In this review, we will be comparing Ultra Tower and Triton Three+, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from SVS and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Ultra Tower and GoldenEar Triton Three+ first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Ultra Tower | GoldenEar Triton Three+ |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.0" Dome | High-Velocity Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 6.5" | 4.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene | 5" Polymer |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-32k Hz | 21-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 20-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 34.27kg / 75.4lbs | 20.45kg / 45lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45-5/8" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"
1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm | 44-1/2" x 11-5/8" x 17-9/16"
1131.0 x 296.0 x 447.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the SVS Ultra Tower 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* |
SVS Ultra Tower |
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 Ultra Tower and Triton Three+ are 3-way speakers.
SVS Ultra TowerGoldenEar Triton Three+
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 Tower |
GoldenEar Triton Three+ |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.0-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
Ultra Tower features a 1.0" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 2000Hz. 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
Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k 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 Ultra Tower's min frequency of 28Hz.
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 Tower and Triton Three+ have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Ultra Tower sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Triton Three+'s is at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the GoldenEar Triton Three+ a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Tower, 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 Ultra Tower 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
Ultra Tower features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Triton Three+ has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Tower'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 SVS Ultra Tower's and GoldenEar Triton Three+'s external dimensions. SVS Ultra Tower has external dimensions of 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm (45-5/8 x 13-15/16 x 17-1/2inch) 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 59mm narrower and 28mm shorter than SVS Ultra Tower but it is also 2mm 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 SVS Ultra Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Three+ is approximately 1323.1cm2 / 205.1inch2. The Ultra Tower requires 19% more surface area than the Triton Three+ 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 SVS Ultra Tower weighs 34.27kg / 75.4lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Three+ weighs 20.45kg / 45lbs. This makes the Ultra Tower 68% heavier than the Triton Three+.
Here is a comparison of how Ultra Tower 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 SVS Ultra Tower?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Ultra Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Cloth grille
- 2 Metal grilles
- Foam port plug
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
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
 Woofer Size |
8.0 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 |
 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 |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Low Frequency Response |
21 Hz
vs
28 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
32k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
two 6-3/4-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Height |
1131mm
vs
1159mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1323cm2
vs
1579cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
SVS Ultra Tower |
GoldenEar Triton Three+ |
| Brand |
SVS |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
20-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
28-32k Hz |
21-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8.0" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Polymer |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.0" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
High-Velocity Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
4.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
160HZ and 2000Hz |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1159.0mm (45.6") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
355.0mm (14") |
296.0mm (11.7") |
| Depth |
445.0mm (17.5") |
447.0mm (17.6") |
| Weight |
34.27kg (75.4lbs) |
20.45kg (45lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
MDF/Oak veneer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano 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 |
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 28Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | GoldenEar Triton Three+ is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | GoldenEar Triton Three+ 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 Tower: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | SVS Ultra Tower is cheaper - $2,600 against $2,998, about 13% less. |
A SVS Ultra Tower 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, SVS Ultra Tower 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 28Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper SVS Ultra Tower 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.