In this review, we will be comparing MartinLogan Foundation F2 and Triton Seven, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from MartinLogan and GoldenEar. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Foundation F2 and GoldenEar Triton Seven first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the MartinLogan Foundation F2 and GoldenEar Triton Seven 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 MartinLogan Foundation F2 and GoldenEar Triton Seven 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 MartinLogan Foundation F2 is a 3-way design whereas the Triton Seven 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 |
MartinLogan Foundation F2 |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
MartinLogan Foundation F2 features a 1" Gen2 Obsidian Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter , a 5.5" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 330 Hz - 3600 Hz. On the other hand, the Triton Seven features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer .
Frequency Response
MartinLogan Foundation F2 has a frequency range of 36-23k Hz whereas Triton Seven has a frequency range of 29-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 29Hz, the Triton Seven can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the MartinLogan Foundation F2's min frequency of 36Hz.
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
MartinLogan Foundation F2
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Foundation F2
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
MartinLogan Foundation F2 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Triton Seven 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 MartinLogan Foundation F2 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. MartinLogan Foundation F2 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Triton Seven's is rated at 89 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Foundation F2 a more sensitive speaker compared to GoldenEar Triton Seven, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Foundation F2
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.
MartinLogan Foundation F2 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas MartinLogan Foundation F2 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS , 100 watts less than the Triton Seven.
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
MartinLogan Foundation F2 features 5-way Post type posts and Triton Seven has a 5-way Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Foundation F2's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both MartinLogan Foundation F2 and Triton Seven 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
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 MartinLogan Foundation F2's and GoldenEar Triton Seven's external dimensions. MartinLogan Foundation F2 has external dimensions of 1129.0 x 223.0 x 407.0mm ( 44-7/16inch x 8-3/4inch x 16inch ) whereas GoldenEar Triton Seven has external dimensions of 1029.0 x 267.0 x 369.0mm ( 40-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 14-1/2inch) .
GoldenEar Triton Seven is 100mm shorter and 38mm less deeper than MartinLogan Foundation F2 but it is also 44mm 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 MartinLogan Foundation F2 is approximately 907.6cm2 / 140.7inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Seven is approximately 985.2cm2 / 152.7inch2. The MartinLogan Foundation F2 requires 8% less surface area than the Triton Seven 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 Foundation F2 weighs 23.86kg / 52.5lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Seven weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs. This makes the MartinLogan Foundation F2 64% heavier than the Triton Seven.
Here is a comparison of how MartinLogan Foundation F2 and Triton Seven's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Foundation F2
What's in the Box of GoldenEar Triton Seven?
Here are the items that come with the Triton Seven:
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 |
92 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Base Surface Area |
907cm2 (223x407mm)
vs
985cm2 (267x369mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
| Low Frequency Response |
29 Hz
vs
36 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
dual 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Height |
1029mm
vs
1129mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
1798USD
vs
1999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
MartinLogan Foundation F2 |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 200 watts |
10-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
36-23k Hz |
29-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Motion Ribbon |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
330 Hz - 3600 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1129.0mm (44.4") |
1029.0mm (40.5") |
| Width |
223.0mm (8.8") |
267.0mm (10.5") |
| Depth |
407.0mm (16") |
369.0mm (14.5") |
| Weight |
23.86kg (52.5lbs) |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Walnut,Black,Satin White |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 years |
5 Years |