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JBL HDI-3600 vs GoldenEar Triton Five Comparison

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JBL HDI-3600

Passive Floor-standing | 38-30k Hz

JBL HDI-3600
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GoldenEar Triton Five

Passive Floor-standing | 26-35k Hz

GoldenEar Triton Five
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JBL HDI-3600 JBL HDI-3600
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GoldenEar Triton Five GoldenEar Triton Fiv...
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JBL HDI-3600
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GoldenEar Triton Fiv...
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JBL HDI-3600 vs GoldenEar Triton Five Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing HDI-3600 and Triton Five, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from JBL and GoldenEar.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of JBL HDI-3600 and GoldenEar Triton Five first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

JBL HDI-3600 Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1" Tweeter
  • 3 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer
  • 38-30k Hz Frequency Response
  • 90 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:20-250watts
  • Weight:28.09kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1028.0" x 10-3/16" x 13-9/16"( 1028.0 x 259.0 x 345.0mm )

GoldenEar Triton Five Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • " Folded Ribbon Tweeter
  • 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer
  • 26-35k Hz Frequency Response
  • 90 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Power Range:15-400watts
  • Weight:18.18kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1131.0" x 11-1/16" x 16-9/16"( 1131.0 x 281.0 x 421.0mm )

What size room are the JBL HDI-3600 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 HDI-3600 GoldenEar Triton Five
Near-field Bad Are you nuts?
Small Room Poor Poor
Mid-size Room Average Average
Large Room Good Good
Very Large Room Average 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.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the JBL HDI-3600 and GoldenEar Triton Five 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 HDI-3600 and Triton Five are 2-way speakers.

Driver JBL HDI-3600 GoldenEar Triton Five
Driver Setup 2-way 2-way
Tweeter 1-inch -inch
Midrange - -
Woofer 3 x 6.5-inch 2 x 6-inch

HDI-3600 features a 1" Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer . On the other hand, the Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer .

Frequency Response

HDI-3600 has a frequency range of 38-30k Hz whereas Triton Five has a frequency range of 26-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the Triton Five can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the HDI-3600'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

HDI-3600
Triton Five
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

JBL HDI-3600
GoldenEar Triton Five
Min
Average
Max

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

HDI-3600 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Triton Five which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the HDI-3600 can provide this impedance level.

On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 90 dBdB.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

HDI-3600
Triton Five
Min
Average
Max

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.

HDI-3600 can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS from the amp the whereas HDI-3600 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS , 150 watts less than the Triton Five.

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

HDI-3600 features 5-way 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.

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both HDI-3600 and Triton Five have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.

If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.

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 JBL HDI-3600's and GoldenEar Triton Five's external dimensions. JBL HDI-3600 has external dimensions of 1028.0 x 259.0 x 345.0mm ( 40-7/16 x 10-3/16 x 13-9/16inch) 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 Five is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 22mm wider, 103mm taller and 76mm deeper than JBL HDI-3600.

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 HDI-3600 is approximately 893.6cm2 / 138.5inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2. The HDI-3600 requires 24% less surface area than the Triton Five 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 JBL HDI-3600 weighs 28.09kg / 61.8lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the HDI-3600 55% heavier than the Triton Five.

Here is a comparison of how HDI-3600 and Triton Five's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.

Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
JBL HDI-3600
GoldenEar Triton Five
Min
Average
Max

What's in the Box of JBL HDI-3600?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of HDI-3600:
  • Floorstanding loudspeaker
  • Grille
  • 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
  • 4 Spike feet
  • Owners Manual
  • 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

  • Reasons to choose JBL HDI-3600 over GoldenEar Triton Five
    Woofer Size 6.5 inches vs 6 inches Larger woofer
    Number of Woofers 3 vs 2 More woofers
    Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring Yes vs No Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections
    Height 1028mm vs 1131mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Base Surface Area 893cm2 vs 1183cm2 Takes less floor space

    Reasons to choose GoldenEar Triton Five over JBL HDI-3600

    Max Input Power 400 watts vs 250 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
    Nominal Impedance 8 ohms vs 4 ohms Less selective with amplifiers
    Low Frequency Response 26 Hz vs 38 Hz Generates deeper bass
    High Frequency Response 35k Hz vs 30k Hz Generates higher frequency
    Passive Radiator four 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass vs None Increases the bass performance
    Price per pair* 2398USD vs 4180USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
    JBL HDI-3600 vs GoldenEar Triton Five Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General JBL HDI-3600 GoldenEar Triton Five
    Brand JBL GoldenEar
    Speaker Type Floor-standing speaker Floor-standing speaker
    Power Range 20-250 watts 15-400 watts
    Sensitivity 90 dB 90 dB
    Impedance 4 ohms 8 ohms
    Frequency Response 38-30k Hz 26-35k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 3 2
    Woofer Size 6.5" 6"
    Woofer Composition Aluminum Polypropylene
    Woofer Surround Material Rubber Rubber
    Tweeter Size 1" -
    Tweeter Type n/a Folded Ribbon
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver No No
    Firing Direction rear rear
    Physical Specs
    Height 1028.0mm (40.5") 1131.0mm (44.5")
    Width 259.0mm (10.2") 281.0mm (11.1")
    Depth 345.0mm (13.6") 421.0mm (16.6")
    Weight 28.09kg (61.8lbs) 18.18kg (40lbs)
    Enclosure Bass Reflex Passive Radiator
    Finish MDF/Wood-veneer MDF/Lacquer
    Available Colors Grey Gloss Black
    Grille Yes n/a
    Moisture Resistancy No No
    Connections
    Biamp Inputs Yes No
    Other
    Parts Warranty 5 Years 5 Years
    Labor Warranty 5 Years 5 Years

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