In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv XT3 and Triton Seven, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Emotiva and GoldenEar. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 and GoldenEar Triton Seven first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 and GoldenEar Triton Seven 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 Airmotiv XT3 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.
| Driver |
Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 8-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Airmotiv XT3 features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 8" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300 Hz, 3.1 kHz. On the other hand, the Triton Seven features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer .
Frequency Response
Airmotiv XT3 has a frequency range of 30 Hz – 27 kHz whereas Triton Seven has a frequency range of 29-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 29Hz, the Triton Seven can go slightly deeper then the Airmotiv XT3's min frequency of 30Hz.
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
Airmotiv XT3 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 Airmotiv XT3 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Airmotiv XT3 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Triton Seven's is rated at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 a more sensitive speaker compared to GoldenEar Triton Seven, 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.
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
Airmotiv XT3 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Triton Seven has a 5-way Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Emotiva Airmotiv XT3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Airmotiv XT3 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
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 Emotiva Airmotiv XT3's and GoldenEar Triton Seven's external dimensions. Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 has external dimensions of 1240 x 273 x 425 mm ( 48.7” x 10.75” x 16.75”) 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) .
Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 48mm wider, 211mm taller and 56mm deeper than GoldenEar Triton Seven.
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 Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 is approximately 1160.3cm2 / 179.8inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Seven is approximately 985.2cm2 / 152.7inch2. The Airmotiv XT3 requires 18% more surface area than the Triton Seven which gives it a small disadvantage 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 Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 weighs 41.30kg / 90.9lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Seven weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs. This makes the Airmotiv XT3 184% heavier than the Triton Seven.
Here is a comparison of how Airmotiv XT3 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 loudspeaker4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)4 Spikes4 Locking nutsOwners Manual
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
| Low Frequency Response |
29 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
27k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
dual 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Height |
1029mm
vs
1240mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
985cm2 (267x369mm)
vs
1160cm2 (315x425mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1798USD
vs
1999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
| Brand |
Emotiva |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
Up to 300 watts |
10-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30 Hz – 27 kHz |
29-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
woven fiber cone |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
SBR |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
25×32 mm" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
folded ribbon |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
300 Hz, 3.1 kHz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1240.0mm (48.8") |
1029.0mm (40.5") |
| Width |
315.0mm (12.4") |
267.0mm (10.5") |
| Depth |
425.0mm (16.7") |
369.0mm (14.5") |
| Weight |
41.30kg (90.9lbs) |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Black |
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 |