In this review, we will be comparing BRC2 and BRC1, two Passive Center Channel speakers by Triangle.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Triangle Borea BRC2 and Triangle Borea BRC1 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Triangle Borea BRC2 | Triangle Borea BRC1 |
|---|
| Brand | Triangle
France · founded 1980 | Triangle
France · founded 1980 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Natural cellulose pulp | 2 x 5" Natural cellulose pulp |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-22k Hz | 57-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 95 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 120 watts | up to 100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 10.84kg / 23.8lbs | 7.50kg / 16.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 7-7/8" x 22-13/16" x 10-1/4"
200.0 x 580.0 x 260.0mm | 6-15/16" x 19-1/8" x 10-13/16"
176.0 x 485.0 x 274.0mm |
|---|
BRC2 and BRC1 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 BRC2 and Triangle Borea BRC1 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 BRC2 |
Triangle Borea BRC1 |
| 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 BRC2 and BRC1 are 2-way speakers.
Triangle Borea BRC2Triangle Borea BRC1
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 BRC2 |
Triangle Borea BRC1 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5-inch
|
BRC2 features a 1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Natural cellulose pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3600Hz. On the other hand, the BRC1 features a 1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Natural cellulose pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2750Hz.
Frequency Response
BRC2 has a frequency range of 50-22k Hz whereas BRC1 has a frequency range of 57-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the BRC2 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the BRC1's min frequency of 57Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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
BRC2 and BRC1 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. BRC2 sensitivity is rated at 95 dB and the BRC1's is at 90 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Triangle Borea BRC2 a more sensitive speaker compared to Triangle Borea BRC1, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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.
BRC2 can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas BRC1 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the BRC2.
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
BRC2 features Binding post type posts and BRC1 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both BRC2 and BRC1 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 BRC2's and Triangle Borea BRC1's external dimensions. Triangle Borea BRC2 has external dimensions of 200.0 x 580.0 x 260.0mm (7-7/8 x 22-13/16 x 10-1/4inch) whereas Triangle Borea BRC1 has external dimensions of 176.0 x 485.0 x 274.0mm (6-15/16 x 19-1/8 x 10-13/16inch).
Triangle Borea BRC1 is 95mm narrower and 24mm shorter than Triangle Borea BRC2 but it is also 14mm deeper.
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 BRC2 needs about 13% more floor or shelf area. Triangle Borea BRC2 is 24mm 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 BRC2 is approximately 1508.0cm2 / 233.7inch2 and base area of the Triangle Borea BRC1 is approximately 1328.9cm2 / 206.0inch2. The BRC2 requires 13% more surface area than the BRC1 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 BRC2 weighs 10.84kg / 23.8lbs and the Triangle Borea BRC1 weighs 7.50kg / 16.5lbs. This makes the BRC2 45% heavier than the BRC1.
Here is a comparison of how BRC2 and BRC1's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Center Channel class.
Weight
All Center Channel Speakers
 Max Input Power |
120 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
95 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Minimum Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
5.3 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
50 Hz
vs
57 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
176mm
vs
200mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1328cm2
vs
1508cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
325USD
vs
399USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Triangle Borea BRC2 |
Triangle Borea BRC1 |
| Brand |
Triangle |
Triangle |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 120 watts |
up to 100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
95 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
5.3 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
50-22k Hz |
57-22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Natural cellulose pulp |
Natural cellulose pulp |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
3600Hz |
2750Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
200.0mm (7.9") |
176.0mm (6.9") |
| Width |
580.0mm (22.8") |
485.0mm (19.1") |
| Depth |
260.0mm (10.2") |
274.0mm (10.8") |
| Weight |
10.84kg (23.8lbs) |
7.50kg (16.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
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 BRC2 digs deeper - 50Hz against 57Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Triangle Borea BRC2 is more sensitive (95dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (120W vs 100W). |
| Size | depends | Triangle Borea BRC1 is easier to place; Triangle Borea BRC2 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | B | Triangle Borea BRC1 is cheaper - $325 against $399, about 19% less. |
A Triangle Borea BRC2 B Triangle Borea BRC1
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 BRC2 measures better, Triangle Borea BRC1 costs about about 23% 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. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 57Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Triangle Borea BRC1 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Triangle Borea BRC2 the better fit for a mid-size room and a large room, and Triangle Borea BRC1 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.