In this review, we will be comparing Borea BR10 and Ultra Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Triangle and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Triangle Borea BR10 and SVS Ultra Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Triangle Borea BR10 | SVS Ultra Tower |
|---|
| Brand | Triangle
France · founded 1980 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome | 1.0" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | 2 x 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" fiberglass | 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30 - 22k Hz | 28-32k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 200 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 29.55kg / 65lbs | 34.27kg / 75.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 43.7" x 9.6" x 15"
1110 x 245 x 380mm | 45-5/8" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"
1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Triangle Borea BR10 and SVS Ultra Tower 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 BR10 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Average |
(* 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 BR10 and Ultra Tower are 3-way speakers.
Triangle Borea BR10SVS Ultra Tower
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 BR10 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.0-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
2 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8.0-inch
|
Borea BR10 features a 1" silk dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 8" fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 310Hz and 3900Hz. On the other hand, the Ultra Tower features a 1.0" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
Borea BR10 has a frequency range of 30 - 22k Hz whereas Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Ultra Tower can go slightly deeper then the Borea BR10's min frequency of 30Hz.
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 BR10 and Ultra Tower have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Borea BR10 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Ultra Tower's is at 88 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Triangle Borea BR10 a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Tower, 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.
Ultra Tower can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Borea BR10 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Ultra Tower.
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
Ultra Tower features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Borea BR10 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Triangle Borea BR10's Binding post terminals
SVS Ultra Tower's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 BR10's and SVS Ultra Tower's external dimensions. Triangle Borea BR10 has external dimensions of 1110 x 245 x 380mm (43.7 x 9.6 x 15inch) whereas SVS Ultra Tower has external dimensions of 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm (45-5/8 x 13-15/16 x 17-1/2inch).
SVS Ultra Tower is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 110mm wider, 49mm taller and 65mm deeper than Triangle Borea BR10.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Triangle Borea BR10 and SVS Ultra Tower in scale.
Comparison image of Triangle Borea BR10 and SVS Ultra Tower 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 BR10 is approximately 931.0cm2 / 144.3inch2 and base area of the SVS Ultra Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2. The Borea BR10 requires 41% less surface area than the Ultra Tower 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 BR10 weighs 29.55kg / 65lbs and the SVS Ultra Tower weighs 34.27kg / 75.4lbs. This makes the Ultra Tower 16% heavier than the Borea BR10.
Here is a comparison of how Borea BR10 and Ultra Tower'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 BR10?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Borea BR10:
- 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 SVS Ultra Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Cloth grille
- 2 Metal grilles
- Foam port plug
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Height |
1110mm
vs
1159mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
931cm2
vs
1579cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2299USD
vs
2600USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
32k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
| General |
Triangle Borea BR10 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| Brand |
Triangle |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 200 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
30 - 22k Hz |
28-32k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
fiberglass |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.0" |
| Tweeter Type |
dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
310Hz and 3900Hz |
160HZ and 2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1110.0mm (43.7") |
1159.0mm (45.6") |
| Width |
245.0mm (9.6") |
355.0mm (14") |
| Depth |
380.0mm (15") |
445.0mm (17.5") |
| Weight |
29.55kg (65lbs) |
34.27kg (75.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Oak veneer |
| Available Colors |
Light Oak, Walnut, Black Ash, White |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White |
| 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 BR10 is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (30Hz vs 28Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | A | Triangle Borea BR10 is more sensitive (92dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | SVS Ultra Tower takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Triangle Borea BR10 is easier to place; SVS Ultra Tower is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | SVS Ultra Tower: bi-amping. Triangle Borea BR10 sits in a wider range (11 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | Triangle Borea BR10 is cheaper - $2,299 against $2,600, about 12% less. |
A Triangle Borea BR10 B SVS Ultra Tower
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. In a large or open-plan room, SVS Ultra Tower has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Triangle Borea BR10 is the easier speaker to get right. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Triangle Borea BR10 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.