In this review, we will be comparing L100 Classic 80 and Triton Five, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from JBL and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL L100 Classic 80 and GoldenEar Triton Five first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL L100 Classic 80 | GoldenEar Triton Five |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 12" Pulp | 2 x 6" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40Hz-40k Hz | 26-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-200 watts | 15-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 26.59kg / 58.5lbs | 18.18kg / 40lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 25-5/16" x 15-3/8" x 14-7/16"
643.0 x 391.0 x 367.0mm | 44-1/2" x 11-1/16" x 16-9/16"
1131.0 x 281.0 x 421.0mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that L100 Classic 80 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.
JBL L100 Classic 80GoldenEar Triton Five
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
JBL L100 Classic 80 |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 12-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
L100 Classic 80 features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 1 x 12" Pulp Woofer. On the other hand, the Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
L100 Classic 80 has a frequency range of 40Hz-40k 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 L100 Classic 80's min frequency of 40Hz.
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
L100 Classic 80 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 L100 Classic 80 can provide this impedance level.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 90 dBdB.
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 L100 Classic 80 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 200 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
L100 Classic 80 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 L100 Classic 80's and GoldenEar Triton Five's external dimensions. JBL L100 Classic 80 has external dimensions of 643.0 x 391.0 x 367.0mm (25-5/16inch x 15-3/8inch x 14-7/16inch) 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).
JBL L100 Classic 80 is 488mm shorter and 54mm less deeper than GoldenEar Triton Five but it is also 110mm wider.
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 L100 Classic 80 is approximately 1435.0cm2 / 222.4inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2. The L100 Classic 80 requires 21% 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 L100 Classic 80 weighs 26.59kg / 58.5lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the L100 Classic 80 46% heavier than the Triton Five.
Here is a comparison of how L100 Classic 80 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 JBL L100 Classic 80?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of L100 Classic 80:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- 2 Speaker stands
- Quick Start Guide
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
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
35k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
643mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Passive Radiator |
four 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Base Surface Area |
1183cm2
vs
1435cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2398USD
vs
6999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
JBL L100 Classic 80 |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| Brand |
JBL |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-200 watts |
15-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
40Hz-40k Hz |
26-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
12" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Pulp |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
643.0mm (25.3") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
391.0mm (15.4") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
367.0mm (14.4") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
26.59kg (58.5lbs) |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
| Enclosure |
|
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF/wood veneer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Oak |
Gloss Black |
| Recommended Stand Height |
9.3125" |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5Yrs(spkr) / 1yr(stand) |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5Yrs(spkr) / 1yr(stand) |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - JBL L100 Classic 80 costs roughly 2.9x 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 | B | GoldenEar Triton Five digs deeper - 26Hz against 40Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | GoldenEar Triton Five is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | GoldenEar Triton Five takes more power (400W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | JBL L100 Classic 80 is easier to place; GoldenEar Triton Five is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | A | JBL L100 Classic 80: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | GoldenEar Triton Five is cheaper - $2,398 against $6,999, about 66% less; arguably a different class. |
A JBL L100 Classic 80 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?
GoldenEar Triton Five is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take JBL L100 Classic 80 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 40Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, GoldenEar Triton Five has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, JBL L100 Classic 80 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.