Triangle Borea BR03 BT vs Triangle Borea BR03 Comparison

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Triangle Borea BR03 BT

Powered Bookshelf | 56-22kHz

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Triangle Borea BR03

Passive Bookshelf | 46 - 22k Hz

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Triangle Borea BR03...

Check price atAmazon›

Triangle Borea BR03

Check price atAmazon›

Triangle Borea BR03...

See at AMAZON

Triangle Borea BR03

See at AMAZON

Triangle Borea BR03 BT vs Triangle Borea BR03 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Borea BR03 BT and Borea BR03, two Bookshelf speakers by Triangle. The main difference between these two speakers is that the Triangle Borea BR03 BT is a Powered speaker which means that it has a built-in amplifier inside the speaker body so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp whereas the Triangle Borea BR03 is a Passive speaker so has to be matched with an amplifier to get any sound from it.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Triangle Borea BR03 BT and Triangle Borea BR03 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Triangle Borea BR03 BT	Triangle Borea BR03
Brand	Triangle France · founded 1980	Triangle France · founded 1980
Design	2-way	2-way
Built-in amplifier	100-watt RMS	—
Tweeter	1" Dome	1"
Woofer	6.5" fiberglass	6" fiberglass
Frequency response	56-22kHz	46 - 22k Hz
Sensitivity	89dB	90 dB
Impedance	—	8 ohms
Power range	—	up to 100 watts
Max depth / sample rate	24-bit / 48 kHz	—
Bluetooth	Built-in 5.0	—
Weight	13.90kg / 30.6lbs	6.26kg / 13.8lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	14.2" x 8.1" x 12.4" 360.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm	14.9" x 8.1" x 12.3" 380.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm

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 Borea BR03 are 2-way speakers.

Triangle Borea BR03 BT

Triangle Borea BR03

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	Triangle Borea BR03
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 6.5-inch	1 x 6-inch

Borea BR03 BT features a 1" EFS fabric Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" fiberglass Woofer. On the other hand, the Borea BR03 features a 1" silk Tweeter and 1 x 6" fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3600Hz.

Frequency Response

Borea BR03 BT has a frequency range of 56-22kHz whereas Borea BR03 has a frequency range of 46 - 22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 46Hz, the Borea BR03 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

Borea BR03 BT

Borea BR03

Min

Average

Median

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

Borea BR03 BT is a ohms speaker compared to the Borea BR03 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Borea BR03 BT sensitivity is rated at 89dB and the Borea BR03's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Triangle Borea BR03 a more sensitive speaker compared to Triangle Borea BR03 BT, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

Borea BR03 BT

Borea BR03

Min

Average

Median

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Borea BR03 BT has a rear firing port whereas Borea BR03 has a front firing ports. Triangle Borea BR03's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Triangle Borea BR03 BT 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 Triangle Borea BR03 BT's and Triangle Borea BR03'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 Triangle Borea BR03 has external dimensions of 380.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm (14.9 x 8.1 x 12.3inch).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Triangle Borea BR03 BT and Triangle Borea BR03 in scale.

Comparison image of Triangle Borea BR03 BT and Triangle Borea BR03 Size and External Dimensions

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 Triangle Borea BR03 is approximately 646.8cm² / 100.3inch².

Here is another comparison that shows both speakers on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet, next to a standard size amplifier and turntable in scale:

Size Comparison image of Triangle Borea BR03 BT and Triangle Borea BR03 on a Media Console

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 Triangle Borea BR03?

Here are the items that come with the Borea BR03:

2 x Borea speakers
2 x protections grids
8 x adhesive rubber plots
1 x user manual

Reasons to choose Triangle Borea Active BR03 BT over Triangle Borea BR03

Speaker Type	Powered vs Passive	Built-in amplifier
Woofer Size	6.5 inches vs 6 inches	Larger woofer
Height	360mm vs 380mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Price per pair*	599USD vs 629USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
3.5mm Connection	Yes vs No	Connection via 3.5mm AUX input
RCA Connection	Yes vs No	Connection via RCA input

Reasons to choose Triangle Borea BR03 over Triangle Borea Active BR03 BT

Sensitivity	90 dB vs 89 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Minimum Impedance	4.2 ohms vs 3.6 ohms	Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier
Low Frequency Response	46 Hz vs 56 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Port Position	Front vs Rear	Gives more flexibility placing close to walls

Triangle Borea BR03 BT vs Triangle Borea BR03 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Triangle Borea Active BR03 BT	Triangle Borea BR03
Brand	Triangle	Triangle
Speaker Type	Powered Stereo Speakers	Bookshelf speakers
Sensitivity	89dB	90 dB
Impedance	n/a	8 ohms
Impedance	3.6 ohms	4.2 ohms
Frequency Response	56-22kHz	46 - 22k Hz
Amplifier
Watts RMS (Continuous)	100-watt RMS	n/a
Max Bit Depth	24-bit	n/a
Max Sample Rate	48 kHz	n/a
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	1
Woofer Size	6.5"	6"
Woofer Composition	fiberglass	fiberglass
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Dome	n/a
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Crossover Frequency	n/a	3600Hz
Firing Direction	rear	front
Physical Specs
Height	360.0mm (14.2")	380.0mm (15")
Width	206.0mm (8.1")	206.0mm (8.1")
Depth	314.0mm (12.4")	314.0mm (12.4")
Weight	13.90kg (30.6lbs)	6.26kg (13.8lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Bass Reflex
Available Colors	Light Oak Blue,Oak Green,Cream,Light Oak,Black	Light Oak, Walnut, Black, White
Mounting Bracket	No	No
Grille	Yes	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	n/a	No
Aux Inputs	3.5mm, RCA	n/a
USB Port	No	n/a
Phone Input	Yes	n/a
Subwoofer Output	mono-RCA	n/a
Digital Input	Optical,Coaxial	n/a
HDMI Input	No	n/a
Headphone Jack	No	n/a
Ethernet Port	No	n/a
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years

Verdict

Different kinds of product: one is active with its amplifier built in, the other passive and needs one. Judge them on how you want to own the system, not just the specs.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	B	Triangle Borea BR03 digs deeper - 46Hz against 56Hz.
What you buy	depends	Triangle Borea BR03 BT is a complete system - just add a source. Triangle Borea BR03 also needs an amplifier: more money and another box, but you choose it.
Connections	depends	Triangle Borea BR03 BT has Bluetooth and phono built in. With Triangle Borea BR03 that all comes from the amplifier you pair it with.
Upgrade path	depends	Triangle Borea BR03 can be re-amped later and outlive several amplifiers; Triangle Borea BR03 BT ages as one unit.
Size	depends	Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit.
Expandability	depends	Triangle Borea BR03 BT: a sub output. Triangle Borea BR03 sits in a wider range (11 models), so a matched surround system is easier later.
Price	evenly matched	Much the same money ($599 vs $629 a pair) - though the passive pair still needs an amplifier.

A Triangle Borea BR03 BT B Triangle Borea BR03
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 suits you if you want one box, ready to play, with nothing else to buy. Triangle Borea BR03 suits you if you already have an amplifier, want to choose the electronics, or expect to upgrade in stages. Neither is the better speaker in the abstract. 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.

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.