In this review, we will be comparing Triton Three+ and Triton Two+, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of GoldenEar Triton Three+ and GoldenEar Triton Two+ first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | GoldenEar Triton Three+ | GoldenEar Triton Two+ |
|---|
| Brand | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | High-Velocity Folded Ribbon | High-Velocity Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 4.5" | 4.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" Polymer | 5" Polymer |
|---|
| Frequency response | 21-35k Hz | 16-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-400 watts | 20-500 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 20.45kg / 45lbs | 27.27kg / 60lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-1/2" x 11-5/8" x 17-9/16"
1131.0 x 296.0 x 447.0mm | 48-1/2" x 11-11/16" x 19-1/8"
1232.0 x 297.0 x 486.0mm |
|---|
Triton Three+ and Triton Two+ 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 Three+ and GoldenEar Triton Two+ 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 Three+ |
GoldenEar Triton Two+ |
| 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.
Drivers
Both Triton Three+ and Triton Two+ are 3-way speakers.
GoldenEar Triton Three+GoldenEar Triton Two+
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 Three+ |
GoldenEar Triton Two+ |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4.5-inch |
1 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
Triton Three+ features a " High-Velocity Folded Ribbon Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 1 x 5" Polymer Woofer. On the other hand, the Triton Two+ features a " High-Velocity Folded Ribbon Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 1 x 5" Polymer Woofer.
Frequency Response
Triton Three+ has a frequency range of 21-35k Hz whereas Triton Two+ has a frequency range of 16-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 16Hz, the Triton Two+ can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Triton Three+'s min frequency of 21Hz.
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 Three+ and Triton Two+ have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Triton Three+ sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Triton Two+'s is at 91 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the GoldenEar Triton Two+ a more sensitive speaker compared to GoldenEar Triton Three+, 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 Two+ can handle a max power of 500 watts RMS, whereas Triton Three+ has a max power handling value of 400 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Triton Two+.
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 Three+ features 5-Way post type posts and Triton Two+ 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 Three+'s and GoldenEar Triton Two+'s external dimensions. 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) whereas GoldenEar Triton Two+ has external dimensions of 1232.0 x 297.0 x 486.0mm (48-1/2 x 11-11/16 x 19-1/8inch).
GoldenEar Triton Two+ is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 1mm wider, 101mm taller and 39mm deeper than GoldenEar Triton Three+.
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 Three+ is approximately 1323.1cm2 / 205.1inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Two+ is approximately 1443.4cm2 / 223.7inch2. The Triton Three+ requires 8% less surface area than the Triton Two+ 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 Three+ weighs 20.45kg / 45lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Two+ weighs 27.27kg / 60lbs. This makes the Triton Two+ 33% heavier than the Triton Three+.
Here is a comparison of how Triton Three+ and Triton Two+'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 Three+?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 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
What's in the Box of GoldenEar Triton Two+?
Here are the items that come with the Triton Two+:
- 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
 Height |
1131mm
vs
1232mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1323cm2
vs
1443cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2998USD
vs
4498USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
500 watts
vs
400 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
16 Hz
vs
21 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
GoldenEar Triton Three+ |
GoldenEar Triton Two+ |
| Brand |
GoldenEar |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-400 watts |
20-500 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
21-35k Hz |
16-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polymer |
Polymer |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
High-Velocity Folded Ribbon |
High-Velocity Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4.5" |
4.5" |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
1232.0mm (48.5") |
| Width |
296.0mm (11.7") |
297.0mm (11.7") |
| Depth |
447.0mm (17.6") |
486.0mm (19.1") |
| Weight |
20.45kg (45lbs) |
27.27kg (60lbs) |
| 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 Two+ digs deeper - 16Hz against 21Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 91dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | GoldenEar Triton Two+ takes more power (500W vs 400W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | A | GoldenEar Triton Three+ is cheaper - $2,998 against $4,498, about 33% less. |
A GoldenEar Triton Three+ B GoldenEar Triton Two+
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?
The usual trade-off: GoldenEar Triton Two+ measures better, GoldenEar Triton Three+ costs about about 50% more% 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 21Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper GoldenEar Triton Three+ much easier to justify. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $1,500 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.