In this review, we will be comparing Triton One.R and BW 603, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from GoldenEar and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of GoldenEar Triton One.R and B&W 603 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | GoldenEar Triton One.R | B&W 603 |
|---|
| Brand | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | High-Velocity Folded Ribbon | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" Polymer | 2 x 6.5" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 13-35k Hz | 48-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-650 watts | 30-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 36.36kg / 80lbs | 24.14kg / 53.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 54-1/8" x 12-3/8" x 20-5/16"
1375.0 x 315.0 x 516.0mm | 38.7" x 7.4" x 13.3"
985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the GoldenEar Triton One.R and B&W 603 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 One.R |
B&W 603 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
(* 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 Triton One.R and BW 603 are 3-way speakers.
GoldenEar Triton One.RB&W 603
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 Triton One.R |
B&W 603 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Triton One.R features a " High-Velocity Folded Ribbon Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 1 x 5" Polymer Woofer. On the other hand, the BW 603 features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
Triton One.R has a frequency range of 13-35k Hz whereas BW 603 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 13Hz, the Triton One.R can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the BW 603's min frequency of 48Hz.
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
Impedance and Sensitivity
Triton One.R and BW 603 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Triton One.R sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the BW 603's is at 88.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the GoldenEar Triton One.R a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 603, 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 One.R can handle a max power of 650 watts RMS, whereas BW 603 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 450 watts less than the Triton One.R.
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
BW 603 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Triton One.R has a 5-Way post which doesn't 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 One.R's and B&W 603's external dimensions. GoldenEar Triton One.R has external dimensions of 1375.0 x 315.0 x 516.0mm (54-1/8 x 12-3/8 x 20-5/16inch) whereas B&W 603 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm (38.7 x 7.4 x 13.3inch).
GoldenEar Triton One.R is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 125mm wider, 390mm taller and 176mm deeper than B&W 603.
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 Triton One.R needs about 152% more floor or shelf area. GoldenEar Triton One.R is 176mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. GoldenEar Triton One.R is 390mm 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 Triton One.R is approximately 1625.4cm2 / 251.9inch2 and base area of the B&W 603 is approximately 646.0cm2 / 100.1inch2. The Triton One.R requires 152% more surface area than the BW 603 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 Triton One.R weighs 36.36kg / 80lbs and the B&W 603 weighs 24.14kg / 53.1lbs. This makes the Triton One.R 51% heavier than the BW 603.
Here is a comparison of how Triton One.R and BW 603'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 One.R?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Triton One.R:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 9-feet AC power cord
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spikes (with locking nuts)
- 4 Protective discs
- Owners Manual
- Very Important Note
What's in the Box of B&W 603?
Here are the items that come with the BW 603:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Plinith (base)
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Hex-nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- 4 Lock-washers
- Two-piece foam port plug
- Hex-key
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
650 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
13 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
four 7-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
|
Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
985mm
vs
1375mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
646cm2
vs
1625cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
GoldenEar Triton One.R |
Bowers & Wilkins 603 |
| Brand |
GoldenEar |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-650 watts |
30-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
13-35k Hz |
48-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polymer |
Paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
High-Velocity Folded Ribbon |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
6" |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1375.0mm (54.1") |
985.0mm (38.8") |
| Width |
315.0mm (12.4") |
190.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
516.0mm (20.3") |
340.0mm (13.4") |
| Weight |
36.36kg (80lbs) |
24.14kg (53.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
Black, White, Oak |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | GoldenEar Triton One.R digs deeper - 13Hz against 48Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | GoldenEar Triton One.R is more sensitive (92dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | GoldenEar Triton One.R takes more power (650W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | B&W 603 is easier to place; GoldenEar Triton One.R is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Passive Radiator vs Ported. |
| Expandability | depends | B&W 603: bi-amping. GoldenEar Triton One.R sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
A GoldenEar Triton One.R B B&W 603
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 One.R has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 48Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate GoldenEar Triton One.R the better fit for a very large room, and B&W 603 for a mid-size room.
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.