A great pair of bookshelf speakers is one of the best investments a music lover can make. The 6.5-inch woofers in the SVS Ultra Bookshelf speakers produced excellent, room-filling bass in our tests, but our top pick and upgrade pick offer superior mid-range and treble performance. The Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 and 12.2 got similar reactions from our panelists. Good thinking! Like the ELAC B5.2s, the KEF Q150s are sombre, serious-looking loudspeakers that prize functionality over fanciful aesthetics. 16K views 1 year ago. These Q Acoustics speakers offer excellent sound quality at a great price in a handsome, wood-panelled package. Among all the powered speakers we tested, the S1000MKII pair produced the most enveloping sound; its vocal reproduction was realistic, too, and its bass was impressively full. We havent seen any major introductions in this category since our last update, but there are a few models we havent tested yet, including the Jamo Concert 9 Series C93 and S803, JBL Stage 130, and Heco Aurora 300. The sound stage isn't nearly as interesting, but the representation of sound is a lot smoother and more balanced in that they don't have nearly the bite that KEFs have. Recordings sometimes sounded hollow, as if they had been recorded inside a box. They would be used for nearfield listening now (desk usage), but hoping to use them in a medium-sized room at some point in the future.I mainly listen to classical and jazz. The Line/Phono switch sets the red and white RCA jacks to the right to work with a turntable output or a standard line audio source. I demoed speakers from 350 - 800 for a 600 Amp. Wharfedales Diamond 220 set had good detail and nice bass but produced a boxy sound, with a narrow soundstage. Q Acoustics, Edifier, and Klipsch were unable to provide answers to our questions. But the methods of recycling these products may have their own adverse impacts. And while they are a relatively diminutive pair 6.7 x 9.4 x 11.5 inches they offer a wide soundstage and expressive equalisation. A linha Triangle Borea oferece um desempenho vocal excelente e mdios ntidos, combinando com graves fortes e controlados. Matching with an amplifier: Theres too much in this to go through here, but in general, youll want to avoid connecting speakers with a lower impedance (measured in ohms) to an amp with a higher minimum impedance. For 299 they are a steal. I demoed the B&W's 607's when I bought my Rega Brio Amp a before lockdown. I'm pretty new to the hifi world, but can try to give a subjective impression of each. Triangle promises it will maintain an inventory of parts for at least 10 years after a product is produced. Thanks for the insight. Triangle Borea BR03 + Cambridge Audio CXA81 3,882 views Nov 20, 2021 29 Dislike Share Matti M 33 subscribers My setup playing Lorde - Royals Amp: Cambridge Audio CXA81 Streamer: Cambridge Audio. Looking to mount your speakers on a stand? It also looks nicer than most powered speakers do, although its styling is decidedly old-school. In these tests, we listened mostly for the following: Finally, I did lab measurements to compare the speakers performance, a process that effectively gave me an unbiased second opinion; you can read more about this process and see the results in the Measurements section. Most lower priced triangle speaker are bright like some Dali and B&W can be, so careful system matching is important Once had a pair of Triangle LN01, they where to bright for my taste, bass okay but sounded like a slightly uneven frequency response Okay, demo for sure before you buy. In the case of powered speakers, we asked whether the products firmware can be updated by the owner; updatable firmware also extends a products life because it can allow bugs to be fixed or new features to be added. This is a review and detailed measurements of the Triangle Borea BR03 bookshelf speaker. In my 3rd system they come close to my much higher priced . The package includes a remote that controls volume, source selection, and play/pause/track-skip for Bluetooth devices. The switchers also let me move among the speakers (labeled only by number) without knowing which one I was hearing. The Q Acoustics Concept 20 speakers had bright, clear treble but lacked authority in the bass. The difference will come down to taste. I am a Kef owner of almost 20 years with some Kef Reference Ones. The new model appears almost identical but has a nicer remote and adds support for the aptX HD Bluetooth codec, which can deliver somewhat better sound from PCs and Android devices. Both these speakers are on sale in my area for around the same price. A keyhole mounting bracket on the back makes it easy to hang each speaker from a drywall screw; in my lab, I have a set hanging this way, which I use to produce noise for headphone measurements. I hear that the Q150s are supposedly even better, despite their smaller profile. A magnetically attached grille is included to protect the speaker drivers. If so, buy both. $350 is alot less than $600. Each R-51PM speaker measures 13.3 inches high by 9.1 inches deep by 7 inches wide, so a pair isnt quite as bulky as the Edifier S1000MKII set. The B652 has two real downsides. These could be for you. Bottlehead Reduction + Integration Upgrade, Cambridge Audio CXA60 integrated amplifier, Fluance RT82 turntable w/ Nagaoka MP-110 cart, Bottlehead Reduction + Integration upgrade phono preamp, Audioquest Golden Gate interconnect cables, Audioquest Red River interconnects cables (phono pre to RF1), APC H10 line conditioner / surge protector. I liked the look of the black fascia with the Walnut cabinets but the bare metal grill over the tweeter really stood out to me and I felt it would have looked better had it been a flat black or a gloss black instead. Its a well-tuned system that delivers fuller, more natural sound than almost all of its competitors, and it has more refined (if old-fashioned) looks and sturdier construction than most of them. I wont be running them extremely loud to fill a large room, it would only be for my desk/ bedroom which I would say small/ medium size. This effect may be a perception created by the modest bass output of the 3020is relatively small 5-inch woofer. Bookshelf speakers arent just for music, either. Triangle Borea BR03 has a Frequency response range of 46 - 22k Hz at 3dB and Power Range of up to 100 watts. The BR03 provides a clear step up in sound quality over the lower-cost models we recommend, offering the most natural, balanced sound weve heard from a bookshelf speaker priced under $1,000 per pairand theres no real need for a subwoofer unless youre a deep-bass fanatic. If youre looking for powered speakers that cost less and sound good, check out our best computer speakers guide. It also had much deeper bass response than the other two models. As with most things in life, you can pay a premium for a top-of-the-line speaker combo, but there are also plenty of budget options available, too. In that time, Ive written reviews of at least 1,000 speaker systems ranging in price from $5 to more than $500,000, and Ive published more brand-concealed, multiple-listener speaker evaluations than any other audio journalist in the world. Triangle Borea BR03 (300 euro) KEF Q150 (360 euro) They would be used for nearfield listening now (desk usage), but hoping to use them in a medium-sized room at some point in the future. Its bass also played impressively deep for the size of the speakers. Given you have an AV receiver with dubious power ratings into 6ohm i think the triangles will not be the best idea for it My 607's are on a shelf "alcove" with the wall around 10cm behind and sound great. I am trying to decide between these two, but I can't test them given COVID. We found that the more high-frequency sounds the music contained, the harsher the B652 sounded. I have been keeping my eyes a pair off B & W DM602/602's. Unfortunately can't demo or return the triangles. The back panel has two stereo analog inputs plus optical and coaxial digital inputs, as well as bass and treble controls and a volume control that doubles as an input-selector button. I was expecting a fuller sound from the ELAC DBR62 since it has the 6.5 woofer compared to the 5.25 woofer on the KEF Q150 but it just didnt work out that way, at least, not in a significant way to my ears. The B652 uses spring-clip connectors, not binding posts, to hold the speaker wire. I have no previous experience in audio, so I would greatly appreciate any advice that I receive. Still for jazz I would look at Whardale speakers. I can't demo them in store now obviously, so looking for some input. Its massive. The Marantz PM6006 would be an excellent choice have heard that amp with the B&W 607s. Although the Monitor Audio Bronze 1 pair offered good bass response and a large soundstage, the treble was more muted than that of other speakers, which made recordings sound dull. I think KEF are freaking amazing. So if you have multiple analogue sources like a record player and cassette deck then you will probably need a traditional stereo setup with passive speakers. The grille attaches to the speaker via steel posts that stick out from the front baffle, so the pair looks much better with the grille on, but the grille is extra-thin and has little effect on the sound. This system does have a defeatable dynamic bass control that boosts the bass at low volumes, but in our experience it didnt seem to help, especially considering we did most of our testing at moderately loud levels. However, the B6.2 is much larger and sports the plain, vinyl-wrapped black-box look for which speakers are often loathed. High-end powered speaker systems can offer technical advantagessuch as separate amplifiers and digital signal processing for each speaker driver to precisely tune the soundbut in the price ranges were covering here, neither type of speaker can claim a clear sonic advantage. and our However, passive speakers arent as accessible: there are factors such as impedance, wattage and sensitivity to factor in when matching speakers with an amp. Press J to jump to the feed. Theyre certainly not as lively as the Dali Spektor 2s not a bad thing if you listen to older recordings. Triangle Borea BR03 Vs KEF Q150. It was kindly sent to me for testing by a member and costs US $499 on Amazon including Prime shipping. I hope to be able to articulate that well someday! Lively piano jazz such as Old Castle by Chick Corea and Hiromi is still really fun and engaging. How big is your room? Triangle Borea BR03 Review (bookshelf speaker) | Page 2 | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. These are the speakers to do it. These speakers were not very picky on placement and they did not require much power to get good sound levels. Read More. Warm sounding speakers. Add Mission LX /LX mark 2 range if available in your country. Interesting comparison to the Q150s, maybe they're not quite the steal at $600 I thought they were when I owned them. However, if you know from the start that you want to build a multichannel home theater system, check out our guide to the best surround-sound speakers for most people, where we review complete systems that include a center speaker, surround speakers, and a subwoofer. What Triangle has done with the Borea range is ensure that it is very definitely less marmite than some previous offerings from the company. SHOP NOW. I think either the Rega or the MF would be ok for the triangle.. for sure you would most certainly hear the difference between them and the Pioneer.. even on those ageing missions of yours!. They eliminate at least one component (the receiver/amplifier) and at least one cable. At 15 inches high, 8.125 inches wide, and 12.5 inches deep, its the tallest of our picks, but its just-right proportions make it seem less visually intrusive. In addition to our subjective panel testing, we measured each system to get an unbiased second opinion and detect any anomalies. My space accentuates bass a little bit, which helps balance the rear ported KEFs that may otherwise be light on bass for some people's tastes. I have to say I am a little upset that you got so many responses to your question on my post when I got nothing on mine. But I reckon these ones will be all right. Have you had a chance to compare those two yet? Triangle Borea BR03. I like speakers that are bigger than a small refrigerator but smaller than a big refrigerator:D. Nice review Victor. The 3020i set sounds more detailed and spacious, but the B6.2 pair plays louder and puts out more bassan average of 7.7 decibels more between 40 and 63 Hzso it might be the better choice for fans of bass-heavy music. One is that youll probably have to pay for shipping, although that was only $8 last time we checked. company number 03997482, registered in England and Wales. Part of this clarity comes from the 3020is slightly bright tonal balance, which means the treble seems subtly emphasized. Youll also want to ensure your speakers can handle the power output (measured in watts) of your amp. The R-51PM has an unusually versatile set of connection options, including a phono input and an optical digital audio input. I favor these when I want to toss something on in the background and chill out. I intend to use whatever I pick for a long time, so I may in the future use it in the living room of a small apartment in New York, if this should in any way affect my decision making. But before you take the plunge, theres a bit of research youll need to do as bookshelf speakers arent at all like your average soundbar or Bluetooth device. The House of Marley Get Together Duo is a small set of powered speakers with Bluetooth and line inputs, and the right speaker has a rechargeable battery that lets it work on its own as a portable speaker. But for most people and most music styles, a good pair of bookshelf speakers will deliver a satisfyingly complete sound. Best were the 607's and the Dali Menuets but they're 850 and I couldn't justify +2x of the 607's. Good looks plus good sound sealed the deal and the Triangle Borea BR03 are replacing the KEF Q150 in my 2-channel setup. AVForums.com is owned and operated by M2N Limited, This size is especially recommended for dedicated listeners looking for the performance of a floorstander in a compact design. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required as is 20 years of participation in forums (not all true). Pair this set with an inexpensive amplifier, and it will give you better sound than most top-of-the-line wireless speakers produce, for a much lower price. Brent Butterworth is a senior staff writer covering audio and musical instruments at Wirecutter. The DBR62's have a very wide soundstage and decent bass response for a front slot ported design. As lovely as all this sounds. This is also our runner-up pick in our guide to the best surround-sound speakers for most people. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. It's a dense piece of music, and the Dali's really articulates all the layers whilst producing a full sound. I demoed the B&W's 607's when I bought my Rega Brio Amp pre lockdown. Our panelists liked it pretty well for instrumental music, but found it tended to de-emphasize the sound of voices. Digital assistants and smart speakers are all well and good, but sometimes you just want to output your audio the old-fashioned way: through quality speakers. Very good sound and couple of guys on here also speak well of them. Bookshelf speakers are, as their name suggests, compact units that are meant to be placed on a shelf or a mantle. Its performance is bound to please practically any listener, and we like the sophisticated, minimalist design, which should suit almost any space. As the name suggests, these speakers are sized to fit on a shelf or to be mounted in a stand. Haven't tried the Kefs, but have no qualm recommending the BR02s. A proprietary 16-foot cable connects the two speakers. Theyre fairly tall, black boxes that arent attractive, and even though the bass was present in our tests, it wasnt tight or detailed. Nice review Victor. It lets the speakers project huge sound with great separation between instruments and tracks. The 3020i is also beautifully designed, with high-quality speaker-cable binding posts, nicely rounded corners that resist chipping, a magnetically attached grille, and four finish options. Learn more about it in our blog post.) If you want more bass than the Q Acoustics 3020i delivers: Our former runner-up pick in this guide, the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 is a great speaker pair that comes close to the Q Acoustics 3020i in sound quality. Triangle Borea BR03 are a popular option in the middle of the speakers price range. The mid range, especially, looked extremely flat, varying by only 2 decibels, which is why voices sounded so natural. Were inquiring now about getting these in for a listen. The Klipsch R-51PM was less even, with a bit of excess treble, and its bass response wasnt as deep. I really wanted the Dali's but couldn't pass up the Triangle sale going on right now. My 607's are on a shelf "alcove" with the wall around 10cm behind and sound great. I then moved on to more formal testing, in which I concealed all the speakers behind a sheet of thin, black fabric in my acoustically treated listening room. To use aptX HD, you need an Android device that supports it or a PC with an aptX HD Bluetooth dongle. I see that you have the Triangles for sale, have you moved on to another bookshelf speaker that you like better, or just going with your new 705s? Triangle Audio said it is not using recycled materials in packaging or production. The speakers come with foam plugs for those ports if you do place them next to the wall, but that will reduce the bass output. You are using an out of date browser. Among the powered speakers we tested, the S1000MKII set is the least expensive of our three clear favorites, the others being the Monoprice MM-5R and PSB Alpha AM5. The Dayton Audio B652 had a fairly even response except for a large peak and dip in the middle of the treble range, where the tweeter started to operate. Where I'm based (Belgium), the following deals seem best to me (but please let me know if you know of any others): Music stuff - Roksan Kandy KA1-MKIII, Dynaudio DM2/6, REL Strata III, 16.0mm 6181Y Double Insulated Cable (commonly electrical meter tails). Finishes: Light oak, black, walnut, white List Price: $599 Canadian/pair, $449 US/pr. SDA SRS 2.3TL's/SDA SRS 3.1TL's/SDA CRS+4.1TL's and some other stuff. The other is that the speaker-cable connectors are the cheap spring-clip type, which tend to produce a looser connection than good binding posts dobut for inexpensive spring clips, they keep a pretty firm grip on the speaker cable. The Fluance XL8S pair put out a good amount of bass for its size and price, but voices sounded somewhat thin and harsh. These speakers are more forgiving than the KEFs, which may be important since it sounds like you may be using these as computer speakers in addition to music. I will mostly be using them to listen to classical music and watch films at my computer which is in front of a wall. Im mentioned in the most popular text on speaker design, Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, and I have written for Voice Coil, the leading trade magazine for the speaker industry. At a minimum frequency of 46 Hz, Borea BR03 will provide an average bass depth so depending on your use case, you may consider supplementing your system with a subwoofer. So depending on how much room you have, they might be a better choice. The video is also on my channel. I love that glossy deep rich finish! This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Some metal parts of the speakers may be recyclable; the company does not have a recycling partner in the US, but in France it works with a recycler called Eco-System. I have rears for surround sound. Excellent review Vic! The BR03 cabinet features a front-facing port, so pushing the speakers back close to a wall is less of a concern than it is with rear-ported models like the Q Acoustics 3020i. Rega Planar 2, Rega Brio, Rega Fono Mk3, IFI Zen Blue 2, Marantz CD6006UK, Dali Opticon 1 Mk II. The availability of four different finishes (white, black, gray, and walnut) makes this speaker easier to match with your room. Through the years, weve tested many more speakers than what we list here, but weve deleted many older and discontinued models. For more details, read our blog post about Bluetooth codecs. The higher the speaker line rises above the reference line, the more exaggerated those frequencies are. I have the Dali Oberon 1s going through a Denon 2600h receiver and I've been blown away. The B652 set isnt handsome, but its surprisingly good for the price, making it perfect for workrooms, kids rooms, and other places where expensive speakers dont make sense. Klipschs R-51PM, which was another pick in our previously separate guide to the best wireless powered bookshelf speakers, is one of the most versatile powered speakers weve encountered because it has almost every type of audio input we can think of, including a phono input for connecting a turntable, a USB input for a computer, an optical digital connection for TVs, Bluetooth, and a standard analog line input. I haven't used any of the others, but I'm really loving my Dali's and don't regret them one bit. Very cool Victor! Finally, for what it's worth, the Q150s are much smaller than the Triangles. Not surprisingly, the ELAC Debut 2.0 B5.2 set sounded very similar to the larger B6.2 pair (listed in Other bookshelf speakers we like), just with less bass. The frequency response measurements for the 3020i looked very good, with a variance of only about 2.6 decibels through most of the audio range. I'll most likely go with the kefs since they're slighter cheaper than the triangles. The Q acoustic concept 20s and Elac debuts (can't seem to get the other speakers mentioned) seem to be about double the price of the other options I proposed so I'm not sure whether that's worth it in my market. The Spektor 2s are among the brands most affordable speakers. The Dayton Audio MK402X looks a little nicer than the B652, but its mid range sounded a little rough, and it didnt have much bass. Of our three passive-speaker picks, the Triangle Borea BR03 came closest to an ideal response for a bookshelf speaker. Sony A95L QD-OLED, X95L MINI LED And Full BRAVIA Range For 2023 (In-Depth Interview). As I said earlier, this was not a slam-dunk but I do appreciate the differences between the speakers enough to decide to keep them. Big sound with wide soundstage; Bespoke and unique design; Doesn't come with speaker grilles; The Q150 are the smallest and most affordable speakers in KEF's Q series. I was so impressed with the BR03 that I had to check out . The KEFs really shine on songs that are heavily layered, for example Emancipator - Rattlesnakes or The Books - Tokyo. To our ears, it didnt sound quite as good as the Edifier S1000MKII pair, but our eyes appreciated the R-51PMs more compact form and contemporary look. I'm auditioning both the BR03s and Q150s right now through an Emotiva TA-100 for a desktop nearfield setup. Measured bass output from a pair of 3020i speakers was 107.6 dB. I also did CTA-2010 bass output measurements, using the same process we use for our best high-performance subwoofer and best budget subwoofer guides. For movie and TV watching, a pair of good bookshelf speakers can deliver much better dynamics and vocal clarity than the speakers built into any TV, and many of our recommendations have a matching center speaker designed more specifically for dialogue reproduction. And last your own taste. With its tone controls centered, the Edifier R1700BTs pair sounded too trebly and thin, and voices sounded coarse and crude.