Golden Ear - Triton (closer to the) Reference

[MortenB]

Due to a move to a smaller house (soon) I have been looking for speakers that are smaller / would work in a smaller space, than the large DIY system I have used for years. To mach my Thöress - EHT Integrated amp (15W) I need speakers with relatively high sensitivity, and I would prefer active bass system as well, as I have had very good experiences with active filters/bass during the years. So, what speakers would fit that? And at a resonable price, since I’m a bit on a budget due to the new house project.

Long story/search short: I bought a pair of Golden Ear - Triton Reference speakers. The Triton Reference has been discontinued, and remaining stock are sold out at around half of retail.

I have used the speakers for a few months now and I must say, that I’m positively surprised. They can’t match the ‘’ease’’ of the big systems with their 18” woofers and big horn tweeters, but they come closer, than I had though possible from smaller speakers with a form/factor like these.

Having worked with speakers for 40 years or so, I know that speakers in this price range tend to have compromised cross over parts (this often also go for much more expensive speakers). And sometimes also quite badly designed cross overs. In the case of the Triton Reference the cross overs are very well designed, this is evident from measurements and listening to the speakers. Huge respect to the design team..! However there is potential to get closer to that reference standard the speakers are named after by using parts out of scope for the budget these are made for. It’s interesting reading the HiFi+ review (link below) where the reviewer mention one area where the T Ref does not quite match more expensive speakers, and he suspect this might be due to budget cross over parts. I agree, and since I feel these speakers has big potential, I was thinking: What if..? I looked inside the speaker and I found what I expected…

With the support of Tony Gee who runs Humblehomemadehifi (see link below) the speakers now have optimal cross overs, much improved Furutech wiring, and gold plated copper speaker terminals from ETI. The cross over function is exactly as the original filters, so measurements are the same. However, sound is not. As can be seen from the pictures top quality cross over parts are MUCH bigger, than the original, so it does take some work to shoe-horn the cross overs into the cabinets. An easier option is to run the new filters externally, and some would argue this can lead to even better sound. I liked the keep the form/factor, so I shoe-horned the cross overs into the cabinets.

I should mention, that I’m not being paid or anything by Tony Gee to make this thread, I’m just a happy customer who want to share the hidden potentials of these speakers. If you’re interested in upgrading your own Triton Reference speakers, Tony can help you out with the new filters. I share this as a heads-up to Triton Reference owners out there, maybe you’re interested in updating your own speakers? Having gone through the update process myself, I have a lot of experience/details to share, also a lot of detailed pictures on how to do the various steps needed.

Measurements:

SoundStageNetwork.com | SoundStage.com - NRC Measurements: GoldenEar Technology Triton Reference Loudspeakers

www.soundstagenetwork.com

Review:

GoldenEar Technology Triton Reference floorstanding loudspeaker

Sandy Gross is widely acknowledged as an audio legend in large part because he has played a central role in launching three major

hifiplus.com

Tony Gee:

Humble Homemade Hifi - Loudspeaker Upgrades

Very high quality loudspeaker kits, upgrades, modifications and custom solutions.

www.humblehomemadehifi.com

 

[MortenB]

So what about the sound?

Read the reviews from owners of various speakers where the cross overs are updated with top quality components (link below). The same can be said or the Triton Reference, and any speakers basically when we get rid of iron core inductors on the midrange, electrolytic caps etc etc… For me being used to speakers with top quality cross over components in front of the speaker drivers, I heard some smearing of the notes on the Triton Reference, and a slightly ‘’mechanical and artificial’’ nature of the treble range. Also transparency was good, but not what I would consider high-end quality. All this has changed now.

The updated Triton Reference speakers both sound the same as before, and at the same time very different: The same as the general sound is as before, nothing has been changed in the concept of the speakers. But also very different, as they now have that addictive ‘’ease’’ we hear from (very expensive) speakers. The sound is at the same time much more relaxed and much more transparent and dynamic. The first I noticed was the treble range where I often use Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Sessions (on vinyl). It’s a ‘’difficult’’ recording, that can lead to sibiliance and a somewhat ‘’splashy’’ treble. Listening to Sweet Jane could be challenging before, now there is that ‘’ease’’ and the Triton Reference manage the critical passages with resolution, much higher transparency, improved focus and dynamics, but without the ‘’edge and smear’’. I have been listening to anything from solo piano to Massive Attack, and the pattern is the same: Ease, transparency, focus, dynamics and resolution is improved by some margin. The speakers simply sound more ‘’real and natural’’. I notice this by getting sucked into the music much more than before, and even if I try to listen for differences/improvements, I forget this and get’s lost in the music instead. To me that’s a strong indication of the speakers sounding more ‘’real’’.

Post your questions and comments in the thread below, and I’ll be happy to help if anyone out there is as crazy as I am

Here is a bit of system context: I play vinyl on my Sikora Standard MAX, and the electronics are Thöress - Phono Enhancer and Thöress - EHT Integrated.

 

[Gradycarl]

Due to a move to a smaller house (soon) I have been looking for speakers that are smaller / would work in a smaller space, than the large DIY system I have used for years. To mach my Thöress - EHT Integrated amp (15W) I need speakers with relatively high sensitivity, and I would prefer active bass system as well, as I have had very good experiences with active filters/bass during the years. So, what speakers would fit that? And at a resonable price, since I’m a bit on a budget due to the new house project.

Long story/search short: I bought a pair of Golden Ear - Triton Reference speakers. The Triton Reference has been discontinued, and remaining stock are sold out at around half of retail.

I have used the speakers for a few months now and I must say, that I’m positively surprised. They can’t match the ‘’ease’’ of the big systems with their 18” woofers and big horn tweeters, but they come closer, than I had though possible from smaller speakers with a form/factor like these.

Having worked with speakers for 40 years or so, I know that speakers in this price range tend to have compromised cross over parts (this often also go for much more expensive speakers). And sometimes also quite badly designed cross overs. In the case of the Triton Reference the cross overs are very well designed, this is evident from measurements and listening to the speakers. Huge respect to the design team..! However there is potential to get closer to that reference standard the speakers are named after by using parts out of scope for the budget these are made for. It’s interesting reading the HiFi+ review (link below) where the reviewer mention one area where the T Ref does not quite match more expensive speakers, and he suspect this might be due to budget cross over parts. I agree, and since I feel these speakers has big potential, I was thinking: What if..? I looked inside the speaker and I found what I expected…

With the support of Tony Gee who runs Humblehomemadehifi (see link below) the speakers now have optimal cross overs, much improved Furutech wiring, and gold plated copper speaker terminals from ETI. The cross over function is exactly as the original filters, so measurements are the same. However, sound is not. As can be seen from the pictures top quality cross over parts are MUCH bigger, than the original, so it does take some work to shoe-horn the cross overs into the cabinets. An easier option is to run the new filters externally, and some would argue this can lead to even better sound. I liked the keep the form/factor, so I shoe-horned the cross overs into the cabinets.

I should mention, that I’m not being paid or anything by Tony Gee to make this thread, I’m just a happy customer who want to share the hidden potentials of these speakers. If you’re interested in upgrading your own Triton Reference speakers, Tony can help you out with the new filters. I share this as a heads-up to Triton Reference owners out there, maybe you’re interested in updating your own speakers? Having gone through the update process myself, I have a lot of experience/details to share, also a lot of detailed pictures on how to do the various steps needed.

Measurements:

SoundStageNetwork.com | SoundStage.com - NRC Measurements: GoldenEar Technology Triton Reference Loudspeakers

www.soundstagenetwork.com

Review:

GoldenEar Technology Triton Reference floorstanding loudspeaker

Sandy Gross is widely acknowledged as an audio legend in large part because he has played a central role in launching three major

hifiplus.com

Tony Gee:

Humble Homemade Hifi - Loudspeaker Upgrades

Very high quality loudspeaker kits, upgrades, modifications and custom solutions.

www.humblehomemadehifi.com

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Hi, I'm thinking about picking up a pair since they are on sale. For the price do you feel the sound is good for the price ? Also
how much were the Crossovers if I grab a pair I'd be interested in the upgrade for sure. Thanks Chris

 

[MortenB]

On your first question: I would not have bought the speakers, if I did not find them good sounding for the price, and also for me it’s important, that they are relatively high sensitivity and easy to drive as I have a low power Thöress amp. They are good value for the retail price, excellent value at the discounted prices.

Regarding the cross overs, you should ask Tony Gee for a quote (see contact info in my first post). Quality cross over parts and assembly is not cheap, but for me they make a huge difference. I’m used to much more expensive speakers, with this quality parts, and the reduction in smear, the increased clarity, the more natural timbre, and the ease of the sound is very important to me. I play music myself, and these qualities brings the sound so much closer to ‘’the real thing’’. For others maybe not worth the cost and the work involved.

 

[Gradycarl]

On your first question: I would not have bought the speakers, if I did not find them good sounding for the price, and also for me it’s important, that they are relatively high sensitivity and easy to drive as I have a low power Thöress amp. They are good value for the retail price, excellent value at the discounted prices.

Regarding the cross overs, you should ask Tony Gee for a quote (see contact info in my first post). Quality cross over parts and assembly is not cheap, but for me they make a huge difference. I’m used to much more expensive speakers, with this quality parts, and the reduction in smear, the increased clarity, the more natural timbre, and the ease of the sound is very important to me. I play music myself, and these qualities brings the sound so much closer to ‘’the real thing’’. For others maybe not worth the cost and the work involved.

Hi Morton, thank you for your response. I have about 10 to 15K budget for speakers and a very large 2000 ft space. I've never had the chance to listen to a set of these but the reviews sound like what I'm looking for, especially the bass section. This is also the most I've ever spent on a single component, everything I have is from eBay used. Trying to upgrade everything over time to get the sound I'm looking for. You are clearly very knowledgeable on the subject, having owned much more expensive speakers have the Tritons satisfied your expectations after the crossover switch ? I'd definitely be willing to upgrade the crossovers and have no problem installing them myself and the cost, for improved sound. Or do you recommend any used speakers for 15k that are very large and room filling, that you have previously owned.

Thank you,
Sincerely,

Chris

 

[MortenB]

When you say ‘’especially the bass section’’ what is it then from the reviews, that makes you think these are for you?

Let me put it this way: The T Ref’s are speakers I can live with, especially with the new cross over and wiring. There are areas, where they are not as good as what I’m used to, but they do a lot of things well, and they are very well designed from Golden Ear, so there are no faults or problems with them (as is the case with many speakers). So for now, where I need smaller/cheaper speakers I’m very pleased with them. I get bored very easily when listening to speakers in this price/quality range, but not these… Bored because they don’t have that ‘’real’’ and ‘’live’’ feeling to them, so I loose my interest in listening. Again, I play music myself and that’s both good and bad when it comes to hifi speakers: Good because I know how voices and instruments sound live. Bad because I’m constantly reminded, when hifi speakers sounds too far off the real thing.

Before the new cross over/wiring it was obvious to me, that there were cheap parts in the cross over, I did not even have to open the box to confirm this, it was obvious to me from listening to them. Check out Danny from GR-Research explaining what parts do in a cross over, and what improvements we can get when using part, that is outside of what the maufacturer can afford to use when selling speakers at a certain price point. Also check Tony Gees customer feedback on his cross over upgrades, and you will see the feedback aligns. I fully agree as well, and with the updated T Ref’s the grain and smear from the cheap parts is GONE.

 

[Gradycarl]

Thanks so much again, by bass section I mean I have such a large space and don't have the funds to get good mains and subs with hi power amps. My other speakers don't have enough bass and are way too bright for the space. These sound like they can do it all, I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and I'm going to make the purchase. I also intend to do the upgrade...

Sincerely,
Chris

 

[Gradycarl]

One more thing if you don't mind. Did you have to send in your crossovers to Tony or did he already know the specs to create the crossovers for your application. Did you use your own speaker wire or did Tony install ? I might need help or more pics as you mentioned above to complete swap...

Thanks,

Chris

 

[MortenB]

With your very large room you don’t get the room gain in the bass, and therefore you experience the bright sound. In a case like this speakers with active bass/sub is a very good solution as you can turn the bass up/down to suit the room. Reading online about the T Ref’s it seems that some has the bass volume lower than the center position (standard position). In my room I have the bass volume slightly higher than the center position because I don’t have much room gain here either with speakers not being near corners, and the room being open to other rooms etc. You should be able to get the T Ref’s to work, just be mindful that if you turn the bass on the speaker way up, and also play very loud, then you put a lot of strain on those woofers.

On the second question:

I have known and worked with Tony Gee for many, many years and have build many speakers, amps, preamps etc during the years (one of my educations is a degree in electronics, with special focus on analog circuits in audio). So in this case it was a cooperation between Tony and I where I mapped out the cross over, did various measurements etc. From that Tony recommended components based on this extensive experience with these type of upgrades. I had several of the components in stock, bought the rest and the Furutech speaker cables from Tony. I have done the cross overs, wiring and installation myself. If you order the cross overs from Tony he will send you finished and tested cross overs with all wiring already attached at the cross over end - as you see on his references on his website and his Instagram.

For this particular speaker there is very limited space inside the cabinets, so it’s a balance of using quality parts, but also being able to fit the cross over. For instance replacing 450uF electrolytic caps with quality polypropylene caps is a massive difference in the size of the cross over. These cross overs can just (only just) fit in the cabinets. Also it’s a balance between the value/quality of the speaker, and the cost of the parts. We can easily spend 10.000 euro/dollar on the capacitors alone, and the cross over will be as large as the speaker, but of course that does not make sense. It’s all about balance, also balance on how much to spend? I would consider my upgrade the highest level that makes sense for these speakers: Very high quality cross over parts, wiring and new copper binding posts, but there can also be cheaper upgrades, that will still be a lot better, than the stock parts. Tony will give you advise, on what’s best for a certain amount of money…

I took some detail pics during installation of the new cross overs and wiring to help others, in case anyone is crazy enough to do this I’ll be happy to share them here…

 

[MortenB]

Just to follow up on my previous post and some detail pictures and explanations. I’ll make few posts with different details on the upgrade. Let me know if more is needed…

Installing the cross over inside the speaker:
The new crossovers are much heavier, and larger obviously. I used these threaded inserts + M4 bolts for the installation. The hold the boars very securely in place, and don’t sit very deep meaning no risk of damaging the beautiful paint finish on the back (imagine drilling long screws out the back). I used rubber stand-offs between the cabinet back and the underside of the crossover board.

With this location of the crossover there is just enough space between the baskets for the passive radiators, and as seen the Furutech cables running to the midwoofers and tweeters run from one end of the board.

 

[MortenB]

A bit of drilling is needed:
The Furutech speaker cables are thicker than the original wiring, so a few new holes needs to be drilled in the inside cabinet wall between the woofer chamber and the midwoofer chambers. There is one hole already for the original wiring, two more needs to be drilled. As shown here it VERY important to get an airtight seal around the cables to isolate the midwoofers from the pressure in the woofer box. I used plenty of glue on each side.

When the speaker is put back together and all drivers are installed, we can check for air leaks by pushing on the woofers. When doing that the midwoofers should not move. If they do, there is an air leak and it must be fixed before playing the speakers.

These pics indicates how to run the new cables, notice also how the cables are cable tied to the bracing. Not difficult.

 

[MortenB]

Pay attention when soldering cables to drivers:
I have soldered the Furutech speaker cables directly to the lugs on the drivers. The cables are a bit thick and stiff, and these lugs are quite fragile. Therefore it’s important with good stress release, I have done it this way.

Step 1 is to tie the cable to the basket of the driver. Arrange the cable in a way where the end of the cable is just next to the solder point, and they tighten the cable tie.

Step 2 is to solder the cable on the lug.

It’s important to do it in this order, as this ensures we do not add stress to the solder joint and the lugs.

 

[Markuzz]

Hello Morten, nice upgrade! I know Tony as well, in fact I built a nice horn design from him and enjoyed it for many years.

I also was looking a different form factor, without sacrificing dynamics and scale. And yes, I also landed on the GoldenEar Reference's. My loudspeakers are new and still in the break-in phase as they are only playing for a few days. So far I am not 100% convinced they are keepers..... although they sound better by the day.

What is the power rating of your amp? So far I've used a 28W tube amp and an 100W solid state amp.

Cheers, Mark.

 

[MortenB]

During the first days of listening to the T Refs new out of the box, I thought I had made a mistake: Thin, bright and mechanical sounding… They do loosen up with break in, and finding the right level on the bass also helps. I angled mine further out than suggested in the manual to get a more natural treble balance. However the big change is the new cross overs.

The dynamics and scale from big horn systems, or systems with huge cone area is not possible though for a ‘’small’’ speaker like the T Ref. The laws of physics also apply here like it does with any speakers.

I use the Thöress - EHT Integrated, it’s around 15W / 8 ohm.

 

[Markuzz]

I had the exact same feeling when I initially hooked up the loudspeakers. "Whoops, maybe this is a mistake".

A lot has improved over the last 20 hours of playing. You're also right on the bass settings. For me 12 o'clock is way too much bass. I am currently on 10 o'clock. Still bass is strong. Maybe I pull them some more from the back wall.

Kudos for the clear explanation on the modification. I should wait for further break-in, but I couldn't resist and contacted Tony

Cheers, Mark.

 

[Markuzz]

Hi Morten, just a quick heads up: after consulting Tony I ordered the upgraded filters. He will order the parts and do the assembly. I am also in the middle of a renovation, so it's convenient that Tony was willing to help out.

The filter will be the same as yours, with the exception that it will have a Duelund JDM tinned copper bypass cap over the Alumen Z for the tweeter. I used these bypass caps with good results on my horn's (also with Alumen Z's) and had a pair available. In fact, the crossover in my last horn build have many similar components with Jantzen Audio caps and Mundorf resistors.

I am still on the fence regarding internal cabling and terminals. I also like ETI binding posts, and have upgraded amps in the past with cryo ones. On my last speaker build I used WBT 0703CU’s, which also perform well. How much cable is (roughly) needed per speaker?

A few more days have passed on the break in, and today was not a good day. No resolution, and the sound was boring and muffled. Bass control has become more controlled, not as bloated as in the beginning and I turned up the bass half a notch.

Cheers, Mark.

 

[MortenB]

Cool Mark I really hope you feel the cross overs are worth it, and I’ll be happy to assist with clarification on questions etc.

Actually I also have some Duelund bypass caps, but did not use them.

Regarding the speaker binding post, then any good quality posts are a big improvement. I used the ETI because they are the cheapest high quality posts I could find, and they are easy to install.

I think I bought 9 meters of the Furutech cable from Tony, and I used every centimeter. Will have to check the invoice and get back, or Tony will know as I bought the cable from him also.

 

[higher sound]

Morten
Can you give me a guesstimate on the installation time it took you
Once the speakers were out, just the time to get the crossover units
Installed?
Also what tools you used or wish you had used to make it easier?
Drills and bit sizes, hope this isn’t asking to much but just want to make sure I have everything I need on hand
Hope to talk with Tony tomorrow
Best Martin - HS

 

[MortenB]

Hi Martin,

I suggest you buy the finished cross overs from Tony, with the Furutech cables soldered onto the cross over at one end, and the other ends ready for soldering to the drivers. This makes life so much easier for you…

I spend a lot of time measuring, figuring out how to do the various steps, how to route the wiring, where/how to install the cross over boards etc etc. I even build a dummy of the cross over board out of scrap wood to learn, if I could actually get the much bigger board into the cabinet through one of the holes for the passive radiators etc etc etc… In total I might have used 20 hours or so on the installation. On top of that comes the layout/build of the cross over boards, the wiring etc. The Golden Ref takes time to work on because of the very tight space inside the cabinets, and the many drivers and wires. Had it been a pair of old JBL’s or similar it would be A LOT easier.

Now that the design/installation is figured out, and Tony can provide the cross overs with wiring harness soldered to the cross over a lot of time can be saved. My guestimate is 4-5 hours per speaker. Add another hour, if you also replace the binding posts like I did.

You ask specifically for the installation of the cross over unit. That in intself is not too time consuming, but please see that step as one step of many in what I consider an integrated process. It might take halv an hour pr speaker or so. Depends on how easy it is for you to mark the location for the threaded inserts, install the inserts and then bolting in the cross over board… But I don’t know your experience with stuff like this, or if you use different parts for the installation, so who knows if it will take you two hours pr speaker to install the boards. Usually the second one is much faster than the first one. The boards has to be installed exactly in the center of the cabinets, move them off to one side, and you might not be able to reinstall the passive radiator in that side.

You also ask for specific tool, bits etc… Your in the US, and I don’t understand your system. I’m in Denmark, Europe and we have the metric system. Easy. I used M4 bolts, lock washers, washers and M4 threaded inserts to install the cross over boards (see my post earlier). Here is an illustration on picking drill bit: The outside of the treaded instert measures 5,7mm = I use a 6mm drill. I can’t tell you what you will need for the installation, as you’re hardware will most likely not be identical to what I used. This is the only ‘’special’’ thing needed. The rest is just standard screw drivers / bits, drills, cable ties, solder, soldering station and hot glue stick/gun.

If this seems complicated, I suggest practicing on easier speakers first, such as a pair of old JBL’s or something. MUCH easier, as everything is easily accessible through the big hole for that 12” or 15” woofer. The T Ref’s are more difficult to work on.

 

[higher sound]

Morten
Another question what does ETI stand for?
Would like to find the same posts you used
Thanks Best