In this review, we will be comparing Model Five and Triton Five, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KLH and GoldenEar. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KLH Model Five and GoldenEar Triton Five first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the KLH Model Five 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the KLH Model Five 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 Model Five 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.
| Driver |
KLH Model Five |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 10-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
Model Five features a 1" aluminum Hard-Dome Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 1 x 10" Pulp-Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 380Hz and 2850Hz. On the other hand, the Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer .
Frequency Response
Model Five has a frequency range of 42-20k 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 Model Five's min frequency of 42Hz.
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
Model Five 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. Model Five sensitivity is rated at 90.5 dB and the Triton Five's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the KLH Model Five 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. 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.
Model Five can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Model Five 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
Model Five features 5-way Post type posts and Triton Five has a 5-way Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KLH Model Five's Binding post terminals
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 KLH Model Five's and GoldenEar Triton Five's external dimensions. KLH Model Five has external dimensions of 660.0 x 350.0 x 292.0mm ( 34-1/4 x 13-3/4 x 13inch) 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) .
KLH Model Five is 471mm shorter and 129mm less deeper than GoldenEar Triton Five but it is also 69mm 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 KLH Model Five is approximately 1022.0cm2 / 158.4inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2. The Model Five requires 14% 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 KLH Model Five weighs 20.00kg / 44lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the Model Five 10% heavier than the Triton Five.
Here is a comparison of how Model Five 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 KLH Model Five?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Model Five:
Floorstanding loudspeakerRiser baseGrilleOwners Manual
What's in the Box of GoldenEar Triton Five?
Here are the items that come with the Triton Five:
Floorstanding loudspeaker4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)4 Spikes4 Locking nutsOwners Manual
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
10 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
660mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1022cm2 (350x292mm)
vs
1183cm2 (281x421mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
200 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
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
four 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Price per pair* |
2398USD
vs
2500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
KLH Model Five |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| Brand |
KLH |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-200 watts |
15-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90.5 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.5 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
42-20k Hz |
26-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Pulp-Paper |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
380Hz and 2850Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
660.0mm (26") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
350.0mm (13.8") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
292.0mm (11.5") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
20.00kg (44lbs) |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Acoustic Suspension |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
English Walnut, West African Mahogany |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
10 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
10 Years |
5 Years |