GoldenEar Triton 2+ Owners Review.

[kib_reddy]

After 8 years with my Boston Acoustics A360 towers and SVS Sub, 5.1 System, It was time for an upgrade and I pulled the trigger on the GoldenEar Triton 2+. These retail for 3500USD a Pair in the US. I paid 3,00,000 to Vector Systems in Hyderabad - over all good price when you include shipping and taxes. Didn't get to hear them before purchase, went by the rave reviews. The others I looked at are Martin Logan ESL's and Magnepan 1.7s. I also purchased a Denon X3700H receiver (1.2L) to power them. The big selling points with Triton series is that they have subwoofers built in - they are powered tower speakers. Their folded ribbon tweeters is said to be very detailed and airy, giving an amazing sound stage.

First impression was, they are SOOO HARSH. Coming from smooth soft dome tweeters, to the HIGHLY detailed and bright folded ribbons on the GE, was a very jarring experience. I did hear a Martin Logan pair with Folded Ribbons once that sounded slick and refined, but not these. I was crest fallen, should have gone with a cool looking pair Martin Logan electrostats, they were cheaper by 80K too. I heard these need a good break in, and so I let them play in my dedicated home theater room, at full volume when no one was home. I then ran Auddessy room correction and things changed for the better. Some of this is also me adjusting to the new sound I guess. Now my old pair sounds muted and dull to me. I guess I've learned to love the bright forward sound of the Tritons. And the bass of course is FULL. One thing missing I feel is a thick and meaty midrange, it gets lost and sounds lean in the rest of the presentation. The sound stage these speakers put out is pretty cool, separation of instruments and different placements is all there. All speakers create a center image of the singer and so on, but with these speakers, its VERY apparent. You could be sure the center channel was playing the vocals till you walk up to it and put your ear right next to it.

I feel my main issue with them is they need a good amp pairing to sound their. Many commentator say this too - don't pair of budget electronics or AV receivers. These are high quality detailed speakers designed to carry forward the sound signature of the Amp driving them. The designer Sandy Gross (founder of Polk Audio), says they are perfect with Tube amp as they need very little power(since Bass is managed by internal amplification anyway). Guess I will need to invest in an external amp. I was looking at Cambridge Audio AXR100 as its warm sounding. Would love to try with a borrowed amp of any brand, but seller says he can't lend me any. If anyone on the forum has an external amp, I would love to host them for a listening session.

Cheers,
K

 

[pkhammu2005]

Are u using them in a 5.1 setup or just stereo.

 

[kib_reddy]

Are u using them in a 5.1 setup or just stereo.

I have my older 5.1 setup still. But have moved the towers and sub aside to make way for these. I mostly listen to music on stereo.

 

[buxx]

Looks like most American brand speakers are kinda bright ?

 

[Analogous]

After 8 years with my Boston Acoustics A360 towers and SVS Sub, 5.1 System, It was time for an upgrade and I pulled the trigger on the GoldenEar Triton 2+. These retail for 3500USD a Pair in the US. I paid 3,00,000 to Vector Systems in Hyderabad - over all good price when you include shipping and taxes. Didn't get to hear them before purchase, went by the rave reviews. The others I looked at are Martin Logan ESL's and Magnepan 1.7s. I also purchased a Denon X3700H receiver (1.2L) to power them. The big selling points with Triton series is that they have subwoofers built in - they are powered tower speakers. Their folded ribbon tweeters is said to be very detailed and airy, giving an amazing sound stage.

First impression was, they are SOOO HARSH. Coming from smooth soft dome tweeters, to the HIGHLY detailed and bright folded ribbons on the GE, was a very jarring experience. I did hear a Martin Logan pair with Folded Ribbons once that sounded slick and refined, but not these. I was crest fallen, should have gone with a cool looking pair Martin Logan electrostats, they were cheaper by 80K too. I heard these need a good break in, and so I let them play in my dedicated home theater room, at full volume when no one was home. I then ran Auddessy room correction and things changed for the better. Some of this is also me adjusting to the new sound I guess. Now my old pair sounds muted and dull to me. I guess I've learned to love the bright forward sound of the Tritons. And the bass of course is FULL. One thing missing I feel is a thick and meaty midrange, it gets lost and sounds lean in the rest of the presentation. The sound stage these speakers put out is pretty cool, separation of instruments and different placements is all there. All speakers create a center image of the singer and so on, but with these speakers, its VERY apparent. You could be sure the center channel was playing the vocals till you walk up to it and put your ear right next to it.

I feel my main issue with them is they need a good amp pairing to sound their. Many commentator say this too - don't pair of budget electronics or AV receivers. These are high quality detailed speakers designed to carry forward the sound signature of the Amp driving them. The designer Sandy Gross (founder of Polk Audio), says they are perfect with Tube amp as they need very little power(since Bass is managed by internal amplification anyway). Guess I will need to invest in an external amp. I was looking at Cambridge Audio AXR100 as its warm sounding. Would love to try with a borrowed amp of any brand, but seller says he can't lend me any. If anyone on the forum has an external amp, I would love to host them for a listening session.

Cheers,
K

Congratulations on your nicely evolving set up.
I haven’t heard the Triton 2, but I had a pair of Triton 3 (smaller, lesser variant). I too loved the idea that they had built in side firing powered sub woofers (8”?) You should absolutely try yours with different speakers and also boldly experiment with placement to get the best out of them. I tried them out with two different amps - a Peachtree Nova and a Primare i30 (class D) and was unsatisfied. I finally gave up when a local dealer offered my a exchange deal for the whole lot. I feel now if I had tried them out with other class AB and possibly Tube amps and a decent DAC the results would have been better. It’s a good idea to reach out to local FMs who may agree to bring their amps for a listening session or let you borrow their amps to try out. Good luck.

 

[RRR]

Your setup is nicely done.
I owned the Triton 2 ...not the new 2 + that you have.
Most of your observations are spot on.
The treble is detailed and airy with very good separation and the bass goes pretty low.
But the mid-range does lack body and warmth.
However since the subs are side firing, there lies the big challenge of these speakers.
These speakers are very dependent on placement and require a lot of adjustment. It took me months to get the sound i desired.
You have placed them firing straight.
You will need to keep toeing them in cm by cm till the higher frequencies balance out with the lower frequencies.
Each time you move them, readjust the sub output.
If you plan to use these for stereo only you would be better served with a good Stereo amp as you have rightly mentioned.

 

[kib_reddy]

Congratulations on your nicely evolving set up.
I haven’t heard the Triton 2, but I had a pair of Triton 3 (smaller, lesser variant). I too loved the idea that they had built in side firing powered sub woofers (8”?) You should absolutely try yours with different speakers and also boldly experiment with placement to get the best out of them. I tried them out with two different amps - a Peachtree Nova and a Primare i30 (class D) and was unsatisfied. I finally gave up when a local dealer offered my a exchange deal for the whole lot. I feel now if I had tried them out with other class AB and possibly Tube amps and a decent DAC the results would have been better. It’s a good idea to reach out to local FMs who may agree to bring their amps for a listening session or let you borrow their amps to try out. Good luck.

Wow, If the Peachtree (one of the amps on my short list) didn't tame the bright edge of the Tritons, I doubt anything will.

 

[Analogous]

Wow, If the Peachtree (one of the amps on my short list) didn't tame the bright edge of the Tritons, I doubt anything will.

@kib_reddy Don’t give up in a hurry. I believe that amp-speaker matching is an inexact science and luck and persistence play a significant part in achieving great sound.

Measurements don’t really help discover great matches (sorry, objectivists). As many have pointed out this is mostly due to variables like the room and speaker placement (huge impact), source material, other components...

Did you see these?

which amplifier for the Golden Ear Triton 2?

Dear people of Golden Ear, About 4 years ago I purchased a set of Golden Ear Triton 2 speakers. I enjoy it immensely and enjoy the sound every day. Really...

www.goldenear.com

you may find friendly local audio enthusiasts who may be interested in lending or bringing their amps over for a listening session and sharing their wisdom?

you may still find a great match for the Triton 2.

 

[kib_reddy]

Have been playing with placement and I have a good understanding of it now. You have to point them a little off your ears and turn down the volume a bit. These things were designed for imaging above all else. The crazy stereo image with different instruments placed left to right has to be experienced to believe. The imaging, the amazing details in the treble and the bass makes these speakers worth it if you ask me. My only issue is how do I make the top end a little 'sweet'. I can't think of a way to send the audio signal from my AV receiver to an external Pre-Amp and back to my AV Receiver for amplification. I am looking at a well reviewed 100$ tube pre-amp/headphone amp. Maybe use the Zone 2 as input?

 

[kib_reddy]

I have an update. I made a HUGE mistake when I setup these speakers. There is a woofer volume knob on the back of these speakers. This knob has a 'klick' at the 50% position. I assumed that this meant the speakers bass should be set to 50% by default, and I loved the tight bass from these so never bothered to turn it down. These speakers are set at the very corners of my 24/13 Feet room, less than a foot from the back and side walls. Corner placement amplifies the bass greatly.

I experimented with this setting over the weekend and have realized that for my room and placement, I should never exceed 25% subwoofer level. Once I did this, the sound from the Tritons changed completely. Now every song on my playlist sounds absolutely fantastic. Bass is not explosive like it used to be, but still chest thumping nuanced bass. You gain a perfect soundstage and crystal clear highs - I had no idea that setting the bass to the correct level could do this. I feel really stupid not realizing this earlier.

I have purchased a Cayin tube amp from a FM here in Hyderabad that's a perfect match for these - my Denon AVR only does pre-amp duties. I feel my system is perfect now and I will keep this system till the day I die. You have to hear this thing to believe it - its AWESOME. Detail and air/room reverb for days. Bass that hits deep and is incredibly textured. Separation like nobody's business. Sound stage and placement like you are transported to the set if you close your eyes. This is perfection guys. Don't think there is anything better above this.

 

[amrutmhatre90]

Try turning the audyssey off, this is what I did and was blown away by the sound presentation of the x3700.
You do get the option of tweaking graphic eq or the tone settings once you turn off audyssey.
For stereo I have kept the fronts to large and AUDYSSEY off, set this to preset 2.
With audyssey the dynamics where lost in my case.


Preset 1 is for movies and gaming with audyssey.

 

[pkhammu2005]

Also try Pure Direct mode,it always sounds better than audyssey off

 

[bluestar]

After 8 years with my Boston Acoustics A360 towers and SVS Sub, 5.1 System, It was time for an upgrade and I pulled the trigger on the GoldenEar Triton 2+. These retail for 3500USD a Pair in the US. I paid 3,00,000 to Vector Systems in Hyderabad - over all good price when you include shipping and taxes. Didn't get to hear them before purchase, went by the rave reviews. The others I looked at are Martin Logan ESL's and Magnepan 1.7s. I also purchased a Denon X3700H receiver (1.2L) to power them. The big selling points with Triton series is that they have subwoofers built in - they are powered tower speakers. Their folded ribbon tweeters is said to be very detailed and airy, giving an amazing sound stage.

First impression was, they are SOOO HARSH. Coming from smooth soft dome tweeters, to the HIGHLY detailed and bright folded ribbons on the GE, was a very jarring experience. I did hear a Martin Logan pair with Folded Ribbons once that sounded slick and refined, but not these. I was crest fallen, should have gone with a cool looking pair Martin Logan electrostats, they were cheaper by 80K too. I heard these need a good break in, and so I let them play in my dedicated home theater room, at full volume when no one was home. I then ran Auddessy room correction and things changed for the better. Some of this is also me adjusting to the new sound I guess. Now my old pair sounds muted and dull to me. I guess I've learned to love the bright forward sound of the Tritons. And the bass of course is FULL. One thing missing I feel is a thick and meaty midrange, it gets lost and sounds lean in the rest of the presentation. The sound stage these speakers put out is pretty cool, separation of instruments and different placements is all there. All speakers create a center image of the singer and so on, but with these speakers, its VERY apparent. You could be sure the center channel was playing the vocals till you walk up to it and put your ear right next to it.

I feel my main issue with them is they need a good amp pairing to sound their. Many commentator say this too - don't pair of budget electronics or AV receivers. These are high quality detailed speakers designed to carry forward the sound signature of the Amp driving them. The designer Sandy Gross (founder of Polk Audio), says they are perfect with Tube amp as they need very little power(since Bass is managed by internal amplification anyway). Guess I will need to invest in an external amp. I was looking at Cambridge Audio AXR100 as its warm sounding. Would love to try with a borrowed amp of any brand, but seller says he can't lend me any. If anyone on the forum has an external amp, I would love to host them for a listening session.

Cheers,
K

I have the Golden Ear BRX book shelves, which I believe have the same HMT tweeter and woofer as the triton2 (correct me if i'm wrong ) but the 2's have 2 woofers and ofcourse the quadratic base drivers. I think the core mid to upper sound signature should be similar. I use a NAD388, which isn't exactly 'high-end' but i find it to be a very even match and good mids.

I would suggest you try a NAD, it has a quite a nice mid and also the measurements of the NAD on ASR are quite good overall and has fairly high continuous and peak currents. Depending on the size of your room the NAD388 may also do the trick for you since it is a powered speaker so the NAD doesn't need to power a lot more than the mid and tweeters. (If you have a big room, i think you would need more power than even this) The only issue is that i do feel with the powered subs, the triton will end up having a V shaped sound signature, so unless you tone down the base the mid will tend to get a bit lost. For anything super meaty on the mid i feel there is no alternative to having bigger drivers; I heard the Triton ones at a dealers and although sounded great with a big scale due to the subs, the mid still felt like a smaller point source. I'm not sure about the AXR100, i feel you need more power than that and it would strain very early. I generally don't like to go higher than 74 percent on the NAD 388 which is 150 W as i do feel a struggle.

Overall i completely agree with you on the 'exciting and airy' sound r, my other speakers also sound dull compared to it but the resolution is fantastic and some vocal 'tones' really stand out with the goldenears. Overall I think they are great value for money for the sound.

 

[kib_reddy]

I have the Golden Ear BRX book shelves, which I believe have the same HMT tweeter and woofer as the triton2 (correct me if i'm wrong ) but the 2's have 2 woofers and ofcourse the quadratic base drivers. I think the core mid to upper sound signature should be similar. I use a NAD388, which isn't exactly 'high-end' but i find it to be a very even match and good mids.

I would suggest you try a NAD, it has a quite a nice mid and also the measurements of the NAD on ASR are quite good overall and has fairly high continuous and peak currents. Depending on the size of your room the NAD388 may also do the trick for you since it is a powered speaker so the NAD doesn't need to power a lot more than the mid and tweeters. (If you have a big room, i think you would need more power than even this) The only issue is that i do feel with the powered subs, the triton will end up having a V shaped sound signature, so unless you tone down the base the mid will tend to get a bit lost. For anything super meaty on the mid i feel there is no alternative to having bigger drivers; I heard the Triton ones at a dealers and although sounded great with a big scale due to the subs, the mid still felt like a smaller point source. I'm not sure about the AXR100, i feel you need more power than that and it would strain very early. I generally don't like to go higher than 74 percent on the NAD 388 which is 150 W as i do feel a struggle.

Overall i completely agree with you on the 'exciting and airy' sound r, my other speakers also sound dull compared to it but the resolution is fantastic and some vocal 'tones' really stand out with the goldenears. Overall I think they are great value for money for the sound.

BRK uses the 'Reference' tweeter from the Triton reference. Problem with midrange solved. Only Improvement would be a 'sweeter' top end. Currently its too clear to the source.

 

[kib_reddy]

Try turning the audyssey off, this is what I did and was blown away by the sound presentation of the x3700.
You do get the option of tweaking graphic eq or the tone settings once you turn off audyssey.
For stereo I have kept the fronts to large and AUDYSSEY off, set this to preset 2.
With audyssey the dynamics where lost in my case.


Preset 1 is for movies and gaming with audyssey.

Exactly! Very important to use Pure Direct in Denon AVRs. The default it 'Stereo', which Audyssey sets the levels for, it boosted the treble to VERY high volume for some reason in my setup. Running in Pure Direct mode (which defeats Audyssey tuning) makes one hell of a difference. There is 'Depth' to the sound stage now, and delicate subtlety to the highs. Denon Receivers are very good for 2 channel music actually. I would have never guessed a modestly priced AVR could sound so good. I seriously doubt any amp short of the ultra high end Class A/high power amps would make a noticeable difference. By the way, the Gaia isolation feet are simply a must for any high quality floor stander. The biggest improvement to my system was these. Crystal clear highs and imaging focus. Worth every penny of the 30K I spent on them.

 

[sound1]

After 8 years with my Boston Acoustics A360 towers and SVS Sub, 5.1 System, It was time for an upgrade and I pulled the trigger on the GoldenEar Triton 2+. These retail for 3500USD a Pair in the US. I paid 3,00,000 to Vector Systems in Hyderabad - over all good price when you include shipping and taxes. Didn't get to hear them before purchase, went by the rave reviews. The others I looked at are Martin Logan ESL's and Magnepan 1.7s. I also purchased a Denon X3700H receiver (1.2L) to power them. The big selling points with Triton series is that they have subwoofers built in - they are powered tower speakers. Their folded ribbon tweeters is said to be very detailed and airy, giving an amazing sound stage.

First impression was, they are SOOO HARSH. Coming from smooth soft dome tweeters, to the HIGHLY detailed and bright folded ribbons on the GE, was a very jarring experience. I did hear a Martin Logan pair with Folded Ribbons once that sounded slick and refined, but not these. I was crest fallen, should have gone with a cool looking pair Martin Logan electrostats, they were cheaper by 80K too. I heard these need a good break in, and so I let them play in my dedicated home theater room, at full volume when no one was home. I then ran Auddessy room correction and things changed for the better. Some of this is also me adjusting to the new sound I guess. Now my old pair sounds muted and dull to me. I guess I've learned to love the bright forward sound of the Tritons. And the bass of course is FULL. One thing missing I feel is a thick and meaty midrange, it gets lost and sounds lean in the rest of the presentation. The sound stage these speakers put out is pretty cool, separation of instruments and different placements is all there. All speakers create a center image of the singer and so on, but with these speakers, its VERY apparent. You could be sure the center channel was playing the vocals till you walk up to it and put your ear right next to it.

I feel my main issue with them is they need a good amp pairing to sound their. Many commentator say this too - don't pair of budget electronics or AV receivers. These are high quality detailed speakers designed to carry forward the sound signature of the Amp driving them. The designer Sandy Gross (founder of Polk Audio), says they are perfect with Tube amp as they need very little power(since Bass is managed by internal amplification anyway). Guess I will need to invest in an external amp. I was looking at Cambridge Audio AXR100 as its warm sounding. Would love to try with a borrowed amp of any brand, but seller says he can't lend me any. If anyone on the forum has an external amp, I would love to host them for a listening session.

Cheers,
K

One of the best written reviews I have ever read in this forum or on internation audio forums. You sir have some serious writing skills.

 

[sound1]

[deleted]