In this review, we will be comparing Forte 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 Forte IV and GoldenEar Triton Five first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Klipsch Forte IV | GoldenEar Triton Five |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" horn-loaded | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 1.75" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 12" Fibercomposite | 2 x 6" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-20k Hz | 26-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 99 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 100 watts | 15-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 32.73kg / 72lbs | 18.18kg / 40lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 35-3/4" x 16-5/8" x 13"
909.0 x 423.0 x 331.0mm | 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 Forte 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 Forte 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 Forte IV |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 1.75-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 12-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
Forte IV features a 1" titanium-diaphragm compression horn-loaded Tweeter, a 1.75" Midrange and 1 x 12" Fibercomposite Woofer. On the other hand, the Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
Forte IV has a frequency range of 38-20k 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 Forte IV's min frequency of 38Hz.
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
Forte IV and Triton Five have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Forte IV sensitivity is rated at 99 dB and the Triton Five's is at 90 dB. This 9 dB difference makes the Klipsch Forte 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 Forte 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
Forte IV features 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.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Forte IV and Triton Five have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 Forte IV's and GoldenEar Triton Five's external dimensions. Klipsch Forte IV has external dimensions of 909.0 x 423.0 x 331.0mm (35-3/4 x 16-5/8 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).
Klipsch Forte IV is 222mm shorter and 90mm less deeper than GoldenEar Triton Five but it is also 142mm 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 Forte IV is approximately 1400.1cm2 / 217.0inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2. The Forte IV requires 18% 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 Forte IV weighs 32.73kg / 72lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the Forte IV 80% heavier than the Triton Five.
Here is a comparison of how Forte 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 Forte IV?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Forte IV:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- 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 |
99 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
909mm
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
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
1183cm2
vs
1400cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2398USD
vs
4998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Klipsch Heritage Forte 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 |
99 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
38-20k Hz |
26-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
12" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Fibercomposite |
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 |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
909.0mm (35.8") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
423.0mm (16.7") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
331.0mm (13") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
32.73kg (72lbs) |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
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 Forte IV costs roughly 2.1x 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 38Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
Klipsch Forte IV is more sensitive (99dB 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 |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability |
A |
Klipsch Forte IV: bi-amping. Klipsch Forte 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 $4,998, about 52% less; arguably a different class. |
A Klipsch Forte 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 38Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Klipsch Forte IV is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.