Recommended Component 2024 - Stereophile
"A Serious Challenge To Speakers in the Multi $10K Range," Raves Stereophile
The Triton Reference is the evolution of all the geniuses at GoldenEar learned so far, taken to a stunning level of sonic performance and sophisticated visual design. All the components are specifically developed for use in the Reference, including the fully-balanced and the powerful subwoofer amplifier and 56-bit DSP control unit.
The Reference has been engineered to perform with a dramatic and authoritative voice, comparable to speakers many times its surprisingly affordable price. They completely disappear, with superb three-dimensional imaging that stretches from wall to wall and beyond.
"Recommended Component" Honors
Stereophile honored the Triton Reference by awarding it the magazine's coveted Recommend Component status for 2024.
According to Stereophile's Robert Deutsch, "The Triton reference presents a serious challenge to speakers in the multi $10K range. Sandy has done it again!"
Stereophile's Jon Atkinson notes, "Through the Triton References with the volume as high as I could bear—SPLs at the listening seat were typically in the high 90s, with peaks reaching 106dBC (Studio Six iPhone app set to Fast)—the power of the pianos was in full evidence when the 5/8 pounding starts to announce The Naming and Honoring of the Chosen One. These GoldenEars played loud without strain or overload."
"Unbridled Excellence"
According to Dennis Burger at Home Theater Review, "For the first time, in my opinion, GoldenEar has unveiled a speaker whose looks are an undeniable match for its performance. And given its performance, that’s saying a lot."
"Hearing my reference tracks on those über- expensive ($85,000) speakers, I was surprised at how well the Reference compared ... unbridled excellence.," reports Al Griffin, Sound & Vision. "Once I had the Reference up and running, I found myself wanting to do little else."
"GoldenEar is taking on the stratospherically priced five figure super-systems that Define high-end audio," says Mark Henninger, AVS.
Reference Bass/Midrange Drivers
Tremendous time and energy has been put into the voicing of the Triton Reference speaker and the seamless blending of the drivers. The results are unmatched musicality with all types of music, and home theater perfection. Rarely do speakers excel at both, but with their world-class neutrality, the Reference absolutely does.
The two High-Definition Cast-Basket Reference Upper Bass/Midrange Drivers with Multi-Vaned Phase Plugs incorporate a low-mass voice coil and cone with unique low-mass bonding to the butyl rubber surround for improved transient response. The optimized dual-chamber upper bass/midrange enclosure has angled rear and side walls for best sonic performance.
The elaborately braced accelerometer optimized non-resonant cabinet has open-cell polyurethane foam damping pads along with a proprietary mix of long-fiber lamb’s wool and Dacron for internal damping. A massive 3/32" thick steel plate is built into the base for exceptional structural rigidity.
Quadratic Reference Sub-Bass Drivers
The active low-frequency drivers for the built-in powered subwoofers have 40% more surface area than the active drivers used in other Tritons. These three 6" x 10" Quadratic Reference Sub-Bass Drivers have massive Focused-Field Magnet Structures.
Reference High-Velocity Folded-Ribbon Tweeter
The Reference High-Velocity Folded-Ribbon tweeter incorporates 50% more rare-earth neodymium magnet material than do GoldenEar's non-Reference HVFR tweeters, for improved transient response and higher efficiency.
Four Planar Back-Wave-Driven Radiators
The four inertially balanced 10.5˝x 9.5˝ side-mounted (two on each side), planar back-wave-driven radiators are similar to those used in the SuperSub X, but they have been retooled to allow for even greater excursion.
Triton One – A Hard Act to Follow
GoldenEar’s Triton One is one of the bestselling high- end loudspeakers ever, consistently thrilling listeners and reviewers alike, while achieving stupendous and previously unheard-of sales velocity for a loudspeaker in its price range.
And, of equal importance, the One garnered an enviable and unmatched collection of the industry’s most prestigious awards, including Loudspeaker-of-the-Year or Product-of- the-Year from key publications all around the world.
GoldenEar knew that the One would be a very hard act to follow. There was a spirited discussion within the product development group about an all-out assault on the ultimate state of the art, producing a six-figure loudspeaker to do battle with the most esoteric and expensive loudspeakers on the planet.
However, after much soul-searching, "Rational minds won out," joked GoldenEar, and the decision was made to create a new GoldenEar flagship that would joust with the best, but would still stick to the company's trademarked slogan, "We Make High-End Affordable.""
The new Triton Reference is a loudspeaker destined to raise the bar and set a completely new performance standard for reasonably priced, affordable loudspeakers. The Reference has already begun gathering its own collection of honors, having just won the prestigious and coveted CES (the annual international Consumer Electronics Show) Innovations Design and Engineering Award, Digital Trends Best Home Audio Tech at CES, HD GURU Best High Fidelity Loudspeaker at CES and What Hi-Fi?Stars of CES!