In this review, we will be comparing 4369 and Triton Five, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from JBL and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL 4369 and GoldenEar Triton Five first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL 4369 | GoldenEar Triton Five |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 3" Compression Driver | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Woofer | 15" Pure Pulp | 2 x 6" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-25k Hz | 26-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 93 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 350 watts | 15-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 63.50kg / 139.7lbs | 18.18kg / 40lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-1/8" x 24-13/16" x 18-1/2"
1120.0 x 630.0 x 470.0mm | 44-1/2" x 11-1/16" x 16-9/16"
1131.0 x 281.0 x 421.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the JBL 4369 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* |
JBL 4369 |
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.
Drivers
Both 4369 and Triton Five are 2-way speakers.
JBL 4369GoldenEar Triton Five
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
JBL 4369 |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
3-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 15-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
4369 features a 3" Teonex Compression Driver Tweeter and 1 x 15" Pure Pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 800 Hz. On the other hand, the Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
4369 has a frequency range of 28-25k Hz whereas Triton Five has a frequency range of 26-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the Triton Five can go slightly deeper then the 4369's min frequency of 28Hz.
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
4369 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Triton Five which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. 4369 sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the Triton Five's is rated at 90 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the JBL 4369 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 Five can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS, whereas 4369 has a max power handling value of 350 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Triton Five.
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
4369 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Triton Five 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 JBL 4369's and GoldenEar Triton Five's external dimensions. JBL 4369 has external dimensions of 1120.0 x 630.0 x 470.0mm (44-1/8 x 24-13/16 x 18-1/2inch) 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 Five is 349mm narrower and 49mm less deeper than JBL 4369 but it is also 11mm taller.
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.
JBL 4369 needs about 150% more floor or shelf area. JBL 4369 is 49mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall.
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 JBL 4369 is approximately 2961.0cm2 / 459.0inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2. The 4369 requires 150% 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 JBL 4369 weighs 63.50kg / 139.7lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the 4369 249% heavier than the Triton Five.
Here is a comparison of how 4369 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 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
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
15 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1120mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
350 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
28 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
four 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Base Surface Area |
1183cm2
vs
2961cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2398USD
vs
23200USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
JBL 4369 |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| Brand |
JBL |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 350 watts |
15-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
93 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
28-25k Hz |
26-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
15" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Pure Pulp |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
3" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
Compression Driver |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
800 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1120.0mm (44.1") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
630.0mm (24.8") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
470.0mm (18.5") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
63.50kg (139.7lbs) |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - JBL 4369 costs roughly 9.7x what GoldenEar Triton Five does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (28Hz vs 26Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | A | JBL 4369 is more sensitive (93dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | GoldenEar Triton Five is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (350W vs 400W). |
| Size | depends | GoldenEar Triton Five is easier to place; JBL 4369 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | A | JBL 4369: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | GoldenEar Triton Five is cheaper - $2,398 against $23,200, about 90% less; arguably a different class. |
A JBL 4369 B GoldenEar Triton Five
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?
JBL 4369 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 9.7x the price. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - GoldenEar Triton Five looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the JBL 4369 appeals to you. In a large or open-plan room, JBL 4369 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. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, JBL 4369 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.