In this review, we will be comparing Emit 30 and Triton Seven, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Dynaudio and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Dynaudio Emit 30 and GoldenEar Triton Seven first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Dynaudio Emit 30 | GoldenEar Triton Seven |
|---|
| Brand | Dynaudio Denmark · founded 1977 | GoldenEar United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.5" MSP | 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-25k Hz | 29-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | 10-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 15.50kg / 34.1lbs | 14.55kg / 32lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 35-7/16" x 6-11/16" x 10-11/16" 900.0 x 170.0 x 272.0mm | 40-1/2" x 10-1/2" x 14-1/2" 1029.0 x 267.0 x 369.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Dynaudio Emit 30 and GoldenEar Triton Seven 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:
| Listening Environment* |
Dynaudio Emit 30 |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Emit 30 is a 3-way design whereas the Triton Seven 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.
Dynaudio Emit 30GoldenEar Triton Seven
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Dynaudio Emit 30 |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Emit 30 features a 1.1" Cerotar Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.5" MSP Woofer with a Crossover frequency at (1000)/3500 Hz. On the other hand, the Triton Seven features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
Emit 30 has a frequency range of 45-25k Hz whereas Triton Seven has a frequency range of 29-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 29Hz, the Triton Seven can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Emit 30's min frequency of 45Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Emit 30 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Triton Seven which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Emit 30 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Emit 30 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Triton Seven's is rated at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the GoldenEar Triton Seven a more sensitive speaker compared to Dynaudio Emit 30, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Emit 30 features 5-way Post type posts and Triton Seven has a 5-way Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Emit 30 and Triton Seven 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
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Dynaudio Emit 30's and GoldenEar Triton Seven's external dimensions. Dynaudio Emit 30 has external dimensions of 900.0 x 170.0 x 272.0mm (35-7/16 x 6-11/16 x 10-11/16inch) whereas GoldenEar Triton Seven has external dimensions of 1029.0 x 267.0 x 369.0mm (40-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 14-1/2inch).
GoldenEar Triton Seven is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 97mm wider, 129mm taller and 97mm deeper than Dynaudio Emit 30.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
GoldenEar Triton Seven needs about 113% more floor or shelf area. GoldenEar Triton Seven is 97mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. GoldenEar Triton Seven is 129mm taller.
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 Dynaudio Emit 30 is approximately 462.4cm2 / 71.7inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Seven is approximately 985.2cm2 / 152.7inch2. The Emit 30 requires 53% less surface area than the Triton Seven 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 Dynaudio Emit 30 weighs 15.50kg / 34.1lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Seven weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs. This makes the Emit 30 7% heavier than the Triton Seven.
Here is a comparison of how Emit 30 and Triton Seven'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 GoldenEar Triton Seven?
Here are the items that come with the Triton Seven:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Locking nuts
- Owners Manual
Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
Woofer Size |
5.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
Height |
900mm
vs
1029mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
Base Surface Area |
462cm2
vs
985cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
Price per pair* |
1699USD
vs
1798USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
180 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
Low Frequency Response |
29 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
Passive Radiator |
dual 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
| General |
Dynaudio Emit 30 |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
| Brand |
Dynaudio |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
45-25k Hz |
29-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.5" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
MSP |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
(1000)/3500 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
900.0mm (35.4") |
1029.0mm (40.5") |
| Width |
170.0mm (6.7") |
267.0mm (10.5") |
| Depth |
272.0mm (10.7") |
369.0mm (14.5") |
| Weight |
15.50kg (34.1lbs) |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
A generation apart: Dynaudio Emit 30 is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | GoldenEar Triton Seven digs deeper - 29Hz against 45Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | GoldenEar Triton Seven is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | GoldenEar Triton Seven takes more power (300W vs 180W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Dynaudio Emit 30 is easier to place; GoldenEar Triton Seven is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($1,699 vs $1,798 a pair). |
A Dynaudio Emit 30 B GoldenEar Triton Seven
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
GoldenEar Triton Seven has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 45Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Dynaudio Emit 30 the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and GoldenEar Triton Seven for a large room and a very large room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.