In this review, we will be comparing Concept 50 and Triton Seven, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Q Acoustics and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics Concept 50 and GoldenEar Triton Seven first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Q Acoustics Concept 50 | GoldenEar Triton Seven |
|---|
| Brand | Q Acoustics
United Kingdom · founded 2006 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5" Paper composite | 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-30k Hz | 29-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90.5 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-150 watts | 10-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.90kg / 50.4lbs | 14.55kg / 32lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-3/8" x 16-7/16" x 12-9/16"
1025.0 x 418.0 x 319.0mm | 40-1/2" x 10-1/2" x 14-1/2"
1029.0 x 267.0 x 369.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Q Acoustics Concept 50 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:
| Listening Environment* |
Q Acoustics Concept 50 |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Average |
(* 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 Concept 50 and Triton Seven are 2-way speakers.
Q Acoustics Concept 50GoldenEar Triton Seven
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Q Acoustics Concept 50 |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Concept 50 features a 1" Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Paper composite Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2100Hz. On the other hand, the Triton Seven features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
Concept 50 has a frequency range of 42-30k 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 Concept 50'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
Concept 50 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Triton Seven which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Concept 50 sensitivity is rated at 90.5 dB and the Triton Seven's is rated at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Q Acoustics Concept 50 a more sensitive speaker compared to GoldenEar Triton Seven, 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 Seven can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Concept 50 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Triton Seven.
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
Concept 50 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Triton Seven has a 5-way Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Concept 50 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
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 Q Acoustics Concept 50's and GoldenEar Triton Seven's external dimensions. Q Acoustics Concept 50 has external dimensions of 1025.0 x 418.0 x 319.0mm (40-3/8 x 16-7/16 x 12-9/16inch) 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).
Q Acoustics Concept 50 is 4mm shorter and 50mm less deeper than GoldenEar Triton Seven but it is also 151mm wider.
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.
Q Acoustics Concept 50 needs about 35% more floor or shelf area. GoldenEar Triton Seven is 50mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall.
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 Q Acoustics Concept 50 is approximately 1333.4cm2 / 206.7inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Seven is approximately 985.2cm2 / 152.7inch2. The Concept 50 requires 35% more surface area than the Triton Seven 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 Q Acoustics Concept 50 weighs 22.90kg / 50.4lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Seven weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs. This makes the Concept 50 57% heavier than the Triton Seven.
Here is a comparison of how Concept 50 and Triton Seven'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 GoldenEar Triton Seven?
Here are the items that come with the Triton Seven:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Locking nuts
- Owners Manual
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1025mm
vs
1029mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
5.25 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
29 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
30k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
dual 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Base Surface Area |
985cm2
vs
1333cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1798USD
vs
1999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Q Acoustics Concept 50 |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
| Brand |
Q Acoustics |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-150 watts |
10-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90.5 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.6 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
42-30k Hz |
29-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper composite |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
2100Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1025.0mm (40.4") |
1029.0mm (40.5") |
| Width |
418.0mm (16.5") |
267.0mm (10.5") |
| Depth |
319.0mm (12.6") |
369.0mm (14.5") |
| Weight |
22.90kg (50.4lbs) |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
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 |
A generation apart: Q Acoustics Concept 50 is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | GoldenEar Triton Seven digs deeper - 29Hz against 42Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Q Acoustics Concept 50 is more sensitive (91dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | GoldenEar Triton Seven is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | GoldenEar Triton Seven takes more power (300W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | GoldenEar Triton Seven is easier to place; Q Acoustics Concept 50 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | A | Q Acoustics Concept 50: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | GoldenEar Triton Seven is cheaper - $1,798 against $1,999, about 10% less. |
A Q Acoustics Concept 50 B GoldenEar Triton Seven
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 Seven 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 42Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Q Acoustics Concept 50 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.