In this review, we will be comparing Cornwall IV and Triton Five, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Klipsch and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Klipsch Cornwall IV and GoldenEar Triton Five first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Klipsch Cornwall IV | GoldenEar Triton Five |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" horn-loaded | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 1.75" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 15" Fiber composite | 2 x 6" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 34-20k Hz | 26-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 102 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 100 watts | 15-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 44.55kg / 98lbs | 18.18kg / 40lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38" x 25-5/16" x 15-1/2"
966.0 x 643.0 x 394.0mm | 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.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Cornwall IV 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.
Klipsch Cornwall IVGoldenEar 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 |
Klipsch Cornwall IV |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 1.75-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 15-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
Cornwall IV features a 1" titanium-diaphragm compression horn-loaded Tweeter, a 1.75" Midrange and 1 x 15" Fiber composite Woofer. On the other hand, the Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
Cornwall IV has a frequency range of 34-20k 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 Cornwall IV's min frequency of 34Hz.
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
Cornwall IV and Triton Five have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Cornwall IV sensitivity is rated at 102 dB and the Triton Five's is at 90 dB. This 12 dB difference makes the Klipsch Cornwall IV 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. 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 Cornwall IV has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 300 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
Cornwall IV 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 Klipsch Cornwall IV's and GoldenEar Triton Five's external dimensions. Klipsch Cornwall IV has external dimensions of 966.0 x 643.0 x 394.0mm (38 x 25-5/16 x 15-1/2inch) 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).
Klipsch Cornwall IV is 165mm shorter and 27mm less deeper than GoldenEar Triton Five but it is also 362mm 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 Klipsch Cornwall IV is approximately 2533.4cm2 / 392.7inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2. The Cornwall IV requires 114% 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 Klipsch Cornwall IV weighs 44.55kg / 98lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the Cornwall IV 145% heavier than the Triton Five.
Here is a comparison of how Cornwall IV 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 Klipsch Cornwall IV?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Cornwall IV:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- Owners Manual
- Congratulations letter
- Klipsch brochure
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 |
 Sensitivity |
102 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
15 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
966mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
34 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 |
 Base Surface Area |
1183cm2
vs
2533cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2398USD
vs
6598USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Klipsch Heritage Cornwall IV |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| Brand |
Klipsch |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 100 watts |
15-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
102 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
34-20k Hz |
26-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
15" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Fiber composite |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
horn-loaded |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
1.75" |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
966.0mm (38") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
643.0mm (25.3") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
394.0mm (15.5") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
44.55kg (98lbs) |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood veneer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
10 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
10 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Klipsch Cornwall IV costs roughly 2.8x 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 34Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
Klipsch Cornwall IV is more sensitive (102dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
B |
GoldenEar Triton Five takes more power (400W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
GoldenEar Triton Five is easier to place; Klipsch Cornwall IV is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet |
depends |
Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability |
A |
Klipsch Cornwall IV: bi-amping. Klipsch Cornwall IV sits in a wider range (12 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
B |
GoldenEar Triton Five is cheaper - $2,398 against $6,598, about 64% less; arguably a different class. |
A Klipsch Cornwall IV
B GoldenEar Triton Five
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 34Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Klipsch Cornwall IV has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, GoldenEar Triton Five 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.