In this review, we will be comparing Motion 40i and Triton Three+, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from MartinLogan and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan 40i and GoldenEar Triton Three+ first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan 40i | GoldenEar Triton Three+ |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion | High-Velocity Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.5" | 4.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Aluminum | 5" Polymer |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-25k Hz | 21-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 20-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 20.40kg / 44.9lbs | 20.45kg / 45lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41-1/2" x 7-9/16" x 13-1/16"
1055.0 x 193.0 x 332.0mm | 44-1/2" x 11-5/8" x 17-9/16"
1131.0 x 296.0 x 447.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan 40i and GoldenEar Triton Three+ 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 40i |
GoldenEar Triton Three+ |
| 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 Motion 40i and Triton Three+ are 3-way speakers.
MartinLogan 40iGoldenEar Triton Three+
MidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
MartinLogan 40i |
GoldenEar Triton Three+ |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0 x 1.4-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.5-inch |
1 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
Motion 40i features a 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Tweeter, a 5.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500Hz and 2600Hz. On the other hand, the Triton Three+ features a " High-Velocity Folded Ribbon Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 1 x 5" Polymer Woofer.
Frequency Response
Motion 40i has a frequency range of 40-25k Hz whereas Triton Three+ has a frequency range of 21-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 21Hz, the Triton Three+ can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion 40i's min frequency of 40Hz.
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
Motion 40i is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Triton Three+ 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 Motion 40i can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion 40i sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Triton Three+'s is rated at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the MartinLogan 40i a more sensitive speaker compared to GoldenEar Triton Three+, 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 Three+ can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS, whereas Motion 40i has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Triton Three+.
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
Motion 40i features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Triton Three+ has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan 40i's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
MartinLogan 40i Port
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 40i's and GoldenEar Triton Three+'s external dimensions. MartinLogan 40i has external dimensions of 1055.0 x 193.0 x 332.0mm (41-1/2 x 7-9/16 x 13-1/16inch) whereas GoldenEar Triton Three+ has external dimensions of 1131.0 x 296.0 x 447.0mm (44-1/2 x 11-5/8 x 17-9/16inch).
GoldenEar Triton Three+ is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 103mm wider, 76mm taller and 115mm deeper than MartinLogan 40i.
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 40i is approximately 640.8cm2 / 99.3inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Three+ is approximately 1323.1cm2 / 205.1inch2. The Motion 40i requires 52% less surface area than the Triton Three+ 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 40i weighs 20.40kg / 44.9lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Three+ weighs 20.45kg / 45lbs. This makes the Triton Three+ 0% heavier than the Motion 40i.
Here is a comparison of how Motion 40i and Triton Three+'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 40i?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Motion 40i:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (w/ nuts attached)
- Users Manual
- Warranty/Registration Information
What's in the Box of GoldenEar Triton Three+?
Here are the items that come with the Triton Three+:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 9-feet AC power cord
- Base
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed on base)
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Locking nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- Owners Manual
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1055mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
640cm2
vs
1323cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2600USD
vs
2998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
21 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
two 6-3/4-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
| General |
MartinLogan Motion 40i |
GoldenEar Triton Three+ |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
20-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
40-25k Hz |
21-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Polymer |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.0 x 1.4" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Motion |
High-Velocity Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.5" |
4.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
500Hz and 2600Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
Allow 72 hours of break-in at 90 dB |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1055.0mm (41.5") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
193.0mm (7.6") |
296.0mm (11.7") |
| Depth |
332.0mm (13.1") |
447.0mm (17.6") |
| Weight |
20.40kg (44.9lbs) |
20.45kg (45lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black, Matt White, Red Walnut |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
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 Three+ digs deeper - 21Hz against 40Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | MartinLogan 40i is more sensitive (92dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | GoldenEar Triton Three+ is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | GoldenEar Triton Three+ takes more power (400W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | MartinLogan 40i is easier to place; GoldenEar Triton Three+ is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | A | MartinLogan 40i: bi-amping. MartinLogan 40i sits in a wider range (18 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | MartinLogan 40i is cheaper - $2,600 against $2,998, about 13% less. |
A MartinLogan 40i B GoldenEar Triton Three+
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?
The usual trade-off: GoldenEar Triton Three+ measures better, MartinLogan 40i costs about about 15% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 40Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper MartinLogan 40i much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate GoldenEar Triton Three+ 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.