In this review, we will be comparing PerformaBe F228Be and Triton Five, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Revel and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Revel PerformaBe F228Be and GoldenEar Triton Five first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Revel PerformaBe F228Be | GoldenEar Triton Five |
|---|
| Brand | Revel
United States · founded 1996 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" dome with proprietary acoustic lens waveguide | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" DCC Aluminum | 2 x 6" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 27-44k Hz | 26-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-350 watts | 15-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 37.27kg / 82lbs | 18.18kg / 40lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 46-1/2" x 11-13/16" x 13-1/4"
1182.0 x 301.0 x 337.0mm | 44-1/2" x 11-1/16" x 16-9/16"
1131.0 x 281.0 x 421.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Revel PerformaBe F228Be 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* |
Revel PerformaBe F228Be |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| 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 PerformaBe F228Be is a 3-way design whereas the Triton Five 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.
Revel PerformaBe F228BeGoldenEar Triton Five
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Revel PerformaBe F228Be |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
PerformaBe F228Be features a 1" beryllium dome with proprietary acoustic lens waveguide Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 8" DCC Aluminum Woofer. On the other hand, the Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
PerformaBe F228Be has a frequency range of 27-44k Hz whereas Triton Five has a frequency range of 26-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the Triton Five can go slightly deeper then the PerformaBe F228Be's min frequency of 27Hz.
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
PerformaBe F228Be and Triton Five have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 90 dB.
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 PerformaBe F228Be has a max power handling value of 350 watts RMS, 50 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
PerformaBe F228Be features Binding 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.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
PerformaBe F228Be has a front firing port whereas Triton Five has a rear firing ports. Revel PerformaBe F228Be's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to GoldenEar Triton Five with its rear-firing 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 Revel PerformaBe F228Be's and GoldenEar Triton Five's external dimensions. Revel PerformaBe F228Be has external dimensions of 1182.0 x 301.0 x 337.0mm (46-1/2 x 11-13/16 x 13-1/4inch) 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).
GoldenEar Triton Five is 20mm narrower and 51mm shorter than Revel PerformaBe F228Be but it is also 84mm deeper.
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 Revel PerformaBe F228Be is approximately 1014.4cm2 / 157.2inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2. The PerformaBe F228Be requires 14% 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 Revel PerformaBe F228Be weighs 37.27kg / 82lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the PerformaBe F228Be 105% heavier than the Triton Five.
Here is a comparison of how PerformaBe F228Be 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 Revel PerformaBe F228Be?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of PerformaBe F228Be:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Locking rings
- 4 Washers
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Foam port plug
- Owners Manual
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
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
44k Hz
vs
35k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
 Base Surface Area |
1014cm2
vs
1183cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
350 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
|
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
27 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Passive Radiator |
four 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Height |
1131mm
vs
1182mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
2398USD
vs
11000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Revel PerformaBe F228Be |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| Brand |
Revel |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-350 watts |
15-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
27-44k Hz |
26-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
DCC Aluminum |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
dome with proprietary acoustic lens waveguide |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
No |
| Firing Direction |
front |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1182.0mm (46.5") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
301.0mm (11.9") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
337.0mm (13.3") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
37.27kg (82lbs) |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
Wood/Lacquer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss White |
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 |
These sit in different price classes - Revel PerformaBe F228Be costs roughly 4.6x what GoldenEar Triton Five does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (27Hz vs 26Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (350W vs 400W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | depends | Revel PerformaBe F228Be: bi-amping. GoldenEar Triton Five sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | GoldenEar Triton Five is cheaper - $2,398 against $11,000, about 78% less; arguably a different class. |
A Revel PerformaBe F228Be 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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $8,602 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.