In this review, we will be comparing Triton One.R and Triton Five, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of GoldenEar Triton One.R and GoldenEar Triton Five first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | GoldenEar Triton One.R | GoldenEar Triton Five |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | High-Velocity Folded Ribbon | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" Polymer | 2 x 6" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 13-35k Hz | 26-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-650 watts | 15-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 36.36kg / 80lbs | 18.18kg / 40lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 44-1/2" x 11-1/16" x 16-9/16"
1131.0 x 281.0 x 421.0mm |
|---|
Triton One.R and Triton Five 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 One.R and GoldenEar Triton Five 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 |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| 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.
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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 One.R is a 3-way design whereas the Triton Five 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 Triton One.RGoldenEar Triton Five
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 One.R |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
2 x 6-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 Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
Triton One.R has a frequency range of 13-35k Hz whereas Triton Five has a frequency range of 26-35k 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 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
Impedance and Sensitivity
Triton One.R and Triton Five 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 Triton Five's is at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the GoldenEar Triton One.R a more sensitive speaker compared to GoldenEar Triton Five, 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 Triton Five has a max power handling value of 400 watts RMS, 250 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
Triton One.R features 5-way Post type posts and Triton Five 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 One.R's and GoldenEar Triton Five'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 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).
GoldenEar Triton One.R is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 34mm wider, 244mm taller and 95mm deeper than GoldenEar Triton Five.
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 GoldenEar Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2. The Triton One.R requires 37% more surface area than the Triton Five 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 GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the Triton One.R 100% heavier than the Triton Five.
Here is a comparison of how Triton One.R and Triton Five'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 GoldenEar Triton Five?
Here are the items that come with the Triton Five:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Locking nuts
- Owners Manual
 Max Input Power |
650 watts
vs
400 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
13 Hz
vs
26 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
|
Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 Height |
1131mm
vs
1375mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1183cm2
vs
1625cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2398USD
vs
7498USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
GoldenEar Triton One.R |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| Brand |
GoldenEar |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-650 watts |
15-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
13-35k Hz |
26-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polymer |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
High-Velocity Folded Ribbon |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1375.0mm (54.1") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
315.0mm (12.4") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
516.0mm (20.3") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
36.36kg (80lbs) |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
| 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 |
A |
GoldenEar Triton One.R digs deeper - 13Hz against 26Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
GoldenEar Triton One.R is more sensitive (92dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
A |
GoldenEar Triton One.R takes more power (650W vs 400W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
GoldenEar Triton Five is easier to place; GoldenEar Triton One.R is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price |
B |
GoldenEar Triton Five is cheaper - $2,398 against $7,498, about 68% less; arguably a different class. |
A GoldenEar Triton One.R
B GoldenEar Triton Five
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 One.R measures better, GoldenEar Triton Five costs about 68% 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. In a large or open-plan room, GoldenEar Triton One.R has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, GoldenEar Triton Five is the easier speaker to get right.
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.