While it is not unknown to sell product sight unseen, the recent release of the new Borea range from Triangle took this to new heights.
50% of the BR03 model was sold before we received them – and given that to the best of our knowledge no-one in Australia had even heard a pair, that was quite an achievement!
Borea is Triangle’s new budget speaker range. One that has been stirring up a storm overseas. The range has been available for some months in Europe with the BR03 already picking up Product of the Year (speakers) by Hi-fi Trends who commented ‘Their design, clarity, and range are head and shoulders above anything in their price range’.
They also received a 5 Star review in What Hi-Fi and the Applause Award in StereoNet UK (‘…..this baby box will blow your mind’); one of the lowest priced components ever to receive this award.
Most impressively the range has received the 2020-2021 EISA award for ‘Best Buy Home Theatre Speaker System’ – this is the Oscars of our industry.
With these awards and reviews such as Soundstage Access (‘To say that Triangle’s Borea BR03 is a steal is an understatement’) you can understand why people have been ordering these speakers unheard!
The initial release in Australia consists of four models, with a least another two due later in the year (hopefully). They are available in Black, White and Walnut.
- BR02: The most compact speaker in the range. A perfect introduction to the world of hi-fi, this small speaker will surprise you by the immersion and sound amplitude it provides. $650/pr.
- BR03: The bookshelf speaker creating all the fuss overseas. $850/pr. (available in black only at this stage)
- BR08: A speaker inspired by the iconic Antal speaker from Triangle’s more expensive Esprit range. This is an elegant three-way floor-standing with 4 drivers and represents exceptionally good value. $1,900/pr.
- BRC1: The matching centre channel for the three models above. $500.
As the BR03 appears to be the sweet spot of this range I spent a considerable amount of time listening to this model. Many reviewers have commented on the all-important midrange, and they do excel in this area (one reviewer likened them to his reference Focal Sopra 1’s – a speaker costing close to 20 times more than the Borea!). However, a good speaker is not only about midrange. Pat Metheny’s ‘Sound of Silence’ shows excellent detail in the regions above the mids. Given limitations in box size (and price) bass reproduction easily exceeds what you would expect. The soundstage is wide – and high. Playing Tamam Shud’s ‘The Ship’ (from their Resonate album) the layering of the instruments on the intro is holographic, almost psychedelic.
One thing that I always look for in any system is the ability to convey emotion – Johnny Cash’s ‘Give my love to Rose’ from his American IV album comes up trumps, relaying all the emotional intensity that this recording is renowned for. In fact, it was difficult to concentrate on the speakers, being drawn instead into the story being told (and isn’t that what this is all about).
Is this the perfect speaker? Of course not, but I found myself time and time again reminding myself that I was listening to a pair of speakers costing only $850! They have their limitations, but you are going to be hard pressed to come up with a speaker costing less than $1,000 that will rival the Borea BR03. Truly remarkable value.
I cannot wait to hear what they sound like once they are run in.
