They eliminate at least one component (the receiver/amplifier) and at least one cable. Click to reveal 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. 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. While there were no major introductions of new bookshelf speakers at CES 2023, we have found a few current models that we hope to get in for testing. So whether youre listening to vocals, instruments, or a bit of everything, the Spektor 2s will sound entertaining. Everything on this list sounds great, so youll be happy whether youre a classical enthusiast, a metalhead or anything in between. If you want a step up in sound quality from the Edifier S1000MKII and dont mind paying more: In our tests, the Monoprice MM-5R and PSB Alpha AM5 powered-speaker pairs sounded a little clearer with voices than the Edifier S1000MKII set did. Sure, you could spend upwards of a thousand bucks or pounds and get mind-blowing sound, but these options below offer incredible output in an affordable package. I am currently deciding on what to get out of the 2 listed and the KEF Q150. 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. The Q Acoustics 3020i set has enough bass for most music styles, but with just a 5-inch woofer, its no low-end powerhouse. Klipsch also offers a smaller model with the same inputs and features, the R-41PM; we havent listened to it, but considering that the larger R-51PM could use a bit more bass, we expect wed feel the need for more low end to an even greater extent with the smaller model. This set produces a generally full and natural sound, though we think it could use a little more bassbut there is a subwoofer output, so adding a sub is easy. But I reckon these ones will be all right. These are the speakers to do it. And so if you can't demo both, then pick based upon other factors. Combined with a minimum impedance of 4.1ohms, these specifications make the speaker quite easy to drive. Its obvious that a great deal of thought went into the 3020is industrial designsomething we wouldnt say about most bookshelf speaker pairs priced under $500, which are usually plain-looking black boxes. Frequency range: 51Hz - 22KHz (+/- 3dB) Power handling: 80W Nominal impedance: 8 Minimum impedance: 3.6 Dimensions: 17.6 cm (~7") W, 31cm (~12.2") H, 27.4cm (~10.8") D Weight: 4.87kg (~10.7 lbs.) From the very first notes, the BR03 impresses with its energy, delivery of deep notes and power handling. It may not display this or other websites correctly. The grille uses magnets instead of plastic tabs and grommets, which gives the front of each speaker a clean look when you remove the grille. The Polk Audio Monitor 40 Series II doesnt sound as natural as the less-expensive Monitor XT20; high-frequency sounds like cymbals and tape hiss are accentuated, and the bass sounds boomy. 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. Ive owned a pair for about a decade, and Ive found many uses for them. Looking to mount your speakers on a stand? For more details, read our blog post about Bluetooth codecs. The room I am trying to fill is 12.5x9 FT so its an odd shape bedroom and I don't think I can return something that isn't faulty in the UK. That said, they are both very different speakers, and which is right for you really comes down to preference. I also measured the speakers at angles of 15, 30, 45, and 60 degrees horizontally, as well as 15 degrees vertically, to make sure their sound didnt change radically when I heard them from an angle. Measured bass output was impressive, at 106.3 dB from 40 to 63 Hz, and it stayed strong all the way down to 31.5 Hz, where the system output 84.7 dB. Through the years, weve tested many more speakers than what we list here, but weve deleted many older and discontinued models. The Edifier S1000MKII is an updated version of the S1000DB set, which was the top pick in our guide to the best wireless powered bookshelf speakers (which weve now rolled into this guide), and in our brand-concealed tests it was every bit as excellent as its predecessor was. The BR03 offers binding posts to connect the speaker wire. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. I mainly listen to classical and jazz. Triangle Borea BR03 A step up in sound quality The Borea BR03 is one of the best bookshelf speaker sets we've heard, with extraordinary clarity and spaciousness plus plenty of bass. The 3020i also has a slightly bright tonal balance that may leave some listeners craving a fuller sound or yearning to add a subwoofer. I'd take a chance on them. In the charts below, the flatter the trace is, the more natural the speakers sound. We didnt include charts of these results here, but we do mention them in the discussions above for each model. For near field listing the Kef you mentioned. 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. Voices sounded natural, with perhaps a slightly exaggerated treble, and the bass, while a bit too punchy on occasion, was loud, full, and clear. While nothing was loose or falling apart, there was a very obvious seam on the Walnut vinyl wrap located on the bottom of the speaker. The mid range looked quite flat, but there was a big peak at 3.6 kHza frequency often reached by the upper harmonics of female vocals, but not so often by male vocals. In short, the KEFs are a cup of coffee and the Triangles are a glass of red wine. Nice review Victor. Price: All of the speakers weve chosen are priced at $500 or below for a pair. 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. technically its discontinued but you can still get your hands on a second hand model.. The frequency response measurements for the S1000MKII were a little shocking in that they were the best of any of the speakers we tested. Copyright 2000-2023 M2N Limited E. & O.E. The DBR62's have a very wide soundstage and decent bass response for a front slot ported design. The Fluance XL8S pair put out a good amount of bass for its size and price, but voices sounded somewhat thin and harsh. The Spektor 2 has the best bass response, is reasonable smooth but not as revealing. These could be for you. The 0.5-inch tweeter is really there only to add a little sparkle to the soundalthough that sparkle might be more accurately described as glare. The B5.2s are the second version of the line, but this isnt an incremental upgrade. So even though this speaker set seems intended for audiophiles, who tend to prefer acoustic music, its also a great choice for hip-hop, R&B, and electronic music. and most of the amps that have been recommended are stereo, good amps non the less, but not really what I'm looking for. The rear-facing bass ports make it unwise to push these speakers up against a wall because blocking the ports reduces the bass. Excellent Review Victor! What Triangle has done with the Borea range is ensure that it is very definitely less marmite than some previous offerings from the company. Its performance is bound to please practically any listener, and we like the sophisticated, minimalist design, which should suit almost any space. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Suggestions for amp/speaker upgrade: Marantz, Musical Fidelity, KEF, Dali - how does it all fit. It also had much deeper bass response than the other two models. Compared to the KEFs, these speakers shine for me on mellow, melty songs such as Julian Lage - Nocturne or John Scofield - A Go Go. It's a dense piece of music, and the Dali's really articulates all the layers whilst producing a full sound. The mid range, especially, looked extremely flat, varying by only 2 decibels, which is why voices sounded so natural. But for most people and most music styles, a good pair of bookshelf speakers will deliver a satisfyingly complete sound. 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. With most female voices and higher-pitched instruments, such as cymbals and acoustic guitars, the tweeter is more active, and the sound can become harsh and fatiguing if you play it loud. We all hear different. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. 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 was pleased with the performance of the DBR82 but they didnt stand out in any specific way to me beyond what the KEF speakers were already giving me. Note that we didnt make a budget pick for powered speakers because we didnt like any of the inexpensive ones we tried. Edit: The Q150 benefits the most of a subwoofer. That said, these arent for bassheads or hip-hop fans the equalisation on the BR03s is fairly balanced, which results in a transparent sound that wont colour your music. They are considered passive speakers while Bluetooth devices are active speakers. *At the time of publishing, the price was $330. 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. PSB Alpha P5 vs Kef Q150 vs Triangle BR03 vs Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2 review. One is that youll probably have to pay for shipping, although that was only $8 last time we checked. I really wanted the Dali's but couldn't pass up the Triangle sale going on right now. For the price, theyre one of the best budget bookshelf speakers out there that they come from a reliable brand is just the cherry on top. Learn more about it in our blog post.) Just going to step in here and say thank you for writing this up. TRIANGLE BOREA BRO3 vs KEF Q150 - YouTube AboutPressCopyrightContact usCreatorsAdvertiseDevelopersTermsPrivacyPolicy & SafetyHow YouTube worksTest new features 2022 Google LLC The build quality on the DBR62 was the most disappointing of the group. The No. The BR03 is well worth its higher price. The HD3 offers a rich array of features, including aptX HD Bluetooth, a USB digital input, and a front headphone output. Style and build quality: If you dont want to throw off your homes feng shui, youll want to ensure your speakers complement the rest of the room theyre in, rather than overpowering it. While this response is quite similar to what others offer, the BR03 can manage it while delivering a sensitivity of 90dB. I began measuring speaker performance in 1997 and have worked as a consultant on speaker tuning and measurement for some of the worlds biggest tech companies. I took delivery of a pair of the Borea BR03's in the Walnut finish on February 17, 2020 and I've been logging hours on them since that time while comparing them to some other bookshelf/stand-mount speakers in the same price range ($600 or less). The Klipsch R-51PM set is a great choice for vinyl-record enthusiasts because it includes a phono input, so you can easily connect most record players without having to buy a separate phono preamp. I've have a pair of KEF Q300s for the past 10 years and I absolutely adore them. 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. These speakers also had a less attractive finish and were harder to drive than some other models. Some powered speakers (including one of our picks) even incorporate a phono preamp so you can plug a turntable straight into them. 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. Good thinking! 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. See What to look forward to for details. A larger version, the Kanto YU6, won over two of our listeners, but the others werent impressed. 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. The Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 and 12.2 got similar reactions from our panelists. 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). This pair did have a clear sound with a decent amount of bass in our tests, so if youre looking for something priced between our top pick and our budget pick, its worth a listen. Unfortunately can't demo or return the triangles. No worries its an idea of where you "should" be at the end of the day given the quality of the speakers.. You can also often pick these up in good condition used on ebay or similar these days also. Your IP: So depending on how much room you have, they might be a better choice. Europe's busiest forums, with independent news and expert reviews, for TVs, Home Cinema, Hi-Fi, Movies, Gaming, Tech and more. Every part of the audio spectrum, from deep bass to mid range to treble, sounded natural, and we noticed no sonic flaws that distracted from the music. Cautious as my recommendation may seem, the B652 did sound clearly better than every other inexpensive speaker I compared it with, including models from Micca and OSD as well as Dayton Audios B652-AIR, a costlier and supposedly better version of the B652 that uses a fancier tweeter. 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. Bookshelf speakers are, as their name suggests, compact units that are meant to be placed on a shelf or a mantle. 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 BR08 fairs a little better in this regard. Good looks plus good sound sealed the deal and the Triangle Borea BR03 are replacing the KEF Q150 in my 2-channel setup. Performance & security by Cloudflare. The B652s frequency response measurements werent impressive, although any attempt on Dayton Audios part to make them better would almost certainly involve increasing the cost. If you have the means, trying both in your space is worth your while. And it hurts that the Borea BR03 is on sale for the same price right now but is too big for my desk. 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. Before conducting listening tests, I broke in each speaker pair for 10 hours with music. I couldn't decide so I bought dali oberons (they are smaller) for my work desk and I got kef q150 for my living room. It has a phono input and a convenient front volume/input-selector knob, which the S1000MKII lacks. Finally, for what it's worth, the Q150s are much smaller than the Triangles. The Spektor 2s are among the brands most affordable speakers. 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. 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. It was kindly sent to me for testing by a member and costs US $499 on Amazon including Prime shipping. Wharfedales Diamond 220 set had good detail and nice bass but produced a boxy sound, with a narrow soundstage. Its available in a black or walnut finish with a black front panel, or in a white or light oak finish with a white baffle. The Dali's are in their way. 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. Its a tonal balance that audiophiles tend to love because it makes music seem a little more exciting and captivating. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. I am a Kef owner of almost 20 years with some Kef Reference Ones. Many readers are concerned about how the manufacturing, shipping, and normal use of the products we recommend impact the world. The R-51PMs audio performance isnt quite as good as that of the Edifier S1000MKII, but the 5.25-inch woofer in this speaker does allow the system to produce a reasonable amount of bass. KEF amazon.com. The normal price I thought was okay, but then they went on sale, which made them seem more attractive. Dayton Audio said the B652 does not use recycled or recyclable materials, but that the company does offer replacement parts if repairs are needed. Big into jazz myself, I don't think I've ever heard in a silent way sound this good (I do own decent headphones which is my comparison) . Very good sound and couple of guys on here also speak well of them. A proprietary 16-foot cable connects the two speakers. With most male voices, such as John Legend or James Taylor, the tweeter is barely in the mix because a filter capacitor inside the speaker limits the tweeter to frequencies above about 6 kHz (almost 2 kHz above the highest note on a piano). Star Wars 4-6 are the best movies. The Triangle Borea BR03 pair is a great buy for serious music lovers who want the enveloping, captivating sound of real audiophile-grade speakers but dont want to spend thousands of dollars or sacrifice a lot of floor space on tower speakers. 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. This speaker will fit perfectly in rooms ranging from 15 to 30m2. 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 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. Sound quality: Arguably the biggest part of picking any speakers, youll want to know that your music or content will sound great when its being played. Considering how negligible the price premium is for the B652, we recommend the larger model if you have space for it. Just want to know which would sound better for a desktop setup. 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. A magnetically attached grille is included to protect the speaker drivers. What stands out in the 3020is performance is the detail and clarity that these speakers bring out in every recording. Last year, France's Triangle scored a big hit with the reasonably priced BOREA BR03 standmount speaker, which supplies a huge amount of refinement and style for only $549.I went as far as making them our speaker of the year for 2019, and they piled up the accolades from many other outlets as well.. The vinyl wrap also seemed to be more bubbly to me in several spots and, for a speaker at this price point, I expect better. The Q Acoustics 3020i speakers sound and look fantastic, and they play music of all genres with great detail and clarity. I am trying to decide between these two, but I can't test them given COVID. KEF . 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. Are they being sold by stores that allow in-home auditions or do cheap and easy returns? Was just curious! With the above criteria in mind, we scanned sites such as Amazon, Audio Advisor, Best Buy, and Crutchfield to see what new models were available, and we reached out to manufacturers we thought might be introducing new models in these categories. That makes the S1000MKII pair a good choice for hip-hop, pop, and R&B, which tend to have a lot of deep bass. insider9 I know you gave all of the candidates every opportunity to prove themselves. The S1000MKII lacks some features found on competing models, such as the Klipsch R-51PM. 202.153.111.46 Measured bass output of the total system was 105.4 dB from 40 to 63 Hz, just 0.9 decibel below the result from the Edified S1000MKII, but at 31.5 Hz the Klipsch sets output was 7 decibels lower, a difference youd notice when playing hip-hop and recent R&B recordings. I agree completely. We found that the more high-frequency sounds the music contained, the harsher the B652 sounded. I am a fan of the Wharfedale 12.1's. In response to the question about the Triangle BR03, I have reviewed them. In our tests, a pair of BR03 speakers put out an impressive 116.7 dB average bass between 40 and 63 Hz, with 90.9 dB at 31.5 Hzslightly more than the Q Acoustics 3020i could manage at the less-demanding frequency of 40 Hz. 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. The speakers are also nicely designed for the price, with custom binding posts, magnetically attached grilles, a decor-friendly 10.875-inch height, and nicely rounded corners that resist chipping. TRIANGLE BOREA BRO 3 vs KEF Q150. company number 03997482, registered in England and Wales. Speakers with boosted treble can sound more exciting than the BR03, but to us they dont sound as natural. First and foremost, the 3020i performs beautifully, offering a clear, spacious sound on vocals and instruments thats at least as good as anything weve heard in its price range. Still for jazz I would look at Whardale speakers. Next up are the ELAC Debut Reference DBR62 speakers, which arrived the day after the LSiM703. Brent Butterworth is a senior staff writer covering audio and musical instruments at Wirecutter. Adorama has the BR02s for $269 which could and should sway the vote some. Learn more. Theyre pared-down versions of the brands immensely popular LS50s, the speakers that propelled KEF to audiophile stardom but at a fraction of the price. Just a question for you: which one did you keep? 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. These switchers allowed me to match the levels of all the speakers within 0.5 decibel, using channel-level calibration tones recorded from a Dolby Digital receiver along with an NTi Minilyzer audio analyzer and a Mini SPL measurement microphone set for flat response (that is, no A- or C-weighting). If you really want bass for a B652-based garage sound system, youd better add an inexpensive subwoofer. The lower it falls below the reference, the more subdued the sounds in that frequency range are. Despite the use of a relatively large, 6.5-inch woofer, the B652s compact enclosure limited its bass output to an average of 102.2 dB for two speakers from 40 to 63 Hznoticeably below that of any of our other picksalthough this set had fairly decent output of 89.2 dB all the way down to 31.5 Hz. You can pair passive bookshelf speakers with a Bluetooth-equipped stereo receiver (such as the Sony STR-DH190) or with a streaming amplifier (such as the Sonos Amp) to get the latest music-streaming technologies, and if you decide to upgrade your system as new technologies arise, the passive speakers will still work fine. To meet every readers needs, we tested traditional passive speakers as well as active (powered) speakers. 11 AlchemistBleach 2 yr. ago Thanks for the insight. Its fairly common to see audio enthusiasts using refurbished 50-year-old speakers with modern amplifiers and sources. If for no other reason the KEFs coaxial setup will image better, especially on a desk. The video is also on my channel. I don't have an amp to go with them yet and there don't seem to be any great deals, so I'll probably pick up a Yamaha A-S301/501 and get a sound card to use the optical input. The only bad audio system, is the one you don't enjoy to the fullest. B&W's generally need a fair amount of space to breathe or they become boomy being rear ported. 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. 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. How big is your room? At just 11.875 inches high, 6.5 inches deep, and 7 inches wide, each B652 speaker is compact enough to fit on most bookshelves, and because each speaker weighs only 4.7 pounds, most shelves can support them both easily. If youre looking for powered speakers that cost less and sound good, check out our best computer speakers guide. While they may be a tad too large (7.9 x 12.8 x 13 inches) to mount on your wall, theyre advertised as being perfect for bookshelves, and they put their larger cabinet size to use with increased internal volume for clearer sound.