Triangle BR03 - worth a punt?

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Deleted member 195594

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Hi guys,

I've been following @robdmarsh 's Dynaudio Emit review, and read some of his other comments on his Triangle Titus EZs' s (thanks Rob 😊) and have become more and more intrigued with Triangle's speakers.

I have put aside any thought of considering the Comete's or the Titus, as I think combined with my Atoll IN200 Signature, it maybe too much of a good thing in the upper mids.

However, the BR03 has a soft dome tweeter, and apparently is smoother in the highs and upper mids than the higher tier Triangle speakers.

I've seen several YT reviews and online reviews, and the consensus seems to be that the BR03 are pretty special, especially at the price (around £349, or lower in some places).

Firstly, just a disclaimer, I am just having fun at the moment, and not considering the BR03's as my endgame speaker. I've just been out of the game so long, I'm like a sponge trying soak up as much as I can.

I can't get to audition much, but at the price of these speakers, I'd like to try them out just out of curiosity and the fun of it and to experience Triangle speakers. (I may keep them and let my son have them, he's started to take an interest in what he's listening to his music on; I was going to start him off on a desktop system last year/Christmas, but he had upgrades for his PC he wanted instead).

If anyone has first hand experience of the BR03, I'd be interested to hear your experience. Also, if anyone thinks I'm barking mad, and it's a stupid idea putting these speakers at the end of my Atoll, which is in another price bracket altogether, let me know, I won't be offended 👍😊

Thanks for reading
 
Hi guys,

I've been following @robdmarsh 's Dynaudio Emit review, and read some of his other comments on his Triangle Titus EZs' s (thanks Rob 😊) and have become more and more intrigued with Triangle's speakers.

I have put aside any thought of considering the Comete's or the Titus, as I think combined with my Atoll IN200 Signature, it maybe too much of a good thing in the upper mids.

However, the BR03 has a soft dome tweeter, and apparently is smoother in the highs and upper mids than the higher tier Triangle speakers.

I've seen several YT reviews and online reviews, and the consensus seems to be that the BR03 are pretty special, especially at the price (around £349, or lower in some places).

Firstly, just a disclaimer, I am just having fun at the moment, and not considering the BR03's as my endgame speaker. I've just been out of the game so long, I'm like a sponge trying soak up as much as I can.

I can't get to audition much, but at the price of these speakers, I'd like to try them out just out of curiosity and the fun of it and to experience Triangle speakers. (I may keep them and let my son have them, he's started to take an interest in what he's listening to his music on; I was going to start him off on a desktop system last year/Christmas, but he had upgrades for his PC he wanted instead).

If anyone has first hand experience of the BR03, I'd be interested to hear your experience. Also, if anyone thinks I'm barking mad, and it's a stupid idea putting these speakers at the end of my Atoll, which is in another price bracket altogether, let me know, I won't be offended 👍😊

Thanks for reading
you might be very surprised, however I don't think anyone here is going to tell you what you will hear by connecting speakers such as these to your amp.
Go audition, you might be pleasantly surprised and save yourself a shedload of money.
 
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Deleted member 195594

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you might be very surprised, however I don't think anyone here is going to tell you what you will hear by connecting speakers such as these to your amp.
Go audition, you might be pleasantly surprised and save yourself a shedload of money.

Thanks AI, I think I'll give it a go, or I'll have an itch I didn't scratch. As you say; I could be pleasantly surprised.
 
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Most of those reviewing the Borea br03 have said how good they think they sound for budget speakers. One of those reviewers, can't remember which, tried them with a higher end amp and said the results were very pleasing so give it a go I'd say.

I think I will. I know it's their lower tier offering and will probably sound nothing like the Espirit range, but I will get an idea of the Triangle sound.

I think it may have been Jay Soulsik Ayagi? (spelling), the young Canadian YT chap, who mentioned he tried Triangle speakers with his Atoll IN50, or maybe the 80, and liked the pairing. The speaker may have been the Comete though, I can't remember. I'll try and find that vid again.

But anyway, I found a brand new pair of BR03's for £235 from a non-hifi retailer flogging them off cheap; I think they had a couple of pairs. So I think I'll pull the trigger and try and have some fun with them 🤔😊
 

robdmarsh

Well-known member
It's interesting and indeed a bit of a mystery the whole synergy thing. I've heard of course "you must put at least 50% of your budget towards speakers" and then again "the amplifier is the most important element in the chain" and then the source mantra "garbage in, garbage out!", but it's all experimentation. If you have a piece of equipment you really like, try to get eek everything out of that sound you like by trying other things in the chain with that piece.
 
It's interesting and indeed a bit of a mystery the whole synergy thing. I've heard of course "you must put at least 50% of your budget towards speakers" and then again "the amplifier is the most important element in the chain" and then the source mantra "garbage in, garbage out!", but it's all experimentation. If you have a piece of equipment you really like, try to get eek everything out of that sound you like by trying other things in the chain with that piece.
Synergy is strange. It's not an exact science as it boils down to many things: interaction between amp/speakers, room size and acoustics, speaker positioning.

You can demo many combos but once the synergy is right, you know immediately.

These speakers in general are well regarded from owners.
 
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Deleted member 195594

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It's interesting and indeed a bit of a mystery the whole synergy thing. I've heard of course "you must put at least 50% of your budget towards speakers" and then again "the amplifier is the most important element in the chain" and then the source mantra "garbage in, garbage out!", but it's all experimentation. If you have a piece of equipment you really like, try to get eek everything out of that sound you like by trying other things in the chain with that piece.

I agree, there's too many "absolutes" tossed around, such as spend x% on this or that. There is some validity in this but it can dissuade experimentation; it did me when I came back to the hobby.

Now, within financial self-restraint, I want to experiment a little, have a play around.

I like the thought of plugging in a pair of speakers from a lower tier/price bracket to my Atoll and seeing how high the performance of the speakers can be pushed, if that makes sense. Be good to see if there is synergy between Triangle and Atoll generally, as read and seen on YT etc
 
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I pulled the trigger on a pair of BR03's last night, should arrive tomorrow. Looking forward to it; will keep me out of trouble for a while 😊
 
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I know, now he knows what to listen too if the bro3 isn't good enough
Thanks Gasolin 😊

I've never considered the Wharfedale and Mission's above; the W'dales seem excellent bang for buck.

Although, I'm not really looking for an alternative to my Concept 40's by buying the Triangles; I'm just trying to satisfy my curiosity with Triangle as a brand. The BR03 seemed like a relatively cheap (gate) way to do so 🤔😊
 

robdmarsh

Well-known member
Thanks Gasolin 😊

I've never considered the Wharfedale and Mission's above; the W'dales seem excellent bang for buck.

Although, I'm not really looking for an alternative to my Concept 40's by buying the Triangles; I'm just trying to satisfy my curiosity with Triangle as a brand. The BR03 seemed like a relatively cheap (gate) way to do so 🤔😊
Not sure I agree about Wharfedale. I've had two or three Wharfedales in the past and didn't get on with any of them.
 
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My BR03's arrived yesterday morning; I just put my stands in between my Concept 40's, put the BR03's on, plugged them in and let them play from my Bluos playlist while working.

Had them playing all day until about 10pm. Popping in now and again for a listen.

I was not sure what to expect to be honest; I thought they would competent, budget speakers, not really doing anything obviously badly, but not excelling despite all the reviews. (healthy scepticism)

From what I've heard so far, bearing mind my speaker experience isn't as vast as a lot of other members, I was very pleasantly surprised.

There are aspects of their presentation I prefer over my C40's which surprised me. They have a little more air, background detail is more forward, pops out more.
Certain instruments sound more "real?" Although the bass depth isn't as good as the C40's, the actual string hit, pluck, slap of bass guitars and double-bass pops out in a pleasing (to me) way - the C40's are more polite in this aspect.

The same is true across the range to be honest, be it guitar, drums, various percussion instruments.

Broadly speaking, the BR03's to my ears seem to be a more "musical" speaker and I feel more emotionally involved with whats playing than with the C40's.

That's all positive, but the BR03's, despite being more engaging than the C40's in the ways described, they seem to be a little congested on certain tracks, where there is a lot going on. But, considering they've just been plonked in between the C40's, with no consideration of optimal placement, and they're just out of the box really, I'm maybe being over critical.

I'm sure if I removed the C40's and played with positioning properly, it would help improve matters. But even if I just continue to listen as is while the BR03's get some more play hours, I'm more than impressed with these - IMHO at £349 (I paid £235, but that was a lucky freak deal, which made these speakers an even more ridiculous prospect), if my SO took an axe to the C40's and the BR03's were the last available speakers available to me, I could live with it 😊

Having heard, albeit briefly, what Triangle are doing, and the quality apparent in a budget speaker, my interest in the Titus and Comete has been re-envigorated.

I know both of these models are a completely different proposition, what with the horn/titanium? tweeters, so I would definitely need to audition with my Atoll (need to find a stockist near me).

As for the BR03's, I'm going to give them more time powered up and maybe over the coming weeks, move the C40's out of the way, position properly and do some more intense listening.

Overall though, very impressed with the BR03's for the price; couldn't not be at the price I paid, or the current retail price for that matter.

Thanks for reading 🙂
 
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I’ve had my Triangle speakers around 6 months now, and my initial thought was the same, they sound more real, truer to what the instrument would sound like.
mine took an ice age to run in, but once they had they sounded really amazing.
ill be keeping these for a good few years To come.

Thanks for this. Just out of interest; do you have the BR03's, or another model?
 
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hi, no I don’t have the BR03’s. I have the Genese Lyrr floorstanders. 😊👍

Ah yes, I remember reading your thread a little while back. They look amazing, and obviously sound the part more importantly 😊
 
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I moved my Concept 40's out of the way on Sunday, to give the BR03’s some breathing space. They've gone through a couple of stages, where I've sat down and thought "ew no, can't listen to these at the moment", to "wow, that's pretty impressive" Can't remember what I was listening to, but keyboards and drum rim shots seemed disembodied from the the rest of the sound stage, in an ethereal way. The C40's don't tend to do that; the sound stage tends to sit just in front of the speakers.

I have only listened in dribs and drabs to be honest, popping downstairs for a break from work and sitting for 5-10 mins with a brew. I'm going to just let them play while I'm working for the rest of the week as I've been doing, then spend some quality time with them on the weekend.

I probably need to play with positioning too; I have them pointing almost straight ahead, with only a very slight toe-in at the moment.

Still impressed with them, although they do need more play time for sure. If I didn't like them at all, I wouldn't have bothered moving the C40's with my gammy arm 😊
 
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So how do you feel about them now? Are you finding that your amp works well with them or do you think you need higher end speakers?
I was thinking of updating, as I feel I've gone as far as I can with the BR03's

I really like aspects, as I pointed out previously. One thing I don't like, but is probably partially due to my room (smallish) is the low end. The bass on these is really articulate, I feel due to the Atoll's grip on them, but the upper bass/lower mids are too much in my room and masking the rest of the mids. I think it may have something to do with the front firing double ports.

The bass though, as in bass guitar, double bass, acoustic bass sounds terrific, the best I've had in my room so far, out of the Quad S2's and the Concept 40's. I wired up my REL via the Atoll, but found it was more or less redundant with the LFs I was already getting. (I'm not a bass fiend anyway)

I think in a bigger room, the BR03’s would be would much more at home.

So, now I know what the BR03’s are capable of, there's no way I'm going to go for the Comete's, as its basically the same cabinet and double front firing ports. The other thing I've found with the BR03’s after just 2 weeks is that they are extremely smooth up top, probably too smooth; I'd like a bit more bite, which brings me back to the Titus - rear firing port, smaller woofer, and that horn may just negate the aspects of the BR03’s I'm not fussy on.

I feel the Atoll got the most out of the BR03’s, but my room got in the way. (I don't get as much LF extension with the C40's), and as I say, I'd like a bit more excitement up top, without it being overly bright.

I do think the Atoll could be better partnered than the BR03’s, without doubt, but for the money they cost, absolutely brilliant speaker, in the right room. (they're not a small Standmount, and those front firing ports and large-ish woofer need more room to breath than I can offer them)

So, I am really curious about the Titus now; I feel the Atoll maybe a decent match, as the Atoll isn't coming across as tipped up in the upper mids as the British Audiophile suggested (it was at first, but that has dissipated through the 6 weeks or so I've had it), so I'm less dubious about matching the Atoll with the Titus.
 

robdmarsh

Well-known member
Well, I've heard a few bookshelf speakers around and beyond the price of the Titus and none have bettered or even equaled them, for my tastes. As you know, I trialed some Dynaudio Emit 20 here in my system; not in the same league in tonality or higher frequencies. I heard Dali Opticon 2 mk ii the other day...very meh! And then in Richer Sounds a pair of Dali Rubicon 2 on the end of Arcam sa20, which I was vaguely considering as an amp upgrade. Neither the speakers or the amp sounded as good as what I have at home, but there could be a few reasons for this: Bluesound Node and Spotify was being used, I think over bluetooth. Now I don't really like the Node at the best of times, but I think the bluetooth implementation on it is not not very good (to say the least). Then the guy who was demonstrating your amp to me was using Quad S5, large floor-standing speakers. I was not impressed with what I heard but he was using a low grade blueray player as a source, bizarre.

A word about whether they are bass shy or not: they are not bass monsters, far from it, that is not the sound I'm looking for, but the bass they produce with the Denon amp is punchy and well-integrated, and as you have a sub, well you should have nothing to worry about.
 

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