In this review, we will be comparing ESL and Triton Five, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from MartinLogan and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan ESL and GoldenEar Triton Five first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan ESL | GoldenEar Triton Five |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 8.6x34" curved electrostatic transducer | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" high-excursion paper cone | 2 x 6" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-22k Hz | 26-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 15-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.14kg / 35.5lbs | 18.18kg / 40lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 53-1/8" x 9-5/16" x 16-1/2"
1350.0 x 237.0 x 420.0mm | 44-1/2" x 11-1/16" x 16-9/16"
1131.0 x 281.0 x 421.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan ESL 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* |
MartinLogan ESL |
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
Both ESL and Triton Five are 2-way speakers.
MartinLogan ESLGoldenEar Triton Five
Woofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
MartinLogan ESL |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
8.6x34-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
ESL features a 8.6x34" curved electrostatic transducer Tweeter and 1 x 8" high-excursion paper cone Woofer. On the other hand, the Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
ESL has a frequency range of 42-22k 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 ESL's min frequency of 42Hz.
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
ESL 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. ESL sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Triton Five's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the MartinLogan ESL 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 ESL has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 100 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
ESL features Spring 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 MartinLogan ESL's and GoldenEar Triton Five's external dimensions. MartinLogan ESL has external dimensions of 1350.0 x 237.0 x 420.0mm (53-1/8 x 9-5/16 x 16-1/2inch) 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).
MartinLogan ESL is 44mm narrower and 1mm less deeper than GoldenEar Triton Five but it is also 219mm 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.
GoldenEar Triton Five needs about 19% more floor or shelf area. MartinLogan ESL is 219mm 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 MartinLogan ESL is approximately 995.4cm2 / 154.3inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2. The ESL requires 16% 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 MartinLogan ESL weighs 16.14kg / 35.5lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the Triton Five 13% heavier than the ESL.
Here is a comparison of how ESL 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 MartinLogan ESL?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of ESL:
- Floor-standing hybrid electrostatic loudspeaker
- AC power adapter (w/ attached 10-feet DC cord)
- Cloth grille (installed)
- 4 Pre-installed feet
- Users Manual (En/Fr)
- Product Registration Card
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
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Base Surface Area |
995cm2
vs
1183cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
300 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
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
four 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Height |
1131mm
vs
1350mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
2398USD
vs
2800USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
MartinLogan ElectroMotion ESL |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
15-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42-22k Hz |
26-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
high-excursion paper cone |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
8.6x34" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
curved electrostatic transducer |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1350.0mm (53.1") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
237.0mm (9.3") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
420.0mm (16.5") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
16.14kg (35.5lbs) |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
Composite |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | GoldenEar Triton Five digs deeper - 26Hz against 42Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | GoldenEar Triton Five is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | GoldenEar Triton Five takes more power (400W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | A | MartinLogan ESL: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | GoldenEar Triton Five is cheaper - $2,398 against $2,800, about 14% less. |
A MartinLogan ESL 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 MartinLogan ESL 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 42Hz 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.