In this review, we will be comparing two different type 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.
Triangle Borea BR04 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 6" Paper Cone Woofer
- 44 - 22k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 110watts
- Weight:8.60kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 425.0" x 8.7" x 12.3"( 425.0 x 220.0 x 314.0mm )
MartinLogan ESL X Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 8.6 x 40" curved electrostatic transducer Tweeter
- 2 x 8" high-excursion paper cone Woofer
- 41-22k Hz Frequency Response
- 91 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:20-400watts
- Weight:23.64kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1505.0" 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Triangle Borea BR04 and MartinLogan ESL X compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Borea BR04 and ESL X are 2-way speakers.
| 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.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. 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. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Borea BR04 can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Borea BR04 has a max power handling value of 110 watts RMS , 290 watts less than the ESL X.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
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
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 690.0cm2 / 107.0inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan ESL X is approximately 1267.2cm2 / 196.4inch2. The Borea BR04 requires 46% 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 loudspeakerAC power adapter (w/ attached 10-feet DC cord)Cloth grille (installed)4 Pre-installed feetUsers Manual (En/Fr)Product Registration Card