In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Triangle. Triangle Solstice 3 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Solstice 8 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Triangle Solstice 3 and Triangle Solstice 8 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Triangle Solstice 3 | Triangle Solstice 8 |
|---|
| Brand | Triangle
France · founded 1980 | Triangle
France · founded 1980 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Horn-Loaded | 1" Horn-Loaded |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Natural cellulose pulp | 2 x 6.5" Paper, concave with no dust cap |
|---|
| Frequency response | 48-22k Hz | 38-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-130 watts | 60-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 12.90kg / 28.4lbs | 30.40kg / 66.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 16-7/16" x 8-11/16" x 14-9/16"
418.0 x 221.0 x 370.0mm | 42-5/16" x 12-1/8" x 15-1/2"
1075.0 x 308.0 x 394.0mm |
|---|
Solstice 3 and Solstice 8 are members of Triangle's Solstice series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Triangle Solstice Series
History
What size room are the Triangle Solstice 3 and Triangle Solstice 8 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 Solstice 3 |
Triangle Solstice 8 |
| Near-field |
Average |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Solstice 3 is a 2-way design whereas the Solstice 8 is a 3-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 Solstice 3Triangle Solstice 8
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 Solstice 3 |
Triangle Solstice 8 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Solstice 3 features a 1" Magnesium alloy dome Horn-Loaded Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Natural cellulose pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2800Hz. On the other hand, the Solstice 8 features a 1" Magnesium alloy dome Horn-Loaded Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper, concave with no dust cap Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 250Hz and 3700Hz.
Frequency Response
Solstice 3 has a frequency range of 48-22k Hz whereas Solstice 8 has a frequency range of 38-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the Solstice 8 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Solstice 3's min frequency of 48Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
Solstice 3 and Solstice 8 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Solstice 3 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Solstice 8's is at 91 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Triangle Solstice 8 a more sensitive speaker compared to Triangle Solstice 3, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
Solstice 8 can handle a max power of 130 watts RMS, whereas Solstice 3 has a max power handling value of 90 watts RMS, 40 watts less than the Solstice 8.
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.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Solstice 3 and Solstice 8 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 Solstice 3's and Triangle Solstice 8's external dimensions. Triangle Solstice 3 has external dimensions of 418.0 x 221.0 x 370.0mm (16-7/16 x 8-11/16 x 14-9/16inch) whereas Triangle Solstice 8 has external dimensions of 1075.0 x 308.0 x 394.0mm (42-5/16 x 12-1/8 x 15-1/2inch).
Triangle Solstice 8 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 87mm wider, 657mm taller and 24mm deeper than Triangle Solstice 3.
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 Solstice 3 is approximately 817.7cm2 / 126.7inch2 and base area of the Triangle Solstice 8 is approximately 1213.5cm2 / 188.1inch2. The Solstice 3 requires 33% less surface area than the Solstice 8 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.