Are you one of those people who scrolls through Amazon, Crutchfield, Audio Advice, and Music Direct on a weekly basis and compares pricing on specific products to look for the best deal possible? Some products (but not all) are becoming more expensive and we’ve had to adjust a number of articles from the past 12 months to reflect those updates. A part of it involves tariffs, but also the rising costs of manufacturing in some markets. Consumers are starting to spend less which means that when they do pull the trigger — they are looking for value for their money on something that is going to really be a smart long-term purchase. The new Triangle BOREA BR04 for $559 need to be on your radar if that applies to you.
Having spent a substantial amount of time listening to products like the original BOREA BR03 and Triangle BOREA BR03 BT (read our review), we think the redesigned BOREA BR04 could be a great foundation for those looking to build a 2.0, 2.1, or even 5.1 system using the loudspeakers from this series.
Let’s take a deeper dive into these bookshelf (front bass port) or stand-mounted loudspeakers that appear to offer excellent value for the money.
BRO4 Overview
The BR04 is a two-way bookshelf loudspeaker that can be placed on a dedicated stand or on a bookshelf or counter. The latest iteration offers several improvements that enhance the low end response of the loudspeaker and also improve the overall clarity and detail retrieval.
The 25mm silk dome tweeter, combined with a waveguide (EFS Technology), ensures precise sound and more even sound diffusion.
One of the best features of the BR03 was its mid-bass and upper midrange performance that offered a rather surprising level of impact and tonal weight. The 16cm midrange/woofer utilises a natural cellulose pulp membrane and the cone profile has been reworked to reduce distortion at high frequencies for improved clarity at higher volume levels.
The new BOREA BR04 is designed for rooms ranging from 10 to 40m² and our experience with the BOREA BR03 BT and BOREA BR03 confirms that to be accurate; EIC Ian White’s old listening room in New Jersey was 16’ x 13’ x 9’ and both speakers never came close to running out of gas at higher listening levels or while watching movies.
New Tubular Vent
The BR04 features a new bass-reflex front mount port for optimized airflow, which provides added bass support. The new vent reduces turbulence and provides more accurate lower frequency sound reproduction, additionally supported by a larger cabinet size. The front port also provides more installation flexibility without compromising sound quality, such as against a wall.
The one thing to remember when positioning a front ported loudspeaker is that their ability to recreate a spacious sounding soundstage is limited by how close to the wall behind them you end up setting them up.
There is a trade-off here. The front port makes it easier to not overload the room with too much bass response, but it does reduce the depth of the soundstage, and you might want to experiment with aiming the speakers directly at your listening position to improve the imaging and also improve the coherency of the mid bass into the midrange.
DVAS System
TRIANGLE’s exclusive DVAS (Driver Vibration Absorption System) reduces vibrations by integrating the drivers into the speaker structure. This is designed to improve the rigidity of the speaker so that vibrations caused by the midrange driver can be attenuated – contributing to improved clarity, detail, and dynamic performance.
Tweeter EFS
EFS (Efficient Flow System) technology starts with a 25 mm tweeter silk dome. The drive unit is placed within a partial horn assembly, which reduces sound directivity regardless of your listening location. This transducer is powered by a neodymium motor that generates a lot of magnetic power with its compact size. It is coupled to a cooling system, ensuring better power handling.
Midwoofer
The Borea line inherits a lot of innovative technology used in the Esprit Ez, and also incorporates a midrange driver with a membrane made out of 100% natural cellulose paper with no surface treatment.
This approach, unique to Triangle, avoids coloration of the intermediate frequencies for more realism and tonal accuracy, especially with voices. The profile of the cone has also been redesigned to improve the rigidity that supports extended frequency response.
Double Binding Posts
The BR04 employs new double binding posts with a redesigned crossover system that more accurately separates mid-bass and high frequencies while maintaining a smooth transition between low and high frequencies. The new binding post system also supports bi-wiring and bi-amping.
Eight Borea Passive Speaker Models
With the addition of the BR04, the Triangle Borea passive speaker range now consists of eight models.
- Floor-standing models (3-way): BR10, BR09, BR08
- Bookshelf/Standmounted Models (2-Way): BR04 (New), BR03, BR02
- Surround Speaker (2-way): BRA1
- Center channel Speaker (2-Way): BRC
The following is a comparison chart for the BR04 and its two previously released bookshelf companions, the BR03 and BR02.
| Model | Borea BR04 | Borea BR03 | Borea BR02 |
| Product Type | Bookshelf Speaker | Bookshelf Speaker | Bookshelf Speaker |
| Price (pair) | $559.00 | $459.00 | $389.00 |
| Crossover Type | 2-Way | 2-Way | 2-Way |
| Crossover Frequency | 3200Hz | 3600Hz | 2500Hz |
| Tweeter | 1 x 1-inch / 25 mm Silk dome Natural | 1 x 1-inch / 25 mm Silk dome | 1 x 1-inch / 25 mm Silk dome |
| Mid-Bass | 1 x 6-inch / 16 cm Cellulose: | 1 x 6-inch / 16 cm Cellulose: | 1 x 5-inch / 13 cm Cellulose: |
| Port (Bass Reflex) | 1 Front Mounted | 2 Front Mounted | 1 Rear Mounted |
| Sensitivity (DB/W/M) | 90 dB | 90dB | 89dB |
| Frequency Response (+/- 3dB) | 44 Hz – 22 KHz | 46Hz – 22 000Hz | 51Hz – 22 000Hz |
| Power Handling (Watts RMS) | 110W | 260W | 80W |
| Impedance | 4.4 Ω / 8 Ω | 4.2 Ω / 8 Ω | 4.2 Ω / 8 Ω |
| Dimensions (WHD) | 8.6 x 16.7 x 12.3 inches 220 x 425 x 314 mm | 8.11 x 15 x 12.36 inches 206 x 380 x 314 mm | 6.93 x 12.2 x 10.8 inches 176 x 310 x 274 mm |
| Net Weight (each) | 8.6 kg / 18.95 lbs | 6.3 kg / 13.9 lbs | 4.9 kg / 10.8 lbs |
| Finishes | Black White Chestnut Light Oak Blue Green : | Black Ash White Light Oak Walnut | Black Ash White Light Oak Walnut |
| Included Accessories | Magnetic protection grille Rubber feet Floorstand is Optional | Magnetic protection grille Rubber feet Floorstand is Optional | Magnetic protection grille Rubber feet Floorstand is Optional |
The Bottom Line
The entry-level passive loudspeaker category is starting to feel rather bottom heavy and that’s actually a very positive development. Manufacturers have come to the realisation (some later than others) that in order to convince consumers that they should go for traditional pair of loudspeakers instead of wireless options — they need to offer products that are superior sonically, affordable, attractive, and the right foundation for a system that might be used for music and movies.
The Triangle BOREA BR04 appear well positioned to deliver on all of those items and when you consider the performance of the previous iteration — these could be a sleeper product below $600 that provide long-term listening enjoyment.
The build quality of the passive and wireless models within the existing range is excellent and all of the engineering updates appear (on paper) to be further enhancements of solid designs. If Triangle has made the BOREA BR04 truly cleaner sounding, slightly softer on top, and better defined in the sub bass to mid bass region — these will be a very engaging listen.
Pricing & Availability
The Triangle BR04 is priced at $599/pair at Amazon and is available from Triangle directly and authorized retailers. Available finishes for the BR04 include Oak Green, Light Oak Blue, Chestnut, White, Black Ash, and Light Oak.
Compatible Stands include (pr): S02 ($299.00) and S05 ($399.00).
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