Short answer: the Triangle Borea BR03, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #110 of 131 bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 2.8/5, at $398; the Yamaha NS-10 ranks #126, rated 2.2/5, and costs $499, so there is little reason to consider the other one. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 131 bookshelf speakers; for better sound, the Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 ranks #41 at $549.
What the Triangle Borea BR03 does well: Bass output is genuinely decent for the price: measured extension reaches F3 57Hz/F10 42Hz, which the reviewer had no real complaints about. The tradeoff: 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.
What the Yamaha NS-10 does well: Legendary studio reference monitor with a well-documented history; Yamaha’s original spec sheet included genuine measured data (frequency response, distortion, impedance, polar response) rather than just marketing numbers, unusually transparent for the era. The tradeoff: A pronounced peak of about 7dB above the midrange average around 1.7kHz gives the sound a forward, bright, or “tinny” character: this is the real underlying issue, and it wasn’t actually fixed by the “Studio” revision.
One note: the Yamaha NS-10 is discontinued and no longer widely available new.
Buy the Triangle Borea BR03. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Yamaha NS-10 and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Want more options? Browse the full Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Triangle Borea BR03 | Yamaha NS-10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $398.00 per pair | $499 per pair Discontinued |
| Ranked | #110 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #126 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Drivers | 6.5” natural cellulose midwoofer, 1” (25mm) EFS silk dome tweeter | 7.1” woofer, 1.4” soft dome tweeter |
| Crossover Frequency | 3600Hz | - |
| Dimensions | 14.96”H x 8.11”W x 12.36”D | 15”H x 8.5”W x 7.8”D (382.0 x 215.0 x 198.0 mm) |
| Weight | 13.2 lbs (6 kg) each | 9.5 lbs (4.3 kg) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (manufacturer spec), 4.2 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 8 ohms nominal, 5.4 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 87.5dB (measured at 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 90.2dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 57Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 126Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 42Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 75Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Recommended Power | 100W | - |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, dual front ports | sealed |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.03 | 2.24 (spinorama.org) |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.38 | 5.63 (spinorama.org) |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
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Prices on this page were last checked September 29, 2026 at 3:43 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 |
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Yamaha NS-10: $499 per pair Discontinued eBay
Pros: Legendary studio reference monitor with a well-documented history; Yamaha’s original spec sheet included genuine measured data (frequency response, distortion, impedance, polar response) rather than just marketing numbers, unusually transparent for the era. Distortion, compression, and multitone performance all measured better than the reviewer expected for a decades-old design: in some respects competitive with newer speakers he’s tested. Vertical dispersion holds up reasonably well for a speaker of this vintage. The redesigned “Studio” cabinet is more robust than the original, with crossover tweaks and nicer binding-post terminals. Sealed cabinet design allows placement close to a wall without added boominess, though at the cost of overall bass extension. Measured bass extension of 126Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 90.2dB.
Cons: A pronounced peak of about 7dB above the midrange average around 1.7kHz gives the sound a forward, bright, or “tinny” character: this is the real underlying issue, and it wasn’t actually fixed by the “Studio” revision. Comparing the Studio version’s measured response to the original NS-10M’s published data, the original arguably measures more linear: Yamaha’s fix (lowering tweeter level by 2-3dB) left the core midrange peak largely untouched, addressing the wrong problem. The famous “tissue paper over the tweeter” mixing-engineer trick doesn’t actually help: testing it directly showed it adds diffraction and comb filtering rather than correcting the real midrange peak. Poor horizontal directivity, especially in its designed on-console orientation: usable window is only about ±20° off the tweeter axis before tonal character shifts noticeably. Directivity mismatches between direct and reflected sound make this difficult to properly correct with EQ in a typical farfield listening setup with nearby wall reflections. Bass is quite limited (F3 around 100Hz in most rooms once corrected for the inflated on-axis sensitivity reading), typical of a small sealed monitor design. Correcting the main midrange peak with EQ likely requires two bands rather than a single simple filter, since the peak isn’t perfectly symmetrical. Possible age-related tweeter compression at very high output, potentially from degraded ferrofluid affecting heat dissipation in these decades-old drivers. Discontinued.
Full Yamaha NS-10 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 75Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 126Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 15”H x 8.5”W x 7.8”D (382.0 x 215.0 x 198.0 mm) |
| Drivers | 7.1” woofer, 1.4” soft dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal, 5.4 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 90.2dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 2.24 (spinorama.org) |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 5.63 (spinorama.org) |
| Weight | 9.5 lbs (4.3 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | sealed |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons