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Goldenear Triton One.R - can it be driven with low power tube amp?

I’m currently driving my Goldenear Triton One.R speakers with substantial monoblock solid state amps. However the Triton One.Rs have internal 1.6 kilowatt amplifiers for the lowest frequencies. So my primary amps are only driving the midrange and tweeters. Seems like overkill. Was thinking of using lower power tube amps, maybe even tube SETs. Will this work?
Has anyone done this? Comments welcomed.
cakids
mofojo
2,184 posts
 
Bass takes on the character of the amp even though they are powered. At least my Triton Ones did. High power ss sounded better to my ears. 
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 


Goldenear Triton One.R - can it be driven with low power tube amp?
Don’t think so https://www.stereophile.com/images/1119GET1Rfig1.jpg 
Stereophile There is still a combination of 4 ohms and –48° at 100Hz, which will require a good 4 ohm–rated amplifier to drive the speaker to acceptably high levels.




And also not the new GoldenEar BRX (Bookshelf Reference X) if you want to hear the best from them, with EPDR loads at 135hz of 1.5ohms!!! and again at 60hz of 2.1ohms!! And even at 200hz still difficult.

John Atkinson Stereophile bench tests.
(fig.1, solid trace) drops well below 8 ohms in the midrange and mid-treble region, with a minimum value of 3.24 ohms at 194Hz. There is also a combination of 5 ohms impedance magnitude with an electrical phase angle of –45° (dashed trace) at 120Hz
The BRX has minimum EPDRs of 2.15 ohms at 59Hz and 1.53 ohms at 135Hz, and the EPDR remains below 4 ohms in the midrange. This loudspeaker will work best with amplifiers that are comfortable driving loads below 4 ohms, which I suspect is why it proved a better match with the Parasound monoblocks

https://www.stereophile.com/images/820GEBRXfig1.jpg


Love to hear a pair with 2 x tall (80cm) fast motional feedback subs used as stands crossed over at around 60hz, they look the goods, in the bench tests for everything else, for a 2 way bookshelf.

Cheers George
cakids OP
166 posts
 
I have access to a Manley Stingray II in another system. Have been reluctant to move embeddd equipment around, but I may switch in the low power tube amp for a trial this weekend. I’ll report on the results.
stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,272 posts
 
Sandy Gross, the former designer/owner of Golden Ear uses a 8wpc SET amp on his GE Triton Reference speakers and used that amp to help voice the speakers.  I drive mine with a 300wpc SS amp.  I find that the extra horsepower gives a more fuller and impactful sound. 
cakids OP
166 posts
 
Good to know. If the designer can drive the References with 8 set watts, then anything should work. I’ll try tubes, just to see how it affeccts sound quality. Should be interesting, as the internal woofer amps use entirely different technology. Bass crossover issues, maybe?
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