Triangle Borea BR08
As this round-up reveals, Triangle’s new Borea BR08 arrive into a tough and crowded market. Yet, having spent some time in the company of the BR08, we feel they offer something special.
Their 102cm tall cabinets look a little basic from the outside, but take a closer look, and you’ll find them to be solid, well made and neatly finished.
As would be expected at this price, these enclosures are carefully braced internally to aid rigidity. There’s some invention in the way the drive units are mounted though, with a piece of high-density EVA foam holding the back of the driver firmly against the internal brace for extra stability. But beyond that, there’s little else unusual here.
The speakers come in four finishes – black ash, white, walnut and a rather nice light oak.
Once their plinths are bolted on, the BR08 feel nice and stable, though floor spikes that are more piercing would be useful. The ones supplied aren’t really sharp enough to be able to get through thick carpets to make a really firm contact with the floor underneath.
We can’t complain about the drive unit array though. This is a three-way design with two 16cm fibreglass-coned bass units. There’s also a front-firing reflex port to augment the low-frequency output.
Proven engineering
The 16cm midrange driver is taken from the more-premium Esprit EZ range, and uses Triangle’s favoured cellulose paper cone material. The company likes the material’s combination of relatively low mass, rigidity and self-damping. A 25mm silk-dome tweeter completes the drive-unit array.
These speakers have a relatively high sensitivity of 92db/w/m. While this means you’ll be able to get decent volume levels from low-powered amplifiers, check that yours is happy with an impedance minimum of 3 ohms. Most price compatible amps, such as Cambridge’s CXA81 or Rega’s Elex-r, will be able to cope fine.
These speakers need plenty of room to breathe, with Triangle’s website suggesting that they will work best in rooms between 20-40m square in size. The company recommends placing them at least 40cm from a rear wall and more than 50cm from the sides. Such is the bass output of these speakers that we end up with them around 90cm into our test room, well away from the sides and slightly angled towards the listener.
Once they are positioned with care and partnered with suitably talented electronics, there’s so much to like in the BR08’S sound. The one point of concern is that the 25mm tweeter, while crisp and detailed, is easily provoked. To avoid these issues, don’t use partnering electronics that veer towards brightness, aggression or hardness.
Once that’s done, you can enjoy one of the most entertaining floorstanders we’ve heard at this level. The Borea BR08S deliver a thrill ride with appropriate material. We play Nirvana’s Nevermind and they sound right at home. They punch hard, combining high levels of detail with an enviable ability to tie it altogether to produce a cohesive and musical whole. Those twin bass drivers dig deep but remain agile and articulate.
We can’t think of a better alternative when it comes to rhythmic drive. These towers charge at full throttle, communicating the energy and momentum of the music brilliantly. Cobain’s vocals come through with passion fully intact.
Scale and dynamics
We switch to Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring and these floorstanders continue to impress. Their presentation has huge scale and authority. Wide-ranging dynamics? Tick. Ability to play at high volumes? Tick. Expansive stereo imaging? Almost a tick. While stereo imaging is pretty precise for speakers at this level, it’s not as spacious and layered as some we’ve heard. In this respect it’s a decent rather than exceptional showing. The same can be said about the overall tonal balance; even, rather than ruler-flat.
In overall terms, these Triangles are exceptional and certainly good enough to challenge the very best at this price. They’re happy playing all genres of music and do it with a charm that’s addictive. Listen to these before you buy anything at this price. You’ll be thankful you did.