Triangle BOREA BR04 Speakers are INCREDIBLE! Budget Audiophile.
By Steve Huff
It seems like every time I turn around there is a new speaker, a new amp, a new DAC or brand spanking new all in one amp deal released into the world of audio. It’s mind numbing at times and I can barely seem to keep up. The good thing for me is I only like to write about the stuff that comes out that is either unique and beautiful, above the norm in performance or offers up a fantastic value for the money. Speaking of value, today’s review is all about value, beauty and performance.
I must admit that I am starting to really like what I am seeing in the world of budget HiFi audio.
It’s getting so so good as to what some HiFi does for the money we pay. I committed to reviewing gear in all price ranges in 2025 from low end to exotic, as long as it kicks major behind, so here I am with a set of speakers today in the “budget” category but they are far from that in performance.
Yea, sure, I own pretty crazy high end gear but you know what? It’s all overkill for me, my room, and my wallet. I know I went way overboard but hey, we only live once and I listen to my system every day and I enjoy my reference gear… but guess what? I also enjoy audio products that cost little but perform to a higher level. The speakers and $1k system I will speak of today brings about 70% of what my exotic gear brings in regards to all out performance for about 200X less (retail cost). Yes, I said 200X.
Lower cost gear is getting so good these days my friends and in 2025 I feel we will see a shift to higher quality budget gear as most of us within the world sit within these kind of price ranges. The exotic stuff is very niche, but this higher performance “budget” stuff is for the masses and shows anyone can own a pretty awesome sounding HiFi system for very low cost.
The Video Review
The speakers I will talk about today sit in this category I will call just that..“Higher Quality Budget”. Before I get to the details, let me first talk more about the higher quality budget category of HiFi and why I feel it will keep growing.
In 2024 I experienced the incredible performance of the Wiim Amp, Wiim Ultra and Wiim Amp Pro. These are “all in one’s” that cost a few hundred bucks a piece but sound quite awesome if I can be honest. The Wiim Amp and pro have an amp inside of 60 WPC, they include a streamer as well as a very good DAC. They cost so much less than some of these crazy prices we see today for some audio gear. I mean, $350 for an all in one that looks great and sounds as good as some $2k boxes is quite the deal.
No, the Wiim products are not as open, transparent or immersive as my exotic Nagra gear (and the treble performance is a bit hotter with the Wiim) but that doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy the music from these lower cost pieces. These pieces from Wiim are extraordinary for the cost in design and sound, and yes, the build is a bit on the cheaper side when compared to the amps that cost a few grand but who cares?!? The setup I will talk about in this review did connect with me emotionally, and that is one thing I always look for in a really good system.
In this review, with these speakers I want to focus on the Wiim amp PRO powering them as together they are a wonderful match. This device is a streamer, DAC and amp for $379. An “all in one” and it sounds lovely and performs to a very good level when it comes to streaming and connections. It’s a fantastic match for the speakers I am reviewing today, the Triangle Borea BR4.
The sound from these Wiim pieces are phenomenal for the price. If I can be honest, if I did not run a review channel right now, with the way the world is going, I would most likely just own a Wiim setup with these speakers right here, and they are brand new from Triangle. That would be where the smart part of my brain would lead anyway. I still have a big dummy side as well, that often times leads me to trouble but this setup is pretty sweet for about $1k total system cost.
Let’s get to these beauties now.
The speakers I am writing about today are in the budget category ($550) but they perform more to a mid tier level in my room. These speakers are the brand new version, an improvement if you will of a Triangle classic, the Borea 3. Not only do the 4’s look stunning, they sound remarkable for the price point they sit at and above that price point. Truly.
The New for 2025 Triangle Borea 4
The BOREA BR4 as seen above are lovely in design and looks. The ones above are in the “oak green” color, and are also the ones I have had here for the last several weeks. I have run these in my reference Nagra system as well as in a second system with a Wiim Amp Pro. Either system, these speakers impressed the hell out of me for what they cost. They come in a variety of colors BTW and you can see them all at the Triangle website HERE.
Just so you know, I do not get speakers in and review them the next day or two (some reviewers do this to churn out daily videos). I take my time, try them in various systems, for weeks. I then sit down to write while I listen to them more. Right now I am listening to a track that has some pretty haunting vocals.
The track from Art Garfunkel “All I Know” is a sweet love song but with my big rig he is in the room, singing for me and my wife. With the BR04’s, he is almost here (but not quite) as these speakers truly excel with the human voice. Such a sweet sound. It’s the version on his “best of” album which is different from the standard recording shown below.
You guys know I love Triangle speakers and I adored their flagship bookshelf speakers a while back, the 40th Magellan Duettos. The 40th’s had such a rich, warm big sound that was so welcoming, refined, smooth and inviting. Many have often told me that Triangle speakers are bright but those Duettos were not bright in the slightest. They gave me one of the smoothest and expansive treble performances in recent memory. So beautiful to look at as well. I will never forget them and yes, they are much more refined and sweeter sounding than the Borea’s but they cost nearly $7,000.
So what about the budget line from Triangle, how do these stand up?
The new Borea BR04’s come in several colors and the price tag is around $550 for the pair which is pretty nice in this day and age. They have a little bit of that magic I heard in the more pricey line from Triangle but in a smaller, less expensive package and guess what? They pair extremely well with the Wiim Amp Pro and my fave $39 copper speaker cables. So well in fact that I 100% recommend this as a system for someone looking to spend under $1k total for their entire setup of speakers, DAC, Amp, Streamer, Stands and cable.
Yes indeed, these speakers will also scale up to better performance if you feed them a better source, and yes, when I attached my Nordost Valhalla cables to these…wow, they sounded like a much expensive speaker as the imaging and soundstage improved quite a bit. With that said, no one will buy these to use fancy cables on, but I did want you to know they do scale up and can get even better.
For $1k though, it will be hard to find better than this setup.
Last year I raved about the latest Elac bookshelf speakers that cost about $100 less than these but that review was done well before I heard the Borea 4’s. I can say that the Elacs are also fantastic, but they have a different kind of sound and have smaller cabinets than the Borea. The Elac speakers have a more beefy sound and a more subdued treble vs the Triangles. They are not as crystal as the Borea nor are they as open, and this open kind of sound is what makes them so awesome.
Different sounds from these two boxes and some may prefer the beefy rocking vibe of the Elac while others will enjoy the more audiophile like Borea BR4. That’s the difference. The Elacs sound incredible for most music but I do like the Borea very much as well due to the more live kind of sound which is more dynamic and exciting of a listen.
The Specs of the new Borea BR4 Speakers
One thing I love about these is the fact that they are easy to drive coning in at 90DB efficient and they are also 8ohm speakers. This means almost any amp can drive them, even tube amps of lower power as long as your room is not cavernous in size of course. Triangle recommends at least 25 watts per channel. The Wiim Amp Pro’s 60 WPC is perfect.
The Borea BR4 speakers are really meant for smaller to mid sized rooms as these are not huge boxes. I tested them in my 13X18 space and also in a 20X24 space and they sounded lovely in both but in the larger room I felt less of the bass presence, which is quite clean, somewhat deep and very tuneful. Even so, these are not all about the bass and do sound fantastic in my main 13X18 room.
These speakers bring a nice almost audiophile kind of performance that balances out the treble, mids and bass pretty equally. Nothing stands out so there is no boom boom here, but more of a realistic bass performance which is not something I often see in this price range. I am listening to a classical piece now as I write and I am truly, honestly blown away with these (they are now connected to the Nagra gear so this helps) due to the dynamic nature of the sound that these produce. It’s exciting, thrilling and yea I had some “wow” moments here. These sound like $3k speakers when hooked up to the Nagra setup.
The tweeter here is of the silk dome variety and uses a waveguide for even sound diffusion. The 6″ mid range driver uses a cellulose pulp membrane which triangle says will bring a more “warm, realistic reproduction of vocal timbre”. I found this to be true as the midrange seemed to have something very special about it for this price range of speaker. Usually when I get in speakers in this price range they sound a little warm, beefy and inviting, much like last year’s Elac speakers I talked about. The bass is usually more plump and a bit extended but the midrange usually suffers by being somewhat cloudy. Here, with the Borea BR4 I am hearing a beautiful midrange where the vocals sound clean, pristine and yet have some body to them and yes, these speakers image nicely as well.
Listening now to Depeche Mode’s “Live in Berlin” album and Martin Gore’s rendition of “Shake the Disease” is incredible with the Borea BR4’s and a Wiim Amp Pro. I really mean this. Truly.
The bass here is not of the thumping variety but they can go deeper than you think. The bass is tighter than I would have expected and tuneful, so instead of boom you hear the actual notes, and this is always nice. Also, there is a nice clean type of body to the vocals which make them sound like you are at a live concert, these bring somewhat of a live feel and I love this. The song above has Mr. Gore’s voice sounding full throated and with a nice solid feel behind it.
One cool thing about these is that there is a bass port but it is in the front of the speaker, so this means they will work well placed close to walls. Most people out there do not have the space to pull speakers deep into the room so the Borea BR4 will allow you to position them closer to the walls and there will be no bass boom issues when doing so as the energy, well, it exits from the front rather than the back. No reflections from the back wall and this is really helpful as it makes for easy positioning/setup.
Yea, these not only look a bit fancy in the flesh, they sound like it as well. Incredible for the $550 price.
One thing that stands out to me is the vocals, the voice. This is the most special part of recordings for me because it is the voice of the artist that can connect with us the most I feel. This is how it is for me. To hear the artist as if they are in the room with you is a thing, and I have heard holographic realism from some higher end speakers that almost fooled me into thinking I was having a private concert in my space. Usually these kind of speakers cost a lot more and yes, it does get better than the BR04 in this area but I am not so sure I have heard this effect in a $500 pair of speakers before. No, they do not do this “magic” as well as say a set of Duetto 40th Magellan’s but there are hints of it here/
Oh, and these are dynamic as all get out. They can do quiet and loud without sounding like a mess. These are balanced from top to bottom and as I look at them, and then look at speakers that cost 50X of what these do, I have to sit and scratch my head. You know why. Not that these are “better”, no way no how. It’s just the fact that I am enjoying the $550 boxes and have no desire to rush them out of here. In fact, I am quite smitten with the performance for the price.
I listened to classical, chamber music, jazz, vocals, rock, metal, EDM and bluegrass. These did well with all genres and I was surprised how well they did with metal. They rocked due to the dynamics on tap and while the mids are not dark or beefy, they have enough beef to get the job done while staying clean and clear.
Eva Cassidy sounds so good as I write the words here. Her voice is beautiful and eases my stress. May your beautiful soul rest in peace Eva.
This is what Triangle says about the voice:
T”he BR04 stands out for its high fidelity reproduction of the timbre of the human voice, thanks to its cellulose pulp driver that offers real intensity to all vocal performances. It is ideal for both a stereo Hi-Fi installation and a home cinema system. Whether front or rear channel, the BR04 will give you an immersive audio-visual experience.”
The rear of the speakers will show two binding posts for those who like to bi-wire or bi-amp.
Also, there is the DVAS system which helps to reduce vibrations, resulting in cleaner sound and more dynamics. These are dynamic speakers by the way and can go from a whisper to a thrill in a nanosecond.
This is what Triangle says in general about the Borea BR4 Speakers
“The new BR04 was crafted to enhance the BR03, offering superior performance while maintaining a compact, affordable design. These efforts provide, upgraded performance especially in the bass, while retaining the qualities that made the BOREA range successful.
The BR04 integrates the EFS silk-dome tweeter and a cellulose pulp midrange/bass driver, ensuring clear vocals and natural warmth. The elegant design is available in six finishes, offering the flexibility to fit in any décor.
Additional improvements include a redesigned front bass-reflex port and an expanded cabinet, optimizing airflow for deeper, more controlled bass. The addition of double binding posts, combined with an upgraded crossover, enables bi-wiring and bi-amplification for enhanced sound precision.
With a frequency range from 44 to 22,000 Hz and a sensitivity of 90 dB, the BR04 is perfect for rooms from 10 to 40 m2. It offers rich, detailed sound for both Hi- Fi and home theater setups, ensuring a versatile and immersive listening experience.”
Listening to the BR4
When I first received the BR4 I placed them in my reference system which consists of all Nagra equipment. The HD Pre, Classic Amp and HD DAC X. Yep, this is so overkill for the BR4 but I had to hear what this level of electronics and noise free performance did for these speakers. Well, I was not disappointed at all. Instead I was quite shocked.
The Nagra equipment really opened up the BR4’s and they sound out of this world together. The sound was crystal but the midrange was so beautiful. The bass was clean, tuneful and very well done. Again, these sounded like mini audiophile speakers in this setup, Clean, open, imaging like a champ and transparent with dynamics that impressed. No bass boom, zero sloppiness, and zero fatigue. They sounded glorious, beautiful and rather amazing with strings, acoustic instruments and even piano.
They sounded like a starter audiophile bookshelf speaker in the realm of clarity, midrange purity and oh yea, those vocals. The bass was very good but do not expect wall shakes or to feel the bass in your bones. What these do in the bass is excellent as there is no slop. Yea, within this setup these sounded like a much more pricey speaker.
I then decided to place these with equipment that was more in line with the price point of the speakers.
I placed them in a system with a Wiim Amp Pro and my fave $39 cables and was again, very impressed. They sounded different vs the Nagra and now the speakers had a bit more mid body, bigger bass and a slightly more “hot” treble due to the DAC used in the Ultra but overall the sound was rather amazing in my space and really all out incredible for the price.
This system sounded fantastic and I could not believe what it all costs, under $1k USD. It was not as crystalline and pure as when driven by the Nagra front end but it was still superbly excellent. Yep, and entire HIFi system for $1k that sounds out of this world.
Let’s piece this out:
Triangle Borea BR4 Spakers – $550 – Buy them here. Or Here.
Wiim Amp Pro – $379 – Best place to buy is here.
This total cost for this complete modern day and brand new HiFi system is just over a grand at $1069 and I do not believe you can do better for this cost. I’ll even say that I know you can’t. This system meshes very well together and has a synergy that just sounds so good. The clarity is still here (not to the Nagra level), but there is more bass in the mids which does add an ever so slight cloudiness to the mids (VS the Nagra) but not much. With that said, this could make for a perfect system for someone getting into HiFi. It could be a bedroom system, an office system or a whatever system!
Don’t let that words “starter” scare you as this could also be someone’s last system, depending on how crazy you are within this hobby (I am nuts). The sound that emits from the BR4’s with the Wiim is inviting, lovely and has some warmth yet some bite as well. It’s more than “starter” in performance but when it comes to cost, it’s as “starter” as it gets for this level of sound.
I get excited when I see a great value, and this is the best budget piece of 2025 so far for these eyes and ears. These will show you and prove to you that big money does not have to be spent for great sound. Sure, we can spend more and get even better performance but once we go down that rabbit hole it can be trouble. Look at me, I couldn’t control myself and went all in on some crazy expensive gear from Switzerland. Do I love it? OH YES. Do I NEED IT? No way, not at all.
I will say that we should never chase gear, as I have. It’s not good for the bank account. : ) This system is “The Cure” for that and believe me when I say that this $1k system, if in a small to mid sized room, will sound as good as some costlier ($5k-$6k) systems. Again, diminishing returns is heavy at play here, more so than I am used to. While I love exotic HiFi gear and appreciate what it brings I am not in any way a HiFi snob. I love the Triangle BR04’s. They bring a nice clear sound, image very well, have a beautiful “special” midrange/voice and the bass is controlled and tight, which allows us to hear deeper into what’s happening in these frequencies.
The Triangle Borea BR4’s are an incredible value and also look quite nice in the flesh. Beautiful in fact. Are these perfect speakers? No way, but again, who cares. I will admit that the Wiim/Borea system had me shed a few tears so yea, they even connected with me on an emotional level. These are the real deal and if you are in the $1k price range for a set of speakers, do not miss these.
The Triangle Borea BR4’s are a perfect gateway into the world of HiFi and you can quote me on that!
The Borea BR4’s can be found at this awesome dealer here, in stock.
You can buy the Wiim Amp Pro HERE at Amazon (best deal link)
You can buy my fave $39 cables HERE as well.
Oh, stands? YES, you will want them. Find a budget selection HERE.
Be the first to comment