[dlipter]

Has anyone compared the sound of the GR Research N3 to the Golden Ear Triton Sevens?

Thanks,

Dennis

[nickd]

Triton seven is very new. I have not even heard them yet (missed RMAF this year). It would be a sweet shootout I think. A lot would depend on the cabinet build on the N3. as they are DIY, so naturally they are all of different build quality. I suppose most of Danny's kits go out with good caps in the tweeter circut. Not sure about the Triton at $1400., they are most likely use import budget priced poly caps.
I imagine the Triton 7 might have a bit more over all low bass due to the alignment. Not sure about speed and control down there with those passive radiators though.

[Danny Richie]

I once designed an upgrade for the Definitive Technologies Mythos. Definitive Technologies was owned by the same person that now owns Golden Ear. If the Mythos is any dedicator of the parts quality of the Golden Ear then it doesn't stand a chance. There was some pretty cheap junk in there.

I like the tweeter in the Golden Ear speakers but they failed to put any rear chamber on the back side of it. It is very shallow with no damping material. So it will never play very low. So a small air motion transformer crossing at 3kHz can't really compare to the BG Neo crossing at 1.8kHz.

Then a small woofers having to play all the way up to 3kHz compared to M-130/16's having to play only up to 1.8kHz. No contest there either. Even if the woofers in the Golden Ear were the best woofers ever made it still would not hold a candle to the Neo 3 tweeter from 1.8kHz to 3kHz.

Nope, no comparison.

[dlipter]

I expect the parts in the Triton to be "cheap". However, the low cost of parts do not necessarily mean that they will sound inferior to a design using expensive parts. It's all in the design. That's why I asked about the comparative sound. I'd rather have a superior sounding speaker using cheap parts than a speaker using beautiful expensive parts that sounds inferior.

Danny, do folded ribbons have any sonic advantages over the type of flat ribbons that you use?

[S Clark]

Its hard for a finished speaker to compete with a kit in bang for the buck.  Likewise its hard for a kit to look like a finished speaker.  I would bet on the sound of a kit nearly every time if cost is the same.

[Captainhemo]

I would bet on the sound of a kit nearly every time if cost is the same.

Without a doubt... in fact in many cases,  I'd  bet  on a kit costing  1/2  or in some cases 1/3 of a finished speaker.

-jay

[Danny Richie]

I expect the parts in the Triton to be "cheap". However, the low cost of parts do not necessarily mean that they will sound inferior to a design using expensive parts. It's all in the design. That's why I asked about the comparative sound. I'd rather have a superior sounding speaker using cheap parts than a speaker using beautiful expensive parts that sounds inferior.

Danny, do folded ribbons have any sonic advantages over the type of flat ribbons that you use?

All else done right, the parts quality makes a huge difference. Sometimes as much or more than driver quality or as great as driver differences.

The folded ribbon or air motion transformers do have a light airy sound when done right. But I wouldn't choose any of them over a good planar magnetic like the BG.