In this review, we will be comparing GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor and R-51M, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from GoldenEar and Klipsch. Let's have a brief look at the main features of GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor and Klipsch R-51M first before getting into our more detailed comparison.
In the following sections, we will get into details in order to better understand how GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor and Klipsch R-51M compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor and R-51M are 2-way speakers. GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 7" Polypropylene Woofer . On the other hand, R-51M features a 1" Tractrix Horn Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Copper-spun IMG Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1660Hz.
Frequency Response
GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor has a frequency range of 38-35k Hz whereas R-51M has a frequency range of 62-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R-51M's min frequency of 62Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers under Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor
Impedance and Sensitivity
GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor and R-51M has the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and R-51M's is at 93 dB. This 3 dB difference makes Klipsch R-51M a more sensitive speaker compared to GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor
Power Range
GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor has a power range of 10-250 watts RMS whereas R-51M has a power range of 85 watts.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor features Single Gold Plated Binding Posts - 5-way type posts and R-51M has a Single Gold Plated Binding Posts - 5-way type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor's 5-way post terminals
Klipsch R-51M's Single Gold Plated Binding Posts - 5-way terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor and R-51M have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generlly need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor's and Klipsch R-51M's external dimensions. GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor has external dimensions of 356.0 x 229.0 x 281.0mm ( 14 x 9 x 11-1/16inch) whereas Klipsch R-51M has external dimensions of 338.0 x 178.0 x 215.0mm ( 13.3 x 7.0 x 8.4inch) .
GoldenEar Aon 3 Bookshelf Monitor is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 51mm wider, 18mm taller and 66mm deeper than Klipsch R-51M.