In this review, we will be comparing L150 Classic and Triton Five, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from JBL and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL L150 Classic and GoldenEar Triton Five first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL L150 Classic | GoldenEar Triton Five |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 15" Pure Pulp | 2 x 6" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-22k Hz | 26-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 250 watts | 15-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 58.50kg / 128.7lbs | 18.18kg / 40lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 36.8" x 18.5" x 21.3"
935.0 x 470.0 x 540.0mm | 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 L150 Classic 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 L150 Classic |
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.)
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 L150 Classic 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 L150 ClassicGoldenEar 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 L150 Classic |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 15-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
L150 Classic features a 1" Titanium Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 1 x 15" Pure Pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz and 1800Hz. On the other hand, the Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
L150 Classic has a frequency range of 32-22k 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 L150 Classic's min frequency of 32Hz.
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
L150 Classic 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 L150 Classic can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. L150 Classic sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Triton Five's is rated at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the GoldenEar Triton Five a more sensitive speaker compared to JBL L150 Classic, 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 L150 Classic has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 150 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
L150 Classic features Dual gold-plated binding posts 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
L150 Classic has a front firing port whereas Triton Five has a rear firing ports. JBL L150 Classic's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to GoldenEar Triton Five with its rear-firing port.
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 L150 Classic's and GoldenEar Triton Five's external dimensions. JBL L150 Classic has external dimensions of 935.0 x 470.0 x 540.0mm (36.8 x 18.5 x 21.3inch) 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 189mm narrower and 119mm less deeper than JBL L150 Classic but it is also 196mm 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 L150 Classic needs about 115% more floor or shelf area. JBL L150 Classic is 119mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. GoldenEar Triton Five is 196mm taller.
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 L150 Classic is approximately 2538.0cm2 / 393.4inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2. The L150 Classic requires 115% 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 L150 Classic weighs 58.50kg / 128.7lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the L150 Classic 222% heavier than the Triton Five.
Here is a comparison of how L150 Classic 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 L150 Classic?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of L150 Classic:
- 1 x L150 Classic loudspeaker
- 1 x magnetic Quadrex grille
- 4 x spike feet
- 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 |
15 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Height |
935mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 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
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
four 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Base Surface Area |
1183cm2
vs
2538cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2398USD
vs
9999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
JBL L150 Classic |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| Brand |
JBL |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 250 watts |
15-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-22k 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 |
1" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
300Hz and 1800Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
front |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
935.0mm (36.8") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
470.0mm (18.5") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
540.0mm (21.3") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
58.50kg (128.7lbs) |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
Natural walnut veneer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Walnut |
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 L150 Classic costs roughly 4.2x 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 32Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | GoldenEar Triton Five is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| 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 250W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | GoldenEar Triton Five is easier to place; JBL L150 Classic is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | A | JBL L150 Classic: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | GoldenEar Triton Five is cheaper - $2,398 against $9,999, about 76% less; arguably a different class. |
A JBL L150 Classic 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 L150 Classic 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 32Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate GoldenEar Triton Five the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.