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. Looking for first speaker set [onkyo9010], Advice needed, mixed usage stereo & home cinema, with bias towards stereo music. Wharfedales Diamond 220 set had good detail and nice bass but produced a boxy sound, with a narrow soundstage. I started reviewing speakers professionally in 1991 as senior editor of Video magazine, and Ive since served as an editor or writer at audio-focused publications such as Home Theater, Sound & Vision, SoundStage, and HomeTheaterReview.com. Triangle Borea BR03 Vs KEF Q150 - YouTube Privacy Policy. Its a neat concept, but the speakers sound is rather thin and crude. Id be interested to hear a comparison between the Triangle Esprit Comte EZ and the Polk Legend L200 as they are more similarly priced to one another and feature the same size drivers. Kef Q150, especially when they were on sale half price for $300 couple weeks back. A larger version, the Kanto YU6, won over two of our listeners, but the others werent impressed. 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.. Instrument separation and detail are impressive, and we like how the low-end bass instruments and baritones is clear and belies a speaker this size (11.92 x 7.08 x 10.94 inches). So depending on how much room you have, they might be a better choice. They will also highlight poor recording quality, so consider your source. In addition to our subjective panel testing, we measured each system to get an unbiased second opinion and detect any anomalies. Here are the criteria we considered when deciding which models to test: A pair of speakers can cost anywhere from two to seven figures. Bottlehead Reduction + Integration Upgrade, Cambridge Audio CXA60 integrated amplifier, Fluance RT82 turntable w/ Nagaoka MP-110 cart, Bottlehead Reduction + Integration upgrade phono preamp, Audioquest Golden Gate interconnect cables, Audioquest Red River interconnects cables (phono pre to RF1), APC H10 line conditioner / surge protector. Youll also want to ensure your speakers can handle the power output (measured in watts) of your amp. Copyright 2000-2023 M2N Limited E. & O.E. My Own Devices Audio Channel. You must log in or register to reply here. The only bad audio system, is the one you don't enjoy to the fullest. Considering the recent price drop for the R-51PM, and the fact that the R-51PM is already a little bass-challenged, it seems like a bad idea to go after even less bass just to save a few dollars. 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. From the very first notes, the BR03 impresses with its energy, delivery of deep notes and power handling. Very cool Victor! With that in mind, weve gone for style-conscious designs. Curious to hear them in person. It should last for years and deliver better performance than you can get from the majority of all-in-one Bluetooth and Wi-Fi speakers that are all the rage now. The Onkyo A-9110 provides 30 W @ 8 Ohm. However, the cardboard in its packaging can be recycled. This size is especially recommended for dedicated listeners looking for the performance of a floorstander in a compact design. The S1000MKII is the first powered speaker system weve tried that supports the aptX HD Bluetooth codec, a newer version of the aptX codec that runs at a higher data rate. 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. 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. A removable grille is included. I haven't used any of the others, but I'm really loving my Dali's and don't regret them one bit. Good thinking! For near field listing the Kef you mentioned. But the methods of recycling these products may have their own adverse impacts. Haven't tried the Kefs, but have no qualm recommending the BR02s. Music stuff - Roksan Kandy KA1-MKIII, Dynaudio DM2/6, REL Strata III, 16.0mm 6181Y Double Insulated Cable (commonly electrical meter tails). 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. Looking to mount your speakers on a stand? Triangle Borea BR03 Standmount Speaker Review | AVForums The Klipsch R-41PM (which we did not test) is a smaller version of the R-51PM with the same features but a smaller woofer. The Edifier S1000MKII had excellent measured on-axis frequency response by any standard, but its results were especially good for a speaker in its price range. And measuring 8.11 x 12.36 x 14.96 inches, the Borea BR03s are the largest on this list, too. Speakers' corner: the best budget bookshelf speakers under $500 - NME The Q acoustic concept 20s and Elac debuts (can't seem to get the other speakers mentioned) seem to be about double the price of the other options I proposed so I'm not sure whether that's worth it in my market. Unfortunately, in our tests this pair had almost no bass and distorted easily. The Klipsch R-51PM comes with a nice remote that includes subwoofer output-level controls, so you can fine-tune the bass level without having to make adjustments on the subwoofer itself (if you add one). The higher the speaker line rises above the reference line, the more exaggerated those frequencies are. 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). highend666. With its tone controls centered, the Edifier R1700BTs pair sounded too trebly and thin, and voices sounded coarse and crude. The looks are refined (four finish options are available), and the engineering is outstanding. Through the years, weve tested many more speakers than what we list here, but weve deleted many older and discontinued models. 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. The DBR62's have a very wide soundstage and decent bass response for a front slot ported design. Is there any of these that should be a clear favourite? To get an unbiased second opinion on these speakers, and to ensure we werent picking something that strayed far outside established engineering norms, I ran frequency response measurements on all of the models that did well in my casual listening tests. The Spektor 2 has the best bass response, is reasonable smooth but not as revealing. They are both great speakers by my standard (I'm no expert), and by the standard of many others as well as evidenced by the numerous good reviews for each. If youre looking to build a compact, affordable stereo system, we like the Fosi Audio BT20A mini stereo amplifier for its combination of power and features. Powered by Xenforo, Hosted by Nimbus Hosting, Original design Critical Media Ltd. These speakers were not very picky on placement and they did not require much power to get good sound levels. Stylish design and great sound make the Polk Signature Elite ES15, ES10, and ES30 combo our pick for the best surround-sound system. I use the older Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D THX PCIE Sound Card SB1350. We found that the more high-frequency sounds the music contained, the harsher the B652 sounded. A better comparison may be the Polk L200 vs the KEF R series bookshelf speaker (3-way design). Thanks all for the suggestions. The Monoprice Monolith Encore B6 might be a good choice for people who want big bass on a budget. 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. PSB Alpha P5 vs Kef Q150 vs Triangle BR03 vs Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2 review. The Dayton Audio MK402X looks a little nicer than the B652, but its mid range sounded a little rough, and it didnt have much bass. If you want smaller active speakers for an office or bedroom where you may not need or want loud volumes and deep bass: Even though the Audioengine HD3 powered speakers measure only 7 inches high, they put out a surprisingly full sound that our listeners liked in previous panel tests. The Dayton Audio B452 is a smaller version of the B652. They are both 399, do just a question of which is superior and would fill room better. The B652 uses spring-clip connectors, not binding posts, to hold the speaker wire. I know you gave all of the candidates every opportunity to prove themselves. 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. Subscribe. insider9 A keyhole mounting bracket on the back makes it easy to hang each speaker from a drywall screw; in my lab, I have a set hanging this way, which I use to produce noise for headphone measurements. You must log in or register to reply here. KEF . How big is your room? If youre looking for powered speakers that cost less and sound good, check out our best computer speakers guide. I'll most likely go with the kefs since they're slighter cheaper than the triangles. The availability of four different finishes (white, black, gray, and walnut) makes this speaker easier to match with your room. And the company said it is often able to repair speaker drivers that are decades oldsomething thats true of the speaker industry in general. You might also like: It also has no output to connect a subwoofer, if you want more bass. And not forgetting the Q Acoustics Concept 20 if they are available in Belgium. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a28c9117a1c8b83 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The KEF Q150, however, while also a good product at this price point, doesn't stack up against its competitors quite as well. Among all the powered speakers we tested, the S1000MKII pair produced the most enveloping sound; its vocal reproduction was realistic, too, and its bass was impressively full. I then moved on to more formal testing, in which I concealed all the speakers behind a sheet of thin, black fabric in my acoustically treated listening room. When youre comparing speakers around the same price range that both have a good reputation, there is no better one. Rega Planar 2, Rega Brio, Rega Fono Mk3, IFI Zen Blue 2, Marantz CD6006UK, Dali Opticon 1 Mk II. company number 03997482, registered in England and Wales. In the R-51PMs frequency response measurements, we did see a rise of a couple of decibels in the treble, specifically between 3.5 and 7.5 kHz, which is where cymbals and the upper harmonics of the human voice, snare drum, acoustic guitar, and flute reside. We used a wide variety of music for testing, including Tracy Chapmans Fast Car (found by audio testing experts at Harman International to be the all-around best overall choice for speaker listening tests), Lil Babys Woah, Ccile McLorin Salvants version of Wives and Lovers, and the live version of James Taylors Shower the People digitally dubbed from the Live at the Beacon Theatre DVD. Big (7.09 x 9.21 x 13.43 inches), black and bold, the ELAC Debut B5.2s look indestructible in that 80s sort of way if thats your jam. 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 charts below show the on-axis (directly in front) frequency response of our picks. I hope to be able to articulate that well someday! But thank you for the suggestions. These speakers are more forgiving than the KEFs, which may be important since it sounds like you may be using these as computer speakers in addition to music. 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. and our For example, the BR02 are significantly smaller. Powered by Xenforo, Hosted by Nimbus Hosting, Original design Critical Media Ltd. The Triangle Borea BR02 sounded much like the BR03 but had less bass and sounded a little brighter and more trebly. I was so impressed with the BR03 that I had to check out . The Dayton Audio B652 had a fairly even response except for a large peak and dip in the middle of the treble range, where the tweeter started to operate. Archived post. I favor these when I want to toss something on in the background and chill out. A great pair of bookshelf speakers is one of the best investments a music lover can make. Are there any major differences to how these sound? The KLH Albany II sounds pretty good for its fairly modest price. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Credit: Triangle Manufacture Electroacoustique These monochrome offerings from Triangle come in both black and white pairs and are pretty sizeable, making a true. 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. The Audioengine HD6 set is a larger version of the HD3 pair (which we describe in Other bookshelf speakers we like), but only one panelist in our previous testing liked the sound. The Borea BR03 is larger than our other passive-speaker picks, but its just-right proportions keep it from looking intrusive. The frequency response measurements for the S1000MKII were a little shocking in that they were the best of any of the speakers we tested. PSB Alpha P5 vs Kef Q150 vs Triangle BR03 vs Elac Debut 2.0 B6 - reddit This system does have a defeatable dynamic bass control that boosts the bass at low volumes, but in our experience it didnt seem to help, especially considering we did most of our testing at moderately loud levels. Bookshelf Speaker "Shootout" (under $600) Polk Audio Forum Considering how negligible the price premium is for the B652, we recommend the larger model if you have space for it. Triangle Borea BR03 are a popular option in the middle of the speakers price range. Very good sound and couple of guys on here also speak well of them. What stands out in the 3020is performance is the detail and clarity that these speakers bring out in every recording. This impressive level of detail should be just as beneficial with the drum machine and electronic effects on hip-hop tunes, as well as the dozens of interwoven instrumental sounds on orchestral recordings. I was expecting a fuller sound from the ELAC DBR62 since it has the 6.5 woofer compared to the 5.25 woofer on the KEF Q150 but it just didnt work out that way, at least, not in a significant way to my ears. Many readers are concerned about how the manufacturing, shipping, and normal use of the products we recommend impact the world. I have rears for surround sound. Triangle Up-sizes The Sophistication. (Whats a phono preamp? They also seem to represent incredible emotion in male vocals, such as Aaron Neville's cover of Ain't No Sunshine or Mo Ghile Mear - Choral Scholars of University of Dublin. The under-$50 Dayton Audio B652 passive-speaker pair is the ideal complement to an inexpensive mini stereo amplifier or an old receiver youd like to put to good use. 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) . As the name suggests, these speakers are sized to fit on a shelf or to be mounted in a stand. Our panelists thought the Cambridge Audio SX-50 had a rather dull-sounding upper midrange, which made voices sound less clear. Triangle Borea BR03 Review (bookshelf speaker) The Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 and 12.2 got similar reactions from our panelists. 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. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. It includes bass and treble controls for you to fine-tune the sound to your liking, as well as a remote, a variety of input options, and built-in Bluetooth. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required as is 20 years of participation in forums (not all true). We suggest keeping the tone controls centered because this speaker sounds its best right out of the box. In our tests it did a reasonable job with the bass notes in most light rock and pop music. The addition of USB and optical digital audio inputs, a subwoofer output to connect a powered subwoofer, and a nice remote control give the system excellent versatility.