In this review, we will be comparing Borea BR03 BT and A5+, 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 BR03 BT and Audioengine A5+ first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Triangle Borea BR03 BT | Audioengine A5+ |
|---|
| Brand | Triangle
France · founded 1980 | Audioengine
United States · founded 2005 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Built-in amplifier | 100-watt RMS | 50-watt RMS (75-watt peak) |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 0.75" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" fiberglass | 5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 56-22kHz | 50-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89dB | — |
|---|
| Max depth / sample rate | 24-bit / 48 kHz | — |
|---|
| Bluetooth | Built-in 5.0 | No |
|---|
| Weight | 13.90kg / 30.6lbs | 4.40kg / 9.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 14.2" x 8.1" x 12.4"
360.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm | 10.875" x 7.1888" x 9.75"
276.2 x 182.6 x 247.6mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Borea BR03 BT and A5+ are 2-way speakers.
Triangle Borea BR03 BTAudioengine A5+
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 BR03 BT |
Audioengine A5+ |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
0.75-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
Borea BR03 BT features a 1" EFS fabric Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" fiberglass Woofer. On the other hand, the A5+ features a 0.75" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Borea BR03 BT has a frequency range of 56-22kHz whereas A5+ has a frequency range of 50-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the A5+ can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Borea BR03 BT's min frequency of 56Hz.
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 BR03 BT and A5+ 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 BR03 BT's and Audioengine A5+'s external dimensions. Triangle Borea BR03 BT has external dimensions of 360.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm (6.92 x 12.2 x 10.8 inches) whereas Audioengine A5+ has external dimensions of 276.2 x 182.6 x 247.6mm (10.875 x 7.1888 x 9.75inch).
Triangle Borea BR03 BT is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 23.4mm wider, 83.8mm taller and 66.4mm deeper than Audioengine A5+.
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.
Triangle Borea BR03 BT needs about 43% more floor or shelf area. Triangle Borea BR03 BT is 66mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Triangle Borea BR03 BT is 84mm 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 Triangle Borea BR03 BT is approximately 646.8cm2 / 100.3inch2 and base area of the Audioengine A5+ is approximately 452.1cm2 / 70.1inch2. The Borea BR03 BT requires 43% more surface area than the A5+ 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 Triangle Borea BR03 BT weighs 13.90kg / 30.6lbs and the Audioengine A5+ weighs 4.40kg / 9.7lbs. This makes the Borea BR03 BT 216% heavier than the A5+.
Here is a comparison of how Borea BR03 BT and A5+'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 BR03 BT?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Borea BR03 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 A5+?
Here are the items that come with the A5+:
- Powered left speaker
- Passive right speaker
- 6-feet AC power cord
- Remote control (with installed CR2025 battery)
- 12.5-feet Length of 16 gauge speaker wire
- 6.5-feet Stereo mini-jack cable (3.5mm mini-jack on both ends)
- 6-feet Stereo RCA cable
- Cloth drawstring cable bag
- 2 Cloth drawstring speaker bags
- Setup guide
- Audioengine product brochure
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Phono Input |
Yes
vs
No
|
Connect your turntable directly |
 Digital Input |
Optical,Coaxial
vs
No
|
Connect digital inputs directly |
|
Low Frequency Response |
50 Hz
vs
56 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
276mm
vs
360mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
452cm2
vs
646cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
399USD
vs
599USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 USB Port |
Charge only
vs
No
|
USB port adds flexibility |
| General |
Triangle Borea Active BR03 BT |
Audioengine A5+ |
| Brand |
Triangle |
Audioengine |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Stereo Speakers |
Powered Stereo Speakers |
| Sensitivity |
89dB |
n/a |
| Impedance |
3.6 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
56-22kHz |
50-22k Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
100-watt RMS |
50-watt RMS |
| Watts Peak (Max) |
n/a |
75-watt RMS |
| Max Bit Depth |
24-bit |
n/a |
| Max Sample Rate |
48 kHz |
n/a |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
fiberglass |
Kevlar |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
0.75" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
360.0mm (14.2") |
276.2mm (10.9") |
| Width |
206.0mm (8.1") |
182.6mm (7.2") |
| Depth |
314.0mm (12.4") |
247.6mm (9.7") |
| Weight |
13.90kg (30.6lbs) |
4.40kg (9.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Light Oak Blue,Oak Green,Cream,Light Oak,Black |
Black, Bamboo, White |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Aux Inputs |
3.5mm, RCA |
3.5mm, RCA |
| USB Port |
No |
Charge only |
| Phone Input |
Yes |
No |
| Subwoofer Output |
mono-RCA |
Wired |
| Digital Input |
Optical,Coaxial |
No |
| 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 BR03 BT is the newer design, against a 2011 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Audioengine A5+ digs deeper - 50Hz against 56Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Built-in power | A | Triangle Borea BR03 BT has the bigger amplifier (100W vs 50W RMS). |
| Connections | A | Triangle Borea BR03 BT adds Bluetooth, phono and digital inputs. |
| Size | depends | Audioengine A5+ is easier to place; Triangle Borea BR03 BT is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Triangle Borea BR03 BT: a sub output; Audioengine A5+: a sub output. Audioengine A5+ sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Audioengine A5+ is cheaper - $399 against $599, about 33% less. |
A Triangle Borea BR03 BT B Audioengine A5+
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 BR03 BT is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 50% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Audioengine A5+ looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Triangle Borea BR03 BT appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 56Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Triangle Borea BR03 BT has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Audioengine A5+ is the easier speaker to get right.
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.