In this review, we will be comparing Borea BR03 BT and BR03 Connect, two Powered Bookshelf speakers by Triangle. 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 Triangle Borea BR03 Connect first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Triangle Borea BR03 BT | Triangle Borea BR03 Connect |
|---|
| Brand | Triangle
France · founded 1980 | Triangle
France · founded 1980 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Built-in amplifier | 100-watt RMS | 120-watt RMS |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" fiberglass | 6.5" Natural cellulose pulp |
|---|
| Frequency response | 56-22kHz | 47-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89dB | — |
|---|
| Max depth / sample rate | 24-bit / 48 kHz | — |
|---|
| Bluetooth | Built-in 5.0 | Built-in 5.0 |
|---|
| Weight | 13.90kg / 30.6lbs | 6.60kg / 14.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 14.2" x 8.1" x 12.4"
360.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm | 14-3/16" x 8-1/8" x 12-3/8"
360.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm |
|---|
Borea BR03 BT and BR03 Connect are members of Triangle's Borea Active series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Triangle Borea Active Series
History
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 BR03 Connect are 2-way speakers.
Triangle Borea BR03 BTTriangle Borea BR03 Connect
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 Connect |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Borea BR03 BT features a 1" EFS fabric Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" fiberglass Woofer. On the other hand, the BR03 Connect features a 1" EFS silk dome Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Natural cellulose pulp Woofer.
Frequency Response
Borea BR03 BT has a frequency range of 56-22kHz whereas BR03 Connect has a frequency range of 47-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 47Hz, the BR03 Connect 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 BR03 Connect 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 Triangle Borea BR03 Connect'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 Connect has external dimensions of 360.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm (14-3/16 x 8-1/8 x 12-3/8inch).
In this case, we can see that Triangle Borea BR03 BT and Triangle Borea BR03 Connect have the exact same height, width and thickness.
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.
Near-identical footprints.
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 Connect is approximately 646.8cm2 / 100.3inch2.
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 Triangle Borea BR03 Connect weighs 6.60kg / 14.5lbs. This makes the Borea BR03 BT 111% heavier than the BR03 Connect.
Here is a comparison of how Borea BR03 BT and BR03 Connect's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Powered Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
Triangle Borea BR03 Connect
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
 Price per pair* |
599USD
vs
799USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Low Frequency Response |
47 Hz
vs
56 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 USB Port |
USB-B
vs
No
|
USB port adds flexibility |
 HDMI Input |
ARC
vs
No
|
Connect HDMI sources directly |
| General |
Triangle Borea Active BR03 BT |
Triangle Borea BR03 Connect |
| Brand |
Triangle |
Triangle |
| Speaker Type |
Powered Stereo Speakers |
Powered Stereo Speakers |
| Sensitivity |
89dB |
n/a |
| Impedance |
3.6 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
56-22kHz |
47-22k Hz |
Amplifier |
|
|
| Watts RMS (Continuous) |
100-watt RMS |
120-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" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
fiberglass |
Natural cellulose pulp |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
360.0mm (14.2") |
360.0mm (14.2") |
| Width |
206.0mm (8.1") |
206.0mm (8.1") |
| Depth |
314.0mm (12.4") |
314.0mm (12.4") |
| Weight |
13.90kg (30.6lbs) |
6.60kg (14.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Light Oak Blue,Oak Green,Cream,Light Oak,Black |
n/a |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
|
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Aux Inputs |
3.5mm, RCA |
3.5mm, RCA |
| USB Port |
No |
USB-B |
| Phone Input |
Yes |
Yes |
| Subwoofer Output |
mono-RCA |
Yes |
| Digital Input |
Optical,Coaxial |
Optical,Coaxial |
| HDMI Input |
No |
ARC |
| Headphone Jack |
No |
No |
| Ethernet Port |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Siblings in Triangle's Borea Active series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Triangle Borea BR03 Connect digs deeper - 47Hz against 56Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Built-in power | evenly matched | Similar onboard amplification (100W vs 120W RMS). |
| Connections | B | Triangle Borea BR03 Connect adds HDMI. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Triangle Borea BR03 BT: a sub output; Triangle Borea BR03 Connect: a sub output. |
| Price | A | Triangle Borea BR03 BT is cheaper - $599 against $799, about 25% less. |
A Triangle Borea BR03 BT B Triangle Borea BR03 Connect
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: Triangle Borea BR03 Connect measures better, Triangle Borea BR03 BT costs about about 33% 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 56Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Triangle Borea BR03 BT much easier to justify. 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.