In this review, we will be comparing Australe Ez and Concord, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Triangle and KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Triangle Esprit Australe Ez and KLH Concord first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Triangle Esprit Australe Ez | KLH Concord |
|---|
| Brand | Triangle
France · founded 1980 | KLH
United States · founded 1957 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Horn-Loaded | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Double ferrite fibreglass | 2 x 6.5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-22k Hz | 28-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92.5 dB | 94 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 100-200 watts | up to 225 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 38.80kg / 85.4lbs | 20.45kg / 45lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-1/2" x 7-7/8" x 14-9/16"
1130.0 x 200.0 x 370.0mm | 40-3/8" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Australe Ez is a 3-way design whereas the Concord 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 Esprit Australe EzKLH Concord
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 Esprit Australe Ez |
KLH Concord |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Australe Ez features a 1" Titanium dome Horn-Loaded Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Double ferrite fibreglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 215Hz and 3500Hz. On the other hand, the Concord features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Australe Ez has a frequency range of 35-22k Hz whereas Concord has a frequency range of 28-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Concord can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Australe Ez's min frequency of 35Hz.
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
Australe Ez and Concord have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Australe Ez sensitivity is rated at 92.5 dB and the Concord's is at 94 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the KLH Concord a more sensitive speaker compared to Triangle Esprit Australe Ez, 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.
Concord can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS, whereas Australe Ez has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 75 watts less than the Concord.
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.
Triangle Esprit Australe Ez
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Australe Ez features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Concord has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KLH Concord's 5-Way post terminals
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 Esprit Australe Ez's and KLH Concord's external dimensions. Triangle Esprit Australe Ez has external dimensions of 1130.0 x 200.0 x 370.0mm (44-1/2 x 7-7/8 x 14-9/16inch) whereas KLH Concord has external dimensions of 1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/8 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch).
Triangle Esprit Australe Ez is 12mm narrower and 10mm less deeper than KLH Concord but it is also 104mm taller.
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.
KLH Concord needs about 9% more floor or shelf area. Triangle Esprit Australe Ez is 104mm 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 Esprit Australe Ez is approximately 740.0cm2 / 114.7inch2 and base area of the KLH Concord is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The Australe Ez requires 8% less surface area than the Concord 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 Esprit Australe Ez weighs 38.80kg / 85.4lbs and the KLH Concord weighs 20.45kg / 45lbs. This makes the Australe Ez 90% heavier than the Concord.
Here is a comparison of how Australe Ez and Concord's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Triangle Esprit Australe Ez
What's in the Box of KLH Concord?
Here are the items that come with the Concord:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet (w/ locking nut attached)
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Rubber feet
- Port plug
- Manual
- ATTENTION! note
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Base Surface Area |
740cm2
vs
805cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
225 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
93 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
23k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1026mm
vs
1130mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
1000USD
vs
3180USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Triangle Esprit Australe Ez |
KLH Concord |
| Brand |
Triangle |
KLH |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
100-200 watts |
up to 225 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92.5 dB |
94 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
35-22k Hz |
28-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Double ferrite fibreglass |
Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Horn-Loaded |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
215Hz and 3500Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
front |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1130.0mm (44.5") |
1026.0mm (40.4") |
| Width |
200.0mm (7.9") |
212.0mm (8.3") |
| Depth |
370.0mm (14.6") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Weight |
38.80kg (85.4lbs) |
20.45kg (45lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
10 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
10 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Triangle Esprit Australe Ez costs roughly 3.2x what KLH Concord does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | KLH Concord digs deeper - 28Hz against 35Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (93dB vs 94dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | KLH Concord takes more power (225W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | A | Triangle Esprit Australe Ez: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | KLH Concord is cheaper - $1,000 against $3,180, about 69% less; arguably a different class. |
A Triangle Esprit Australe Ez B KLH Concord
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?
KLH Concord 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 35Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $2,180 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.