In this review, we will be comparing 603 S2 AE and Triton Five, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Bowers Wilkins and GoldenEar. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W 603 S2 and GoldenEar Triton Five first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the B&W 603 S2 and GoldenEar Triton Five speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size and max power parameters:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the B&W 603 S2 and GoldenEar Triton Five compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that 603 S2 AE is a 3-way design whereas the Triton Five is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
B&W 603 S2 |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
603 S2 AE features a 1" Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer . On the other hand, the Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer .
Frequency Response
603 S2 AE has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz whereas Triton Five has a frequency range of 26-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the Triton Five can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 603 S2 AE's min frequency of 48Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
603 S2 AE and Triton Five have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 603 S2 AE sensitivity is rated at 88.5 dB and the Triton Five's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the GoldenEar Triton Five a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 603 S2, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
603 S2 AE can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS from the amp the whereas 603 S2 AE has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS , 200 watts less than the Triton Five.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
603 S2 AE features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Triton Five has a 5-way Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
B&W 603 S2's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 603 S2 AE and Triton Five have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare B&W 603 S2's and GoldenEar Triton Five's external dimensions. B&W 603 S2 has external dimensions of 1055.0 x 190.0 x 372.0mm ( 41-1/2 x 12-5/8 x 14-5/8inch) whereas GoldenEar Triton Five has external dimensions of 1131.0 x 281.0 x 421.0mm ( 44-1/2 x 11-1/16 x 16-9/16inch) .
GoldenEar Triton Five is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 91mm wider, 76mm taller and 49mm deeper than B&W 603 S2.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the B&W 603 S2 is approximately 706.8cm2 / 109.6inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2. The 603 S2 AE requires 40% less surface area than the Triton Five which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The B&W 603 S2 weighs 24.10kg / 53lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the 603 S2 AE 33% heavier than the Triton Five.
Here is a comparison of how 603 S2 AE and Triton Five's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of B&W 603 S2?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 603 S2 AE:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrillePlinith (base)2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)4 Rubber feet4 Spike feet4 Hex-nuts4 Screws4 Washers4 Lock-washersTwo-piece foam port plugHex-keyManualBowers & Wilkins brochureWarranty Information
What's in the Box of GoldenEar Triton Five?
Here are the items that come with the Triton Five:
Floorstanding loudspeaker4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)4 Spikes4 Locking nutsOwners Manual
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1055mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
706cm2 (190x372mm)
vs
1183cm2 (281x421mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2300USD
vs
2398USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
| Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
four 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins 603 S2 Anniversary Edition |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-200 watts |
15-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88.5 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
48-28k Hz |
26-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
No |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1055.0mm (41.5") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
190.0mm (7.5") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
372.0mm (14.6") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
24.10kg (53lbs) |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF/Vinyl |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Matte Black, Matte White, Oak, Red Cherry |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |