In this review, we will be comparing F55E and Triton Seven, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Fyne Audio and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Fyne Audio F55E and GoldenEar Triton Seven first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Fyne Audio F55E | GoldenEar Triton Seven |
|---|
| Brand | Fyne Audio
United Kingdom · founded 2017 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" | 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-38k Hz | 29-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30 - 120 W watts | 10-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 11.90kg / 26.2lbs | 14.55kg / 32lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 36.42" x 8.27" x 9.29"
925.1 x 210.1 x 236.0mm | 40-1/2" x 10-1/2" x 14-1/2"
1029.0 x 267.0 x 369.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Fyne Audio F55E 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* |
Fyne Audio F55E |
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 F55E 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.
Fyne Audio F55EGoldenEar Triton Seven
Woofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Fyne Audio F55E |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
x 5-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
F55E features a " Tweeter and x 5" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350 Hz, 1800 Hz. On the other hand, the Triton Seven features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
F55E has a frequency range of 42-38k 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 F55E's min frequency of 42Hz.
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
F55E and Triton Seven have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. F55E sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Triton Seven's is at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the GoldenEar Triton Seven a more sensitive speaker compared to Fyne Audio F55E, 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Triton Seven can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas F55E has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 180 watts less than the Triton Seven.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
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
F55E 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.
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 F55E's and GoldenEar Triton Seven's external dimensions. Fyne Audio F55E has external dimensions of 925.1 x 210.1 x 236.0mm (36.42 x 8.27 x 9.29inch) 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 56.9mm wider, 103.9mm taller and 133mm deeper than Fyne Audio F55E.
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 99% more floor or shelf area. GoldenEar Triton Seven is 133mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. GoldenEar Triton Seven is 104mm 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 Fyne Audio F55E is approximately 495.8cm2 / 76.8inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Seven is approximately 985.2cm2 / 152.7inch2. The F55E requires 50% 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 Fyne Audio F55E weighs 11.90kg / 26.2lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Seven weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs. This makes the Triton Seven 22% heavier than the F55E.
Here is a comparison of how F55E 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 |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
35k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
925mm
vs
1029mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
495cm2
vs
985cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1599USD
vs
1798USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
5.25 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
29 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Passive Radiator |
dual 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
| General |
Fyne Audio F55E |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
| Brand |
Fyne Audio |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30 - 120 W watts |
10-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42-38k Hz |
29-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
|
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
5.25" |
| 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 |
350 Hz, 1800 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
925.1mm (36.4") |
1029.0mm (40.5") |
| Width |
210.1mm (8.3") |
267.0mm (10.5") |
| Depth |
236.0mm (9.3") |
369.0mm (14.5") |
| Weight |
11.90kg (26.2lbs) |
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 |
n/a |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
A generation apart: Fyne Audio F55E 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 42Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | GoldenEar Triton Seven takes more power (300W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Fyne Audio F55E 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 | A | Fyne Audio F55E is cheaper - $1,599 against $1,798, about 11% less. |
A Fyne Audio F55E 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?
The usual trade-off: GoldenEar Triton Seven measures better, Fyne Audio F55E costs about about 12% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 42Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Fyne Audio F55E much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Fyne Audio F55E 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.