In this review, we will be comparing Borea BR07 and RP-280F, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Triangle and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Triangle Borea BR07 and Klipsch RP-280F first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Triangle Borea BR07 | Klipsch RP-280F |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Break_in | 1" Tractrix Horn |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 6" fiberglass | 2 x 8" Cerametallic |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44 - 22k Hz | 32-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 98 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 120 watts | up to 150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.92kg / 37.2lbs | 28.41kg / 62.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38.5" x 8.1" x 12.3"
980.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm | 43-1/16" x 10-9/16" x 17-3/8"
1094.0 x 269.0 x 442.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Triangle Borea BR07 and Klipsch RP-280F 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 BR07 |
Klipsch RP-280F |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* 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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Borea BR07 is a 3-way design whereas the RP-280F is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Triangle Borea BR07Klipsch RP-280F
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 BR07 |
Klipsch RP-280F |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Borea BR07 features a 1" silk Break_in Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 1 x 6" fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 3500Hz. On the other hand, the RP-280F features a 1" Tractrix Horn Tweeter and 2 x 8" Cerametallic Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1750 Hz.
Frequency Response
Borea BR07 has a frequency range of 44 - 22k Hz whereas RP-280F has a frequency range of 32-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the RP-280F can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Borea BR07'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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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 BR07 and RP-280F have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Borea BR07 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the RP-280F's is at 98 dB. This 7 dB difference makes the Klipsch RP-280F a more sensitive speaker compared to Triangle Borea BR07, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
RP-280F can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas Borea BR07 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 30 watts less than the RP-280F.
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
RP-280F features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Borea BR07 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Triangle Borea BR07's Binding post terminals
Klipsch RP-280F's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Borea BR07 has a front firing port whereas RP-280F has a rear firing ports. Triangle Borea BR07's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Klipsch RP-280F with its rear-firing 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 BR07's and Klipsch RP-280F's external dimensions. Triangle Borea BR07 has external dimensions of 980.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm (38.5 x 8.1 x 12.3inch) whereas Klipsch RP-280F has external dimensions of 1094.0 x 269.0 x 442.0mm (43-1/16 x 10-9/16 x 17-3/8inch).
Klipsch RP-280F is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 63mm wider, 114mm taller and 128mm deeper than Triangle Borea BR07.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Triangle Borea BR07 and Klipsch RP-280F in scale.
Comparison image of Triangle Borea BR07 and Klipsch RP-280F 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 BR07 is approximately 646.8cm2 / 100.3inch2 and base area of the Klipsch RP-280F is approximately 1189.0cm2 / 184.3inch2. The Borea BR07 requires 46% less surface area than the RP-280F which gives it a small advantage 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 BR07 weighs 16.92kg / 37.2lbs and the Klipsch RP-280F weighs 28.41kg / 62.5lbs. This makes the RP-280F 68% heavier than the Borea BR07.
Here is a comparison of how Borea BR07 and RP-280F's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Triangle Borea BR07?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Borea BR07:
- 2 x Borea speakers
- 2 x protections grids
- 2 x pedestals
- 8 x screws
- 8 x adhesive rubber plots
- 8 x decoupling spikes
- 1 x user manual
What's in the Box of Klipsch RP-280F?
Here are the items that come with the RP-280F:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker (Ebony)
- Speaker base
- Detachable magnetic grille
- Four 1-inch #6 Wood screws
- 4 Spike feet
- 6 Rubber feet
- User Manual
- Warranty Information
- Important Safety Instructions
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Height |
980mm
vs
1094mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
646cm2
vs
1189cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
150 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
98 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
44 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Price per pair* |
1198USD
vs
1200USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Triangle Borea BR07 |
Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-280F |
| Brand |
Triangle |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 120 watts |
up to 150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
98 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
5 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
44 - 22k Hz |
32-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
fiberglass |
Cerametallic |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Break_in |
Tractrix Horn |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
350Hz and 3500Hz |
1750 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
980.0mm (38.6") |
1094.0mm (43.1") |
| Width |
206.0mm (8.1") |
269.0mm (10.6") |
| Depth |
314.0mm (12.4") |
442.0mm (17.4") |
| Weight |
16.92kg (37.2lbs) |
28.41kg (62.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Light Oak, Walnut, Black, White |
Walnut, Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Triangle Borea BR07 is the newer design, against a 2015 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
Klipsch RP-280F digs deeper - 32Hz against 44Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
Klipsch RP-280F is more sensitive (98dB vs 91dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
B |
Klipsch RP-280F takes more power (150W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Triangle Borea BR07 is easier to place; Klipsch RP-280F is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
B |
Klipsch RP-280F: bi-amping. Klipsch RP-280F sits in a wider range (17 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
evenly matched |
Much the same money ($1,200 vs $1,198 a pair). |
A Triangle Borea BR07
B Klipsch RP-280F
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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?
Klipsch RP-280F has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 44Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Klipsch RP-280F has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Triangle Borea BR07 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.