In this review, we will be comparing NS-333 and Borea BR03, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Yamaha and Triangle.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Yamaha NS-333 and Triangle Borea BR03 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Yamaha NS-333 | Triangle Borea BR03 |
|---|
| Brand | Yamaha
Japan · founded 1887 | Triangle
France · founded 1980 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Aluminum Dome With Waveguide Horn | 1" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" PMD Cone | 6" Paper Cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 65-35k Hz | 46 - 22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 60-150 watts | up to 100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 5.49kg / 12.1lbs | 7.40kg / 16.3lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 12.625" x 7.875" x 8.375"
320.7 x 200.0 x 212.7mm | 14.9" x 8.1" x 12.3"
380.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Yamaha NS-333 and Triangle Borea BR03 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* |
Yamaha NS-333 |
Triangle Borea BR03 |
| Near-field |
Good |
Average |
| Small Room |
Good |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
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 NS-333 and Borea BR03 are 2-way speakers.
Yamaha NS-333Triangle Borea BR03
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Yamaha NS-333 |
Triangle Borea BR03 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
1 x 6-inch
|
NS-333 features a 1" Aluminum Dome With Waveguide Horn Aluminum Dome With Waveguide Horn Tweeter and 1 x 5" PMD Cone Woofer. On the other hand, the Borea BR03 features a 1" silk Tweeter and 1 x 6" Paper Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3600Hz.
Frequency Response
NS-333 has a frequency range of 65-35k Hz whereas Borea BR03 has a frequency range of 46 - 22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 46Hz, the Borea BR03 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the NS-333's min frequency of 65Hz.
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
NS-333 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Borea BR03 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. NS-333 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Borea BR03's is rated at 90 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Triangle Borea BR03 a more sensitive speaker compared to Yamaha NS-333, 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.
NS-333 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas Borea BR03 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the NS-333.
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
NS-333 features Binding post type posts and Borea BR03 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Triangle Borea BR03's Binding 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 Yamaha NS-333's and Triangle Borea BR03's external dimensions. Yamaha NS-333 has external dimensions of 320.7 x 200.0 x 212.7mm (12.625 x 7.875 x 8.375inch) whereas Triangle Borea BR03 has external dimensions of 380.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm (14.9 x 8.1 x 12.3inch).
Triangle Borea BR03 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 6mm wider, 59.3mm taller and 101.3mm deeper than Yamaha NS-333.
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 BR03 needs about 52% more floor or shelf area. Triangle Borea BR03 is 101mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Triangle Borea BR03 is 59mm 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 Yamaha NS-333 is approximately 425.4cm2 / 65.9inch2 and base area of the Triangle Borea BR03 is approximately 646.8cm2 / 100.3inch2. The NS-333 requires 34% less surface area than the Borea BR03 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 Yamaha NS-333 weighs 5.49kg / 12.1lbs and the Triangle Borea BR03 weighs 7.40kg / 16.3lbs. This makes the Borea BR03 35% heavier than the NS-333.
Here is a comparison of how NS-333 and Borea BR03's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Triangle Borea BR03?
Here are the items that come with the Borea BR03:
- 2 x Borea speakers
- 2 x protections grids
- 8 x adhesive rubber plots
- 1 x user manual
 Max Input Power |
150 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
320mm
vs
380mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
425cm2
vs
646cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
360USD
vs
599USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
46 Hz
vs
65 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Yamaha NS-333 |
Triangle Borea BR03 |
| Brand |
Yamaha |
Triangle |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
60-150 watts |
up to 100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
4.2 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
65-35k Hz |
46 - 22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
PMD Cone |
Paper Cone |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Aluminum Dome With Waveguide Horn |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
3600Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
320.7mm (12.6") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Width |
200.0mm (7.9") |
206.0mm (8.1") |
| Depth |
212.7mm (8.4") |
314.0mm (12.4") |
| Weight |
5.49kg (12.1lbs) |
7.40kg (16.3lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Light Oak, Walnut, Black Ash, White, Blue, Green |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
No |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Triangle Borea BR03 costs roughly 1.7x what Yamaha NS-333 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 | Triangle Borea BR03 digs deeper - 46Hz against 65Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Triangle Borea BR03 is more sensitive (90dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Triangle Borea BR03 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | A | Yamaha NS-333 takes more power (150W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Yamaha NS-333 is easier to place; Triangle Borea BR03 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. Triangle Borea BR03 sits in a wider range (11 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | Yamaha NS-333 is cheaper - $360 against $599, about 40% less; arguably a different class. |
A Yamaha NS-333 B Triangle Borea BR03
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 BR03 measures better, Yamaha NS-333 costs about about 66% 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 65Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Yamaha NS-333 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Yamaha NS-333 the better fit for near-field listening; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.