In this review, we will be comparing Solstice 8 and Antal Ez, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Triangle.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Triangle Solstice 8 and Triangle Esprit Antal Ez first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Triangle Solstice 8 | Triangle Esprit Antal Ez |
|---|
| Brand | Triangle
France · founded 1980 | Triangle
France · founded 1980 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Horn-Loaded | 1" Horn-Loaded |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Paper, concave with no dust cap | 2 x 6.5" Double ferrite fibreglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-22k Hz | 40-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 60-200 watts | 60-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 30.40kg / 66.9lbs | 27.10kg / 59.6lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 42-15/16" x 7-7/8" x 13-9/16"
1090.0 x 200.0 x 345.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Triangle Solstice 8 and Triangle Esprit Antal Ez 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 |
Triangle Esprit Antal Ez |
| 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 Antal Ez are 3-way speakers.
Triangle Solstice 8Triangle Esprit Antal Ez
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 |
Triangle Esprit Antal Ez |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 6.5-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 Antal Ez features a 1" Titanium dome Horn-Loaded Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Double ferrite fibreglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 215Hz and 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Solstice 8 has a frequency range of 38-22k Hz whereas Antal Ez has a frequency range of 40-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the Solstice 8 can go slightly deeper then the Antal Ez's min frequency of 40Hz.
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 Antal Ez 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 Antal Ez's is at 92 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Triangle Esprit Antal Ez a more sensitive speaker compared to Triangle Solstice 8, 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.
Solstice 8 and Antal Ez have the same power range of 60-200 watts.
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 8 and Antal Ez 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 8's and Triangle Esprit Antal Ez'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 Triangle Esprit Antal Ez has external dimensions of 1090.0 x 200.0 x 345.0mm (42-15/16 x 7-7/8 x 13-9/16inch).
Triangle Esprit Antal Ez is 108mm narrower and 49mm less deeper than Triangle Solstice 8 but it is also 15mm 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 Triangle Esprit Antal Ez is approximately 690.0cm2 / 107.0inch2. The Solstice 8 requires 76% more surface area than the Antal Ez 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 Triangle Esprit Antal Ez weighs 27.10kg / 59.6lbs. This makes the Solstice 8 12% heavier than the Antal Ez.
Here is a comparison of how Solstice 8 and Antal Ez's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Max Input Power |
130 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.6 ohms
vs
3 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1075mm
vs
1090mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Base Surface Area |
690cm2
vs
1213cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1980USD
vs
2799USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Triangle Solstice 8 |
Triangle Esprit Antal Ez |
| Brand |
Triangle |
Triangle |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
60-200 watts |
60-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.6 ohms |
3 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
38-22k Hz |
40-22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper, concave with no dust cap |
Double ferrite fibreglass |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Horn-Loaded |
Horn-Loaded |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
250Hz and 3700Hz |
215Hz and 2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1075.0mm (42.3") |
1090.0mm (42.9") |
| Width |
308.0mm (12.1") |
200.0mm (7.9") |
| Depth |
394.0mm (15.5") |
345.0mm (13.6") |
| Weight |
30.40kg (66.9lbs) |
27.10kg (59.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Teak, Birch, Black Ash, White |
n/a |
| 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 |
Both are Triangle, from different ranges - so the house sound is shared and the differences are mostly in scale, engineering and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (38Hz vs 40Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 92dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (130W vs 120W). |
| Size | depends | Triangle Esprit Antal Ez is easier to place; Triangle Solstice 8 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Triangle Esprit Antal Ez: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Triangle Esprit Antal Ez is cheaper - $1,980 against $2,799, about 29% less. |
A Triangle Solstice 8 B Triangle Esprit Antal Ez
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?
Triangle Esprit Antal Ez has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. 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, Triangle Esprit Antal Ez is the easier speaker to get right. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $819 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.