With todays trend towards higher density living, smaller dwellings, apartments, etc, if you are looking for a 'Hi-Fi' sound quality, 'bookshelf'-sized loudspeaker, you may want to consider the GoldenEar Technology BRX - which seems to have been getting almost-uniformly impressive press since release earlier this year.

Benefiting from some trickle-down technology from their Triton Reference loudspeakers - eg. drivers, passive-radiator bass, ribbon tweeter, materials, crossover design...

This loudspeaker is sized only 205W x 308H x 311mmD.

Price/pr - US$1599, NZ$2499.


John Atkinson, still contributing to STEREOPHILE (20 Aug '20), describes in his typically restrained British way....

" Surprisingly full-bodied for a relatively small speaker. "

" The balance between (pure-sounding) midrange & treble is well arranged. "

" (female vocals) ...a palpable image suspended in front of me. "

" Dynamics were excellent. "

However....

" The BRX benefits from high-class (careful with Class-D) amplification.)

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Steve Guttenberg AUDIOPHILIAC:

" Just the right balance of warmth, detail, body. "

" The tonality... especially in the mids, was really right on the money. "

" The folded ribbon tweeter... it's effortless... I think one of the reasons it images so well. "

" As little speakers go, it sounds big! "

" Amazing bass for its size... midrange is stunning... top end is absolutely glorious. "

One proviso:

" I definitely felt their size limitations when I pushed it (with loud rock music) "

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

John DARKO:

" Big soundstage & spacious & very 'holographic'. "

" ...midrange transparency, exceptional vocal enunciation "

" a more refined, a more transparent, but equally dynamic loudspeaker as the Klipsch RP-600M. "

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

imagine if they made an active version...

the big tritons are insanely good value.

I have had a listen to the Triton 1s and 2s. I concede that they are good money for value and get good reviews but I was far from impressed. Once you get past the bass capabilities, the extended hf response and impressive dynamic range, they sounded to me as if they were in the next room and they were not at all coherent. Lovers of electronic music however would love them and they could make your trouser legs flap. Part of the problem I think lies in the DSP (in which analogue is converted to digital and back to analogue) and the active woofer. To my ears the least processing the better - a bit like the differences between a studio and a live recording. .

GoldenEar co-founder Sandy Gross:

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com