In this review, we will be comparing Golden Ear T44 and Triton Seven, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of GoldenEar T44 and GoldenEar Triton Seven first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | GoldenEar T44 | GoldenEar Triton Seven |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | Folded Ribbon | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 4.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 5 x 9" Polymer | 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-25k Hz | 29-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-400 watts | 10-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 27.27kg / 60lbs | 14.55kg / 32lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41-11/16" x 11-7/8" x 17-1/16"
1059.0 x 302.0 x 434.0mm | 40-1/2" x 10-1/2" x 14-1/2"
1029.0 x 267.0 x 369.0mm |
|---|
Golden Ear T44 and Triton Seven are members of GoldenEar's Triton series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
GoldenEar Triton Series
History
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Golden Ear T44 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.
GoldenEar T44GoldenEar Triton Seven
MidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
GoldenEar T44 |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5 x 9-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Golden Ear T44 features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 1 x 5 x 9" Polymer Woofer. On the other hand, the Triton Seven features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
Golden Ear T44 has a frequency range of 32-25k Hz 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 Golden Ear T44's min frequency of 32Hz.
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
Golden Ear T44 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 Golden Ear T44 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Golden Ear T44 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Triton Seven's is rated at 89 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the GoldenEar T44 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Golden Ear T44 can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS, whereas Triton Seven has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Golden Ear T44.
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
Golden Ear T44 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 GoldenEar T44's and GoldenEar Triton Seven's external dimensions. GoldenEar T44 has external dimensions of 1059.0 x 302.0 x 434.0mm (41-11/16inch x 11-7/8inch x 17-1/16inch) 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 T44 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 35mm wider, 30mm taller and 65mm 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 GoldenEar T44 is approximately 1310.7cm2 / 203.2inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Seven is approximately 985.2cm2 / 152.7inch2. The Golden Ear T44 requires 33% 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 GoldenEar T44 weighs 27.27kg / 60lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Seven weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs. This makes the Golden Ear T44 87% heavier than the Triton Seven.
Here is a comparison of how Golden Ear T44 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 T44?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Golden Ear T44:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 10' AC power cord
- 2 Jumper straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- Hex-key
- Hook spanner tool
- Owner's manual
- Quick Start Guide
- Accessory Kit Note
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
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
5.25 inches
vs
5 x 9 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
29 Hz
vs
32 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 |
 Height |
1029mm
vs
1059mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
985cm2
vs
1310cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1798USD
vs
4998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
GoldenEar T44 |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
| Brand |
GoldenEar |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-400 watts |
10-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-25k Hz |
29-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5 x 9" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polymer |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Ribbon |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4.5" |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1059.0mm (41.7") |
1029.0mm (40.5") |
| Width |
302.0mm (11.9") |
267.0mm (10.5") |
| Depth |
434.0mm (17.1") |
369.0mm (14.5") |
| Weight |
27.27kg (60lbs) |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
| Enclosure |
|
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
Gloss Black |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Bi-wire only |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Siblings in GoldenEar's Triton series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
GoldenEar Triton Seven digs deeper - 29Hz against 32Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
GoldenEar T44 is more sensitive (92dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| 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 |
A |
GoldenEar T44 takes more power (400W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
GoldenEar Triton Seven is easier to place; GoldenEar T44 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
A |
GoldenEar T44: bi-amping. |
| Price |
B |
GoldenEar Triton Seven is cheaper - $1,798 against $4,998, about 64% less; arguably a different class. |
A GoldenEar T44
B GoldenEar Triton Seven
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 T44 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 64% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - GoldenEar Triton Seven looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the GoldenEar T44 appeals to you. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, GoldenEar T44 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $3,200 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.