Triangle Borea BR10 review
For an affordable price, Triangle offers the Borea BR10, a 3-way bass-reflex floor-standing speaker that is surprising in many ways.
A colossal speaker stands before us, and when looking at the price tag, there’s undeniable skepticism. Usually, a speaker of this size can only justify the price when it’s from the boom-box or party-speaker category—focused on high sensitivity and loudness with plenty of booming bass, following the motto “mass over class.” And in such speakers, build quality, high-quality drivers, or other quality components are not the focus—if development effort can even be spoken of in these cases.
However, the Triangle Borea BR10 fundamentally differs from this category despite its superficial similarities. The French manufacturer, which has specialized in speakers for over 40 years, enjoys a great reputation worldwide for both sound quality and craftsmanship. Even with the entry-level Borea series, they were unwilling to jeopardize that reputation.
Build & Design
Cabinet: Simply Skilled
Let’s first look at the cleanly constructed, wood-like foiled cabinet of the Borea. Its bottom plate and front plate are elegantly white, and all drivers are neatly covered, with no screws visible. The base even features a small ledge to position the drivers at the ideal ear height. We have seen speakers costing nearly ten times as much that seemed primitive and carelessly made in comparison.
The rear bi-wiring terminal also inspires confidence, even if very few buyers are likely to use a double cable setup to enhance their listening experience by a small margin.
Internally, the cabinet is also exceptional for this price range, as it features a dedicated chamber for the midrange driver, which is rare in this class. The midrange is critical for natural sound reproduction, covering the frequency range of human voices and acoustic instruments—areas where our hearing is most sensitive to colorations.
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This design choice minimizes listener fatigue, as the brain needs to exert less effort to filter out unwanted distortions. Beyond the midrange, the cabinet’s design reflects thoughtful engineering. Triangle used strategic bracing to reduce resonance and provide stability to the woofer baskets, enhancing sound precision.
Drivers: All In-House Developments
Triangle traditionally manufactures all its drivers, allowing them to focus on seamless integration during development. This approach lets the crossover, which defines each driver’s operational range, play a minimal role, using only a few high-quality components.
Moving on to the actual sound transducers, their refinement belies the speaker’s price point. The paper midrange driver, with its rigid suspension and strong magnet, caught our attention. Any flaws in its tonal accuracy, impulse response, or distortion could easily ruin the listening experience. However, even down to details like the phase plug in the center, which ensures smooth sound radiation, Triangle’s expertise is evident.
With Gerd Köster’s voice and “Zappsäul Aach,” recorded live in an intimate venue, the Borea BR10 needed to demonstrate its ability to accurately highlight the subtleties of Köster’s gritty voice, proving its clarity in reproducing even the challenging Cologne dialect.
The Borea performed exceptionally well, especially in smaller rooms, where its two 21 cm woofers could sometimes overdeliver on power, slightly muddying vocal clarity. However, this powerful bass capability is also a significant advantage when projecting deep tones in larger spaces.
Amplifier: Musical Fidelity A2, Exposure 3510, NAD C 3050
Speakers: Canton GLE 90, Focal Aria Evo X No2
Sound Quality
The mix of paper and fiberglass in the membranes allows for fast and clean impulse response, demonstrated in tracks like Melody Gardot’s “From Paris With Love” or the punchy beats in Duran Duran’s extended version of “Wild Boys” and Iggy Pop’s “Lust For Life.”
The effortless handling of high volume levels was impressive, but even more remarkable was the Borea’s ability to maintain a powerful, balanced sound at low volumes, providing an engaging experience with the soft but captivating voice of Melody Gardot.
Brahms with piano and strings, played by Trio Sora, impressed with a transparent and dynamic performance. Even a 1968 recording of Albeniz’s “Suite Espanola,” suggested by Gryphon founder Flemming Erik Rasmussen, set a new standard for this price range with its passionate delivery and room-filling presence.
KÖSTER & HOCKER “STABIL NERVÖS” Performing originals and Kölsch from Dylan to Zappa live
ALBENIZ “SUITE ESPANOLA” Classical music performed with dynamism and expression
The Fun Is Included
Finally, in our 40-square-meter listening room, we pushed the Borea BR10 to its limits with tracks from the Rolling Stones, John Mellencamp, and Prince, easily handling the demands without requiring a powerful amplifier.
In short, the Borea BR10 is an affordable speaker that consistently delivers more than its price tag suggests.
»THE BOREA BR10 IS A BLESSING FOR MUSIC LOVERS AND SCARES THE COMPETITION.«
Specifications
- Product Type / Price Range: Floor-standing speaker (Passive) / Up to $1,500
- Website: trianglehifi.com
- Dimensions (W x H x D in cm): 24.5 x 111 x 38
- Weight in kg: 27.7
- Distributor in Germany: Reichmann Audio
- Contact Number: +49772881064
- Design Principle: Dynamic, 3-way, bass-reflex
- Terminal: Bi-Wire
- Recommended Placement: At least 40 cm distance from all sides, with a base width of 2 meters
Verdict
- Sound Quality (60%): 9.0/10
- Description: Very natural midrange, finely resolving highs, and powerful bass; spacious and deep soundstage; consistent performance.
- Measurement Values (15%): 8.4/10
- Placement: Very simple
- Manual Quality: Very good
- Initial Setup: Easy
- Tone Correction Available: No
- Cabinet Finishes: Oak, Black Ash, Walnut, White
- Included Accessories: Cover, spikes, rubber feet
- Build Quality: Very good
- Features & Handling (20%): 8.8/10
- Frequency Response: Uneven
- Sound Pressure Level (in Decibels): Very good (90 dB)
- Step Response: Good, with minimal resonance
- Minimum Impedance: Unproblematic
- Distortion Rates at 63 Hz / 3 kHz / 10 kHz: Slightly high (0.37 / 0.18 / 0.5)
- Compatibility: Very simple
- Service & Environment (5%): 7.4/10
- Warranty in Years: 5
- Packaging: Cardboard and plastic
- Upgradable: No
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