The Official GoldenEar Technology Speakers Thread

[Big Daddy]

Sandy Gross, Matthew Polk, George Klopfer, and Criag Georgi started Polk Audio in 1972. A couple of decades later, Sandy Gross, Don Givogue, and Ed Blais founded Definitive Technology in the early 1990's. Definitive Technology became one of the most successful companies selling relatively high-end speakers. Both Polk Audio and Definitive Technology are located in Baltimore, MD. Many of the founders of these two companies are graduates of the John Hopkins University.

Recently, Definitive Technology and Polk Audio were sold to another company. Sandy Gross and Don Givogue just started a new speaker/subwoofer company. It is called GoldenEar Technology and they officially started Business on September 22, 2010.

Their speakers have some similarity to Definitive Technology speakers, particularly the Mythos speakers. They also have built-in subwoofers. The GoldenEar speakeers can only be bought from authorized dealers. No Internet or mail-order selling.


Triton Two Tower

Specifications:
Speaker Dimensions: 7-1/2" W x 15" D x 48" H (height is with base installed, no spikes)
Base Dimensions: 11-1/2" W x 18" D
Frequency Response: 18 Hz – 35 kHz
Efficiency: 91 dB
Nominal Impedance: Compatible with 8 ohms
Driver Complement: Two - 5” x 8” long-throw quadratic subwoofers coupled to:
Two - 7” x 10” Planar Infrasonic Radiators
Two - 4-1/2" High-Definition cast-basket MVPP ™ mid/bass drivers
One – HFVR™ High-Velocity Folded Ribbon Tweeter
Recommended Amplification: 20 – 500 watt/channel
Built-In Subwoofer Power Amplifier: 1200 Watt ForceField Subwoofer


ForceField Subwoofers

ForceField 3 Specifications:
Dimensions: 11-1/2" W x 15-3/4" D x 11" H (height is with feet installed)
Frequency Response 18 Hz – 250 Hz
Amplifier 1000 watt ForceField Digital Amplifier
DriverS: One - 8” long-throw High-Output Bass Driver, One – 9” x 11” Quadratic Planar Infrasonic Radiator
Speaker Level High Pass Filter: 6dB per octave at 150 Hz (approx.)
Speaker Level Low Pass Filter" 12 dB per octave continuously variable from 40-150 Hz
Low Level Input: (Mono) Unfiltered (no low pass), direct-coupled
Wireless Input For optional GoldenEar wireless accessory (sold separately)

ForceField 4 Specifications:
Dimensions: 13-3/8" W x 17-7/8" D x 12-3/4" H (height is with feet installed)
Frequency Response: 14 Hz – 250 Hz
Amplifier: 1200 watt ForceField Digital Amplifier
Drivers: One - 10” long-throw High-Output Bass Driver, One – 11” x 13” Quadratic Planar Infrasonic Radiator
Speaker Level High Pass Filter: 6dB per octave at 150 Hz (approx.)
Speaker Level Low Pass Filter 12 dB per octave continuously variable from 40-150 Hz
Low Level Input (Mono) Unfiltered (no low pass), direct-coupled
Wireless Input For optional GoldenEar wireless accessory (sold separately)


SuperSat 50 Center Speaker

The recommended center speaker with the Triton Two tower speakers is the SuperSat 50 center speaker.

SuperSat 50 Specifications:

• Dimensions: 27" (W) x 4.75" (H) x 2.5" D
  
• Frequency Response: 60 Hz – 35 kHz
  
• Efficiency: 92 dB
  
• Nominal Impedance: Compatible with 8 ohms
  
• Recommended Amplification: 20 – 200 watt/channel
  
• Available in horizontal and vertical models
  
• Driver Components:
  
  
  1. Two 4” x 7” Quadratic Planar Low Frequency Radiators
     
     
     
     
     
  2. Two 4.5" High-Definition cast-basket MVPP™ mid/bass drivers
     
     
     
     
     
  3. One HVFR™ High-Velocity Folded Ribbon Tweeter
     
     
     

[Big Daddy]

The first buzz/review about the Triton Two tower speaker is already in. Check the October 2010 issue of the Home Theater Magazine.

According to the Home Theater Magazine, the list price of each Triton Two speaker is $1,250. If that information is correct, it is a great price for a speaker with ribbon tweeters, and built-in subwoofers.

[HD 335]

Some other info I found while searching the net
http://www.twice.com/article/457067-...s_Close_Up.php

They look more attactive than the newer Definitive lineup that is replacing the BP7xxx series although those are bi-polar. Wonder if there is an agreement that Sandy wouldn't make bi-polar speakers at GoldenEar.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by HD 335

Some other info I found while searching the net
http://www.twice.com/article/457067-...s_Close_Up.php

They look more attactive than the newer Definitive lineup that is replacing the BP7xxx series although those are bi-polar. Wonder if there is an agreement that Sandy wouldn't make bi-polar speakers at GoldenEar.

They look more like Def Tech Mythos speakers as opposed to the BP Super Tower speakers.

[Big Daddy]

The January 2011 issue of the Sound & Vision Magazine(pp.59-60) has a glorious review of Golden Ear Technology’s Triton Two tower speakers.

Al Griffin:
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/aud...tower-speakers

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One thing I discovered during setup was that the Triton Two is capable of putting out serious, voluminous bass. My regular system consists of tower speakers aided and abetted by a 12-inch sub in a medium-size room — a setup that’s capable of pretty dynamic performance. But after a few days of break-in, the Triton Two literally overwhelmed me with its low end, and that was with the respective sub-level dial of each tower at the middle position! Pushing both back a few notches to the 9 o’clock position made things just right. Bass was now powerful and present without sounding boomy or unbalanced.

Hearing the Triton Two in my home was actually the second time I had encountered the speaker. The first time was at the 2010 CEDIA Expo in Atlanta, where I was deeply impressed by its ability to convey the brass-instrument crescendos in “Shiny Stockings,” a track from the now out-of-print Reference Recordings CD Big Band Basie. Hearing that same track in my home, I remained equally in awe. The speaker’s uncannily airy top end enabled the horns to swell to loud levels without losing detail or sounding hard. Of course, what I was hearing was the HVFR (GoldenEar calls it High Velocity Folded Ribbon) tweeter at work; no matter what I played, the Triton Two’s treble retained that same compelling sense of ease and clarity.

Reaching for another audiophile nugget, I grabbed the JVC XRCD release of Holst’s The Planets as performed by Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. During the fifth movement, “Saturn,” the Triton Two managed to impact a sense of drama to the entrance of the bass violins. The speaker’s performance here was full and rich with details like the texture of bows sliding across the bass violin string coming through clearly. At the same time, there was a bottomless quality; instead of rounding off at some distinct point, the low-end extension seemed to be without limits. The Triton Two’s bass was without question the deepest, cleanest, and most nuanced I’ve heard in my room.

Bottom Line:

Over the past decade, there’s been a great deal of consolidation and shrinkage in the speaker business. Given these forbidding conditions, it’s thrilling to watch somebody make the bold move of launching a major new speaker brand. But here, that “somebody” isn’t just anybody. The founders of GoldenEar Technology bring decades of experience (founded Polk & Definitive Technology) to the game, and that seasoning is very much in evidence in the Triton Two tower.

GoldenEar’s sleek speaker offers a rich, balanced sound and its imaging abilities are nothing short of uncanny. Also, its built-in sub provides enough bass to satisfy even a demanding bass-hound. I’m not only amazed that GoldenEar was able to deliver a speaker that sounds this good for $2,500 a pair; I’m amazed that speakers can sound this good, period. SV

Brent Butterworth on Test Bench:

The GoldenEar Two delivers admirably flat on-axis response and some of the most consistent off-axis response we’ve ever seen; even at an extreme angle of 45 degrees, the off-axis response looks almost identical to the on-axis response. The woofer section delivers usable deep bass all the way down to 20Hz, but the bass output isn’t super loud.

SV Ratings:

Design: 8 out of 10
Performance: 10
Value: 10
Overall Score: 9.3

I am convinced. I am selling my front speakers and buying a pair of Triton Two’s, even though that may mean my life will be in danger. Yesterday, my wife bought a very sharp and big kitchen knife.

[ryan4blu]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

The January 2011 issue of the Sound & Vision Magazine(pp.59-60) has a glorious review of Golden Ear Technology’s Triton Two tower speakers.

Al Griffin:


Bottom Line:


Brent Butterworth on Test Bench:


SV Ratings:


I am convinced. I am selling my front speakers and buying a pair of Triton Two’s, even though that may mean my life will be in danger. Yesterday, my wife bought a very sharp and big kitchen knife.

I agree, i like the way they look and the specs sound amazing!. i would love to find a local dealer to demo these babies

if you pull the trigger daddy let us know, i am very curious.

[Ryan Peddle]

We should have our GoldenEar room set up in the next two weeks.
If anyone from the GTA or North York region and Durham region is interested in a listen and of course a possible purchase, message me or email me to ryan@liptons.ca.

I'm really looking forward to these speakers, especially since I have been disappointed in secrecy over the last 2 years.

[Big Daddy]

AUDIO PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
GoldenEar Technology
Triton Two Tower Speakers

Sound & Vision, February-March 2011, Page 30:

Speakers — they sure make a lot of them. Some of them sound pretty good too. I’ve listened to a bunch of new speakers over the past few years, but none has really struck me as representing any sort of breakthrough.

Then I heard the Triton Two towers from newcomer GoldenEar Technology. The minds (and ears) behind GoldenEar Technology are a band of industry insiders who know how to design a speaker that hits all the high points. In the case of Triton Two, these include clear mids; effortless treble, courtesy of an innovative ribbon tweeter; powerful low-reaching bass, courtesy of a built-in 1,200-watt powered subwoofer; and a stately yet svelte cabinet that’s responsible for the speaker’s eerily precise imaging. What struck me the most about the Triton Twos was how closely my experience of listening with them paralleled previous encounters with no-holds-barred speakers — ones priced upward of $50,000. Music consistently took on an outsize scale that made it seem like I was immersed in a live event.

Given all of the amazing things it can do, the Triton Two seems not just fairly but incredibly priced at $2,500 a pair. If this speaker can’t lift you out of the audio doldrums, nothing will.

— Al Griffin

[Ryan Peddle]

Break in period is pretty steep. The Subwoofers start out quite tame and actually a little underwhelming, but man do they break in big time. Over the last week I have had to turn down the volume on both speakers pretty much everyday as they keep increasing their output as we used them in the store.

One thing I will say about the GoldenEar line up, their sound is very very transparent. To say they create a large seamless soundstage is not giving them enough credit. Listening to some vocals and acoustic music through them the voice really does feel like the person is standing between the speakers. Much like a electrostatic speaker.

Highly recommended.

[bladerunner1]

I am interested in FOUR of these!!!(Towers) Does anybody own FOUR of these or heard FOUR of these, and can give us an explanation of how FOUR of these sound in their Theater???

I am really 'high' on these right now. I like the buzz I am hearing!

[rpatt]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

AUDIO PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
GoldenEar Technology
Triton Two Tower Speakers

Sound & Vision, February-March 2011, Page 30:

I saw that in the S&V magazine. I was thinking WOW that's a very blatant rip off of the Def Techs. Now it makes sense.

[Alpha Sixx]

Originally Posted by bladerunner1

I am interested in FOUR of these!!!(Towers) Does anybody own FOUR of these or heard FOUR of these, and can give us an explanation of how FOUR of these sound in their Theater???

I am really 'high' on these right now. I like the buzz I am hearing!

I own four Mythos STS they are in my pic gallery if you wanna see em, which sound amazing they are very very powerful and in your face they hit harder than any sub I have ever heard in anyones house except the Super cubes Refs I bought, the voices they produce are as if the artists are right there in the room with me. They are the closest to the golden ear speakers but with 300 watt amps instead of 1200 watts. I would love to compare the 2 brands Im sure with 1200 watts they must sound even more powerful than the Mythos STS's. The founder of Definitive Tech who produced the Mythos Line is also involved in the company who makes the Golden ear speakers. The Golden ear speakers are much cheaper per pair than the STS's. Maybe they are made of different Materials Im not sure. But if you do get em let me know how they sound.

[MrFattBill]

Originally Posted by Alpha Sixx

I own four Mythos STS they are in my pic gallery if you wanna see em, which sound amazing they are very very powerful and in your face they hit harder than any sub I have ever heard in anyones house except the Super cubes Refs I bought, the voices they produce are as if the artists are right there in the room with me. They are the closest to the golden ear speakers but with 300 watt amps instead of 1200 watts. I would love to compare the 2 brands Im sure with 1200 watts they must sound even more powerful than the Mythos STS's. The founder of Definitive Tech who produced the Mythos Line is also involved in the company who makes the Golden ear speakers. The Golden ear speakers are much cheaper per pair than the STS's. Maybe they are made of different Materials Im not sure. But if you do get em let me know how they sound.

I always thought you had ST's not STS's. I was thinking of selling my ones and a set of Gems and getting a pair of ST's.

Bill

[Alpha Sixx]

Originally Posted by MrFattBill

I always thought you had ST's not STS's. I was thinking of selling my ones and a set of Gems and getting a pair of ST's.

Bill

Im sure you won't be dissapointed, I rarley used to turn on my Supercube Refs being that my dumbass moved into an apartment for the 1st time in my entire life unless I really wanted to feel a movie or harrass the neighbors. If I turned up my 4 STS's alone it would shake stuff all the way on the other side of my place. Everyone always comments on the beauty of the speakers the speakers the moment they see them. When I 1st saw them in real life they stole me heart. I would have gone with the ST, but I didnt think the price difference would be worth sound difference.

[Alpha Sixx]

Originally Posted by Alpha Sixx

Im sure you won't be dissapointed, I rarley used to turn on my Supercube Refs being that my dumbass moved into an apartment for the 1st time in my entire life unless I really wanted to feel a movie or harrass the neighbors. If I turned up my 4 STS's alone it would shake stuff all the way on the other side of my place. Everyone always comments on the beauty of the speakers the speakers the moment they see them. When I 1st saw them in real life they stole me heart. I would have gone with the ST, but I didnt think the price difference would be worth sound difference.

Hey this is a golden ear thread not def tech!!!

[MrFattBill]

Originally Posted by Alpha Sixx

Hey this is a golden ear thread not def tech!!!

True. The closest place to demo the GE Tech stuff is about 25 minutes up the road, I may go check them out some time soon.

Bill

[Alpha Sixx]

Originally Posted by MrFattBill

True. The closest place to demo the GE Tech stuff is about 25 minutes up the road, I may go check them out some time soon.

Bill

If you check em out let me know how it goes.

[jomari]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

The January 2011 issue of the Sound & Vision Magazine(pp.59-60) has a glorious review of Golden Ear Technology’s Triton Two tower speakers.

*snip*

I am convinced. I am selling my front speakers and buying a pair of Triton Two’s, even though that may mean my life will be in danger. Yesterday, my wife bought a very sharp and big kitchen knife.

i wonder where those reviews came from...

as always, take em with a grain of salt, and of course, auditioning is key as you probably know already big daddy.

Theres a store here in Campbell, where i had the chance to audition them recently over the weekend.

[Show spoiler]450 El Paseo de Saratoga
San Jose, CA 95130

408-341-1950

Albeit not as formal as a demo id like to consider (we were in a rush, and just came from REI, to pick up stuff prior to an engagement).... i did get to talk to Doug, who was quite happy to help out. He was helping out a couple who just recently bought the integra amps that were driving the Triton Two's.... and were kind enough to 'lend' it for a listen.

In a nutshell, as mentioned earlier, it was very 'transparent'. Room was around 10x12, treatments here and there, but none specific for the front soundstage. He moved a couple of speakers to accomodate, but i knew he was also rushed due to the customer he was already helping.

Anyways, the speakers themselves were driven by an integra setup, pre/pro and amps to boot... 2.0 configuration, no need of course for the subs because they're driven already in the pair... I noticed two things,
1. the subwoofer dial was almost at the 9 o'clock position,
2. the speakers around 3-4 feet away from the walls

again, take this review with a grain of salt, as i was passing through, and fairly dont consider this as a professional audition. we listened to a track or two, probably miles davis, stereo (not a 'live' performance track), but man, oh man, it sounded very very nice. I also noticed two things as well that i liked, one was localization, where you can designate areas where the instruments were (great sign of a speaker), and the fact that the soundstage was amazing given the constraints. Girlfriend thought it to be a tad harsh, but i think that was because it was too loud in the beginning... i turned it down a tad, and gladly worked a good half hour or so with them. Given the time constraint i fiddled with the subs control on the back, and realized why it was at 9 o'clock...

Man, i dont need a sub anymore if i was to get them. can they hit 18hz? i think they could, but without strain i question that part...

Would i buy them? im not certain for the moment, and the fact that i havent really had enough time with em, i cant say.

But considering that i already decided prior to listening to them, and for the price point of $2500? I think i already made my choice after reading the graphs on SNVs mag.

two things i disliked tho,
1. the stands couldve been improved more. I didnt care much for the 'oval' footprint, and it makes it look er... cheesy.
2. i hated the fact i cant take off the black mesh enveloping the speaker. I disliked that idea, and discussed that with Doug...

All with compromise right? currently they are backordered, and if i chose to, i would be number 8.

I recently quit smoking, and as a treat, will look forward to these in a year.

*edit:

one thing i forgot to mention, i got to see the matched center speaker with these, the supersat 50 center (i saw the pricetag for around $499 i think)... and didnt think it matched at all. i didnt listen to it at all, so until i do, i cant really say. One things for certain, physics tells me that this center speaker isnt going to perform as gallantly as the same as the towers, and might be better off finding another ribbon matched speaker to work with it. Slim is an understatement.

[victorvondoom88]

I have been using Def Tech's for years and I love them. This new company they(Sandy,Don) have started has my curiosity peeked for sure I really am hoping to demo these this summer and maybe upgrade this fall.

[sonic_debauchery]

Hi everyone,

I started a new thread for the Golden Ear Triton II's, not knowing this thread existed. I am new. Anyways, i have included some links to reviews and to the company website.

Goldenear triton ii speakers is the name of the thread i started.

Really glad i found the official thread