Bookshelf Speaker "Shootout" (under $600)

halo
halo Posts: 5,616
I took delivery of a pair of the Borea BR03's in the Walnut finish on February 17, 2020 and I've been logging hours on them since that time while comparing them to some other bookshelf/stand-mount speakers in the same price range ($600 or less).
  • Triangle Borea BR03
  • ELAC Debut Reference DBR62
  • Focal Chorus 706
  • Polk Audio LSiM703
  • KEF Q150

I began to audition these speakers at the beginning of the year and the Borea BR03 speakers were the last to arrive.

To give you a little context, I live in a 740 sq ft loft apartment that has 13' ceilings, exposed brick on one wall, 8' tall windows on the same wall with the exposed brick. The living room (where the stereo is located) opens up to the kitchen (no walls separating the two areas) and there is a divider wall (doesn't go all the way to the ceiling or extend fully to both side walls). In regards to acoustics, it can be a little lively but it isn't as bad as one would think given the hard surfaces - maybe the high ceiling helps to dissipate the reflections?

My stereo setup consists of the following components:
  • NAD C 316BEE integrated amplifier
  • Denon PMA-600NE integrated amplifier
  • Cambridge Audio CXA60 integrated amplifier
  • Bluesound Node 2i music streamer
  • Benchmark DAC3
  • Fluance RT82 turntable w/ Nagaoka MP-110 cart
  • Bottlehead Reduction + Integration upgrade phono preamp
  • KAB RF1 rumble filter
  • Audioquest Type 8 speaker cables
  • Audioquest Golden Gate interconnect cables
  • Audioquest Red River interconnects cables (phono pre to RF1)
  • APC H10 line conditioner / surge protector
  • Pangea DS100 36" speaker stands

After listening to all the speakers listed above, I formed my conclusions based on how the speakers sound while interacting with the acoustics in my room while being driven/fed by my gear. Before going any further, I want to say that this was not a slam-dunk for the speakers that I decided to keep. In fact, it was quite difficult to choose a pair of speakers from this list that I would keep for the long term (with one exception).

The speakers I was using when I started this endeavor were the KEF Q150 and I'd been using the KEF Q150 speakers for the last year (which can be an eternity for some audiophiles. lol). I was quite pleased with their performance during that time and it wasn’t until I took part in a 2-week demo program of the Polk Legend L200 speakers that the differences between the Polk L200 and the KEF Q150 were immediately apparent. The L200 speakers have a fullness to their sound that the KEFs do not and the L200 speakers left me wanting for nothing; their bass response is very good and the midrange is full and provides that "meat on the bones" experience; vocals really stand out and I feel this is the area where the speakers are strongest (midrange). The tweeters are superb at detail retrieval while never being harsh or fatiguing. In comparison, the KEF speakers just left me a little disappointed after hearing the Polk Legend speakers and, at a significant price difference, I am/was not surprised. Therefore, I set out on a mission to find a pair of speakers that could best the KEFs and get me as close to the Polk Legend L200 as possible for >$600 USD.

The first contender to arrive was the Polk Audio LSiM703. It was immediately evident that there was a difference in the sound quality between the Q150’s and the 703’s. There was more of that “meat on the bones” sound in the midrange with the 703’s and the bass response was much deeper on the 703’s as well. Please keep in mind that the KEF Q150 is a 2-way concentric design with the tweeter dwelling in the middle of the woofer while the Polk is a 3-way design with the midrange on the top, the tweeter just below it, and the woofer below that (The woofer is housed in a separate chamber inside of the cabinet; isolating it from the midrange driver and the tweeter). Two very different speakers (and designs), to be sure, but according to the specs they should be similar in resistance and sensitivity with the Polk just edging out the KEF at 88 dB vs 86 dB. I did not notice that either speaker was any harder, or easier, to drive than the other but I did notice that the LSiM703 plays a little louder than the Q150 at the same volume level on the NAD integrated.

While doing the knuckle rap test on the cabinets, the Polk is practically inert while some resonances echoed from the KEFs cabinet. The build quality seems to be good on both speakers but I’d definitely give the Polk the upper hand here. Real wood veneer vs a vinyl covering? No contest.

The one area where the Q150 easily bests the 703 is in the width, depth, and height of the soundstage. I get a wrap around effect with the Q150’s but the 703’s have a hard time extending very far beyond their physical cabinets.

To me, the KEF are just more fun and engaging. The Polk speakers are great but I enjoy listening to music more through the KEFs than the Polk’s. The soundstage is probably a big factor there. While the LSiM703 is a great speaker, the sound just isn’t as lively. So, is it a contender/on par with the L200’s? Not really. The L200’s have such a way with detail and their bass response is very good that bests the LSiM703’s easily. The midrange really stood out to me on the L200, definitely ahead of the balanced sound I heard from the 703’s that was very polite but not as engaging as the L200. The L200 was lively enough that I really enjoyed listening to it over and over again on a wide variety of music; there was nothing I threw at the L200 that I didn’t like.

Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10

Comments

  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    Thank you, again, to Polk & to @F1nut for putting together the L200 demo program and for allowing me to be a part of it. That was the catalyst for taking a good, hard, look at my setup and for allowing me to make the most of it based on my experiences during the comparison between all the speakers.
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
  • joecoulson
    joecoulson Posts: 4,943
    Great stuff Victor!
    Thank You for the very in depth review.
  • mlistens03
    mlistens03 Posts: 2,767
    edited April 2020
    Very cool Victor! Interesting comparison to the Q150s, maybe they're not quite the steal at $600 I thought they were when I owned them.

    Though they are probably still a steal at the $300 occasional sale price! :)

    Victor if you would like, I'm happy to add my comparison of my Q150s to my Martin Logan's. You may also prefer to keep it specific to what you've heard. just let me know!
  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    joecoulson wrote: »
    Great stuff Victor!
    Thank You for the very in depth review.

    Thank you Joe! I appreciate it :)
    mlistens03 wrote: »
    Very cool Victor! Interesting comparison to the Q150s, maybe they're not quite the steal at $600 I thought they were when I owned them.

    Though they are probably still a steal at the $300 occasional sale price! :)

    Victor if you would like, I'm happy to add my comparison of my Q150s to my Martin Logan's. You may also prefer to keep it specific to what you've heard. just let me know!

    I don’t know Micah, I thought that the KEF Q150 speakers did very well in this comparison; Especially when you take into account the sale price available from time to time.

    By all means, feel free to add your thoughts on the KEF v Martin Logan experience/impressions to this thread or you can create your own. Either is good with me :)
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
  • indyhawg
    indyhawg Posts: 1,633
    Nice review Victor.
  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    indyhawg wrote: »
    Nice review Victor.

    Thanks Jeff :)
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,704
    Nice review Victor. I'm curious, between the Triangle and L200, which would you keep?
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    F1nut wrote: »
    Nice review Victor. I'm curious, between the Triangle and L200, which would you keep?

    I think that I’d like to hear them side by side (directly) before I could say for certain. I was initially looking for a fuller sound than the KEF speakers and I think that the Triangle speakers do that but they present it in a different way than the L200.

    The dispersion of the high notes is really nice on the Triangle speakers, and the midrange was very similar to the L200 (one of the first things I noticed about the L200 and what developed over time with the Triangles). Bass response is better on the L200 but it’s not bad on the Triangles by any means. Because I use a sub in my 2-channel setup, it’s kind of a moot point. Both speakers did a great job of blending in with the sub. Aesthetically, I prefer the Triangles to the L200. At 1/3 the cost, if it were my money, I think I’d stick with the Triangles. I’m surprised to hear myself say this as I was very impressed by the L200 speakers. That said, I don’t have the $1799 price of admission for the Polk’s. If I did, I’d be auditioning a lot of speakers in that price range before committing to one set.

    I’d be interested to hear a comparison between the Triangle Esprit Comète EZ and the Polk Legend L200 as they are more similarly priced to one another and feature the same size drivers.
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,704
    Thanks Victor, logical answer. B)
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • mlistens03
    mlistens03 Posts: 2,767
    halo wrote: »
    joecoulson wrote: »
    Great stuff Victor!
    Thank You for the very in depth review.

    Thank you Joe! I appreciate it :)
    mlistens03 wrote: »
    Very cool Victor! Interesting comparison to the Q150s, maybe they're not quite the steal at $600 I thought they were when I owned them.

    Though they are probably still a steal at the $300 occasional sale price! :)

    Victor if you would like, I'm happy to add my comparison of my Q150s to my Martin Logan's. You may also prefer to keep it specific to what you've heard. just let me know!

    I don’t know Micah, I thought that the KEF Q150 speakers did very well in this comparison; Especially when you take into account the sale price available from time to time.

    By all means, feel free to add your thoughts on the KEF v Martin Logan experience/impressions to this thread or you can create your own. Either is good with me :)

    I guess I read between the lines a bit on accident, reading through again I saw little negative about them. Sorry about that! ;)

    I'll add brief thoughts on the MLs here...

    Obviously Victor and I have different ears, keep that in mind. :)
    Victor's description of the Q150s perfectly matches mine, although I did think their bass response was more than adequate, probably more my room than the speakers. Nice and tight down to 40 Hz. (I still used a sub, however.)

    My Martin Logan's are much warmer and clearer at the same time. They have a bit more musicality to them, which is saying something. The mids stand out as a real high point on these. The bass is lacking quite a bit, just drops off sharply after 60 hertz or so. Sub is definitely needed.

    They don't stage *quite* as well as the KEFs IMO, its deeper but the KEFs had this almost wrap around effect in my room. The Martin Logan's don't quite have that and only extend a foot or two past the speakers. They do have a good height aspect but again, not quite as good.

    And I'll leave it there.

    The MLs are a nice set of speakers at $800. Last I checked, you can now get them for $400 on Amazon and Crutchfield, which makes them an even better deal.

    I'll have to see if I can get my ears on some Triangles sometime. :)

    Thanks for letting me throw in my thoughts Victor!

    -Micah
  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    Thank you for your input @mlistens03 :)
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,557
    Nice bookshelf shootout Victor, well done.
  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    Clipdat wrote: »
    Nice bookshelf shootout Victor, well done.
    Thanks Drew!
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
  • TopperDude
    TopperDude Posts: 166
    enjoyed reading your thoughts on the different speakers. Curious to hear them in person.
  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    Excellent review Vic! I hope to be able to articulate that well someday!
    Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
    Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
    Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
    Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
    Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
    Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD.
  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    verb wrote: »
    Excellent review Vic! I hope to be able to articulate that well someday!

    Thanks Dave :)
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,557
    edited April 2020
    halo wrote: »
    I’d be interested to hear a comparison between the Triangle Esprit Comète EZ and the Polk Legend L200 as they are more similarly priced to one another and feature the same size drivers.

    Oh man, now you got me thinking about the Cometes again! I really loved those speakers and it was hard to send them back after reviewing them. Along with the way that the horn loaded tweeter reproduced the high frequencies, my favorite attribute was the way that lightweight untreated paper woofer reproduced the tone of instruments and voices! Everything was just so immediate, lively, and fast. Seriously impressive, especially for the price.

    I would like to review Triangle's two bookshelf speakers above the Comete EZ in the future, the Signature Theta and the Magellan Duetto.

    2299211-triangle-signature-theta.jpg

    triangle_magellan_lifestyle_09-1536x1025.jpg
  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    Clipdat wrote: »

    Oh man, now you got me thinking about the Cometes again! I really loved those speakers and it was hard to send them back after reviewing them. Along with the way that the horn loaded tweeter reproduced the high frequencies, my favorite attribute was the way that lightweight untreated paper woofer reproduced the tone of instruments and voices! Everything was just so immediate, lively, and fast. Seriously impressive, especially for the price.

    I would like to review Triangle's two bookshelf speakers above the Comete EZ in the future, the Signature Theta and the Magellan Duetto.

    2299211-triangle-signature-theta.jpg

    triangle_magellan_lifestyle_09-1536x1025.jpg

    Those are some good looking Triangles!
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,557
    I agree completely. I love that glossy deep rich finish!

    On another note, I'd still really like to hear the Elac Debut Reference DBR62s!
  • Mike Reeter
    Mike Reeter Posts: 4,314
    Excellent Review Victor! I know you gave all of the candidates every opportunity to prove themselves.

    Glad that you've found a good Speaker that fits your needs quite well B)
  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    Clipdat wrote: »
    I agree completely. I love that glossy deep rich finish!

    On another note, I'd still really like to hear the Elac Debut Reference DBR62s!

    I wouldn’t mind spending more time with the DBR62 speakers. They are definitely better than the Uni-Fi line
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
  • joecoulson
    joecoulson Posts: 4,943
    Dang those Triangles look stunning.
  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    Excellent Review Victor! I know you gave all of the candidates every opportunity to prove themselves.

    Glad that you've found a good Speaker that fits your needs quite well B)

    Thanks Mike!
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
  • Very nice review!!! Thanks for your time.
    I like speakers that are bigger than a small refrigerator but smaller than a big refrigerator:D
  • ZLTFUL
    ZLTFUL Posts: 5,640
    Nice review Victor. Planning on throwing the V601s into the mix once we get em down there?
    "Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."

    "Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip
  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    ZLTFUL wrote: »
    Nice review Victor. Planning on throwing the V601s into the mix once we get em down there?
    Well, as I said, I really liked the sound of the L200 speakers and, as you stated in your review - the two are pretty much interchangeable, so, if the V-601’s can do that, I’ll enjoy them as I have an extra set of stands and an extra set of outputs on the CXA60!
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
  • I see that you have the Triangles for sale, have you moved on to another bookshelf speaker that you like better, or just going with your new 705s?
  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    CottageChz wrote: »
    I see that you have the Triangles for sale, have you moved on to another bookshelf speaker that you like better, or just going with your new 705s?

    The LSiM705 speakers have been gone for quite some time now, way before I purchased the Triangle Borea BR03 bookshelf speakers.

    I purchased a pair of the Wharfedale Evo 4.2 stand mount loudspeakers. I decided to stay with them and move the Triangle speakers on. The Wharfedale are almost twice the price of the Triangle speakers
    Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
    HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10
  • Cool, figured it may have been a move up to a pricier speaker. Was just curious!