In this review, we will be comparing Solstice 8 and R7, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Triangle and KEF.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Triangle Solstice 8 and KEF R7 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Triangle Solstice 8 | KEF R7 |
|---|
| Brand | Triangle
France · founded 1980 | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | — | 12th Generation Uni-Q |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Horn-Loaded | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Paper, concave with no dust cap | 2 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-22k Hz | 48-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 60-200 watts | 15-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 30.40kg / 66.9lbs | 31.40kg / 69.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 42-5/16" x 12-1/8" x 15-1/2"
1075.0 x 308.0 x 394.0mm | 43-13/16" x 8" x 15-5/16"
1113.0 x 200.0 x 389.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Triangle Solstice 8 and KEF R7 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 8 |
KEF R7 |
| 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 Solstice 8 and R7 are 3-way speakers.
Triangle Solstice 8KEF R7
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 8 |
KEF R7 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the R7 features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2900Hz.
Frequency Response
Solstice 8 has a frequency range of 38-22k Hz whereas R7 has a frequency range of 48-28k 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 R7'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 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
Solstice 8 and R7 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Solstice 8 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the R7's is at 88 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Triangle Solstice 8 a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF R7, 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.
R7 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Solstice 8 has a max power handling value of 130 watts RMS, 120 watts less than the R7.
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
Solstice 8 has a front firing port whereas R7 has a rear firing ports. Triangle Solstice 8's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to KEF R7 with its rear-firing 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 Solstice 8's and KEF R7's external dimensions. 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) whereas KEF R7 has external dimensions of 1113.0 x 200.0 x 389.0mm (43-13/16 x 8 x 15-5/16inch).
KEF R7 is 108mm narrower and 5mm less deeper than Triangle Solstice 8 but it is also 38mm 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.
Triangle Solstice 8 needs about 56% more floor or shelf area. KEF R7 is 38mm 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 Solstice 8 is approximately 1213.5cm2 / 188.1inch2 and base area of the KEF R7 is approximately 778.0cm2 / 120.6inch2. The Solstice 8 requires 56% more surface area than the R7 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 Solstice 8 weighs 30.40kg / 66.9lbs and the KEF R7 weighs 31.40kg / 69.1lbs. This makes the R7 3% heavier than the Solstice 8.
Here is a comparison of how Solstice 8 and R7'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 KEF R7?
Here are the items that come with the R7:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Foam port plugs
- 4 Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- Wrench
- Hex-key
- User Manual
- Warranty Information
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.6 ohms
vs
3.2 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Height |
1075mm
vs
1113mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
2799USD
vs
4500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
130 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
778cm2
vs
1213cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Triangle Solstice 8 |
KEF R7 |
| Brand |
Triangle |
KEF |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
60-200 watts |
15-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.6 ohms |
3.2 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
38-22k Hz |
48-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper, concave with no dust cap |
Hybrid Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Horn-Loaded |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
250Hz and 3700Hz |
400Hz and 2900Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1075.0mm (42.3") |
1113.0mm (43.8") |
| Width |
308.0mm (12.1") |
200.0mm (7.9") |
| Depth |
394.0mm (15.5") |
389.0mm (15.3") |
| Weight |
30.40kg (66.9lbs) |
31.40kg (69.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Teak, Birch, Black Ash, White |
Black Gloss, White Gloss, Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - KEF R7 costs roughly 1.6x what Triangle Solstice 8 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 | A | Triangle Solstice 8 digs deeper - 38Hz against 48Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Triangle Solstice 8 is more sensitive (91dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | KEF R7 takes more power (250W vs 130W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | KEF R7 is easier to place; Triangle Solstice 8 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | KEF R7: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Triangle Solstice 8 is cheaper - $2,799 against $4,500, about 38% less; arguably a different class. |
A Triangle Solstice 8 B KEF R7
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. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 48Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Triangle Solstice 8 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, KEF R7 is the easier speaker to get right.
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.