http://www.avguide.com/blog/first-listen-goldenear-technology-triton-two-loudspeakers
I heard these at the recent Audio Advice event. They were very impressive for only $2500 list price. I'm curious to hear them setup well in a larger room.
http://www.goldenear.com/
Interesting speakers! I wish I made it over to Audio Advice that day. I found Chris Marten's review of the YG Carmel speakers quite facinating so it will be interesting to see his final review of these - but it's clear he likes them. A frequency response of 18 Hz – 35 kHz... whoa. Very nice entry into home theater (no separate sub), but I'm curious just how well they stack up in a high-end 2 channel system.
Hi Mike, They played Pictures at Exhibition on them as a show-off track. It sounded pretty good on McIntosh electronics, I must say. I was looking for problems but didn't find any that could not be explained by the room or the preamp. The room was way too small for all the bass power they made, but with sub amp on board I assume it could have been better adjusted. I couldn't get near the sweet spot, but with narrow front baffle imaging must be decent at least. There were Revels and Wilsons to hear so I didn't get back in there for more samples. But Audio Advice is a dealer, so I'm sure they'll have them setup for demo.
Yup, I've known Leon @ AA for a loooong time (that's where I got my Aerial 10Ts) so I may just need to take a run over there sometime soon. Of course, with the last two weeks off, I've got the itch again and the time to do something about that. Heading back to work Monday will likely change all that. :duh
I just hooked a pair of these up today. Still working on getting them dialed in but so far I have to say that I'm impressed. I honestly wasn't expecting much given what they are worth but they are a hell of a lot better than I thought they would be.
It's been a long time since I heard a tower put out this much bass and actually get it right. Its taking some tweaking, but I'm getting there.
I started off by hooking them up in a two channel system (all McCormack) and then moved on to HT and so far, so good.
The GoldenEar products seem to be marketed primarily toward the home theater crowd. Just how well do these Triton 2s stack up in a strictly hi-end 2 channel system? Are they punching way above their price tag or are they just excellent $2500 speakers?
My first impression was that they were worth more than $2500. I was actually surprised at how cheap they are while I was listening. The quality of the drivers seemed high when they passed a cutaway of the MTM around.
I am sure that if they take off there will be demand for aftermarket crossover upgrades, maybe an external sub amp conversion, maybe reducing the mass of the PR. The potential remains TBD, but I think the MTM is reasonable enough quality to warrant experimenting.
As for comparing to Aerial 10T, I didn't get that kind of feeling from it, a refined full range music maker on Aerial level. But it was playing through Mac multichannel prepro and 7 channel amp, I don't trust new Mac preamps.
If you go over there Mike, I might meet you there.
Rich
Thanks, Rich! I'll let you know when I do. A little field trip sounds in order!
2011 may just be the year I decide to replace my 10Ts. There's a guy on AC looking for a pair and I've been in touch with him.
I'm torn... My 10Ts are by far older than all other audio components I own - I've had them since 1996. But the fun will be exploring new options. My taste in music has changed as has my approach to listening!
Stay tuned... :thumb:
Maybe we can get them to demo with ARC Reference gear, just push those Sasha's aside... 8)
Quote from: mdconnelly on January 02, 2011, 05:58:00 AM
Are they punching way above their price tag or are they just excellent $2500 speakers?
I would say way above. As I type this they just went head to head with a set of Elac FS208 Anniversary Editions which are worth double what the Triton's are worth and the Triton's didn't embarrass themselves at all. I also find them far more enjoyable then the PSB Synchrony One's which again are worth double.
They remind me a little of of my old Gamut L7's which are worth roughly 8 times what the Triton's are worth.
Now that I have spent sometime with them, I think people are getting way to caught up in what they are worth. They are a nice speaker, it's that simple.
That's great news John! Those are some heady comparisons.
Thanks for the comparisons, John.. and to Rich for finding this neat little gem in the audio world.. I've been wondering when a nice and interesting speaker was going to emerge. The 2-3,k range is a good place to be. It's enough money for good parts and requires creativity and simplicity with the crossover and cabinet design.
Black Sand Audio told me about it several months ago.
I emailed Audio Advice today and quickly heard back that they have received a shipment from GoldenEar, but he does not know the contents yet. It's logical to assume there is a pair of Triton2s in there. Obviously it is not setup yet, but hopefully he will let me know. I hope they have a decent demo planned for them that will also allow stereo music listening without compromise.
Or, I could just order a pair and sell them if I don't like.. They're new, should be easy to turnover. hmmm.. the gears are always turning.. Oh, and I have to wonder if these would sound good with a Pass Aleph 5 running these... double hmmmm... :-k
Did you snag that Aleph 5 Carl? Lucky man. :clap: (or thinking hard about it :shock:)
Quote from: Carlman on January 04, 2011, 05:51:07 AM
the gears are always turning..
Ahhhh, so THAT explains that grinding sound I've been hearing... :rofl:
I have not pulled any triggers.. just thinking.. that is all! Now, back to the grind(ing). ;)
We'll have to go for a private AN audition party at AA, or maybe sign them out over the weekend, they do offer that.
And don't forget...
(http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/828213/2/istockphoto_828213-antique-oil-can-isolated-on-white-background-with-clipping-path.jpg)
Randy over at Audio Advice says he has the Tritons set up for demo right now. Maybe it's the same demo I heard at Music Matters. I asked if it's possible to use different electronics, like an ARC integrated or something to get that Mac preamp out.
Should we try to meet up over there sometime for a group audition?
I'm going over there on Friday afternoon. In addition to the Triton 2s, they've got the new Aerial 7Ts setup and burning in and I'm dying to hear them. I think they're targeted to replaced both the 9s and the 7Bs. It'll be interesting...
Hey, we should convince Randy to offer us a group buy!
I'll check my schedule - what time Friday?
Better leave that checkbook at home big guy... You need to sleep on it first....
Rich - I'm thinking early afternoon but need to coordinate a few things first before I can commit. I'll let you know...
Friday works for me.. just not necessarily between 1-4 PM.. After and before should work. I can bring my Belles 21a if they'd allow it.
I think Randy will only be there in the afternoon which is why I'm targeting that timeframe.
Carl! A new AN picture! It's gonna be a big year - I can feel it! :rofl:
OK, I'll check on the time, should work for me. I want to be done by 4 to get the hell out of N. Raleigh before traffic.
C'mon Carl what's more important than a speaker audition? :-P
Quote from: Carlman on January 04, 2011, 05:51:07 AM
Or, I could just order a pair and sell them if I don't like.. They're new, should be easy to turnover. hmmm.. the gears are always turning.. Oh, and I have to wonder if these would sound good with a Pass Aleph 5 running these... double hmmmm... :-k
That's what I like about you Carl.... always thinking. 8)
Guys:
Have fun! I wish I were going to be back in Raleigh in time to join you but I don't think I can make it!
I do look forward to hearing your comments!
Ken
Of course you can drop in anytime by yourself Ken, since it's pretty close by...
Randy emailed me that he has them on Arcam electronics now. He said he will connect any electronics he has. I asked for ARC VSi60.
This is the first published review, came out Dec 27, 2010.
http://hometheaterreview.com/goldenear-technology-triton-two-loudspeaker-reviewed/
It is also in the current issue of Sound & Vision. I have read it but I don't remember what it says. :? I guess I better check it again. Those midfi reviews always say the same thing, "Thanks for ordering so many ads."
Quote from: richidoo on January 04, 2011, 08:06:34 PM
Of course you can drop in anytime by yourself Ken, since it's pretty close by...
Randy emailed me that he has them on Arcam electronics now. He said he will connect any electronics he has. I asked for ARC VSi60.
I try my best to stay away from that store! $$$$ :rofl: I will be wanting to part with $$$$ from my wallet!
Have fun!
Ken
Quote from: richidoo on January 04, 2011, 08:06:34 PM
he has them on Arcam electronics now.
Not a choice I would have made.....
I have had a few Arcam pieces over the years and I just don't get it. Some people love it which is cool but me personally, I never got it.
Arcam receiver is supposedly "appropriate for a $2500 speaker." The reviews suggest otherwise, but i doubt they have read them. They sell ARC, Mac, MF, Levinson, Classe, etc. Classe might be the ticket, I love those. I honestly think that they don't know what the speaker can do yet. If it is really a giant killer they will not promote that fact for fear of hurting sales of higher priced gear.
The store is geared for normal people, which is why they are still in business. They offer the uninitiated a full service experience and appeal to common sense pricing values while tweaking sonic desires. Rabid, sound obsessed audiophiles make up a small part of their traffic. He couldn't understand why I wanted to audition Triton and Revel Salon on the same day when price is 10x difference. Because it's fun! :D
I stopped by today to take a listen.. Arcam FMJ integrated amp.. I think it was 1400 msrp or so. It's not a fair comparison listening in a small/medium-ish (14x16) room with midfi gear and cables to say much other than that they are very impressive for the price. I would say they compete well into the 3,k-4,k range of speakers I've heard. I liked them better than Vandersteen's or other speakers in that range. I turned the bass to the minimum to match the room better. They started at the halfway point and that was too much.
The overall presentation was a bit veiled. I don't know if it was the electronics (which I highly suspect) or the speakers but it was still enjoyable. I was tapping my toe and going through my collection finding neat things about the interpretation along the way.. Imaging was ok, voices centered.. but they were not as resolving or consistent throughout the range as what I have. The presence wasn't there for me. It was like listening to a recording rather than being there.
But comparing 10,k+ speakers with hot-rodded crossovers on a 6,k amp and 2,k preamp is not a fair comparison to a 2500 msrp set of small-to-mid-sized towers on a 1,400 integrated... not to mention room shape and treatment differences. I didn't expect them to blow me away and they didn't. But they did impress me for what they were, with what was connected and in a different room.
They are indeed a great gem of a speaker. I would tweak the crossover a bit to improve transparency personally. When I got home and played the same tracks on my completely cold system, the idea of buying new speakers went away instantly... and instead I'm back to considering a set of subs in there one day to get that last octave. Even with the door closed in a different room I can hear the presence of the musicians... I guess the intricate details convey the good with the bad. And in my system, even the bad recordings sound pretty good (for what I'm listening for).
So, my take is these are excellent speakers for what they cost. Just don't expect them to be a 10,k speaker killer.
-C
Thanks for the update, Carl! Glad you made it over there. I'm looking forward to hearing them tomorrow.
Are they still in the "log cabin" room? Were they close to the walls? The review said that is a nono.
Your own electronics and wires would make a huge difference, as would tuning the sub and placement to perfection as you have done in your room. AA's demos are usually not tweaked, although I did hear a great one once.
Rich and I took a bit of a field trip to Audio Advice this afternoon and I got to hear the Triton 2s. To be honest, I was quite surprised and impressed by their sound. Given their visual appearance coupled with the Arcam electronics in use, I wouldn't have expected much and likely not even taken the time to listen if it wasn't for the comments here. And that would have been my loss. Perhaps the best description is I'd say they did nothing wrong and a whole lot right. Well balanced and quite nice dynamics and soundstage. Not the last word in detail and transparency but could definitely serve as a music-lover's speaker and quite listenable for extended time. It would be fascinating to hear them setup with top-notch electronics just to see where the limits really are. I suspect they are, in fact, very good quality speakers with price-point kept low by minimizing cosmetics. No hand-rubbed, glossy veneers here.
I agree with all above who have also heard them... a great speaker for their price point and likely up to twice that. But... not quite what I'm looking for.
My primary focus was to hear the new Aerial 7T speakers. They are drop-dead gorgeous with a beautifully curved, highly polished cherry veneer. They sounded good but... either still in need of another 100 hours or more of breakin (only out of the box 2 days or so) and/or perhaps simply misplaced in the room (they were definitely too far in the corner from my perspective). There was a congested mid bass and lack of transparency that put me off a bit, but I'm certain that these speakers are capable of a far, far better showing. I'll likely return in a week or two after they've fully broken in and have Randy rearrange them on a long well well away from corners to see how they do.
Of course, I couldn't leave without listening to the Wilson Sashas on ARC and Levinson gear. Very, very nice and a return to what I'm looking for (albeit with my needs at a far, far more reasonable price point in speakers).
Mike and I made it to Audio Advixe today to hear some speakers. Started with Aerial 7T. It is a very very beautiful speaker. The dark rosewood like piano gloss cabinet and piano black baffle, black drivers was gorgeous. Any wife that can't handle this beautiful phallic monument to technology in her living room needs a new husband. The speakers were placed haphazardly, wedged between the side wall and Vandy 5As. There were 4 other pairs of speakers in the room at the same time, totally screwing up the bass. That, plus the bad placement made the speakers sound very woofy, dark and slow. They were also not broken in yet, so they also and sounded thin in the low midrange. I think they are worth another trip in a few months, hopefully they will get broken in during that time. The Levinson class D tower amps were used with their SACD player and 326 preamp. Total coincidence but this is my 3rd lousy demo of their class D amp. It just gives a funny feeling. The linear 532 in the Wilson room did not do that.
The Tritons had their own room, the log cabin, called because big faux wood beams and vaulted ceiling feel that way. It is a small room, too small for these speakers. I did move them out from the wall which helped immensely with the bass. Another foot or two away from anything would make it better. The bass was still turned down all the way from Carl's visit. It was almost enough, but bass still overpowered the midrange balance just slightly. So the speaker is not in a happy place and I can't rightly judge the bass quality which sounded disconnected from the midrange and less detailed. The reviews state that they need room. The same treble flavor was evident with the Arcam FMJ A18, and C17 player as with the Mac electronics on my last visit. I listened carefully to it and would call it noticeably detailed rather than harsh or anything like that. Sandy Gross knows that detail sells a speaker. The tweeter is great, as are all folded quasi ribbons seen everywhere these days. The midrange drivers are also very detailed and well integrated with the tweeter. Piano, violin, female vocals sounded excellent. A tweeter cap upgrade might bring the treble fully into high end territory. I kinda liked the Arcam sound on classical music, it is calm, controlled, quality sound, 70s japanese neutral that I grew up with. But for the price of the Arcam's top gear I thought it would be bigger and more substantial. The all in one remote worked great and not so big and heavy as the Levinson bricks.
The Triton's bass drivers were not as well integrated with the midrange as the midrange is with the tweeter. I could hear the music change from mid range driver to oval bass driver, a little detail is lost. The bass drivers are powered by their own built-in class D amp, with DSP LP crossover and EQ. The room and PR effect lower freqs, but I think this is the amp.
Imaging was pretty good. In a deader room with the speaker distances measured it would image very well.
Taken together I came out of there thinking the same thing again, that it is a remarkable value for $2500. It has a high end soul easily heard in the mids and upper freqs. It has the impact and presence of a big speaker. I found myself moving to the music on classical and jazz, like Carl said, it is toe tapping. I could relax and enjoy the music very well, or I could focus in on details.
We stopped into the Wilson demo for a reference. ARC CD player, AR tube pre, new Levinson 532 amp Transparent cables, Sasha. Not as good as I have heard with AR reference electronics, but pretty good. Just too much of everything, same as the Revels did with the same amp. With the tubes, the Wilson sounded much better at the Music Matters event.
Thanks for a fun day Mike, and Randy and Chad at Audio Advice.
Just to follow this up a little. I spent some time with the Triton's at CES this year. They were being powered by Pass mono blocks and the source gear was all Audio Research.
To keep it simple, they sounded very nice. Room was an issue but regardless they sounded very nice. It was interesting to see a set of speakers at this price point being run with this kind of gear but it worked.
I got a laugh out of the number of other speaker companies that came in and out of the room during my time there. It seemed like everybody was sizing up GoldenEar.
Great part of the room was that Sandy Gross (Co-founder of GoldenEar) was the DJ. If you walked in with a disc that you wanted to hear on the Triton's, Sandy was the one who would hook you up.
Welcome back John. Sounds like your trip was fun. I would have loved to hear them with electronics like that. It definitely shows his intention to market them as high end speakers, and will invite comparison with speakers of higher pedigree than polk and deftech.
I was tempted to bring them home to hear how they would 'really sound'.
Do you think they would let you audition speakers at home? I know they allow electronic sign-outs.
Probably.. I didn't ask because I didn't think I'd really end up buying them. However, if others are interested, and want to demo them, they are welcome to bring them here. After hearing my own system, it just won't work to start pulling apart the magic in there.
TAS review by Chris Martens.
http://www.avguide.com/review/goldenear-triton-two-loudspeaker-tas-214
Thanks for the link... very thorough and thoughtful of you, Rich.
The review itself reminded me of how little I get from reviews... It's a lot of rambling. I found a few sentences on how he thought they sounded... and then he had no critical comments at all... (that I could find) I like the reviews on AN better, but maybe I'm biased. ;)
I thought the review was basically a pan job painted pretty to not offend. When you see qualifiers about SQ like "good for the money" or "best in it's price bracket" a little flag should wave in your head.
The deftech 7004s I heard last Tuesday were better than the Tritons, and cost less money. The deftechs are more coherent, cleaner bass and better bass/mid integration. Not sure about the treble. I heard the Triton treble with high end Mac electronics, the deftech treble only with pioneer rx. Bipole is the only drawback to deftech for high end audio listening, but with some extra space behind them like an audiophile would normally provide and it is no problem.
In this category, or a little higher, the new Polks take the cake and eat it too.