In this review, we will be comparing XR100 and Triton One.R, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from McIntosh and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of McIntosh XR100 and GoldenEar Triton One.R first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | McIntosh XR100 | GoldenEar Triton One.R |
|---|
| Brand | McIntosh
United States · founded 1949 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 4-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 2" dome (x2) | High-Velocity Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Super tweeter | 0.75" super tweeter | — |
|---|
| Midrange | 8 x 2.0" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 6.0" Polypropylene | 5" Polymer |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-45k Hz | 13-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 75-600 watts | 20-650 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 31.14kg / 68.5lbs | 36.36kg / 80lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 49-13/16" x 11-5/8" x 17"
1266.0 x 296.0 x 432.0mm | 54-1/8" x 12-3/8" x 20-5/16"
1375.0 x 315.0 x 516.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the McIntosh XR100 and GoldenEar Triton One.R 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* |
McIntosh XR100 |
GoldenEar Triton One.R |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that XR100 is a 4-way design whereas the Triton One.R is a 3-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.
McIntosh XR100GoldenEar Triton One.R
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
McIntosh XR100 |
GoldenEar Triton One.R |
|
Driver Setup
|
4-way
|
3-way
|
|
Super Tweeter
|
0.75-inch |
- |
|
Tweeter
|
2-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
8 x 2.0-inch |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 6.0-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
XR100 features a 2" titanium tweeter with neodymium-iron-boron alloy magnet dome (x2) Tweeter, a 0.75" Supertweeter , a 2.0" Midrange and 4 x 6.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz, 2000kHZ and 8000kHZ. On the other hand, the Triton One.R features a " High-Velocity Folded Ribbon Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 1 x 5" Polymer Woofer.
Frequency Response
XR100 has a frequency range of 30-45k Hz whereas Triton One.R has a frequency range of 13-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 13Hz, the Triton One.R can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the XR100's min frequency of 30Hz.
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
Impedance and Sensitivity
XR100 and Triton One.R have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. XR100 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Triton One.R's is at 92 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the GoldenEar Triton One.R a more sensitive speaker compared to McIntosh XR100, 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 One.R can handle a max power of 650 watts RMS, whereas XR100 has a max power handling value of 600 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Triton One.R.
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
XR100 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Triton One.R has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
McIntosh XR100's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or 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 McIntosh XR100's and GoldenEar Triton One.R's external dimensions. McIntosh XR100 has external dimensions of 1266.0 x 296.0 x 432.0mm (49-13/16 x 11-5/8 x 17inch) whereas GoldenEar Triton One.R has external dimensions of 1375.0 x 315.0 x 516.0mm (54-1/8 x 12-3/8 x 20-5/16inch).
GoldenEar Triton One.R is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 19mm wider, 109mm taller and 84mm deeper than McIntosh XR100.
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 One.R needs about 27% more floor or shelf area. GoldenEar Triton One.R is 84mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. GoldenEar Triton One.R is 109mm 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 McIntosh XR100 is approximately 1278.7cm2 / 198.2inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton One.R is approximately 1625.4cm2 / 251.9inch2. The XR100 requires 21% less surface area than the Triton One.R 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 McIntosh XR100 weighs 31.14kg / 68.5lbs and the GoldenEar Triton One.R weighs 36.36kg / 80lbs. This makes the Triton One.R 17% heavier than the XR100.
Here is a comparison of how XR100 and Triton One.R'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 McIntosh XR100?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of XR100:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Feet
- 4 Glides
- 4 Tiptoes
- 4 Screws
- Owners Manual
What's in the Box of GoldenEar Triton One.R?
Here are the items that come with the Triton One.R:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 9-feet AC power cord
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spikes (with locking nuts)
- 4 Protective discs
- Owners Manual
- Very Important Note
 Driver Setup |
4-way
vs
3-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
6.0 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
4
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
45k Hz
vs
35k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1266mm
vs
1375mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1278cm2
vs
1625cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
650 watts
vs
600 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Low Frequency Response |
13 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Passive Radiator |
four 7-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Price per pair* |
7498USD
vs
11000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
McIntosh XR100 |
GoldenEar Triton One.R |
| Brand |
McIntosh |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
75-600 watts |
20-650 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-45k Hz |
13-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.0" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Polymer |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
2" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
dome (x2) |
High-Velocity Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
2.0" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
300Hz, 2000kHZ and 8000kHZ |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1266.0mm (49.8") |
1375.0mm (54.1") |
| Width |
296.0mm (11.7") |
315.0mm (12.4") |
| Depth |
432.0mm (17") |
516.0mm (20.3") |
| Weight |
31.14kg (68.5lbs) |
36.36kg (80lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
Real wood veneer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Red Walnut, Black, Pear Maple |
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 One.R digs deeper - 13Hz against 30Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | GoldenEar Triton One.R is more sensitive (92dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (600W vs 650W). |
| Size | depends | McIntosh XR100 is easier to place; GoldenEar Triton One.R is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | A | McIntosh XR100: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | GoldenEar Triton One.R is cheaper - $7,498 against $11,000, about 32% less. |
A McIntosh XR100 B GoldenEar Triton One.R
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 One.R has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 30Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, GoldenEar Triton One.R 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.