Anyone compared GoldenEar Triton 7 with Triton Reference?

@otinkyad...……………………………………………

When I say its not a good comparison, you are comparing a pair of 8.5K speakers to a pair with a sub that are less than 3K. The T7 use two 4.5 inch midrange drivers compared to the T Ref which uses 2 six inch drivers. The midbass punch is real with the T Refs, not with the T7. I have compared the T ref in my main system with my T 1 in my other system. I did it side by side with the same amp and I could hear a BIG difference in clarity, detail, air and much better bass on the T Ref. I am lucky as I have a pair of each on 2 different systems. Don’t get me wrong, both the T Ref and the T One are my "forever speakers".

This is a decision only you can make. I am pushing my T Refs with a McIntosh MC152 150wpc and the Triton 1 with a McIntosh integrated at 200wpc. I don’t know what you are using for an amp and pre and front end equipment so I really can’t comment. The T refs are in a 16 by 20 living room with a 10 foot ceiling. The Triton Ones are in a50 by 50 room with dormers and high 16 foot ceiling in the center. I can really fill the room with sound but use this system for mostly background music  while I am on the computer and such. Are one of the dealers willing to let you borrow their demo units for a home trial? There is a level control on the back of each speaker to adjust the volume of the woofers in the room.

@otinkyad

Take a look at the Spatial X-2 as it will easily fill your room without a constrictive "sweet spot." And contrary to myth they don’t need to be 5 feet plus from the back wall. I am using the model below, M3 Triode Masters, with a pair of Rythmik subs in a room over 5500 cubic feet that opens into a combo Kitchen/Breakfast room.

http://www.spatialaudio.us/x2-modular

I've also owned the Triton 5 with the Rythmik subs in the same setting and the Spatial does what your are looking for with greater ease.  

I get your point regarding the size of the sweet spot, but that in and of itself is unnatural. That's not how one hears things when one is at a live acoustic event when one moves around. The Ohms are much closer to the live experience with this one aspect.

All HiFi is unnatural.

As one who has mixed live sound, recorded large orchestras in great studios, attended concerts in the worlds finest halls, continues to produce live productions in our local 450 seat venue, I categorically state that NO HiFi anywhere anytime is anything but an extremely poor simulacrum of any live performance, acoustic or otherwise.

IMO, the flaw in the Walsh theory is that sound from instruments is not omnidirectional. An acoustic guitar sounds very different as one walks around a seated player. The Walsh driver takes the frontally recorded sound and flings out 360° to bounce and absorb erratically in the listening space. One may like the effect, but it is in no way similar to any live performance.

To hear a recording as made requires a system as good or better focus than the recording studio monitors.

Thanks to all for the additional comments.

stereo5, the information about room sizes and your comparison of T1 and TRef was helpful, thanks.  I'm still puzzled by my impressions from my side-by-side T7 vs TRef comparisons at each of 2 dealers, especially as your T Refs are in a similar size room to the dealers' (and so overpowering the dealers' listening rooms may not have been the issue).  It's entirely possible that my ears aren't experienced enough to appreciate such differences -- although that probably also means that if my ears weren't impressed by a speaker, I would not be happy if I purchased it.  I'm a three hour drive from the nearest GE dealer, so I had assumed an in-home demo was out, but your suggestion is a good one -- it's a good idea to ask. 

jackd, thanks for the Spatial suggestion.  I have looked into them a little, but I was concerned about placement issues, as positioning is quite constrained, for me.  How far from the wall and sides are yours?

twoleftears, I am not necessarily aiming to stick with GE.  But GE seemed the easiest starting point, as I already have the 7s and a SuperCenter XL in a 3.1 HT configuration.  [For HT, what I have is quite adequate for me. It's for music that I've found myself hankering for bigger soundstage and more detail/clarity than the GE T7's].  As far as non-GE options go, another recent thread (https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/road-trip-to-demo-10-000-speakers) was very helpful in  identifying other possible upgrade paths.