Triangle Bookshelf Speaker - Borea BR03 (black)

Product Information

This segues beautifully with two other attributes of the Triangle, one of which should be useful for pretty much everyone and another that has some long term potential. The first is that the sensitivity of the Triangle is genuinely impressive. The Rega Brio never breaks sweat driving it pretty much at any level that could be classed as domestically acceptable. If having been short of gain with existing speakers, the BR03 offers scope to eke out more headroom without increasing the power on hand to do it. Frequency response is quoted at 47Hz to 22kHz (+/- 3dB), which seems reasonable enough when you hear it. Placement isn't a problem, but while the BR03 BT might look like a BR03 with an amp shoved inside it, the eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that the front-firing ports of the passive version have been moved to the rear on the active speakers. This means you will need to leave more room between the speaker cabinet and the boundary wall for optimum bass performance. THE LISTENING

Another handy feature found on the supplied remote control is the bass and treble controls, alongside an EQ reset button. The factory setting was a tad too generous with the bass, leaving the high frequencies sounding recessed and less than optimal. However, some diligent speaker positioning and jabs at the remote swiftly and painlessly found a setting that was pleasing to my ears. Put that together, along with a five-star AVR, and you’ll have the kind of system to convert any home cinema sceptic into a full surround lifer. By the time we see the witches standing alone in the middle of the glen, we’re ready to hang on their every word but the dynamism of these speakers doesn’t end there. Dialogue and effects come out with detail and expression through the centre. The rhotic accents are a delight to listen to, each offering a slightly different texture to match their age. It combines a 160mm untreated cellulose mid/bass driver with a 25mm silk dome tweeter. The former is the same as that used in the Esprit EZ series and is augmented by a pair of forward-firing circular bass ports. The tweeter is new to the Borea line and mounted in a partial horn rather than the true horn loading of the more expensive models. Triangle quotes frequency response at 46Hz-22kHz and the BR03 is extremely easy to drive. Connection is via a single pair of relatively sturdy binding posts and, thanks in part to those front-firing ports, it seems fairly unfussy about placement.The Triangle Borea BR03 is a highly impressive little loudspeaker for the money. I was never expecting the last word in detail, definition and soundstaging – yet still it managed to impress with its musicality. For those taking their first tentative steps into the oft-confusing world of hi-fi, it’s a pretty special sound. And if you’re only used to Bluetooth speakers, then this baby box will blow your mind. Putting the affordable electronics to one side and making use of the Copland CSA 100 from HFC 465 suggests that the Triangle has the transparency to handle being used with more capable and revealing equipment as well as more price comparative items. There are limits to how much better the performance gets and it isn’t wholly representative of what the (considerably more expensive) Copland is capable of, but it does suggest that the Borea has a bit of stretch to it should you choose to upgrade your accompanying electronics further down the line. The twin-pronged diffuser appears to be pinching the silk dome, but look a bit closer and it’s just hovering over – it’s there to help reduce the directivity and improve the dispersion of high frequencies. Beneath the mid-bass driver sits a pair of bass reflex ports. The Triangle Borea BR03 may look the part, but how does it sound? Pretty impressive, actually. Firstly, this is a hi-fi speaker and not a studio monitor – so if you’re looking for a perfectly flat response with zero coloration, then look elsewhere. However, if you are in the market for a great, entertaining standmounter with plenty of mid-band dynamism, then strap yourself in and prepare for the ride. As with Deadpool, we get a terrifically precise feeling of objects moving fast across the space. In this case it’s the Japanese Zero fighter planes zooming by on their machine gun runs.

The BR03 BT is controlled via the bundled remote, although there is a volume control on the rear of the main speaker, should you need it. The remote worked well, even if not pointed directly at the speaker, and from it, you can control volume, input selection and tone. The source selected is denoted by a bright LED on the master speaker's baffle with blue signifying Bluetooth, green for RCA, purple optical and white for coax. If you're using the 3.5mm mini stereo input, you must cycle through until you get the yellow light. You can dim or turn the light off via the remote by holding down the mute button for three seconds. Bluetooth pairing was simple, and the connection proved free from dropouts ever since it was formed. At the front, set into the chic grey front baffle, you will find the partially horn-loaded 25mm silk dome EFS (Efficient Flow System) tweeter. What at first appears to be a natty guard for the delicate driver is in fact a phase plug designed to make high frequencies less directional, thus improving off-axis performance. Taking care of the mid and bass registers is the natural cellulose paper cone developed for the Esprit Ez. Central to the 165mm driver is a bullet that is said to not only prevent air leaks but also use 100% of the cone's surface to cover a more extensive frequency range.The cabinet is front ported with a pair of circular ports under the mid bass driver. This helps to ensure that the BR03 is not too bothered by placement close to a rear wall (although I’d caution against putting it right up against one) while still augmenting the low end extension. Triangle quotes a frequency response of 46Hz-22kHz at the meaningfully demanding +/- 3dB measurement. This is very much in keeping with what rivals can manage but the wrinkle is that the BR03 manages these figures while delivering a claimed sensitivity of 90dB/w. This isn’t a night and day jump over most rivals but, combined with the minimum impedance of 4.1 ohms, this is a very easy speaker to drive. In terms of partnering equipment in 2020, for stereo this doesn’t make a huge amount of difference but it does auger well for the use of a full set of Boreas in a multichannel configuration. Within this slight forwardness, the tonality of the BR03 is generally very good. Voices and instruments largely sound as they should. I would, on the proviso that it wasn’t here to be compared side by side, give the final nod to the Mission QX-2 for this but this is more a reflection that the QX-2 is sublimely good in this regard. The Triangle is still very capable but there have been moments with strings in particular where the merest hint of an ‘edge’ has made itself felt. The BR03 is also notable in a slightly different way. Triangle is a company that builds speakers its own way with pretty much zero interest in what anyone else happens to be doing at the time. Its passive designs are recognisably equivalent to what other companies are building at the price but Triangle has no fear of proceeding to put its own spin on things. Features like horn loaded tweeters, downward firing ports and extraordinary sensitivity are all par for the course in its design language. Against this, the BR03 looks a bit, well, normal.

Triangle was keen to point out that people shouldn't pay too much attention to tech specs, but that doesn’t mean they’re shabby. The manufacturer quotes a frequency response of 46Hz to 22kHz (+/- 3dB), 100W power handling and an 8 ohm nominal impedance. Still, the company says that a hi-fi loudspeaker is all about balance, musicality, speed and tonal precision. I was also told that the Esprit EZ range takes Triangle's trademark open sound further than the Borea, also that they, “reproduce the sound identity of transparency, air and detail more finely.” We shall see… Where it truly excels is the bass. Triangle has historically been strong here and the BR03 doesn’t disappoint. Future Toyi Toyi by Keleketla! (see p96) is underpinned by a potent bassline that is reproduced in a way that is felt as much as heard. The integration with the rest of the frequency response is seamless and it helps the cabinet sound bigger than it is. There’s a wholly commendable feeling of speed, too. Thanks to minimal port noise and the drivers’ responsiveness, it feels consistently light on its feet, even when the material is extremely challenging.They come with a 2yr warranty - so did my Q3020i. Registering them online upped that to 5yrs. Triangle seem to offer this if you register online as well... In that time, she has covered the highs and lows across the breadth of consumer tech, and tested everything from smartphones and stereo speakers to robot lawnmowers and electric cars. She has a particular interest in audio and TV, however, which means she has spent a lot of time watching movies and listening to music and passing it off as work. Let me start this section by noting two things that are (I think anyway) relevant to this appraisal. The first is that I have been a big fan of many Triangle speakers over the years. The Titus standmount has been made in several versions in that time and all of them have been a delight. The old Color range was brilliant and the Magellan Concerto is a masterpiece. When I say I think some Triangle speakers are a bit weird, I say that as someone who is a fan of the weirdness. One issue that I have with active speaker systems such as this, no matter what their asking price may be, is that you end up plugging all your sources into the right-hand speaker. For many, this may mean buying longer cables or moving their sources to suit. The other alternative is to have the channels inverted if you already have your sources positioned where they need to be. But, of course, this isn't such a problem for the likes of DALI's Oberon 1C and its little hub, for instance, which offers you a 'breakout box' that you can place conveniently for your sources while not affecting the actual placement of the speakers.