In this review, we will be comparing Kensington and Triton Five, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Tannoy and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Tannoy Kensington and GoldenEar Triton Five first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Tannoy Kensington | GoldenEar Triton Five |
|---|
| Brand | Tannoy
United Kingdom · founded 1926 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Woofer | — | 2 x 6" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 29-27k Hz | 26-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 93 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | 15-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 37.00kg / 81.4lbs | 18.18kg / 40lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 43.3" x 15.9" x 13.3"
1099.8 x 403.9 x 337.8mm | 44-1/2" x 11-1/16" x 16-9/16"
1131.0 x 281.0 x 421.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Tannoy Kensington 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* |
Tannoy Kensington |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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 Kensington and Triton Five are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Tannoy Kensington |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
x -inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
Kensington features a " Tweeter and x " Woofer. On the other hand, the Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
Kensington has a frequency range of 29-27k 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 Kensington's min frequency of 29Hz.
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
Kensington and Triton Five have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Kensington sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the Triton Five's is at 90 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Tannoy Kensington a more sensitive speaker compared to GoldenEar Triton Five, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
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
Kensington 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 Tannoy Kensington's and GoldenEar Triton Five's external dimensions. Tannoy Kensington has external dimensions of 1099.8 x 403.9 x 337.8mm (43.3 x 15.9 x 13.3inch) 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).
Tannoy Kensington is 31.2mm shorter and 83.2mm less deeper than GoldenEar Triton Five but it is also 122.9mm 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.
Tannoy Kensington needs about 15% more floor or shelf area. GoldenEar Triton Five is 83mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. GoldenEar Triton Five is 31mm 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 Tannoy Kensington is approximately 1364.3cm2 / 211.5inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2. The Kensington requires 15% more surface area than the Triton Five 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 Tannoy Kensington weighs 37.00kg / 81.4lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the Kensington 104% heavier than the Triton Five.
Here is a comparison of how Kensington 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
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Height |
1099mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
29 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
27k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
four 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Base Surface Area |
1183cm2
vs
1364cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2398USD
vs
24000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Tannoy Kensington |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| Brand |
Tannoy |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Sensitivity |
93 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
29-27k Hz |
26-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
|
2 |
| Woofer Size |
" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1099.8mm (43.3") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
403.9mm (15.9") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
337.8mm (13.3") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
37.00kg (81.4lbs) |
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 - Tannoy Kensington costs roughly 10x 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 | B | GoldenEar Triton Five digs deeper - 26Hz against 29Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Tannoy Kensington is more sensitive (93dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Price | B | GoldenEar Triton Five is cheaper - $2,398 against $24,000, about 90% less; arguably a different class. |
A Tannoy Kensington 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. Match it to your room: we rate Tannoy Kensington the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and GoldenEar Triton Five for a large room and a very large room. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Tannoy Kensington 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.