In this review, we will be comparing Triton Five and Triton Three+, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of GoldenEar Triton Five and GoldenEar Triton Three+ first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | GoldenEar Triton Five | GoldenEar Triton Three+ |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | Folded Ribbon | High-Velocity Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 4.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6" Polypropylene | 5" Polymer |
|---|
| Frequency response | 26-35k Hz | 21-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-400 watts | 20-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.18kg / 40lbs | 20.45kg / 45lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-1/2" x 11-1/16" x 16-9/16"
1131.0 x 281.0 x 421.0mm | 44-1/2" x 11-5/8" x 17-9/16"
1131.0 x 296.0 x 447.0mm |
|---|
Triton Five and Triton Three+ are members of GoldenEar's Triton series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
GoldenEar Triton Series
History
What size room are the GoldenEar Triton Five and GoldenEar Triton Three+ 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* |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
GoldenEar Triton Three+ |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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.
**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Triton Five is a 2-way design whereas the Triton Three+ is a 3-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 Triton FiveGoldenEar Triton Three+
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 Triton Five |
GoldenEar Triton Three+ |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer. On the other hand, the Triton Three+ features a " High-Velocity Folded Ribbon Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 1 x 5" Polymer Woofer.
Frequency Response
Triton Five has a frequency range of 26-35k Hz whereas Triton Three+ has a frequency range of 21-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 21Hz, the Triton Three+ can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Triton Five's min frequency of 26Hz.
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
Triton Five and Triton Three+ have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 90 dB.
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.
Both handle the same maximum of 400 watts RMS, though Triton Five is rated 15-400 watts and Triton Three+ 20-400 watts.
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
Triton Five features 5-Way post type posts and Triton Three+ 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 Triton Five's and GoldenEar Triton Three+'s external dimensions. 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) whereas GoldenEar Triton Three+ has external dimensions of 1131.0 x 296.0 x 447.0mm (44-1/2 x 11-5/8 x 17-9/16inch).
GoldenEar Triton Five is 15mm narrower and 26mm less deeper than GoldenEar Triton Five but they have the same height of 1131.0mm.
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 Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Three+ is approximately 1323.1cm2 / 205.1inch2. The Triton Five requires 11% less surface area than the Triton Three+ 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 GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Three+ weighs 20.45kg / 45lbs. This makes the Triton Three+ 12% heavier than the Triton Five.
Here is a comparison of how Triton Five and Triton Three+'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 Five?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Triton Five:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Locking nuts
- Owners Manual
What's in the Box of GoldenEar Triton Three+?
Here are the items that come with the Triton Three+:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 9-feet AC power cord
- Base
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed on base)
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Locking nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- Owners Manual
 Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 Base Surface Area |
1183cm2
vs
1323cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2398USD
vs
2998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
|
Low Frequency Response |
21 Hz
vs
26 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
GoldenEar Triton Three+ |
| Brand |
GoldenEar |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
15-400 watts |
20-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
26-35k Hz |
21-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Polymer |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Ribbon |
High-Velocity Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
4.5" |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
281.0mm (11.1") |
296.0mm (11.7") |
| Depth |
421.0mm (16.6") |
447.0mm (17.6") |
| Weight |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
20.45kg (45lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
Gloss Black |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
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 Three+ digs deeper - 21Hz against 26Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (400W vs 400W). |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price |
A |
GoldenEar Triton Five is cheaper - $2,398 against $2,998, about 20% less. |
A GoldenEar Triton Five
B GoldenEar Triton Three+
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?
The usual trade-off: GoldenEar Triton Three+ measures better, GoldenEar Triton Five costs about 20% 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 26Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper GoldenEar Triton Five much easier to justify.
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.