In this review, we will be comparing Golden Ear T44 and Concord, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from GoldenEar and KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of GoldenEar T44 and KLH Concord first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | GoldenEar T44 | KLH Concord |
|---|
| Brand | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 | KLH
United States · founded 1957 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | Folded Ribbon | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 4.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 5 x 9" Polymer | 2 x 6.5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-25k Hz | 28-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 94 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-400 watts | up to 225 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 27.27kg / 60lbs | 20.45kg / 45lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 40-3/8" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm |
|---|
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 Golden Ear T44 is a 3-way design whereas the Concord 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 T44KLH Concord
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 |
KLH Concord |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5 x 9-inch
|
2 x 6.5-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 Concord features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Golden Ear T44 has a frequency range of 32-25k Hz whereas Concord has a frequency range of 28-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Concord 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 Concord 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 Concord's is rated at 94 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the KLH Concord a more sensitive speaker compared to GoldenEar T44, 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 Concord has a max power handling value of 225 watts RMS, 175 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 Concord has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KLH Concord's 5-Way post terminals
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 KLH Concord'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 KLH Concord has external dimensions of 1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/8 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch).
GoldenEar T44 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 90mm wider, 33mm taller and 54mm deeper than KLH Concord.
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 T44 needs about 63% more floor or shelf area. GoldenEar T44 is 54mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. GoldenEar T44 is 33mm 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 GoldenEar T44 is approximately 1310.7cm2 / 203.2inch2 and base area of the KLH Concord is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The Golden Ear T44 requires 63% more surface area than the Concord 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 KLH Concord weighs 20.45kg / 45lbs. This makes the Golden Ear T44 33% heavier than the Concord.
Here is a comparison of how Golden Ear T44 and Concord'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 KLH Concord?
Here are the items that come with the Concord:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet (w/ locking nut attached)
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Rubber feet
- Port plug
- Manual
- ATTENTION! note
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
225 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
92 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 x 9 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1026mm
vs
1059mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
805cm2
vs
1310cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1000USD
vs
4998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
GoldenEar T44 |
KLH Concord |
| Brand |
GoldenEar |
KLH |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-400 watts |
up to 225 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
94 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-25k Hz |
28-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5 x 9" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polymer |
Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Ribbon |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4.5" |
No |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1059.0mm (41.7") |
1026.0mm (40.4") |
| Width |
302.0mm (11.9") |
212.0mm (8.3") |
| Depth |
434.0mm (17.1") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Weight |
27.27kg (60lbs) |
20.45kg (45lbs) |
| Enclosure |
|
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
Black |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Bi-wire only |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
10 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
10 Years |
These sit in different price classes - GoldenEar T44 costs roughly 5x what KLH Concord 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 | KLH Concord digs deeper - 28Hz against 32Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | KLH Concord is more sensitive (94dB vs 92dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | KLH Concord 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 225W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | KLH Concord is easier to place; GoldenEar T44 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Passive Radiator vs Ported. |
| Expandability | A | GoldenEar T44: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | KLH Concord is cheaper - $1,000 against $4,998, about 80% less; arguably a different class. |
A GoldenEar T44 B KLH Concord
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?
KLH Concord has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. In a large or open-plan room, GoldenEar T44 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, KLH Concord is the easier speaker to get right. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, KLH Concord is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.