In this review, we will be comparing Ultra Evolution Titan and Triton Five, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from SVS and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Ultra Evolution Titan and GoldenEar Triton Five first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Ultra Evolution Titan | GoldenEar Triton Five |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 4.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 6.5" Composite glass-fiber | 2 x 6" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 27-40k Hz | 26-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 15-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 31.60kg / 69.5lbs | 18.18kg / 40lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 47.1" x 9.8" x 17.3"
1197 x 249 x 439.3mm (D | 44-1/2" x 11-1/16" x 16-9/16"
1131.0 x 281.0 x 421.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the SVS Ultra Evolution Titan 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* |
SVS Ultra Evolution Titan |
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.
**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Ultra Evolution Titan 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.
SVS Ultra Evolution TitanGoldenEar 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 |
SVS Ultra Evolution Titan |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 4.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
Ultra Evolution Titan features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 4 x 6.5" Composite glass-fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 1900Hz. On the other hand, the Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
Ultra Evolution Titan has a frequency range of 27-40k 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 Ultra Evolution Titan'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
Ultra Evolution Titan is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Triton Five which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Ultra Evolution Titan sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Triton Five's is rated at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the GoldenEar Triton Five a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Evolution Titan, 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 Five can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS, whereas Ultra Evolution Titan has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 100 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.
SVS Ultra Evolution Titan
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Ultra Evolution Titan features Gold-plated 5-way posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Triton Five has a 5-way Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Evolution Titan's Gold-plated 5-way terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Ultra Evolution Titan and Triton Five 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 SVS Ultra Evolution Titan's and GoldenEar Triton Five's external dimensions. SVS Ultra Evolution Titan has external dimensions of 1197 x 249 x 439.3mm (D (47.13 x 9.8 x 17.3”) 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 66mm shorter and 18mm less deeper than SVS Ultra Evolution Titan but it is also 32mm 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 SVS Ultra Evolution Titan is approximately 1093.1cm2 / 169.4inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2. The Ultra Evolution Titan requires 8% 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 SVS Ultra Evolution Titan weighs 31.60kg / 69.5lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the Ultra Evolution Titan 74% heavier than the Triton Five.
Here is a comparison of how Ultra Evolution Titan and Triton Five's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
SVS Ultra Evolution Titan
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 |
6.5 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
4
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
35k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Base Surface Area |
1093cm2
vs
1183cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
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
1197mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
2398USD
vs
3999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
SVS Ultra Evolution Titan |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| Brand |
SVS |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
15-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
27-40k Hz |
26-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Composite glass-fiber |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4.5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
160HZ and 1900Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1197.0mm (47.1") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
249.0mm (9.8") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
439.0mm (17.3") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
31.60kg (69.5lbs) |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White,Black Oak Veneer |
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 - SVS Ultra Evolution Titan costs roughly 1.7x 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 | B | GoldenEar Triton Five is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | GoldenEar Triton Five is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | GoldenEar Triton Five takes more power (400W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | A | SVS Ultra Evolution Titan: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | GoldenEar Triton Five is cheaper - $2,398 against $3,999, about 40% less; arguably a different class. |
A SVS Ultra Evolution Titan 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?
GoldenEar Triton Five is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take SVS Ultra Evolution Titan if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, GoldenEar Triton Five is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $1,601 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.