In this review, we will be comparing F501S and Triton Five, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Fyne Audio and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Fyne Audio F501S and GoldenEar Triton Five first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Fyne Audio F501S | GoldenEar Triton Five |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Woofer | — | 2 x 6" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 36-34k Hz | 26-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | 15-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.60kg / 40.9lbs | 18.18kg / 40lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38.7" x 9.84" x 12.5"
983.0 x 249.9 x 317.5mm | 44-1/2" x 11-1/16" x 16-9/16"
1131.0 x 281.0 x 421.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Fyne Audio F501S 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:
| Listening Environment* |
Fyne Audio F501S |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
(* 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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that F501S 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 |
Fyne Audio F501S |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
x -inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
F501S features a " Tweeter and x " Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 250 Hz, 1700 Hz. On the other hand, the Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
F501S has a frequency range of 36-34k 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 F501S's min frequency of 36Hz.
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
F501S and Triton Five have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 90 dB.
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
F501S features 5-way Post type posts and Triton Five has a 5-way Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
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 Fyne Audio F501S's and GoldenEar Triton Five's external dimensions. Fyne Audio F501S has external dimensions of 983.0 x 249.9 x 317.5mm (38.7 x 9.84 x 12.5inch) 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 31.1mm wider, 148mm taller and 103.5mm deeper than Fyne Audio F501S.
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 Fyne Audio F501S is approximately 793.4cm2 / 123.0inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2. The F501S requires 33% 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 Fyne Audio F501S weighs 18.60kg / 40.9lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the F501S 2% heavier than the Triton Five.
Here is a comparison of how F501S 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 GoldenEar Triton Five?
Here are the items that come with the Triton Five:
- 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 |
 Height |
983mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
793cm2
vs
1183cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
36 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
34k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
four 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Price per pair* |
2398USD
vs
2799USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Fyne Audio F501S |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| Brand |
Fyne Audio |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
36-34k Hz |
26-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
|
2 |
| Woofer Size |
" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
250 Hz, 1700 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
983.0mm (38.7") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
249.9mm (9.8") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
317.5mm (12.5") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
18.60kg (40.9lbs) |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
| 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 |
n/a |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
A generation apart: Fyne Audio F501S is the newer design, against a 2014 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 Five digs deeper - 26Hz against 36Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Size |
depends |
Fyne Audio F501S is easier to place; GoldenEar Triton Five is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet |
depends |
Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Price |
B |
GoldenEar Triton Five is cheaper - $2,398 against $2,799, about 14% less. |
A Fyne Audio F501S
B GoldenEar Triton Five
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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 Five 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 36Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Fyne Audio F501S the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and GoldenEar Triton Five 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.