In this review, we will be comparing Borea BR05 and Borea BR03, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by Triangle.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Triangle Borea BR05 and Triangle Borea BR03 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Triangle Borea BR05 | Triangle Borea BR03 |
|---|
| Brand | Triangle
France · founded 1980 | Triangle
France · founded 1980 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" Paper Cone | 6" Paper Cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-22k Hz | 46 - 22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 120 watts | up to 100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 14.60kg / 32.1lbs | 7.40kg / 16.3lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 19.3" x 11.8" x 13.6"
490.0 x 300.0 x 345.0mm | 14.9" x 8.1" x 12.3"
380.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm |
|---|
Borea BR05 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 BR05 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 BR05 |
Triangle Borea BR03 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Average |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 BR05 and Borea BR03 are 2-way speakers.
Triangle Borea BR05Triangle 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 BR05 |
Triangle Borea BR03 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
1 x 6-inch
|
Borea BR05 features a 1" silk Dome Tweeter and 1 x 8" Paper Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1700Hz. On the other hand, the Borea BR03 features a 1" silk Tweeter and 1 x 6" Paper Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3600Hz.
Frequency Response
Borea BR05 has a frequency range of 42-22k Hz whereas Borea BR03 has a frequency range of 46 - 22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 42Hz, the Borea BR05 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 BR05 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 BR05 can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas Borea BR03 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the Borea BR05.
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 BR05 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 BR03's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Borea BR05 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.
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 BR05's and Triangle Borea BR03's external dimensions. Triangle Borea BR05 has external dimensions of 490.0 x 300.0 x 345.0mm (19.3 x 11.8 x 13.6inch) 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 BR05 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 94mm wider, 110mm taller and 31mm deeper than Triangle Borea BR03.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Triangle Borea BR05 and Triangle Borea BR03 in scale.
Comparison image of Triangle Borea BR05 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 BR05 is approximately 1035.0cm2 / 160.4inch2 and base area of the Triangle Borea BR03 is approximately 646.8cm2 / 100.3inch2. The Borea BR05 requires 60% more surface area than the Borea BR03 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
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 BR05 weighs 14.60kg / 32.1lbs and the Triangle Borea BR03 weighs 7.40kg / 16.3lbs. This makes the Borea BR05 97% heavier than the Borea BR03.
Here is a comparison of how Borea BR05 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 BR05?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Borea BR05:
- 2 x Borea BR05 speakers
- 2 x magnetic fabric grilles
- 8 x adhesive rubber feet
- 2 x tilted bases
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 |
120 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Minimum Impedance |
4.7 ohms
vs
4.2 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
42 Hz
vs
46 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
380mm
vs
490mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
646cm2
vs
1035cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
599USD
vs
999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Triangle Borea BR05 |
Triangle Borea BR03 |
| Brand |
Triangle |
Triangle |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
up to 120 watts |
up to 100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4.7 ohms |
4.2 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42-22k Hz |
46 - 22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper Cone |
Paper Cone |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
1700Hz |
3600Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
490.0mm (19.3") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Width |
300.0mm (11.8") |
206.0mm (8.1") |
| Depth |
345.0mm (13.6") |
314.0mm (12.4") |
| Weight |
14.60kg (32.1lbs) |
7.40kg (16.3lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Light Oak,Black Ash,Chestnut,Green,Frosted White |
Light Oak, Walnut, Black Ash, White, Blue, Green |
| 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 | A | Triangle Borea BR05 digs deeper - 42Hz against 46Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (120W vs 100W). |
| Size | depends | Triangle Borea BR03 is easier to place; Triangle Borea BR05 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | A | Triangle Borea BR05: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Triangle Borea BR03 is cheaper - $599 against $999, about 40% less; arguably a different class. |
A Triangle Borea BR05 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?
The usual trade-off: Triangle Borea BR05 measures better, Triangle Borea BR03 costs about about 67% 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. Match it to your room: we rate Triangle Borea BR05 the better fit for a mid-size room, a large room and a very large room, and Triangle Borea BR03 for near-field listening and a small room. In a large or open-plan room, Triangle Borea BR05 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Triangle Borea BR03 is the easier speaker to get right.
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.