In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Triangle. Triangle Borea BRA1 is a Surround speaker whereas the Borea BR04 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Triangle Borea BRA1 and Triangle Borea BR04 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Triangle Borea BRA1 | Triangle Borea BR04 |
|---|
| Brand | Triangle
France · founded 1980 | Triangle
France · founded 1980 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Natural cellulose pulp | 6" Paper Cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 90-22k Hz | 44 - 22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 80 watts | up to 110 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 3.60kg / 7.9lbs | 8.64kg / 19lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 7-1/16" x 8-1/8" x 11-13/16"
180.0 x 206.0 x 300.0mm | 16.7" x 8.7" x 12.3"
425.0 x 220.0 x 314.0mm |
|---|
BRA1 and Borea BR04 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 BRA1 and Triangle Borea BR04 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 BRA1 |
Triangle Borea BR04 |
| Near-field |
Good |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
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.
Drivers
Both BRA1 and Borea BR04 are 2-way speakers.
Triangle Borea BRA1Triangle Borea BR04
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 BRA1 |
Triangle Borea BR04 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6-inch
|
BRA1 features a 1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Natural cellulose pulp Woofer. On the other hand, the Borea BR04 features a 1" silk Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6" Paper Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3200Hz.
Frequency Response
BRA1 has a frequency range of 90-22k Hz whereas Borea BR04 has a frequency range of 44 - 22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 44Hz, the Borea BR04 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the BRA1's min frequency of 90Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Surround class in our database.
Low Frequency
Surround 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
BRA1 and Borea BR04 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. BRA1 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Borea BR04's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Triangle Borea BR04 a more sensitive speaker compared to Triangle Borea BRA1, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Surround 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 BRA1 has a max power handling value of 80 watts RMS, 30 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. BRA1 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
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both BRA1 and Borea BR04 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 BRA1's and Triangle Borea BR04's external dimensions. Triangle Borea BRA1 has external dimensions of 180.0 x 206.0 x 300.0mm (7-1/16 x 8-1/8 x 11-13/16inch) whereas Triangle Borea BR04 has external dimensions of 425.0 x 220.0 x 314.0mm (16.7 x 8.7 x 12.3inch).
Triangle Borea BR04 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 14mm wider, 245mm taller and 14mm deeper than Triangle Borea BRA1.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Triangle Borea BR04 needs about 12% more floor or shelf area. Triangle Borea BR04 is 245mm taller.
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 BRA1 is approximately 618.0cm2 / 95.8inch2 and base area of the Triangle Borea BR04 is approximately 690.8cm2 / 107.1inch2. The BRA1 requires 11% less surface area than the Borea BR04 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 come with the Borea BR04:
- 2 x Borea speakers
- 2 x protections grids
- 8 x adhesive rubber plots
- 1 x user manual