Short answer: the Triangle Borea BR03, because the B&W 805S has a serious crossover-region flaw, though neither ranks well in its class. The 805S plays very loud with strong bass and well-controlled distortion for its cabinet size, but its CEA2034 spinorama shows directivity breaking down badly from around 1kHz to 3kHz, which the reviewer called clearly flawed execution, leaving vocals recessed. The BR03 reaches F3 57Hz and F10 42Hz, with a noticeable mid-range suckout of its own. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 134 bookshelf speakers, so if sound quality matters, consider the AsciLab C6B instead, ranked #6 at $1,145.
Buy the Triangle Borea BR03, since the B&W 805S is discontinued and only worth hunting down used.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Triangle Borea BR03 | B&W 805S | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $398.00 per pair | $2,500 per pair Discontinued |
| Ranked | #113 of 134 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #114 of 134 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Drivers | 6.5” natural cellulose midwoofer, 1” (25mm) EFS silk dome tweeter | 1” aluminum dome tweeter, 6.5” woven Kevlar cone mid/bass |
| Crossover Frequency | 3600Hz | - |
| Dimensions | 14.96”H x 8.11”W x 12.36”D | 16.5H x 9.4W x 13.8D in |
| Weight | 13.2 lbs (6 kg) each | 25.4 lbs (11.5 kg) each |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (manufacturer spec), 4.2 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 8 ohms nominal (3.7 ohms minimum) |
| Sensitivity | 87.5dB (measured at 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 86.5dB (2.83V/1m, measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 57Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 46.9Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 42Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 35.6Hz (derived, log-interpolated between spinorama.org -9dB/-12dB points) |
| Recommended Power | 100W | - |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, dual front ports | ported, rear |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.03 | 4.12 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.38 | 6.07 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
| Frequency Response | - | 49Hz - 22kHz +/-3dB (-6dB at 42Hz and 50kHz) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Power Handling | - | 50-120W |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Triangle Borea BR03:
- Triangle Borea BR03 vs Perlisten S4b
- Triangle Borea BR03 vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- Triangle Borea BR03 vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- AsciLab C6B vs Triangle Borea BR03
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs Triangle Borea BR03
Prices on this page were last checked October 2, 2026 at 10:18 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Triangle Borea BR03: $398.00 per pair Amazon eBay
Pros: Bass output is genuinely decent for the price: measured extension reaches F3 57Hz/F10 42Hz, which the reviewer had no real complaints about. Dual front-firing ports and a well-stuffed, well-braced cabinet. Solid build quality overall. Measured bass extension of 57Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 87.5dB.
Cons: A noticeable mid-range suckout, most pronounced in the upper mid-range/lower treble, that the reviewer attributes to cabinet resonances and driver breakup rather than a deliberate voicing choice: it makes vocals and instruments sound recessed and thin rather than warm. Sibilance in the 4-8kHz region shows up on every track the reviewer tried. Measured minimum impedance dips to about 4.2 ohms (with an even lower EPDR), despite the speaker and its own rear panel being labeled 8 ohms: worth knowing if you’re planning to drive these with a receiver/AVR that assumes an 8-ohm nominal load. The reviewer is upfront that this speaker has a devoted following among other reviewers, but says he specifically doesn’t hear what they hear and wants people who own it to trust their own ears rather than assume something’s wrong with their hearing if they don’t love it either.
Full Triangle Borea BR03 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 42Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 57Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Frequency | 3600Hz |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 14.96”H x 8.11”W x 12.36”D |
| Drivers | 6.5” natural cellulose midwoofer, 1” (25mm) EFS silk dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (manufacturer spec), 4.2 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Recommended Power | 100W |
| Sensitivity | 87.5dB (measured at 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.03 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.38 |
| Weight | 13.2 lbs (6 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, dual front ports |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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B&W 805S: $2,500 per pair Discontinued eBay
Newer model: the B&W 805 D4. It’s likely to perform similarly, though we don’t have measurements to confirm that yet.
Pros: Bass and dynamic performance are strong for the cabinet size, playing very loud with well-controlled bass distortion. Horizontal beamwidth stays reasonably smooth through -6dB. Build quality has enough of a “quality feel” that the reviewer said it kept the speaker from the lowest possible rating. Measured bass extension of 46.9Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 86.5dB.
Cons: CEA2034 spinorama shows directivity breaking down badly starting around 1kHz and staying poor to 3kHz: a wide crossover-region flaw the reviewer called “clearly flawed execution” that leaves vocals sounding recessed and masked without EQ correction. A high 4kHz crossover point appears to leave the tweeter’s small sub-enclosure resonating audibly during playback. Discontinued, superseded by the 805 Diamond/805 D4 series.
Full B&W 805S review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35.6Hz (derived, log-interpolated between spinorama.org -9dB/-12dB points) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 46.9Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 16.5H x 9.4W x 13.8D in |
| Drivers | 1” aluminum dome tweeter, 6.5” woven Kevlar cone mid/bass |
| Frequency Response | 49Hz - 22kHz +/-3dB (-6dB at 42Hz and 50kHz) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (3.7 ohms minimum) |
| Power Handling | 50-120W |
| Sensitivity | 86.5dB (2.83V/1m, measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.12 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.07 |
| Weight | 25.4 lbs (11.5 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons