In this review, we will be comparing Borea BR04 and Borea BR03, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by Triangle.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Triangle Borea BR04 and Triangle Borea BR03 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Triangle Borea BR04 | Triangle Borea BR03 |
|---|
| Brand | Triangle
France · founded 1980 | Triangle
France · founded 1980 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6" Paper Cone | 6" fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44 - 22k Hz | 46 - 22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 110 watts | up to 100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 8.64kg / 19lbs | 6.26kg / 13.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 16.7" x 8.7" x 12.3"
425.0 x 220.0 x 314.0mm | 14.9" x 8.1" x 12.3"
380.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm |
|---|
Borea BR04 and Borea BR03 are members of Triangle's Borea series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Triangle Borea Series
History
What size room are the Triangle Borea BR04 and Triangle Borea BR03 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 |
Triangle Borea BR03 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Average |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Bad |
(* 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 Borea BR03 are 2-way speakers.
Triangle Borea BR04Triangle 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 BR04 |
Triangle Borea BR03 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6-inch
|
1 x 6-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 Borea BR03 features a 1" silk Tweeter and 1 x 6" fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3600Hz.
Frequency Response
Borea BR04 has a frequency range of 44 - 22k Hz whereas Borea BR03 has a frequency range of 46 - 22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 44Hz, the Borea BR04 can go slightly deeper then the Borea BR03's min frequency of 46Hz.
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 and Borea BR03 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 90 dB.
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.
Borea BR04 can handle a max power of 110 watts RMS, whereas Borea BR03 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 10 watts less than the Borea BR04.
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
Borea BR04 features Dual binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Borea BR03 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Triangle Borea BR04's Dual binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Triangle Borea BR03's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Borea BR04 and Borea BR03 have front firing ports. front ported speakers offers more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls&surfaces compared to rear ported speakers.
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 Triangle Borea BR03'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 Triangle Borea BR03 has external dimensions of 380.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm (14.9 x 8.1 x 12.3inch).
Triangle Borea BR03 is 14mm narrower and 45mm shorter than Triangle Borea BR04 but they have the same thickness of 314.0mm.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Triangle Borea BR04 and Triangle Borea BR03 in scale.
Comparison image of Triangle Borea BR04 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 BR04 is approximately 690.8cm2 / 107.1inch2 and base area of the Triangle Borea BR03 is approximately 646.8cm2 / 100.3inch2. The Borea BR04 requires 7% more surface area than the Borea BR03 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
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 BR04 and Triangle Borea BR03 on a Media Console
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 BR04 weighs 8.64kg / 19lbs and the Triangle Borea BR03 weighs 6.26kg / 13.8lbs. This makes the Borea BR04 38% heavier than the Borea BR03.
Here is a comparison of how Borea BR04 and Borea BR03's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
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 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
 Max Input Power |
110 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Minimum Impedance |
4.6 ohms
vs
4.2 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
44 Hz
vs
46 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Price per pair* |
559USD
vs
629USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Height |
380mm
vs
425mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
646cm2
vs
690cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Triangle Borea BR04 |
Triangle Borea BR03 |
| Brand |
Triangle |
Triangle |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
up to 110 watts |
up to 100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4.6 ohms |
4.2 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
44 - 22k Hz |
46 - 22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper Cone |
fiberglass |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
3200Hz |
3600Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
425.0mm (16.7") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Width |
220.0mm (8.7") |
206.0mm (8.1") |
| Depth |
314.0mm (12.4") |
314.0mm (12.4") |
| Weight |
8.64kg (19lbs) |
6.26kg (13.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Oak Green,Chestnut,Blue,Black Ash,White,Light Oak |
Light Oak, Walnut, Black, White |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Siblings in Triangle's Borea series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (44Hz vs 46Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (110W vs 100W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | A | Triangle Borea BR04: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Triangle Borea BR04 is cheaper - $559 against $629, about 11% less. |
A Triangle Borea BR04 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 BR04 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. Match it to your room: we rate Triangle Borea BR04 the better fit for a mid-size room and a large room, and Triangle Borea BR03 for near-field listening and a small room.
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.