In this review, we will be comparing D9.2 and Triton Five, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Spendor and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Spendor D9.2 and GoldenEar Triton Five first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Spendor D9.2 | GoldenEar Triton Five |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.87" | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 7.09" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 7.09" | 2 x 6" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 27-25k Hz | 26-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | 15-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 35.00kg / 77lbs | 18.18kg / 40lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45.5" x 8.3" x 15.7"
1155.7 x 210.8 x 398.8mm | 44-1/2" x 11-1/16" x 16-9/16"
1131.0 x 281.0 x 421.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Spendor D9.2 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* |
Spendor D9.2 |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| 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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that D9.2 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.
Spendor D9.2GoldenEar 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 |
Spendor D9.2 |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.87-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 7.09-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 7.09-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
D9.2 features a 0.87" Tweeter, a 7.09" Midrange and 1 x 7.09" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500 Hz, 4.2 kHz. On the other hand, the Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
D9.2 has a frequency range of 27-25k 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 D9.2'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
D9.2 and Triton Five have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 90 dB.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
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
D9.2 features 5-way Post type posts and Triton Five has a 5-way Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/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 Spendor D9.2's and GoldenEar Triton Five's external dimensions. Spendor D9.2 has external dimensions of 1155.7 x 210.8 x 398.8mm (45.5 x 8.3 x 15.7inch) 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).
Spendor D9.2 is 70.2mm narrower and 22.2mm less deeper than GoldenEar Triton Five but it is also 24.7mm 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 Spendor D9.2 is approximately 840.7cm2 / 130.3inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2. The D9.2 requires 29% 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 Spendor D9.2 weighs 35.00kg / 77lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the D9.2 93% heavier than the Triton Five.
Here is a comparison of how D9.2 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 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 |
7.09 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Base Surface Area |
840cm2
vs
1183cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
27 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
four 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Height |
1131mm
vs
1155mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
2398USD
vs
14998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Spendor D9.2 |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| Brand |
Spendor |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
27-25k Hz |
26-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
7.09" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
0.87" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
7.09" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
500 Hz, 4.2 kHz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1155.7mm (45.5") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
210.8mm (8.3") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
398.8mm (15.7") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
35.00kg (77lbs) |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
| 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 |
n/a |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Spendor D9.2 costs roughly 6.3x 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. |
| Size |
depends |
Spendor D9.2 is easier to place; GoldenEar Triton Five is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet |
depends |
Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Price |
B |
GoldenEar Triton Five is cheaper - $2,398 against $14,998, about 84% less; arguably a different class. |
A Spendor D9.2
B GoldenEar Triton Five
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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. Match it to your room: we rate GoldenEar Triton Five the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $12,600 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.