR02 BT can go slightly deeper then the HD6's min frequency of 50Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Borea BR02 BT and HD6 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 Triangle Borea BR02 BT's and Audioengine HD6's external dimensions. Triangle Borea BR02 BT has external dimensions of 310.0 x 176.0 x 274.0mm (8.1x 14.1 x 12.36 inches) whereas Audioengine HD6 has external dimensions of 314.3 x 182.6 x 317.5mm (12.375 x 7.1875 x 12.5inch).
Audioengine HD6 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 6.6mm wider, 4.3mm taller and 43.5mm deeper than Triangle Borea BR02 BT.
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.
Audioengine HD6 needs about 20% more floor or shelf area. Audioengine HD6 is 44mm 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 Triangle Borea BR02 BT is approximately 482.2cm2 / 74.7inch2 and base area of the Audioengine HD6 is approximately 579.8cm2 / 89.9inch2. The Borea BR02 BT requires 17% less surface area than the HD6 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 Triangle Borea BR02 BT weighs 10.20kg / 22.4lbs and the Audioengine HD6 weighs 5.50kg / 12.1lbs. This makes the Borea BR02 BT 85% heavier than the HD6.
Here is a comparison of how Borea BR02 BT and HD6's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Triangle Borea BR02 BT?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Borea BR02 BT:
- 1 x passive loudspeaker BOREA BT cable to link the loudspeakers 8. 1 x user manual
- 1 x active loudspeaker BOREA BT (indicator light on the front)
- 2 x protection grills
- 1 x remote control, incl. 2 AAA batteries
- 8 x adhesive anti-slip feet to place below the speakers
- 1 x AC power cord
- 1 x 3 meters speaker
What's in the Box of Audioengine HD6?
Here are the items that come with the HD6:
- Powered speaker
- Passive speaker
- 2 Grilles (pre-installed)
- 6-feet AC power cord
- Bluetooth antenna
- Remote control
- 13-feet Speaker cable (w/ banana connectors on each end)
- 6.5-feet Stereo minijack cable
- 2 Microfiber speaker bags
- MIcrofiber cable bag
- Quickstart Guide
- Product Line Brochure
 Low Frequency Response |
47 Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
310mm
vs
314mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
482cm2
vs
579cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
499USD
vs
699USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Phono Input |
Yes
vs
No
|
Connect your turntable directly |
|
Woofer Size |
5.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| General |
Triangle Borea Active BR02 BT |
Audioengine HD6 |
| Brand |
Triangle |
Audioengine |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Stereo Speakers |
Powered Stereo Speakers |
| Sensitivity |
90dB |
n/a |
| Impedance |
4.2 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
47-22kHz |
50-22k Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
120-watt RMS |
100-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
n/a |
200-watt RMS |
| Max Bit Depth |
24-bit |
24-bit |
| Max Sample Rate |
48 kHz |
192 kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
5.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
fiberglass |
Kevlar |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
310.0mm (12.2") |
314.3mm (12.4") |
| Width |
176.0mm (6.9") |
182.6mm (7.2") |
| Depth |
274.0mm (10.8") |
317.5mm (12.5") |
| Weight |
10.20kg (22.4lbs) |
5.50kg (12.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Light Oak Blue,Oak Green,Cream,Light Oak,Black |
Black, Walnut, White, Cherry Wood |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Aux Inputs |
3.5mm, RCA |
3.5mm, RCA |
| USB Port |
No |
No |
| Phone Input |
Yes |
No |
| Subwoofer Output |
mono-RCA |
Wired |
| Digital Input |
Optical,Coaxial |
Optical |
| HDMI Input |
No |
No |
| Headphone Jack |
No |
No |
| Ethernet Port |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
3 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
3 Years |
A generation apart: Triangle Borea BR02 BT is the newer design, against a 2016 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 | Triangle Borea BR02 BT digs deeper - 47Hz against 50Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Built-in power | evenly matched | Similar onboard amplification (120W vs 100W RMS). |
| Connections | A | Triangle Borea BR02 BT adds phono. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Triangle Borea BR02 BT: a sub output; Audioengine HD6: a sub output. |
| Price | A | Triangle Borea BR02 BT is cheaper - $499 against $699, about 29% less. |
A Triangle Borea BR02 BT B Audioengine HD6
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 BR02 BT is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Audioengine HD6 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $200 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.