In this review, we will be comparing AURA 3 and Triton Five, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wharfedale and GoldenEar. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale AURA 3 and GoldenEar Triton Five first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the Wharfedale AURA 3 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Wharfedale AURA 3 and GoldenEar Triton Five compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that AURA 3 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.
| Driver |
Wharfedale AURA 3 |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0625 x 3.5-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
AURA 3 features a 1.0625 x 3.5" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 2 x 5" Glass Fiber Matrix Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 460Hz, 3.3kHz. On the other hand, the Triton Five features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer .
Frequency Response
AURA 3 has a frequency range of 39-22k Hz whereas Triton Five has a frequency range of 26-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the Triton Five can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the AURA 3's min frequency of 39Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
AURA 3 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. AURA 3 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 Wharfedale AURA 3, 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. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
AURA 3 can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS from the amp the whereas AURA 3 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS , 250 watts less than the Triton Five.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
AURA 3 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.
Wharfedale AURA 3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
AURA 3 has a bottom firing port whereas Triton Five has a rear firing ports. Wharfedale AURA 3's bottom-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
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Wharfedale AURA 3's and GoldenEar Triton Five's external dimensions. Wharfedale AURA 3 has external dimensions of 1036.0 x 340.0 x 351.0mm ( 40-3/4inch x 13-3/8inch x 13-13/16inch ) 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) .
Wharfedale AURA 3 is 95mm shorter and 70mm less deeper than GoldenEar Triton Five but it is also 59mm 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 Wharfedale AURA 3 is approximately 1193.4cm2 / 185.0inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Five is approximately 1183.0cm2 / 183.4inch2. The AURA 3 requires 1% 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 Wharfedale AURA 3 weighs 23.05kg / 50.7lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Five weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the AURA 3 27% heavier than the Triton Five.
Here is a comparison of how AURA 3 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 Wharfedale AURA 3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of AURA 3:
2 Floorstanding loudspeakers2 Grilles4 Terminal-jumpers8 Spike feet8 Collars 8 Knobs8 Protective discsPair of white glovesUser Manual
What's in the Box of GoldenEar Triton Five?
Here are the items that come with the Triton Five:
Floorstanding loudspeaker4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)4 Spikes4 Locking nutsOwners Manual
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1036mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
150 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 |
 Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
39 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
four 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Base Surface Area |
1183cm2 (281x421mm)
vs
1193cm2 (340x351mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2398USD
vs
3999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Wharfedale AURA 3 |
GoldenEar Triton Five |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 150 watts |
15-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.1 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
39-22k Hz |
26-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Glass Fiber Matrix |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.0625 x 3.5" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
AMT (Ribbon) |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
460Hz, 3.3kHz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1036.0mm (40.8") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
| Width |
340.0mm (13.4") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
351.0mm (13.8") |
421.0mm (16.6") |
| Weight |
23.05kg (50.7lbs) |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
Multi-layer wood |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Piano Black,Piano Walnut,White Gloss |
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 |