In this review, we will be comparing Vintage Classic VIII 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 Vintage Classic VIII and GoldenEar Triton Five first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Fyne Audio Vintage Classic VIII | GoldenEar Triton Five |
|---|
| Brand | Fyne Audio
United Kingdom · founded 2017 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" | 2 x 6" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-34k Hz | 26-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30 - 200 W watts | 15-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 29.03kg / 63.9lbs | 18.18kg / 40lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 34.4" x 15" x 11.8"
873.8 x 381.0 x 299.7mm | 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 Vintage Classic VIII 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 Vintage Classic VIII |
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.
Drivers
Both Vintage Classic VIII and Triton Five are 2-way speakers.
Fyne Audio Vintage Classic VIIIGoldenEar Triton Five
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 Vintage Classic VIII |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
x 8-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
Vintage Classic VIII features a " Tweeter and x 8" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1800 Hz. On the other hand, the Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
Vintage Classic VIII has a frequency range of 30-34k Hz whereas Triton Five has a frequency range of 26-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the Triton Five can go slightly deeper then the Vintage Classic VIII's min frequency of 30Hz.
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
Vintage Classic VIII and Triton Five have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Vintage Classic VIII sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Triton Five's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Fyne Audio Vintage Classic VIII a more sensitive speaker compared to GoldenEar Triton Five, 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 Five can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS, whereas Vintage Classic VIII has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the Triton Five.
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.
Fyne Audio Vintage Classic VIII
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Vintage Classic VIII 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 Vintage Classic VIII's and GoldenEar Triton Five's external dimensions. Fyne Audio Vintage Classic VIII has external dimensions of 873.8 x 381.0 x 299.7mm (34.4 x 15 x 11.8inch) 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).
Fyne Audio Vintage Classic VIII is 257.2mm shorter and 121.3mm less deeper than GoldenEar Triton Five but it is also 100mm wider.
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.
Near-identical footprints. GoldenEar Triton Five is 121mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. GoldenEar Triton Five is 257mm 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 Vintage Classic VIII is approximately 1141.9cm2 / 177.0inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2. The Vintage Classic VIII requires 3% 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 Vintage Classic VIII weighs 29.03kg / 63.9lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the Vintage Classic VIII 60% heavier than the Triton Five.
Here is a comparison of how Vintage Classic VIII and Triton Five's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Fyne Audio Vintage Classic VIII
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
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
873mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1141cm2
vs
1183cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
|
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
30 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
6299USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Fyne Audio Vintage Classic VIII |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| Brand |
Fyne Audio |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30 - 200 W watts |
15-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-34k Hz |
26-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
|
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
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 |
1800 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
873.8mm (34.4") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
381.0mm (15") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
299.7mm (11.8") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
29.03kg (63.9lbs) |
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 |
These sit in different price classes - Fyne Audio Vintage Classic VIII costs roughly 2.6x what GoldenEar Triton Five does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | GoldenEar Triton Five digs deeper - 26Hz against 30Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | GoldenEar Triton Five takes more power (400W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Fyne Audio Vintage Classic VIII 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 $6,299, about 62% less; arguably a different class. |
A Fyne Audio Vintage Classic VIII B GoldenEar Triton Five
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 Five is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Fyne Audio Vintage Classic VIII if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. Match it to your room: we rate Fyne Audio Vintage Classic VIII 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. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $3,901 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.