In this review, we will be comparing Triton Three+ and R700, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from GoldenEar and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of GoldenEar Triton Three+ and Polk R700 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
GoldenEar Triton Three+ Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- " High-Velocity Folded Ribbon Tweeter
- 4.5" Midrange
- 5" Polymer Woofer
- 21-35k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-400watts
- Weight:20.45kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1131.0" x 11-5/8" x 17-9/16"( 1131.0 x 296.0 x 447.0mm )
Polk R700 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer
- 6.5" Midrange
- 38-38k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:50-300watts
- Weight:35.90kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1143.8" x 12.6" x 16.9"( 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm )
What size room are the GoldenEar Triton Three+ and Polk R700 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+ |
Polk R700 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Average |
(* 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the GoldenEar Triton Three+ and Polk R700 compare 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 Triton Three+ and R700 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
GoldenEar Triton Three+ |
Polk R700 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4.5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
2 x 8-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 R700 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
Triton Three+ has a frequency range of 21-35k Hz whereas R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k 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 R700's min frequency of 38Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Triton Three+ and R700 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 R700's is at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the GoldenEar Triton Three+ a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R700, 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. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Triton Three+ can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS from the amp the whereas R700 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Triton Three+.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
R700 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Triton Three+ has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk R700 Port
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 Triton Three+'s and Polk R700'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 Polk R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm ( 45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch) .
GoldenEar Triton Three+ is 24.7mm narrower and 12.8mm shorter than Polk R700 but it is also 18.7mm deeper.
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 Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2. The Triton Three+ requires 4% less surface area than the R700 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.