The GoldenEar Triton Reference is designer Sandy Gross’ latest statement, and it’s got exclamation points written all over it.
The monster is $8500/pair, and did I mention it’s a monster? Over 100lbs per side, the speaker is 58″ tall. Frequency extension is a mind-boggling 12Hz-35kHz. Perhaps it’s obvious, but the Reference is a partially-powered speaker — there are 3 subs per tower, with a “1800 watt SuperSub digital/56 bit DSP Subwoofer Amplifier” getting you into the down-lows. Two 6″ mids and a high-velocity folded-ribbon tweeter rounds out the set.
Driven here at RMAF by a stack of Hegel electronics, wired with AudioQuest cabling, the Reference is astonishingly capable — and could have easily filled even the very largest rooms at the hotel. Which might have been helpful as all my prior visits had found the room stuffed with attendees. I took a risk and came back at the very end of the last day — and finally got lucky. A very popular demo room. this.
In the small room, here, the Reference was physically imposing but sonically intimate, with an immediate presentation that was balanced and fulsome and even delicate. Imaging was excellent. Bass performance was life-threatening. I am very much looking forward to spending more time with them — which is good, because they’re apparently coming for a visit this fall. Hee hee!
Geoffery: What exactly does ” .. not up to “scratch” ” suggest ?
pj
TAVES 2017:, These (GET “Triton REF-One’s) were demonstrated impressively by a local Toronto hi-fi shop.
What I heard was a fine loudspeaker -a reasonable alternative to similarly priced models from class leaders (think KEF Reference-1’s and similar).
To suggest that it competes (let alone eclipses) makes/models priced much higher is both foolish, unwise and more specifically, untrue.
The advertising dollar sway seems to have waned, past models were “reviewed” shamelessly; hopefully the outrageous (and misplaced) early praise heaped upon these Chinese-wonders is genuinely regretted by those that waxed poetic of its (supposed) far-reaching talents, that quite simply, was the furthest from the truth -and any semblance ‘media’ integrity.
Exuberant, emotion-laden child-like fantasy overcame many who reviewed the original G.E.T. “Triton 2”, then Triton ‘One’ -a clearly superior loudspeaker to the “Two”, yet barely able to compete -let alone eclipse- models from far more talented and respected loudspeaker company’s.
Anyway, if one can find a pair of these at discounted prices, it may very well satisfy the needs of many listener’s.
pj
I don’t know, man. They may be tip-top – but they are no lookers. And there’s nothing more important for home stereo speakers than looking good. Tsk tsk.
Oh ‘man’ you must have a great looking sound system !
pj
Very cool.
I heard them at x-fi last weekend and bass wasn’t up to scratch. Not in that room anyway. But the rest soundend very good.