Triangle Borea BR03
Triangle Borea BR03 Speakers
In this article, we will review the Triangle Borea BR03 bookshelf speaker, the big brother of the BR02 we reviewed last month. We will test the various feature and give our opinions on the sound and design of what has proven to be a very popular model among audiophiles. Finally, as usual, we will finish off with the pros and cons and compare it to some of the competition.
The Concept
Triangle is a very well-known and respected speaker company that has had a lot of success in recent years, thanks to its sound profiles and unique aesthetic.
The BR03 is part of the Borea line, which can be used either for audio or as a high-end cinema speaker. The BR02 that we reviewed performed well, but we thought they were missing a bit of low-end impact, which hopefully the larger 6-inch driver of the BR03 should take care of.
These are not actives speaker, and as such, they will require external amplification to get them going. They are compatible with Triangle’s own bookshelf speaker stands for a perfect fit, and they can be purchased from numerous retailers online as well as direct from Triangle themselves.
Aesthetic and Build Quality Impressions
Triangle Borea BR03 Speakers
Triangle does aesthetics well, but it’s usually the finishing they are most well known for. The BR03 has excellent finishing and is far better than I would usually expect to see on something priced under $500 RRP. There are zero imperfections, and the materials used, along with the tolerances, all look great.
The design of the Borea, from an aesthetic standpoint at least, is downright dated and boring. That is in black, white, and walnut… the light oak finish, on the other hand, looks modern and fresh. I don’t know what makes me feel that way, usually, I’m a sucker for white speakers, but they just didn’t jive with me. That was the color I have on the unit for this review, but luckily I had done an install on a house with the light oak and can confirm that combined with the stands, they are damn handsome.
The design from a functional perspective is far more interesting. On the front panel, we are faced with two drivers. A 1-inch dome tweeter sits up top and below the large 6-inch woofer designed to deliver a blend of mids and highs. On most bookshelf speakers, I would stop there, but the Triangle BR03 has not on but two bass ports.
This is not, as many may think, a stylistic design. This is from the following function. Triangle wanted to brace the cabinet better and, to do so, cut down the back panel (for the terminals) to the smallest size possible, ensuring maximum rigidity. With the small size of the cabinet but with a large woofer implemented, there would never be room up front for a standard-sized bass port, so Triangle implemented this dual port for ventilation. Very clever, very cool.
Sound
To me, the BR03 by Triangle sounds excellent and certainly up there (but not surpassing the JBL Studio 530 or Elac DBR62. For the money, they are really good-sounding speakers and a safe entry into higher-level audio. For many, this will be a capable set that works well with many a genre and can be kept for years until you are ready to take another step up in fidelity.
So what did I like? Well, to start, the bass was really good quality. I think you will still get a lot of benefit from pairing them with a subwoofer, but even without, they go reasonably deep and, the whole time, remain composed without getting slow or bloated. This sort of fast and reactive bass opens up the possibility of hearing better detail in the mid-bass region, and that’s certainly true here. Double bass on jazz tracks sounds divine, but anything with some reverb really opens up.
They are very fast in terms of bass speed and never really lose a step or feel overworked. While all that is happening, even on complicated tracks, there is a smooth transition into the midrange with no discernable bleed.
Midrange comes across natural to dry; there’s no real warmth or coloration, which I like. Vocals perform well even if I think male vocals would benefit from a touch of extra weight; female vocals shine, coming across clear and airy as things start to ramp up towards higher frequencies.
The Treble, if I’m honest, is the down point. I consider myself to be a treble head, but in my testing, with snare drums and piccolo, the sound was slightly leaning towards being abrasive. It creates airy floating notes, but the box is pushed a little too far. Thankfully the speakers are very responsive to EQ, so with a couple of DB reductions to the top end, things are brought back into line.
Overall, detail and imaging are strong points. The BR03 display a solid ability to create separation between instrumentation and do so with great resolution.
Final Verdict
Triangle again produces a good speaker. It’s up there with the best for the price, and I can certainly recommend it. It’s a good way to get into higher-end audio, but remember, at this price point, there are plenty of options to choose from. For me, it’s one of the better speakers under $500 but doesn’t blow me away in any one area. Just a solid, capable, dependable bookshelf speaker that looks great… in the light oak finish only.
Official Website of the Triangle Borea BR03: www.trianglehifi.com
