In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers. Triangle Borea BR04 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the ESL X is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Triangle Borea BR04 and MartinLogan ESL X first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Triangle Borea BR04 | MartinLogan ESL X |
|---|
| Brand | Triangle
France · founded 1980 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 8.6 x 40" curved electrostatic transducer |
|---|
| Woofer | 6" Paper Cone | 2 x 8" high-excursion paper cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44 - 22k Hz | 41-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 110 watts | 20-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 8.64kg / 19lbs | 23.64kg / 52lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 16.7" x 8.7" x 12.3"
425.0 x 220.0 x 314.0mm | 59-1/4" x 9-7/16" x 20-3/4"
1505.0 x 240.0 x 528.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Triangle Borea BR04 and MartinLogan ESL X 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:
| Listening Environment* |
Triangle Borea BR04 |
MartinLogan ESL X |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Borea BR04 and ESL X are 2-way speakers.
Triangle Borea BR04MartinLogan ESL X
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 BR04 |
MartinLogan ESL X |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
8.6 x 40-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Borea BR04 features a 1" silk Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6" Paper Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3200Hz. On the other hand, the ESL X features a 8.6 x 40" curved electrostatic transducer Tweeter and 2 x 8" high-excursion paper cone Woofer.
Frequency Response
Borea BR04 has a frequency range of 44 - 22k Hz whereas ESL X has a frequency range of 41-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 41Hz, the ESL X can go slightly deeper then the Borea BR04's min frequency of 44Hz.
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.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Borea BR04 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the ESL X which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Borea BR04 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the ESL X's is rated at 91 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the MartinLogan ESL X a more sensitive speaker compared to Triangle Borea BR04, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
ESL X can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS, whereas Borea BR04 has a max power handling value of 110 watts RMS, 290 watts less than the ESL X.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Borea BR04 and ESL X features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Triangle Borea BR04's Dual binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Triangle Borea BR04 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 BR04's and MartinLogan ESL X's external dimensions. Triangle Borea BR04 has external dimensions of 425.0 x 220.0 x 314.0mm (16.7 x 8.7 x 12.3inch) whereas MartinLogan ESL X has external dimensions of 1505.0 x 240.0 x 528.0mm (59-1/4 x 9-7/16 x 20-3/4inch).
MartinLogan ESL X is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 20mm wider, 1080mm taller and 214mm deeper than Triangle Borea BR04.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Triangle Borea BR04 and MartinLogan ESL X in scale.
Comparison image of Triangle Borea BR04 and MartinLogan ESL X 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 BR04 is approximately 690.8cm2 / 107.1inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan ESL X is approximately 1267.2cm2 / 196.4inch2. The Borea BR04 requires 45% less surface area than the ESL X which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Triangle Borea BR04?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Borea BR04:
- 2 x Borea speakers
- 2 x protections grids
- 8 x adhesive rubber plots
- 1 x user manual
What's in the Box of MartinLogan ESL X?
Here are the items that come with the ESL X:
- Floor-standing hybrid electrostatic loudspeaker
- AC power adapter (w/ attached 10-feet DC cord)
- Cloth grille (installed)
- 4 Pre-installed feet
- Users Manual (En/Fr)
- Product Registration Card