In this review, we will be comparing JBL 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.
JBL L100 Classic 80 Key Specs
- 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 12" Pulp Woofer
- 40Hz-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:25-200watts
- Weight:26.59kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 643.0" x 15-3/8" x 14-7/16"( 643.0 x 391.0 x 367.0mm )
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 )
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the JBL L100 Classic 80 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.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that JBL L100 Classic 80 is a -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.
| Driver |
JBL L100 Classic 80 |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
x 12-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
JBL L100 Classic 80 features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and x 12" Pulp Woofer . On the other hand, the Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer .
Frequency Response
JBL 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 JBL L100 Classic 80's min frequency of 40Hz.
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
JBL 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 JBL 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. 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.
JBL L100 Classic 80 can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS from the amp the whereas JBL L100 Classic 80 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS , 200 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
JBL 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
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 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 JBL L100 Classic 80 requires 21% more surface area than the Triton Five which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.