It’s a small enough room and I would like to use them with a pc setup as well. Leaning towards the BR02. The BR03s seem to be suited for living room use and your primary setup.
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tl;dr—can BR02 shine on the desktop??
I’m in this same boat. NBT (Next Best Thing, I forget his name) said he recommends the Alpha P5 for desktop (extreme nearfield) audio, but as a speaker in general the Borea are his favorite speaker for tonality under $2k. I don’t wanna settle for “safe” when the BR02 and P5 are $50 difference, you know?? Especially since I have like nearly a $1k feeding it, just feels wrong to cheap out on the actual speaker haha
In Sean’s review of the P5–which was a year ago—he said it was his favorite desktop speaker. In his recent review of the BR03, he briefly said the BR02 may be a better desktop speaker over the 3. I assume at his level of experience, he wouldn’t say something like that if he fundamentally disagreed with desktop placement in the same way NBT seems to??? …audiophile research can be so miserable…especially for those of us without a lot of room to stretch.
MY BR02s are ordered and on there way so I will find out soon enough what they are like in my room.
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I’m eager to know your impressions on your desk!!
Did anyone ever try the Br03 or Br02’s nearfield, I have the Br03’s on order and not sure if I would be better off going for something else.
Could potentially stretch the budget to LS50 which I read are very well suited to nearfield (PC setup with stands).
I bought the BR02s for my computer desk after one of my Yamaha HS50Ms died. I’ve had them 2 days. The imaging isn’t as magical as it sounded in Z’s demo, but maybe in a living room environment it would. I haven’t tried. EDIT: I’m confusing these with Z’s demo of the BR03. BR02 don’t have that kind of imaging, at least not near field.
They sound good though. The bass goes lower than the Yamahas. The detail and clarity is just as good. Rock, jazz and classical are all enjoyable. I have no complaints. Someday I will try them next to my TV instead of my Martin Logan LX16s for a while.
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Can anyone recommend a banana plug that fits in the Borea binding posts? The ones I have on-hand (Monoprice Affinity) don’t fit.
I should have clarified - the plug is a little long for the terminal.
So, you’re saying that the banana plugs seat fine, but stick out a little bit? That’s not really a problem, unless the aesthetic bugs you. You could try adding some heatshrink to cover the gap, or (and I’m not sure because I don’t have any Affinity plugs on hand), is it possible to tighten/loosen the outer ‘body’ cylinder of the plugs to change insertion depth? Some banana plug terminations allow for this.
Edit: If you’re talking about clearance from the rear (i.e. the cables stick out too far for where you want to place the speakers), there are plenty of 90-degree banana terminations out there.
I had the BR03 nearfield and loved them but they destroyed my brain even at low volume. I found them a bit too bright (it could be the class D Yamaha amp I used also). I loved the actual sound and imaging on them, gaming was amazing. I am thinking of going to BR02 though basically based on the Z review video.
Interested on what you feel you like more for nearfield or in general between your Martin Logan and the Triangle. I have the ML 35XTI but I find them a bit to big now with a new amp I got that has a lot of power on tap. I would think a smaller speaker on the desk is probably a bit better, plus I am moving to a smaller room soon.
Thanks, Sonofholhorse. Good to know it’s a non-issue - I wasn’t sure. I’ll still probably apply heat shrink, as I’ve been meaning to do that anyway. Dumb question - I can apply the heat shrink onto the plug itself without any issue, yes?
Yep, so long as you don’t cover any part of the plug that actually makes contact inside the female sockets in the speaker, you can heatshrink away to your heart’s content! Even if you do apply too much, you can always cut off or peel back any excessive shrink after the fact.
Would like to here about the LX16 vs the BR02 if you ever do that, I am familiar with the LX16s sound and quite like them.
Anyone using a pair of BRC1 (the center channel speaker) for the main R & L? Adorama had an email sale - $200 a piece (the BR02 are $499 a pair right now)… so I figured they might be a good option, because you know… 2 more drivers
AND, if anyone is using them for main speakers, has anyone converted them into 3-Way speakers, because you know… 1 more driver
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It takes bit more than “1 more driver” to make a good and working 3-way speaker.
Not preferring to the crossover…
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Hi @Aidan_Kelly
Did you get those BR02s? Im in a dilemma over BR02 vs BR03 for my home office.
Would love to hear how you got on, and the result.
I have the BR02. Been running them for almost a year now and I love them. I wanted the BR03, but they were just a bit too large for my desktop setup. So I got the BR02 and have zero regrets. They are being powered by a SA-1 Pre / SMSL DA-9 combo and I love the pairing. Very sweet, refined and slightly laid back signature. Perfect for my current environment. For the price, these are extremely hard to beat. YMMV, of course.
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I haven’t gotten either, but the BR03 interest me more as they have front porting meaning the can be closer to the wall behind them.
also, welcome to HFG!
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Morning!
I’ve been reading about the BR03s so much now I’m getting more confused by the day. I’m likely to be buying used/ex-demo/securing the web for discounts so don’t feel comfortable getting live demos and then not buying. Expecting to spend around £250-£300.
I want the BR03 but it’s for my desk so maybe BR02 due to size and placement on my desk.
But now I’m finding more and more reports recommending the cheaper JBL 130 alternatives, KEF 150 (I think) or others.
I’m using a used Roksan K2 integrated amp with a new Sony PS500 turntable for vinyl and just my work laptop (eek!) for streaming radio. My office is a 3m X 4m conservatory with a solid roof, and I’m placing these on my reasonably large desk.
Currently have some nice old Mission 780 speakers. I’m hoping something new will be a big step up.
Help!