Loudspeakers

Our measured pink noise sensitivity for the Triton Five – averaged for the pair – is bang on GoldenEar's specification of 90dB. Note, though, the rather different mean and music values of 91.2dB and 89.4dB, respectively, which indicate a less than flat on-axis frequency response [see Graph 1, below]. The good news is that this high sensitivity is achieved without making the Triton Five a notably difficult load to drive. Although the measured impedance minimum of 3.4ohm suggests a 4ohm nominal rating rather than GoldenEar's 'compatible with 8 ohms' specification, low-frequency phase angles are sufficiently well controlled that the EPDR (equivalent peak dissipation resistance) dips to an amplifier-friendly minimum of 2.5ohm at 48Hz. Unusually, the true EPDR minimum of 1.4ohm occurs much higher in frequency at 3.35kHz, where the spectrum of typical music signals should render it less significant.

The forward frequency response, measured at 1m on the tweeter axis, confirms the expectation of unevenness, with response errors on the high side at ±3.7dB and ±4.7dB, respectively. Listening a little off-axis might improve matters by suppressing the over-energetic upper treble but will probably add to the slight presence band suckout. Pair matching error over the same 200Hz-20kHz frequency range is a little disappointing at ±1.9dB, the largest disparities all falling within the passband of the HVFR tweeter, which on this evidence has less than consistent performance and a rapid fall-off in output above 20kHz. The cumulative spectral decay waterfall [Graph 2] shows a resonance at just below 5kHz, probably caused by cone breakup in the twin 6in bass-mid drivers. KH