"Nothing Short of a Miracle" Bookshelf Speakers
The Aon 3 from Golden Ear Technology is an exceptionally compact, ultra high-performance bookshelf speaker that was originally developed for use as a near-field monitor in professional mixing applications.
Aon 3 has a 7" cast-basket bass/midrange driver, a High-Velocity Folded Ribbon (HVFR) high-frequency radiator, and two 8" side-mounted planar low-frequency radiators.
"Construction is first-rate and the amount of music that these speakers reveal is nothing short of a miracle considering their size and price," raves Jeff Dorgay in TONEAudio magazine. "I've heard a lot of uninvolving loudspeakers in the $1,000 range, but I'm happy to report that the GoldenEar Aon 3s are anything but… Those looking to assemble a high-quality, high-value system should make a GoldenEar dealer their next destination."
An Impressive Design Goal
The design goal was to produce a modestly sized shelf or stand-mountable speakers that would achieve accurate high-definition sonic reproduction, with superb three-dimensional imaging, comparable to that achieved by GoldenEar's award-winning Triton Two Towers.
Although the Aon 3 don't have quite the awe-inspiring bass of the floorstanding Tritons, great care has been taken, and extensive technology has been incorporated to ensure that the Aon 3 can deliver a remarkably satisfying listening experience without the need for a separate subwoofer.
The Aon 3 incorporates GoldenEar-designed a cast-basket bass/ midrange driver with technology derived from the midrange units developed for the Tritons. In addition, it uses the same extraordinary and costly High Velocity Folded Ribbon (HVFRTM) high-frequency radiator used in the Tritons.
The Aon 3 also utilizes two side-mounted planar low-frequency radiators in a dynamically balanced configuration in order to properly load the bass/midrange drivers for an open, box-less midrange. This contributes to the remarkably extended bass for such small enclosures.
High-Velocity Folded Ribbon Tweeter
Drawn from the no-compromise flagship Triton speakers, the Aon 3 uses GoldenEar's extraordinary High-Velocity Folded Ribbon (HVFR) tweeter design, which puts you into the concert hall or the live action on the screen.
Using a High Temperature Film, the HVFR tweeter diaphragm squeezes/pressurizes air instead of pushing it. results include greater control, smoother more extended response, vanishingly low distortion, plus dramatically improved dynamic range and detail. Additionally, superb dispersion characteristics provide a very large sweet spot, delivering pinpoint sound to every seat in the house.
Infrasonic Planar Sub-Bass Radiator
Aon 3's Infrasonic Planar Sub-Bass Radiator is a passive unti which uses pressure-coupled loading to extend bass performance to the infrasonic region. It performs like a well-tuned transmission line, but with superior transient performance and control.