At the first store, I listened to the Martin Logan 60XTs which I thought sounded terrific. This was the second time I auditioned them, so I brought my own music and I heard tone to the instruments in the music I have never heard before. The system included an Adcom cd player and a Rotel 80w integrated amp. This was a two channel system.
The next store I went to hear the Golden Ear Triton 3s for the second time but now the Triton 3 has the same powered subwoofer as the 1 and 2. This store’s setup had an Oppo Cd player and an 80w Integra Home Theater Receiver. At first the associate helping me in the store could’t connect the receiver with the CD player and had to go behind the wall to locate the problem. Finally, it was connect and I heard my music. It was terrible, the vocals were faint and buried behind the instruments and the instruments modulated back and forth. This was music where the vocals are front and center. I tried three different cds and they all sounded equally bad. This room was setup for home theater listening. The associate was busy checking his phone and not really paying attention. He apologized that he was checking his phone, he explained his daughter was sick. That was OK, I understood.
As I walked out of the store they had a two channel setup with an NAD 375bee, Rega turntable, Oppo CD player, but you couldn’t listen to them. They weren’t connected to speakers and it was just a display?
I left the store dumfounded. Why did they sound so terrible? I heard them one month prior and liked them. I think this thread explains why. I plan on going back to that store to listen to the GE Triton 3s again but first tell them to change the setup. I wouldn’t have paid $100 for these speakers the way they sounded. I listened to Kamasi Washington, Nick Cave, Joanna Newsom, and Shellac at both stores.
Any other comments or thoughts?