Having had these speakers for a year now, I still scratch my head at this review. You literally heard the exact opposite of what I experience daily. They have beautifully smooth but clear treble and mid-range to die for. Seriously, your review is the polar opposite of what I hear. Zero Fidelity's review mirrors my experience. There is a train of thought that the pale finished speakers you reviewed may have had an issue since the poor reviews all seem to have that factor in common.
@@Ploddypop11 Not really ! it's all abt system energy. He uses the Anthem amp which is the lower version of the Bryston. While the Bryston is very neutral, the cheaper Anthem amp is very bright. I owned both the Bryston 4 B SST and the Bryston Pre BO 20 and they sounds amazing unlike the Anthem.
These speakers are everything you say they not, extraordinary clarity up and down the audio spectrum, crystal clear vocals. They kick butt with jazz and classical.. I must have bought the good pair! Comparing directly with Klipsch RF-3ll towers, Airmotive B1+ and Quartets my reference standards.
I've gotten a few comments like this so I put them back up to see if I was wrong and listened to them again. For me, they are not as detailed and clear as the Klipsch or the Elacs. I also have the Emotiva B1+'s and the bros that I have aren't even in the same ballpark for clarity. However, I'm glad you love yours. These just aren't for me. Even the person I got them from told me the reason he was parting with them when he's had them for less than a month is because they aren't detailed enough and he was comparing them to the LS50 which I've also owned. I've heard glowing reviews about these and reviews that haven't been so glowing. For me, I A/B/C'd these against the RP600M and the Elac Debut Reference. I'm not saying that these sound bad, I'm simply saying they aren't as detailed as the others. Maybe with only listening to these the detail come back if one isn't comparing them directly to another speaker. I've had speakers that aren't as forward when compared to others come forward when I'm just listening to them after a while. I appreciate your view point and you watching.
Hi I just get this speakers 6 days ago and I love it if you check more videos on TH-cam about this BR03s I think the color you have have some problems because all the bad reviews about this BR03s are in this color I have the cherry color and bro those speakers sounds amazing I love it I have clipksch rp600m and clipksch the fives for my tv but the BR03s with my tube amp dammmm is on another level anyway nice video and that's your opinion but I think is the color of the speakers you get a bad unit
Alright, so something is going on with these speakers...hear me out I purchased a pair of these to replace my RP-160m's about 8 months ago. I enjoyed the Klipsch speakers but wanted something less forward and less grainy in the top end, along with thicker bass. At the time, my setup was: Schiit Mani/Loki, Rega Planar 3 + Nagaoka MP110, Project Tube Box DS > IOTAVX SA3 and PA3 stack > Triangle Bro3's on decent sandfilled stands. In my room, in my setup, the Triangles were fatiguing to listen to. The treble was certainly not rolled off. In fact, my Klipsch speakers were buttery smooth comparatively. They were also somewhat forward. The bass was also not full sounding (at all) and the mid-range had very little "meat on the bones." Yet, in certain parts of my room (say when I was standing next to a wall), the wall reinforcement gave the impression I was running a damn subwoofer in the way the speaker was projecting bass. No matter how I set these speakers up, I couldn't get them to work, even after breaking them in as much as possible before I sent them back. However, I have had no problems with either my old 160m's or current ELAC DBR62's regarding setup and room placement. If you've seen the review Zeos did, I had a very similar experience, as did a few commenters. While Zeos was reviewing in what is essentially a Batcave, I had mine in a typical bedroom setup about 6 or 7ft apart, normal unilateral triangle setup. I'm not sure what your room looks like Cheapaudioman, but you're one of the first I've seen describing the speaker as "rolled off" or veiled. This leads me to believe that these Triangles are way more sensitive to room placement than your typical standmount. I wholeheartedly believe what Sean at Zerofidelity and Thomas&Stereo have said about this speaker is still 100% correct. In their setup's and in their rooms, these speakers did fantastically (although Thomas did mention these benefit from break in). I can personally attest that Sean's descriptions are probably the most accurate I've seen as well, as I've bought and listened to some of the gear he has reviewed. There's also the amount of customer reviews and commenters also sharing positive experiences to consider. What everyone is missing in these reviews, I believe, is the room factor. I suspect these speakers are just way more sensitive to the room and placement than other bookshelves, perhaps due to the way the project bass. I'm not entirely sure, however I don't believe people should blindly believe the hype nor immediately dismiss these speakers based on the reviews. They should try them out themselves and return them if needed.
You could absolutely be right. I'm not saying these are bad speakers at all. They're just not for me at this price and compared to other speakers I don't think they have as much detail in the mids and highs. I get very critical of speakers at this price even though a lot of people consider this to be "entry level". Sean knows way more than I do. I'm just a guy that throws up some speakers and trys them with different amps and moves them around a bit. They just didn't do it for me. If I wasn't really critically listening and hadn't heard other speakers I'd probably kind of like this speaker... just not at $550. People also love the Polk T15's and I hate them. They have over 4700 positive reviews on amazon
@@cheapaudioman The 4700 pos reviews are ppl who listen to harsh digital media, I used to use T15 in my vinyl setup, they made my records sound like AM radio, using Nagaoka MP110 cart, LP120 TT (filters removed) and TC-778 phono amp. I did once play post Y2K CDs through them and they sounded fine, those CDs were bass & treble hot
I've owned Triangle Comete Es since 2008 - and even though they are front ported they don't like being near walls and they don't like being on stands without ballast. I've never heard the Borea but the design is similar so I'd guess they do their best work in free space as well.
So funny how it differe. I love them and find them very entertaining speaker for music listening. AND why they got a special place is because of exactly the black album by Metallica haha. In my room with my gear paired with a sub they sound to me very detailed in treble and it was the forward midrange that made me fall in love with them lol. But toe in is very important i feel them lacking in detail without the correct toe in
Bravo for your honest reviews! I've watched other reviews on the Bro-3 and they've been both Great and Meh. You nailed it by saying that they're not for you! They may be great for someone given different parameters. We all need to be reminded of that!!!
One word, Tone. With very natural sound at it's at USD 480. Adele recordings are really not good, it's as bad as she is popular or great as a singer. Paper drivers though needs a long break in time. This speaker sounds better with Class D Amps. It may have been tuned on Class D as it sounds at a higher level. Do have a good Class D amp maybe one with a tube buffer, it's transformative with this one ...Don't reference just YT creators but those with extensive experience and a real audiophile going to shows, getting updated, access to ultra high end and treated rooms whether they are YT or not. ... Really appreciate your honest on what you hear, the speaker sucks at your place and equipment used. This happens. Really found a dream book shelf speaker and not impressive to many then they did a nice demo in a show and really impressed an ultra high end enthusiast reviewer having bought systems with Focal Utopia, Magico M series, Wilson Alexandria++ - impressive including bass for a stand mount....Hope you get a good Class D amp and a tube in the chain for reviews that would be great....On that thought maybe you can do a system below usd 500 shoot out not just speakers as synergy matters even at this budget even more so ...
I think other factors go into influencing the sound from speakers like room acoustics, speaker placement, pairing with DAC and Amp, quality of wire, etc., but to me I find the top end and mid range revealing with plenty of detail. I define "detail" as having information, not overly trebly, shrill or piercing. The fact that some tracks sounded "veiled" in the mid range in fact goes to show the revealing nature of these speakers pointing at how the track was mixed and not to the fault of the speakers. Everything else is pretty accurate. To each their own.
Just got them and you are absolute right, the midrange is not clear. Something plays over the midrange and supresed it. They are good but man a soon you hear the wrong midrange you cannot unhear it :(
Good job on the review. I also have had good amount of experience with bookshelf speakers in this price range (KEF Q150, Klipsch RP-600M, ELAC UB5, Infinity R162, etc.) and I really like the Triangle Borea BR02, which is the smaller 5.25" driver version. Your description of the sound signature is similar to my findings, except for the midrange which is definitely forward in my experience. You're right that the Triangles aren't the clearest or most detailed of the bunch, however, I like the BR02 more than the other aforementioned speakers because they just make music sound good. I should be forthcoming and state that I'm not looking for ultimate transparency or "truth", I just like to listen to music. If you break everything down into individual pieces, other speakers will best them in different categories (R162 has tighter bass, RP-600M is more dynamic, ELAC UB5 better instrument separation, KEF is more detailed, etc.), but taken as a whole, I just find the Triangle to sound more musically satisfying than these other speakers. I think that boils down to taste/preference, room acoustics, and equipment matching. For me, the RP-600M has a slight V-curve that sucks out the midrange, the Q150 and R162 can sound too bright up top and overall tone is a bit too sterile/clinical sounding, ELAC is a little too dark/rolled off, etc. The Triangle is by no means a perfect speaker, but I think they sound great.
I'm glad you like them. I'm doing a video tomorrow with them against the 600m's and the Reference. I'd like to try the Bro2's if I can get a hold of them.
Yeah I have the Bro2’s and are my fav speaker. I also have Dali Zensor 1 & 3’s, BW 607’s and QA3020i’s. Zeos liked the 02’s over the 03’s, so yeah, see if you can get some. It’d be interesting to see what you think
I also recently got a Borea BR03 and first had the same experience. It was detailed but not open enough it sounded dull. I was running it with a primare i21 amp which is a bit cold. After I took them to my downstairs garden floor. Over I have a vintage stereo made of Acoustic Research AR5 speakers and pioneer sx-950 receiver. I connected the bro3 to the sx-950. The bros sounded so open I couldn’t believe my ears. It sounded like a different speaker. Also the acoustic downstairs is better than upstairs so I guess those 2 factors have changed the sound of the BR03
Strange I ‘ve had a totally different experience. I ‘ve replaced my triangle br03 because I was getting so much detail in the songs with audiolab 6000a. The detail was too much in busy songs with a lot of instruments. I mean, I was hearing even the most subtle sounds in the songs, some of them never heard before. At times that level of detail was becoming overwhelming.
I’ve had the bro 3’s since April. I’m running a Parasound A23+ amp and Schitt Fraya + w Dynavector DV 20X cart and two 8” subs. I think the Bro 3’s sounds Killer! I listen to Rock and Roll and metal for the majority but I’ll throw in some jazz now and then to chill and see what the other side likes. Again midrange is silky smooth treble sounds good and bass is there but I reinforce with the subs. I had the Polk books for 8 yrs the Bros blow them away listening to 2 channel hi fi. Polka sound decent for home theater that’s where they live now. Cheers
I seriously think you might have tested a defective pair of speakers. Get triangle to ship you some new ones. I definitely am not hearing what you are hearing.
fantastic review! very interesting impressions you have here... i know jazz (or classical music) is not your thing...but since great jazz is not compressed (or at least, way less compressed than pop and rock), it would be awesome if you could include a jazz trio or quartet (a bill evans or dave brubeck or the famous getz/gilberto album) into your audition analysis of speakers. it would provide us with very valuable information of how speakers behave and your overall impressions on less compressed material! really hope you add that to your arsenal. you're doing a great job! (hey...you did mention "so what" of the miles davies kind of blue album...cool!!)
I picked these up for $350 through Adorama recently, I'm in love, although for my use case they are a little BIG but that's okay. I like that it's front ported too... Now they've been on my radar for quite some time and I was NOT sold on the $550 price tag, not even $450, not $400, but $350 I can do that.
I am so glad I watched your video, I bought the BRO2s 1 year ago, and felt exactly the same way. No clarity in the midrange & incredibly rolled off top end. Like trying to look through a dirty or foggy window into the musical landscape. For some crazy reason, I thought maybe the BRO 3s might be better… so glad I didn’t pull the trigger. At $319 on Amazon they are very attractive but I know I will be returning it after two weeks, so why bother the Amazon delivery guy!
Delightfully grumpy episode :) What I learned in this vintage episode were some things that give CAM the grumps: Br03s, doubling one's subscriber account, excess cash influx. Also, the diverging opinions on these speakers actually make me even more curious about them. Well played.
Love this review! I think what separates you from the rest is your musicianship experience. Top end clarity is so important to me, and it sounds like these fail with high to mid-high frequencies. Thank you bro! (Pun intended!) 🔥😎
Man, I would love to listen to yours in your room. That brings up a good point though. I'm going to try to get these into a different room and see how they sound. I just like to eliminate as many variables as I can when comparing and reviewing speakers. People love this speaker and I get it that I might be calling some people's kids ugly. I don't hate it, I just think there are better speakers out there and less expensive alternatives.
My experience too. I had a pair of Elec 5.2s and waitied and waitied for them to break in to release the sound I was told was there. Never came. Swapped a pair of these in and MAN! All the detail and dynamics that the Elacs missed came flooding in with the Triangles. No contest. Love them.
I had the Borea 3's and ultimately sold them. They did tone right. I couldn't get the bass out of them which so many reviewers gushed over. The treble had a grittiness to it that bothered me over time as well and they didn't enjoy being played at higher volumes. I tried different rooms, different gear to no avail so most of the time they sat...on a bookshelf. That being said I didn't give up. I'm trying the Borea 2's instead. Seeing a couple of other reviews that were posted by people reviewing both tended to favor the 2's so we will see. I caught them on the Slickdeals app through Adorama for $279. The only reason I didn't want to give up was I own an old pair of Triangle Celius 202 floor standers which are spectacular but require a subwoofer for the bottom end because of their dryer sound signature. It's all in what works with their environment and the sound they're going after. Happy listening ✌️
I have Triangle Zetas with a titanium tweeter that for its' price does very well except for really low bass but I don't miss it. Great mids and highs with clarity for a budget speaker. Not sure about a soft dome on Triangles, it really isn't what they're known for.
I’ve been scouring the internet for around an hour and I FINALLY found someone with the exact same experience as me! It seemed like they needed to be turned up to really liven up the bass, but the the treble became fatiguing. I’m not sure if the hype was all before people spent extended periods listening to them, but I certainly found that impossible. I wish I could have seen this comment sooner 😭
Keep up the midrange game! Dissect that section more and more. It bugs me to see majority of reviews always get stuck at the highs/lows and only spend 5 seconds on mids.
I totally agree with everything you said Randy. I bought these last year. I think they might sound a little better with my class D amp, but hooked to my old Soundcraftsmen I really don't care for them. Muddy in your face midrange and little treble is what I hear. Maybe I'm spoiled from higher tech gear and it's not fair to compare them to that. Thanks for all of your reviews. If in the future if I want to buy more gear, Im going to check your site first. (I think our ears are hearing the same thing) Maybe these would be Ok with classical or only acoustical music, ( not sure) but I don't listen to that.
after doing some research I got a pair of the BRO3 and I am very happy with them. I drive them with the Jeff Rowland 125 power amp and Schiit Freya+ preamp. Great combination!
Good lord man, fix your table. That flex is giving me anxiety. Grab a couple 2 x 4's and a screw gun or some PL Premium and stiffen it up a bit. Maybe put some Polk floorstanders under it ?
The other possibility for so many opposing views on this speaker is equipment synergy. I suspect it would work better with brighter sound SS amps or class D amps..
"Front looks like a storm trooper." Just ordered these but I also own the Emotiva B1+, which has been described as "Darth Vader's speaker." I don't like where I'm heading
in the same price range: Elacs Unifi2 (would be cool to get your opinion on those!) . also, very cool if you could get your hands on the Tekton Mini Lores ($565 pair). i did purchase the Tekton Lore reference after the glowing reviews I found on the internet.... but was really underwhelmed by those speakers! very flat sounding and lacking in texture. no meat in the mids, that's for sure. returned them! still, the mini lores would be interesting compared to the Klipsch and the Elac Reference you like so much.
I would love to hear the Unifi UB5.2's. I have the first gen and I love them. Andrew Jones actually commented on one of my videos. Would love to give the UB5.2's a test drive.
I owned Elac Unifi for 1 year, very balanced sound, good for jazz, blues, but very flat sounding, boring to listen to. Triangles Borea 3 way better, like 5x better, better imaging, lively tone, sounds great on all types music, still happily own them. Sold Elacs, forgettable tone, unlively highs, mellow mids, bass.
I own the borea bro3's and I agree that they dont scale so well with the gear. But they sound best out of all budget speakers on 200dollar amps. That is why they are so high recommendation for budget audiophiles :D.
I think you did particularly well here. Your observations sound spot on as they say. When you talk $550 there are tons of choices that can really sound great. These don’t sound like it’s worth the doe rae me.
I bought them damaged for 300 to replace B&W 602s (pawn shop $100). I'm very cheap and i was never really impressed with the triangles. But my experience with clarity is different from this reviewer. Being cheap i decided to build my own analog electronics and spent a couple years learning amp building repairing buying broken midfi fixing, learning, selling and constantly switching gear. I had those speakers when i began moving out of midfi and dabbling in DIY brittish high end, Naim, Linn, and their upgradable power supply ecosystems. The triangles, effortlesstly communicated the improvements in sound, revealing the bennefits to various electronic upgrades. When i went into the Pass Class A DIY rabbit hole the triangle really stepped up and took another layer of haze away and started to blossom in the mids. Then add in a R2R Denafrips, another easily discernable improvement in the triamgle. When i fixed up a dedicated music server with Winyl, audio optimizer, fidelizer, decrapifier etc. I'll be damned if they don't sound pretty good now. I bought a used microrendu and use it to play from a mac mini and wow, as good as the pc winyl setup. Clarity was there, it was being stiffled with mediocre electronics in my case.
Alright, so after listening to my newly acquired Bro3’s for the last 6.5hrs, I’m convinced there’s something totally off with the pair of Bro3s you received... There’s nothing veiled or recessed to my ears about these speakers. In fact, I experienced a shocking amount of detail and resolution from these speakers. In some cases, it was almost too much of a good thing, meaning they are definitely on the forward side of neutral and they’re lively as hell. Are they my taste/preference? Not exactly but they’re currently fun as hell to listen to. Probably not worth the trouble but I almost wish you had another pair to try...
I'll put them back up and give them more of a listen. I listened to them with the grills off. When I'm saying veiled though I mean compared to the RP600M and the Elacs. I'll give them another shot and if I feel differently, I'll do another video. Appreciate it. I've had a fair amount of comments disagreeing with my take on them.
@@cheapaudioman Yeah be interesting if they change at all for you.. Funny thing is, I wanted so badly to dislike these as my old lady feels I have enough speakers but damn, track after track and these are kinda fun.
I have owned the Triangle Borea Bro 3 for about a year now and I think they sound amazing. I have a large basement with tons of acoustic tiles and good amount of sound damping acoustic material above my drop ceiling. This speaker has excellent bass actually fantastic bass. Please play Mickey Hart's "The Gates of Dafos" track on the album "Dafos" or any track on this album and you should be blown away with the intensity coming from Mickey's drums, it should send shivers down your spine or something is not correct in your setup. Sara Bareilles "Gravity" track live at Variety Playhouse in Georgia another fantastic display of what the Borea Bro 3 can showcase with a wonderful female vocal and great live recording. For the money I think these speakers rock. I'm using either a Vicent 31-SA preamp or Schitt Freya + preamp and the Odyssey Khartago Stereo Extreme amplifier or two Mono Blocked Legacy B&K ST-140 amplifiers and Schitt Audios upgraded BitFrost DAC and Amazon Ultra HD streaming audio as my source running through a Dell Laptop into the Schiit DAC. All the components sound fantastic. But what do I know as I'm not a reviewer. Perhaps people should rely on Z's opinion when he demos speakers in his cement basement with zero acoustic material!
@@davidmlevitt Right on Dave, on all your points! Especially when you pair them up with great components such as you are. Lol on the Z Reviews comment, dude tested them in about the worse environment possible. I'm not out here claiming the Bro3s are the "whole enchilada" but for the money, they're stupid good, detail centric and fun as hell.
I am watching this now as I was looking at a set of these speakers, and other reviews I have seen also said lack of midrange, especially upper mids. It's one of the reasons I am shying away from them as I like a balanced to warm speaker, with a little bit of a forward midrange, epecillay upper mids where a lot of female vocals are.
I bought these awhile back. Played them for a couple of weeks. I thought they were decent, but not anything close to the great reviews from other Audiophile reviewers. Anyway, my Epos Epic 2 speakers are back in place. I haven't found anything I like better yet!!
Randy, sounds like you are not Hot for these speakers as so many others are.... I'm on the fence on these vs the Klipsch's 600Ms, and /or Elac References. I am looking to replace current Fluance Signature Series which is currently paired with Elac Debut 6.2s.. I am running two pairs of speakers in my Finished Basement Studio -created in COVID hibernation. My problem is amplified (excuse the Pun), in that the speakers that will use, must be against the wall or bookshelf . I have no room to place them 2-3 feet from the wall. Appreciate your comments and advice. You are Practical and offer commence everyday advice. btw, I use a Denon DRA-800H Receiver with over 100 Watts per channel power - nice clean power.
If you can afford the Debut Reference they are one of my favorites. You can also look at the B6.2's but personally I preferred the 5.2's. I felt they had better bass at lower volumes.
I find it bizarre that you didn't consider these speakers bright as most reviewers have. In fact, to you they seemed to lack detail. It seems that they ARE indeed very room dependent.
System matching is very important. The source, amp, and even cables can really affect the sound of an amp. And, sometimes it isn't easy to determine why. Two very similar style amps can still behave very differently with some speakers, and one might be kind of bland and one very magic, even where both amps have a very similar overall sonic character.
Can you review the Infinity Reference Series line? R162 bookshelf speakers go for $160 when on sale. Would love to hear your thoughts and on these as well as your comparison to other speakers in the same price range.
The R162's are a good speaker at that price!. They have decent bass response. Big cabinet. V-curve response comes to mind. They only thing that didn't work in my experience was they were a bit hot on the top end. Clear sounding and played loud without reservation but hot. They were great for pop music. Ultimately sold them and ended up with the Polk S20's (Cheapaudioman reviewed) which I preferred although they can get hot at louder volumes as well. The S20'S just carried a little more weight at lower volumes. The R162's were a touch leaner sounding but not by much. They were great with pop music. I kept the S20'S cause they gelled with a tube integrated I have (by surprise only) and they haven't moved in six months. They spoke up in that particular set up so that was that in my situation. Sometimes you just fall into those situations. It's all worth it when that happens.✌️
@@chess512 Yes. If you find a frequency graph response of these online you will find that the tweeter is tipped up. No matter what you do, it's designed/voiced into the speaker. You can tone them down with treble control. Something I didn't do. I'm in a position where I don't have bass and treble controls on my integrated's or separates set ups so I typically run everything flat. It's the hard way of finding what you like honestly but I like swapping out speakers lol. When I find something I like with a specific system, it sticks around for a while. Most of my speakers are budget oriented. My stand mounts range from $1.5k and below. There's some good stuff out there in this range and more I want to eventually try. I like the arena that Cheapaudioman is doing his reviews in. It's extremely competitive. Yes it does get better but this area is fun
Wow! You have really upped your game since this was recorded. I see why you didn't consider these in your recent speaker comparisons. I unfortunately ordered these yesterday before watching your review, probably would not have had I seen this. Hope you're wrong about the poor mid range and treble, as it's actually why I ordered it.
Thanks for your honest review. Jay and Sean have the Bro3's on their top 10 list and I have been curious. I do know a vintage speaker that if your anything like me will become a favorite. There are a couple pairs on Ebay right now around $300. JBL L1 they were $750 new in 1992 that would be about $1400 in current dollars. I was fortunate enough to come across a pair several years ago but have recently just purchased 2 more pairs as I think the price may go up. They sound like much larger and more expensive speakers. I can't say anything bad about them. 6.5" woofer, titanium tweeter. Quality build. Check them out...you will be amazed, I promise. I haven't heard anything new (past 10 years) that comes close for the money.
I really dont think there are very many reasonably priced quality vintage speakers but the JBL L1's are a definite exception. I am always looking, watching, listening...trying to find something better...but one problem is that many these days think that just because a speaker is old and particularly if it has a well know name like pioneer, they think they should be hifi and expensive....I guess what I am trying to say is that a lot of vintage speakers are way overpriced and generally not great sounding. Whenever I have extra pocket money I always fall back into the hobby. Though I would be perfectly content to retire the search as I am happy with my current system. SOOOOO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SHOOTOUT!!!! WOOHOO!!!
I have this speakers connected with an Aiyima D03(with 36 volt adapter) and BlueSound Node 2i streamer. Sounds very good, for my ears. Also have the SMSL AL-200 amp and although all the good reviews, this amp sounds a little to "cold" for me,to less low frequencies. But i think it's also a matter of taste. Ohh, i bought these second hand(€250,-) realy in new condition; the seller had bought the KEF's LX 50, the active ones. And 90db sensitive so not much "juice" needed; sounds pretty good on low volumes as well. Most of my music; jazz, jazz/rock,acoustic, blues, reggae, soul, rock, crunch, country, sometimes electronic. No classical or hardrock The SMSL AL-200 looks much better than the Aiyima D03, but soundwise i prefer the Aiyima.. I didn't expected that by the way. I only had the comparison with the Dali Oberon 5, but these are floorstanders. Very good sounding and looking speakers, but to much bass in my tiny living room. Probably a good match with the SMSL AL-200, but the Dali's i've sold a few months ago So i didn't have a comparison with other bookshelf speakers like Elac,Polk,Monitor Audio etc,etc
Lets see another review with another pair that come in the dark colors, seems like there my be a difference between these more recently made oak color to the dark color speakers.
Thing is with these bros, all across the range need at least 100 hours burn in, why I don't know but they come to life in a big way with burn time . Mine sounded awful but I let them play while I was out 🤣 . Honesty they get great, not Excellent but v good .
I think you nailed it with their LACK of top end. No clarity or sparkle in the treble. Otherwise, I found the mid-range and bottom end very decent with the electronics I heard at the hi-fi store. System matching may be the magic with these loudspeakers. Cheers!
that is the thing, other speakers do the same for far less money so why pay more? for the brand? because it looks cute? that is absurd and that is what I am looking for. paying enough for good quality. putting a stupid price tag won't make it shoot out more pink unicorns that, in the end, is what every audiophile is always looking for and they do not mind over paying if they get the promise that it will be "magical". pumping the price really helps for them.
how are these VS the sony sccs5, I already have the sony's as well as a hi-res home theater receiver so I can use that for listening to music, along with a Boyuurange MT-34 mk, and a Schiit and cables with bana plugs on both with the rund from both running to my speakers so I can easily switch back and fourth between solid state, and tube amp but since the Sccs5s are already a neutral sounding speaker if I should get these, or just keep using the sonys, I have a denon sub 1200 so I can fill out the deeper bass, and sub bass, but how do these compare to the sonys?
Yes. Metallica and ACDC. That's pretty much all I listen to. They did pretty ok with the black record just don't have the mid range clarity I was looking for.
Hi Randy. I discovered your channel recently and enjoyed a few videos. Keep up the good work. I've seen a reviewer not like the BR03 but like the BR02. I got the BR02 and like them a lot. I'm curious if you might also. I drive them with a Fosi amp. If you're looking for some good cheap earbuds to review, check out the Final E3000.
I've heard the BRO2 could be considered better and I'd love to hear it. Thanks for watching. I just stumbled across these a while ago so I was fortunate enough to pick them up and it was a perfect edition for the Saturday Speaker Shootout...
You are on safer ground on the DBR v.2 Reference. Less controversial, less finicky, fewer people nitpick. BUT some people are 'blown away' by the BRO3 sound. You might be one of them. At a first listen, if you are lucky, you might get a great overall experience with the BRO3. The main criticism seems to be a little lack of detail. Some people have said that this makes less than perfect recordings sound good) If that is the case and you are hooked you can go ahead. You'll have fun with it. If you do an A/B test and the 'Reference' ticks all the boxes that matter to you, if you like the detail, balance, precision, (even if it might be less 'impressive' on a first listen) it is an excellent speaker on all counts, very well thought out, scales up very well and is well worth your $500. The BRO3 paints the forest well. The DBR outlines the trees better. Your take.
Sweet timing on this review .. Have a pair arriving tomorrow to start auditioning. Won’t have my hopes up. Lol. Between my B1+ and Kef Q350, this likely won’t hold a candle to them. Now Triangle advises/recommends at least a 25hr break in to hear their full potential. Apparently some well regarded reviewers claim to do the same otherwise initial impressions will be dismal. Do you happen to run these for a good 25hrs?
@@cheapaudioman Cool. I expected you did. The Kef Q350 at its current sale price for $499 are likely a far better choice. Looking very much forward to your shoot out tomorrow. I’ll likely chime back in once I run my pair of Bro3s for several hours tomorrow to give folks some added and honest feedback.
This is so subjective man! Opinions are split right in the middle. I personally have the RP 600M paired with a Yamaha amp. But I have no experience with Denon or Elac
I have the rp-280f which are the tower version of the rp-600s with a denon amp and they sound fantastic. Really havent had a denon amp make speakers sound bad as long it has the power. If you can stretch your price to the rp600s i would go for them.
Very hard to make that recommendation. As 001 said, these are definitely different speakers. They both excel and are the best one can get at this price. Ultimately, it's what you prefer. I'm doing the shootout and the video will be out tomorrow.
Anthem ! They are not the same class with the Bryston. While the Bryston is very neutral to the bright side, Anthem is the low budget Canadian amp which is bright , very bright . I don't recommend to pair the Anthem with any type of bright speakers.
Nice review. I've never heard a Triangle speaker that I liked especially comparing them to a comparable Klipsch model. All the BR03 cult following came after Sean over at Zero Fidelity went nuts over it.
Sean's a way smarter guy than I am and is from the industry so he probably knows much better than I do. I just know what I hear and what I hear compared to the other speakers. Not for me. Not enough detail compared to others.
He went nuts over it for a reason. Some recordings are stunningly realistic with these. They are weighty not only in the deep bass but upper bass/lower mids as well. The mids are slightly forward and the highs are bright but not too sharp (recording dependant). These are VERY entertaining speakers and like Sean, I find mysely up late at night wanting to listen to more and more.
Replying to myself - just saw that you tested with the emotiva. I had that combo and wasnt happy with it too. Returned the emotiva and tried it with an IOTAVX SA3 and everything changed.... If you have a chance give it a try
@@MrJossher700 yes among others. With the emotiva the BR03 were way too bright in the treble and the bass was just too much for my taste. I come from vintage gear (sansui), and the iotavx has that same sound that sansuis have, just much more detailed. The SA3 is indeed a great match to the BR03, on that I agree with zero fidelity.
Wrong about the midtones. Listen to Both Sides Now by Joannie Mitchell. Female vocals and acoustic guitar is stunningly realistic. You need to listen to more music. Try Lyle Lovett's Joshua Judges Judy album.
I can only comment on the music that I use and how that sounds from speaker to speaker when I compare them. I'm sure this speaker alone is very enjoyable but when I compare it to others in this category, to my ear, it just doesn't have the clarity and detail on the mids and top end. I'm sure this speaker sounds great with certain artists.
Having had these speakers for a year now, I still scratch my head at this review. You literally heard the exact opposite of what I experience daily. They have beautifully smooth but clear treble and mid-range to die for. Seriously, your review is the polar opposite of what I hear. Zero Fidelity's review mirrors my experience. There is a train of thought that the pale finished speakers you reviewed may have had an issue since the poor reviews all seem to have that factor in common.
@@Ploddypop11 Not really ! it's all abt system energy. He uses the Anthem amp which is the lower version of the Bryston. While the Bryston is very neutral, the cheaper Anthem amp is very bright. I owned both the Bryston 4 B SST and the Bryston Pre BO 20 and they sounds amazing unlike the Anthem.
These speakers are everything you say they not, extraordinary clarity up and down the audio spectrum, crystal clear vocals. They kick butt with jazz and classical.. I must have bought the good pair! Comparing directly with Klipsch RF-3ll towers, Airmotive B1+ and Quartets my reference standards.
I've gotten a few comments like this so I put them back up to see if I was wrong and listened to them again. For me, they are not as detailed and clear as the Klipsch or the Elacs. I also have the Emotiva B1+'s and the bros that I have aren't even in the same ballpark for clarity. However, I'm glad you love yours. These just aren't for me. Even the person I got them from told me the reason he was parting with them when he's had them for less than a month is because they aren't detailed enough and he was comparing them to the LS50 which I've also owned. I've heard glowing reviews about these and reviews that haven't been so glowing. For me, I A/B/C'd these against the RP600M and the Elac Debut Reference. I'm not saying that these sound bad, I'm simply saying they aren't as detailed as the others. Maybe with only listening to these the detail come back if one isn't comparing them directly to another speaker. I've had speakers that aren't as forward when compared to others come forward when I'm just listening to them after a while. I appreciate your view point and you watching.
Hi I just get this speakers 6 days ago and I love it if you check more videos on TH-cam about this BR03s I think the color you have have some problems because all the bad reviews about this BR03s are in this color I have the cherry color and bro those speakers sounds amazing I love it I have clipksch rp600m and clipksch the fives for my tv but the BR03s with my tube amp dammmm is on another level anyway nice video and that's your opinion but I think is the color of the speakers you get a bad unit
Bro...3 cups of coffee a day have a huge impact on the soundstage help a lot with a dead center image and provide warmth and engaging sound to Randy.
Randy, the wobbling tables makes me feel anxious,, you know we audiophiles have a fixation with firmness and solidity.
I'm trying to build a table out of some Polk T15's. Should be a much more stable surface
Some braces would do the trick and mitigate the resonance and increase dumping factor even further.
@@benjaminqilafku5714 dumping factor can be a real concern.
Quite a workout I kept clenching my butt everytime it wobbles 10/10 would come again
Alright, so something is going on with these speakers...hear me out
I purchased a pair of these to replace my RP-160m's about 8 months ago. I enjoyed the Klipsch speakers but wanted something less forward and less grainy in the top end, along with thicker bass. At the time, my setup was: Schiit Mani/Loki, Rega Planar 3 + Nagaoka MP110, Project Tube Box DS > IOTAVX SA3 and PA3 stack > Triangle Bro3's on decent sandfilled stands. In my room, in my setup, the Triangles were fatiguing to listen to. The treble was certainly not rolled off. In fact, my Klipsch speakers were buttery smooth comparatively. They were also somewhat forward. The bass was also not full sounding (at all) and the mid-range had very little "meat on the bones." Yet, in certain parts of my room (say when I was standing next to a wall), the wall reinforcement gave the impression I was running a damn subwoofer in the way the speaker was projecting bass. No matter how I set these speakers up, I couldn't get them to work, even after breaking them in as much as possible before I sent them back. However, I have had no problems with either my old 160m's or current ELAC DBR62's regarding setup and room placement.
If you've seen the review Zeos did, I had a very similar experience, as did a few commenters. While Zeos was reviewing in what is essentially a Batcave, I had mine in a typical bedroom setup about 6 or 7ft apart, normal unilateral triangle setup. I'm not sure what your room looks like Cheapaudioman, but you're one of the first I've seen describing the speaker as "rolled off" or veiled. This leads me to believe that these Triangles are way more sensitive to room placement than your typical standmount. I wholeheartedly believe what Sean at Zerofidelity and Thomas&Stereo have said about this speaker is still 100% correct. In their setup's and in their rooms, these speakers did fantastically (although Thomas did mention these benefit from break in). I can personally attest that Sean's descriptions are probably the most accurate I've seen as well, as I've bought and listened to some of the gear he has reviewed. There's also the amount of customer reviews and commenters also sharing positive experiences to consider.
What everyone is missing in these reviews, I believe, is the room factor. I suspect these speakers are just way more sensitive to the room and placement than other bookshelves, perhaps due to the way the project bass. I'm not entirely sure, however I don't believe people should blindly believe the hype nor immediately dismiss these speakers based on the reviews. They should try them out themselves and return them if needed.
You could absolutely be right. I'm not saying these are bad speakers at all. They're just not for me at this price and compared to other speakers I don't think they have as much detail in the mids and highs. I get very critical of speakers at this price even though a lot of people consider this to be "entry level". Sean knows way more than I do. I'm just a guy that throws up some speakers and trys them with different amps and moves them around a bit. They just didn't do it for me. If I wasn't really critically listening and hadn't heard other speakers I'd probably kind of like this speaker... just not at $550. People also love the Polk T15's and I hate them. They have over 4700 positive reviews on amazon
@@cheapaudioman The 4700 pos reviews are ppl who listen to harsh digital media, I used to use T15 in my vinyl setup, they made my records sound like AM radio, using Nagaoka MP110 cart, LP120 TT (filters removed) and TC-778 phono amp. I did once play post Y2K CDs through them and they sounded fine, those CDs were bass & treble hot
@@cheapaudioman Randy, Do you prefer the wharfedale diamond 12.1/ 12.2's over the Bro3's ?
I've owned Triangle Comete Es since 2008 - and even though they are front ported they don't like being near walls and they don't like being on stands without ballast.
I've never heard the Borea but the design is similar so I'd guess they do their best work in free space as well.
I did get a cup of coffee this time while I watched, it does make it better! High-rev Coffee-fidelity
So funny how it differe. I love them and find them very entertaining speaker for music listening. AND why they got a special place is because of exactly the black album by Metallica haha. In my room with my gear paired with a sub they sound to me very detailed in treble and it was the forward midrange that made me fall in love with them lol. But toe in is very important i feel them lacking in detail without the correct toe in
I think I'll give Bro3 a try. Treble roll-off won't be an issue for me -- being a septuagenarian my ears start the roll-off anyway at 8,000 Hz...
“The front looks like a Storm Trooper.”
😂😂😂
I have to buy them now.
Bravo for your honest reviews! I've watched other reviews on the Bro-3 and they've been both Great and Meh. You nailed it by saying that they're not for you! They may be great for someone given different parameters. We all need to be reminded of that!!!
One word, Tone. With very natural sound at it's at USD 480. Adele recordings are really not good, it's as bad as she is popular or great as a singer. Paper drivers though needs a long break in time. This speaker sounds better with Class D Amps. It may have been tuned on Class D as it sounds at a higher level. Do have a good Class D amp maybe one with a tube buffer, it's transformative with this one ...Don't reference just YT creators but those with extensive experience and a real audiophile going to shows, getting updated, access to ultra high end and treated rooms whether they are YT or not. ... Really appreciate your honest on what you hear, the speaker sucks at your place and equipment used. This happens. Really found a dream book shelf speaker and not impressive to many then they did a nice demo in a show and really impressed an ultra high end enthusiast reviewer having bought systems with Focal Utopia, Magico M series, Wilson Alexandria++ - impressive including bass for a stand mount....Hope you get a good Class D amp and a tube in the chain for reviews that would be great....On that thought maybe you can do a system below usd 500 shoot out not just speakers as synergy matters even at this budget even more so ...
I think other factors go into influencing the sound from speakers like room acoustics, speaker placement, pairing with DAC and Amp, quality of wire, etc., but to me I find the top end and mid range revealing with plenty of detail. I define "detail" as having information, not overly trebly, shrill or piercing. The fact that some tracks sounded "veiled" in the mid range in fact goes to show the revealing nature of these speakers pointing at how the track was mixed and not to the fault of the speakers. Everything else is pretty accurate. To each their own.
Just got them and you are absolute right, the midrange is not clear. Something plays over the midrange and supresed it. They are good but man a soon you hear the wrong midrange you cannot unhear it :(
2k subs?!?! Dang that next thousand went FAST! Congrats!
Good job on the review. I also have had good amount of experience with bookshelf speakers in this price range (KEF Q150, Klipsch RP-600M, ELAC UB5, Infinity R162, etc.) and I really like the Triangle Borea BR02, which is the smaller 5.25" driver version. Your description of the sound signature is similar to my findings, except for the midrange which is definitely forward in my experience. You're right that the Triangles aren't the clearest or most detailed of the bunch, however, I like the BR02 more than the other aforementioned speakers because they just make music sound good. I should be forthcoming and state that I'm not looking for ultimate transparency or "truth", I just like to listen to music.
If you break everything down into individual pieces, other speakers will best them in different categories (R162 has tighter bass, RP-600M is more dynamic, ELAC UB5 better instrument separation, KEF is more detailed, etc.), but taken as a whole, I just find the Triangle to sound more musically satisfying than these other speakers. I think that boils down to taste/preference, room acoustics, and equipment matching. For me, the RP-600M has a slight V-curve that sucks out the midrange, the Q150 and R162 can sound too bright up top and overall tone is a bit too sterile/clinical sounding, ELAC is a little too dark/rolled off, etc. The Triangle is by no means a perfect speaker, but I think they sound great.
I'm glad you like them. I'm doing a video tomorrow with them against the 600m's and the Reference. I'd like to try the Bro2's if I can get a hold of them.
@@cheapaudioman include the kef q150
@@ziggy8757 I did a review of the best speakers under $300 with the q150's if you haven't seen it. I did mention the Q150's in tomorrow's video.
Yeah I have the Bro2’s and are my fav speaker. I also have Dali Zensor 1 & 3’s, BW 607’s and QA3020i’s.
Zeos liked the 02’s over the 03’s, so yeah, see if you can get some. It’d be interesting to see what you think
I also recently got a Borea BR03 and first had the same experience. It was detailed but not open enough it sounded dull. I was running it with a primare i21 amp which is a bit cold. After I took them to my downstairs garden floor. Over I have a vintage stereo made of Acoustic Research AR5 speakers and pioneer sx-950 receiver. I connected the bro3 to the sx-950. The bros sounded so open I couldn’t believe my ears. It sounded like a different speaker. Also the acoustic downstairs is better than upstairs so I guess those 2 factors have changed the sound of the BR03
I've had these for about three months coupled with 2 svs SB1000's. Really happy with em! Mostly listen to Jazz and Folk.
Strange I ‘ve had a totally different experience. I ‘ve replaced my triangle br03 because I was getting so much detail in the songs with audiolab 6000a. The detail was too much in busy songs with a lot of instruments. I mean, I was hearing even the most subtle sounds in the songs, some of them never heard before. At times that level of detail was becoming overwhelming.
They’re not rock speakers for sure. But they ARE fantastic with acoustic guitar and piano and vocals. Superb.
Randy, please bring back these old transition sounds for bass, midrange, treble, final thoughts. Those were unique and fun.
I’ve had the bro 3’s since April. I’m running a Parasound A23+ amp and Schitt Fraya + w Dynavector DV 20X cart and two 8” subs.
I think the Bro 3’s sounds Killer! I listen to Rock and Roll and metal for the majority but I’ll throw in some jazz now and then to chill and see what the other side likes. Again midrange is silky smooth treble sounds good and bass is there but I reinforce with the subs. I had the Polk books for 8 yrs the Bros blow them away listening to 2 channel hi fi. Polka sound decent for home theater that’s where they live now. Cheers
I liked their sound signature for sure. just wish that had a bit more clarity
I seriously think you might have tested a defective pair of speakers.
Get triangle to ship you some new ones.
I definitely am not hearing what you are hearing.
@@phillipcarawan8096 would love to give
another pair a listen for sure
fantastic review! very interesting impressions you have here...
i know jazz (or classical music) is not your thing...but since great jazz is not compressed (or at least, way less compressed than pop and rock), it would be awesome if you could include a jazz trio or quartet (a bill evans or dave brubeck or the famous getz/gilberto album) into your audition analysis of speakers. it would provide us with very valuable information of how speakers behave and your overall impressions on less compressed material! really hope you add that to your arsenal. you're doing a great job! (hey...you did mention "so what" of the miles davies kind of blue album...cool!!)
Love that record. I'll add some more.
I picked these up for $350 through Adorama recently, I'm in love, although for my use case they are a little BIG but that's okay. I like that it's front ported too...
Now they've been on my radar for quite some time and I was NOT sold on the $550 price tag, not even $450, not $400, but $350 I can do that.
I am so glad I watched your video, I bought the BRO2s 1 year ago, and felt exactly the same way. No clarity in the midrange & incredibly rolled off top end. Like trying to look through a dirty or foggy window into the musical landscape. For some crazy reason, I thought maybe the BRO 3s might be better… so glad I didn’t pull the trigger. At $319 on Amazon they are very attractive but I know I will be returning it after two weeks, so why bother the Amazon delivery guy!
got them love them. for the first time i can hear how the bassdrum looked :) great for drums!
Wow, was bowled over by your closing message. Hats off to you.
Delightfully grumpy episode :) What I learned in this vintage episode were some things that give CAM the grumps: Br03s, doubling one's subscriber account, excess cash influx.
Also, the diverging opinions on these speakers actually make me even more curious about them. Well played.
Love this review! I think what separates you from the rest is your musicianship experience. Top end clarity is so important to me, and it sounds like these fail with high to mid-high frequencies. Thank you bro! (Pun intended!) 🔥😎
They’re not bad and they’re nice to listen to but don’t get close to the klipsch or the elacs in this range.
Thanks for your honest and helpful review. Was wondering if you might consider reviewing the Infinity R152 or R162 bookshelves?
I have a difference impresion: detail trebel, in there presence midrange and shy bass.
Man, I would love to listen to yours in your room. That brings up a good point though. I'm going to try to get these into a different room and see how they sound. I just like to eliminate as many variables as I can when comparing and reviewing speakers. People love this speaker and I get it that I might be calling some people's kids ugly. I don't hate it, I just think there are better speakers out there and less expensive alternatives.
My experience too. I had a pair of Elec 5.2s and waitied and waitied for them to break in to release the sound I was told was there. Never came. Swapped a pair of these in and MAN! All the detail and dynamics that the Elacs missed came flooding in with the Triangles. No contest. Love them.
These are available for $349 per pair right now on Amazon. Seems like a great value to me?
I had the Borea 3's and ultimately sold them. They did tone right. I couldn't get the bass out of them which so many reviewers gushed over. The treble had a grittiness to it that bothered me over time as well and they didn't enjoy being played at higher volumes. I tried different rooms, different gear to no avail so most of the time they sat...on a bookshelf. That being said I didn't give up. I'm trying the Borea 2's instead. Seeing a couple of other reviews that were posted by people reviewing both tended to favor the 2's so we will see. I caught them on the Slickdeals app through Adorama for $279. The only reason I didn't want to give up was I own an old pair of Triangle Celius 202 floor standers which are spectacular but require a subwoofer for the bottom end because of their dryer sound signature. It's all in what works with their environment and the sound they're going after. Happy listening ✌️
I have Triangle Zetas with a titanium tweeter that for its' price does very well except for really low bass but I don't miss it. Great mids and highs with clarity for a budget speaker. Not sure about a soft dome on Triangles, it really isn't what they're known for.
I’ve been scouring the internet for around an hour and I FINALLY found someone with the exact same experience as me! It seemed like they needed to be turned up to really liven up the bass, but the the treble became fatiguing. I’m not sure if the hype was all before people spent extended periods listening to them, but I certainly found that impossible. I wish I could have seen this comment sooner 😭
Keep up the midrange game! Dissect that section more and more. It bugs me to see majority of reviews always get stuck at the highs/lows and only spend 5 seconds on mids.
I totally agree with everything you said Randy. I bought these last year. I think they might sound a little better with my class D amp, but hooked to my old Soundcraftsmen I really don't care for them. Muddy in your face midrange and little treble is what I hear. Maybe I'm spoiled from higher tech gear and it's not fair to compare them to that. Thanks for all of your reviews. If in the future if I want to buy more gear, Im going to check your site first. (I think our ears are hearing the same thing) Maybe these would be Ok with classical or only acoustical music, ( not sure) but I don't listen to that.
after doing some research I got a pair of the BRO3 and I am very happy with them. I drive them with the Jeff Rowland 125 power amp and Schiit Freya+ preamp. Great combination!
Good lord man, fix your table.
That flex is giving me anxiety. Grab a couple 2 x 4's and a screw gun or some PL Premium and stiffen it up a bit.
Maybe put some Polk floorstanders under it ?
The other possibility for so many opposing views on this speaker is equipment synergy. I suspect it would work better with brighter sound SS amps or class D amps..
Did you try a Class D amplifier?
I think reviewers should publish frequency response hearing tests.. honestly
"Front looks like a storm trooper." Just ordered these but I also own the Emotiva B1+, which has been described as "Darth Vader's speaker."
I don't like where I'm heading
Saw the NYT recommended these, now at $350 a pair...what do you think of these bad boys at that price range?
in the same price range: Elacs Unifi2 (would be cool to get your opinion on those!) . also, very cool if you could get your hands on the Tekton Mini Lores ($565 pair). i did purchase the Tekton Lore reference after the glowing reviews I found on the internet.... but was really underwhelmed by those speakers! very flat sounding and lacking in texture. no meat in the mids, that's for sure. returned them! still, the mini lores would be interesting compared to the Klipsch and the Elac Reference you like so much.
I would love to hear the Unifi UB5.2's. I have the first gen and I love them. Andrew Jones actually commented on one of my videos. Would love to give the UB5.2's a test drive.
I owned Elac Unifi for 1 year, very balanced sound, good for jazz, blues, but very flat sounding, boring to listen to. Triangles Borea 3 way better, like 5x better, better imaging, lively tone, sounds great on all types music, still happily own them. Sold Elacs, forgettable tone, unlively highs, mellow mids, bass.
Great review sir. But these are very expensive for me. I love speakers which is affordable, sounds amazing and value for money.
Start with a pair of active speakers can get some decent Edifers for less than 100
I own the borea bro3's and I agree that they dont scale so well with the gear. But they sound best out of all budget speakers on 200dollar amps. That is why they are so high recommendation for budget audiophiles :D.
Thanks for the comment, Harri.
I think you did particularly well here. Your observations sound spot on as they say. When you talk $550 there are tons of choices that can really sound great. These don’t sound like it’s worth the doe rae me.
I bought them damaged for 300 to replace B&W 602s (pawn shop $100). I'm very cheap and i was never really impressed with the triangles. But my experience with clarity is different from this reviewer. Being cheap i decided to build my own analog electronics and spent a couple years learning amp building repairing buying broken midfi fixing, learning, selling and constantly switching gear. I had those speakers when i began moving out of midfi and dabbling in DIY brittish high end, Naim, Linn, and their upgradable power supply ecosystems. The triangles, effortlesstly communicated the improvements in sound, revealing the bennefits to various electronic upgrades. When i went into the Pass Class A DIY rabbit hole the triangle really stepped up and took another layer of haze away and started to blossom in the mids. Then add in a R2R Denafrips, another easily discernable improvement in the triamgle. When i fixed up a dedicated music server with Winyl, audio optimizer, fidelizer, decrapifier etc. I'll be damned if they don't sound pretty good now. I bought a used microrendu and use it to play from a mac mini and wow, as good as the pc winyl setup. Clarity was there, it was being stiffled with mediocre electronics in my case.
What amp, dac, etc... did you use before making upgrades/improvements? Thanks
Alright, so after listening to my newly acquired Bro3’s for the last 6.5hrs, I’m convinced there’s something totally off with the pair of Bro3s you received... There’s nothing veiled or recessed to my ears about these speakers. In fact, I experienced a shocking amount of detail and resolution from these speakers. In some cases, it was almost too much of a good thing, meaning they are definitely on the forward side of neutral and they’re lively as hell. Are they my taste/preference? Not exactly but they’re currently fun as hell to listen to. Probably not worth the trouble but I almost wish you had another pair to try...
I'll put them back up and give them more of a listen. I listened to them with the grills off. When I'm saying veiled though I mean compared to the RP600M and the Elacs. I'll give them another shot and if I feel differently, I'll do another video. Appreciate it. I've had a fair amount of comments disagreeing with my take on them.
@@cheapaudioman Yeah be interesting if they change at all for you.. Funny thing is, I wanted so badly to dislike these as my old lady feels I have enough speakers but damn, track after track and these are kinda fun.
I have owned the Triangle Borea Bro 3 for about a year now and I think they sound amazing. I have a large basement with tons of acoustic tiles and good amount of sound damping acoustic material above my drop ceiling. This speaker has excellent bass actually fantastic bass. Please play Mickey Hart's "The Gates of Dafos" track on the album "Dafos" or any track on this album and you should be blown away with the intensity coming from Mickey's drums, it should send shivers down your spine or something is not correct in your setup. Sara Bareilles "Gravity" track live at Variety Playhouse in Georgia another fantastic display of what the Borea Bro 3 can showcase with a wonderful female vocal and great live recording. For the money I think these speakers rock. I'm using either a Vicent 31-SA preamp or Schitt Freya + preamp and the Odyssey Khartago Stereo Extreme amplifier or two Mono Blocked Legacy B&K ST-140 amplifiers and Schitt Audios upgraded BitFrost DAC and Amazon Ultra HD streaming audio as my source running through a Dell Laptop into the Schiit DAC. All the components sound fantastic. But what do I know as I'm not a reviewer. Perhaps people should rely on Z's opinion when he demos speakers in his cement basement with zero acoustic material!
@@davidmlevitt Right on Dave, on all your points! Especially when you pair them up with great components such as you are. Lol on the Z Reviews comment, dude tested them in about the worse environment possible. I'm not out here claiming the Bro3s are the "whole enchilada" but for the money, they're stupid good, detail centric and fun as hell.
I am watching this now as I was looking at a set of these speakers, and other reviews I have seen also said lack of midrange, especially upper mids. It's one of the reasons I am shying away from them as I like a balanced to warm speaker, with a little bit of a forward midrange, epecillay upper mids where a lot of female vocals are.
This is the first time I have ever heard a Triangle speaker referred to as "relaxed" and "rolled off."
Do any of you guys use the triangles with Atoll amps?
I'm interested to know how it sounds.
Thanks guys.
I bought these awhile back. Played them for a couple of weeks. I thought they were decent, but not anything close to the great reviews from other Audiophile reviewers. Anyway, my Epos Epic 2 speakers are back in place. I haven't found anything I like better yet!!
Epos Epic 2 are difficult to outright beat, even against $1k speakers today. I remember when they went for $350-400 at music direct. Some got lucky.
I was about to buy a coffee table. Instead, I will buy 4 Polk T15s and build meself one.
Randy, sounds like you are not Hot for these speakers as so many others are.... I'm on the fence on these vs the Klipsch's 600Ms, and /or Elac References. I am looking to replace current Fluance Signature Series which is currently paired with Elac Debut 6.2s.. I am running two pairs of speakers in my Finished Basement Studio -created in COVID hibernation. My problem is amplified (excuse the Pun), in that the speakers that will use, must be against the wall or bookshelf . I have no room to place them 2-3 feet from the wall. Appreciate your comments and advice. You are Practical and offer commence everyday advice. btw, I use a Denon DRA-800H Receiver with over 100 Watts per channel power - nice clean power.
If you can afford the Debut Reference they are one of my favorites. You can also look at the B6.2's but personally I preferred the 5.2's. I felt they had better bass at lower volumes.
Thanks, NotsoexpensiveAudioman...
Ha! I get it, cuz my wife would slap me if I bought a $550 pair of speakers, not that I wouldn't anyway, thinking about the Maggie LRS actually...
The magnepans lrs is one I would like to hear. Not exactly in the "Cheap" audio range I think they are over $600....definitely not si expensive
@@Brian_Romska i think those need an insane amount of power
I find it bizarre that you didn't consider these speakers bright as most reviewers have. In fact, to you they seemed to lack detail. It seems that they ARE indeed very room dependent.
System matching is very important. The source, amp, and even cables can really affect the sound of an amp. And, sometimes it isn't easy to determine why. Two very similar style amps can still behave very differently with some speakers, and one might be kind of bland and one very magic, even where both amps have a very similar overall sonic character.
Can you review the Infinity Reference Series line? R162 bookshelf speakers go for $160 when on sale. Would love to hear your thoughts and on these as well as your comparison to other speakers in the same price range.
I'll put them on the list
The R162's are a good speaker at that price!. They have decent bass response. Big cabinet. V-curve response comes to mind. They only thing that didn't work in my experience was they were a bit hot on the top end. Clear sounding and played loud without reservation but hot. They were great for pop music. Ultimately sold them and ended up with the Polk S20's (Cheapaudioman reviewed) which I preferred although they can get hot at louder volumes as well. The S20'S just carried a little more weight at lower volumes. The R162's were a touch leaner sounding but not by much. They were great with pop music. I kept the S20'S cause they gelled with a tube integrated I have (by surprise only) and they haven't moved in six months. They spoke up in that particular set up so that was that in my situation. Sometimes you just fall into those situations. It's all worth it when that happens.✌️
@@MrWslindsay By 'hot' do you mean loud at higher frequencies? Have you tried EQ'ing the treble down and see it helped?
@@chess512 Yes. If you find a frequency graph response of these online you will find that the tweeter is tipped up. No matter what you do, it's designed/voiced into the speaker. You can tone them down with treble control. Something I didn't do. I'm in a position where I don't have bass and treble controls on my integrated's or separates set ups so I typically run everything flat. It's the hard way of finding what you like honestly but I like swapping out speakers lol. When I find something I like with a specific system, it sticks around for a while. Most of my speakers are budget oriented. My stand mounts range from $1.5k and below. There's some good stuff out there in this range and more I want to eventually try. I like the arena that Cheapaudioman is doing his reviews in. It's extremely competitive. Yes it does get better but this area is fun
@@MrWslindsay good stuff. Thanks for your reply!
So, they could be used as jackstands when I'm working on my car?
I’ve tried various speakers
Used to love my B&W
But the triangle br03 are the best !
The front looks like a storm trooper! Lol Love the cheap review!
Wow! You have really upped your game since this was recorded. I see why you didn't consider these in your recent speaker comparisons. I unfortunately ordered these yesterday before watching your review, probably would not have had I seen this. Hope you're wrong about the poor mid range and treble, as it's actually why I ordered it.
How did you find them?
Thanks for your honest review. Jay and Sean have the Bro3's on their top 10 list and I have been curious. I do know a vintage speaker that if your anything like me will become a favorite. There are a couple pairs on Ebay right now around $300. JBL L1 they were $750 new in 1992 that would be about $1400 in current dollars. I was fortunate enough to come across a pair several years ago but have recently just purchased 2 more pairs as I think the price may go up. They sound like much larger and more expensive speakers. I can't say anything bad about them. 6.5" woofer, titanium tweeter. Quality build. Check them out...you will be amazed, I promise. I haven't heard anything new (past 10 years) that comes close for the money.
You've got me interested now... I wish I had my old Kenwoods back from the late 80's
I really dont think there are very many reasonably priced quality vintage speakers but the JBL L1's are a definite exception. I am always looking, watching, listening...trying to find something better...but one problem is that many these days think that just because a speaker is old and particularly if it has a well know name like pioneer, they think they should be hifi and expensive....I guess what I am trying to say is that a lot of vintage speakers are way overpriced and generally not great sounding. Whenever I have extra pocket money I always fall back into the hobby. Though I would be perfectly content to retire the search as I am happy with my current system. SOOOOO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SHOOTOUT!!!! WOOHOO!!!
Yes those speakers have some problem with mids
Great review! Looking forward to the 3S (Saturday Speaker Shootout)
SSS. I love it.
I have this speakers connected with an Aiyima D03(with 36 volt adapter) and BlueSound Node 2i streamer. Sounds very good, for my ears. Also have the SMSL AL-200 amp and although all the good reviews, this amp sounds a little to "cold" for me,to less low frequencies. But i think it's also a matter of taste.
Ohh, i bought these second hand(€250,-) realy in new condition; the seller had bought the KEF's LX 50, the active ones.
And 90db sensitive so not much "juice" needed; sounds pretty good on low volumes as well.
Most of my music; jazz, jazz/rock,acoustic, blues, reggae, soul, rock, crunch, country, sometimes electronic. No classical or hardrock
The SMSL AL-200 looks much better than the Aiyima D03, but soundwise i prefer the Aiyima..
I didn't expected that by the way.
I only had the comparison with the Dali Oberon 5, but these are floorstanders. Very good sounding and looking speakers, but to much bass in my tiny living room.
Probably a good match with the SMSL AL-200, but the Dali's i've sold a few months ago
So i didn't have a comparison with other bookshelf speakers like Elac,Polk,Monitor Audio etc,etc
You've come a long way!!! Lol.
Lets see another review with another pair that come in the dark colors, seems like there my be a difference between these more recently made oak color to the dark color speakers.
I used to have some major FOMO with this speaker. You and Z Reviews have made me feel much better about not acting on the impulse.
I didn't get that speaker. I can understand a laid back speaker but a laid back speaker with no detail confounds me
I recommend getting the kids Koss Porta Pros or KSC75s :D
"Someone's tryin' to call me. I'm gonna hang up on 'em."
Thing is with these bros, all across the range need at least 100 hours burn in, why I don't know but they come to life in a big way with burn time . Mine sounded awful but I let them play while I was out 🤣 .
Honesty they get great, not Excellent but v good .
I need to get some new ones in
If I may be so bold, when I set up new speakers I sound test for everything by playing ...
SOHN track Tempest of the album Tremors ..
I think you nailed it with their LACK of top end. No clarity or sparkle in the treble. Otherwise, I found the mid-range and bottom end very decent with the electronics I heard at the hi-fi store. System matching may be the magic with these loudspeakers. Cheers!
that is the thing, other speakers do the same for far less money so why pay more? for the brand? because it looks cute? that is absurd and that is what I am looking for. paying enough for good quality. putting a stupid price tag won't make it shoot out more pink unicorns that, in the end, is what every audiophile is always looking for and they do not mind over paying if they get the promise that it will be "magical". pumping the price really helps for them.
how are these VS the sony sccs5, I already have the sony's as well as a hi-res home theater receiver so I can use that for listening to music, along with a Boyuurange MT-34 mk, and a Schiit and cables with bana plugs on both with the rund from both running to my speakers so I can easily switch back and fourth between solid state, and tube amp but since the Sccs5s are already a neutral sounding speaker if I should get these, or just keep using the sonys, I have a denon sub 1200 so I can fill out the deeper bass, and sub bass, but how do these compare to the sonys?
You tried B03's only with metal and hard Rock ?
Yes. Metallica and ACDC. That's pretty much all I listen to. They did pretty ok with the black record just don't have the mid range clarity I was looking for.
@johngreek74 he also mentioned Miles Davis so he tested jazz too
How much is a well appointed riding lawnmower?
2500-3500
Hi Randy. I discovered your channel recently and enjoyed a few videos. Keep up the good work. I've seen a reviewer not like the BR03 but like the BR02. I got the BR02 and like them a lot. I'm curious if you might also. I drive them with a Fosi amp. If you're looking for some good cheap earbuds to review, check out the Final E3000.
I've heard the BRO2 could be considered better and I'd love to hear it. Thanks for watching. I just stumbled across these a while ago so I was fortunate enough to pick them up and it was a perfect edition for the Saturday Speaker Shootout...
Hi...can you tell me which serie is better or higher Triangle Borea or Elara? Ty
Thanks for doing this. Can't wait for the shootout. It's down to Elac Reference and this for me.
You are on safer ground on the DBR v.2 Reference. Less controversial, less finicky, fewer people nitpick.
BUT some people are 'blown away' by the BRO3 sound. You might be one of them.
At a first listen, if you are lucky, you might get a great overall experience with the BRO3. The main criticism seems to be a little lack of detail. Some people have said that this makes less than perfect recordings sound good) If that is the case and you are hooked you can go ahead. You'll have fun with it.
If you do an A/B test and the 'Reference' ticks all the boxes that matter to you, if you like the detail, balance, precision, (even if it might be less 'impressive' on a first listen) it is an excellent speaker on all counts, very well thought out, scales up very well and is well worth your $500.
The BRO3 paints the forest well. The DBR outlines the trees better. Your take.
Hi, are the Triangle Bro 3 active or passive speakers? Thanks!
I suspect you got a bad unit? Everyone I know sing it's praises.
Nice review chief!
".. and front looks like a stormtrooper" best joke in hifi review :)
Search for Chris Cornell Vocals Only. Dude had pipes.
Best voice in rock and roll in my opinion.
Damn!! Lots of hate on these speakers! I will cross them off my list.
Sweet timing on this review .. Have a pair arriving tomorrow to start auditioning. Won’t have my hopes up. Lol. Between my B1+ and Kef Q350, this likely won’t hold a candle to them. Now Triangle advises/recommends at least a 25hr break in to hear their full potential. Apparently some well regarded reviewers claim to do the same otherwise initial impressions will be dismal. Do you happen to run these for a good 25hrs?
Actually got these slightly used and he broke them in for dozens of hours
And I also ran them for a good bit myself to be sure.
@@cheapaudioman Cool. I expected you did. The Kef Q350 at its current sale price for $499 are likely a far better choice. Looking very much forward to your shoot out tomorrow. I’ll likely chime back in once I run my pair of Bro3s for several hours tomorrow to give folks some added and honest feedback.
which one is better?whit denon pna600ne and 12 inch from wall, klipsch rp600 or elac debut reference?
This is so subjective man! Opinions are split right in the middle. I personally have the RP 600M paired with a Yamaha amp. But I have no experience with Denon or Elac
I have the rp-280f which are the tower version of the rp-600s with a denon amp and they sound fantastic. Really havent had a denon amp make speakers sound bad as long it has the power.
If you can stretch your price to the rp600s i would go for them.
Very hard to make that recommendation. As 001 said, these are definitely different speakers. They both excel and are the best one can get at this price. Ultimately, it's what you prefer. I'm doing the shootout and the video will be out tomorrow.
Anthem ! They are not the same class with the Bryston. While the Bryston is very neutral to the bright side, Anthem is the low budget Canadian amp which is bright , very bright . I don't recommend to pair the Anthem with any type of bright speakers.
I have the Sony sscs5 would i do better with these? i have a Rotel A12 intrgrated amp.
These would be a big step up from the Sony’s. I’d also check out the svs prime bookshelves and the Elac debut reference of the Elac Unifi ub52’s
You cannot fault this speaker for mid-range clarity
i had the borea bro 2 at home and in my opinion it is the second best sofar.
And the best?
Nice review.
I've never heard a Triangle speaker that I liked especially comparing them to a comparable Klipsch model.
All the BR03 cult following came after Sean over at Zero Fidelity went nuts over it.
Sean's a way smarter guy than I am and is from the industry so he probably knows much better than I do. I just know what I hear and what I hear compared to the other speakers. Not for me. Not enough detail compared to others.
He went nuts over it for a reason. Some recordings are stunningly realistic with these. They are weighty not only in the deep bass but upper bass/lower mids as well. The mids are slightly forward and the highs are bright but not too sharp (recording dependant). These are VERY entertaining speakers and like Sean, I find mysely up late at night wanting to listen to more and more.
My monkey statue might be bigger than yours.🤔Can you use a wooden ruler instead?
Would love to hear your opinions on the Jamo C93 II and Jamo C91 II
I believe i have the c93 ii’s on the way
Now THAT'S a cup of coffee!
These speakers require a lot of break in time. So you talk about mid-range clarity. Sorry you are sadly wrong. Takes time to clear up. Patient is key!
What amp did you use in your listening with the BR03?
Replying to myself - just saw that you tested with the emotiva. I had that combo and wasnt happy with it too. Returned the emotiva and tried it with an IOTAVX SA3 and everything changed.... If you have a chance give it a try
@@VNW916 The IOTAVX was the one suggested by Zero Fidelity for this speaker.
@@MrJossher700 yes among others. With the emotiva the BR03 were way too bright in the treble and the bass was just too much for my taste. I come from vintage gear (sansui), and the iotavx has that same sound that sansuis have, just much more detailed. The SA3 is indeed a great match to the BR03, on that I agree with zero fidelity.
Mine with Cambridge cxa81
Wrong about the midtones. Listen to Both Sides Now by Joannie Mitchell. Female vocals and acoustic guitar is stunningly realistic. You need to listen to more music. Try Lyle Lovett's Joshua Judges Judy album.
I can only comment on the music that I use and how that sounds from speaker to speaker when I compare them. I'm sure this speaker alone is very enjoyable but when I compare it to others in this category, to my ear, it just doesn't have the clarity and detail on the mids and top end. I'm sure this speaker sounds great with certain artists.
Perfect timing. I'm a new subbie and was about to ask you to review these. Better than Polk S20?
Are you looking to buy speakers? Or do you own the S20?
@@user-xg6zz8qs3q Looking to buy for the bedroom. Would most likely pair them with one of the Marantz slimline receivers.
@@finn8248 Easy Q Acoustics 3020
@@user-xg6zz8qs3q Thanks!! I'm about to drive my wife mental. Another one to look at...lol
@@finn8248 Nah seriously! The 3020 just sounds right. And they don't cost much either. And they look nice too.
Good review, bad table.