GoldenEar's BRX offers sky-high transparency

Camera: Olaf von Voss | Editor: John Darko | Motion GFX: John Darko
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GoldenEar BRX (US$1599/pair)
www.goldenear....
Srajan Ebaen on passive radiators:
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Also seen/mentioned in this video…
KEF LS50 (US$1499/pair -- as low as US$899 if you shop around):
us.kef.com/spe...
Cambridge Audio CXNv2 (€1099):
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Schiit Aegir (US$799):
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Mytek Brooklyn AMP (US$2495):
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Hegel H390 (€5900):
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• Q. Which is the best? ...
Atacama Nexus 6i:
• Room tour: my 99 quid ...
Hifi-Racks Podium XL:
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All cables by AudioQuest:
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#loudspeakers #audiophile #goldenear
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Darko.Audio is a web magazine covering new and exciting developments in the audio world and we aren’t afraid of indie rock or techno.
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[@treverstrawn6684]

I auditioned the BRX, Triton 3’s and 5’s last week in Pittsburgh Pa. I am now the proud owner of these paired with a Rogue Audio Sphinx and a Cambridge Audio CXN V2. I upgraded from Kef q350’s. The BRX speakers do truly vanish in the room and I thought the Kef’s imagining was incredible. In my experience the BRX coupled with a nice sub is leaps beyond the tritons.

[@audiorick841]

Excellent review John. You really explain well what you hear. You are one of the best at this. The comparison is also very well covered. Thank you.

[@EndstyleGG]

I'm currently running Triton 3 with their powered subwoofer and I can definitely confirm some of your findings, even tho they might not be quite Reference quality. For my ears, they are some of the best sounding speakers i've ever heard and I will definitely be keeping them around. I love the clear but not "squeaky" clear tweeter that in some other speakers kinda hurts your ears and I especially love the bass response, I mean they outperform many subwoofers in both accuracy and speed and even just the sheer power to shake windows and doors quite violently. And thats just the Triton 3 with 1 bass driver, whereas the Reference model has 3 and two more passive radiators.

[@lwdp74]

Transparency is less inaudible noise, like that picture with finer pixels that allows tiny details to be more clearly resolved.

[@volpedo2000]

Just when you’ve made up your mind on what speakers to buy, YT notifies you of a new video from John, from Steve Guttenberg, from Andrew Robinson, from Thomas and Stereo and you’re back in that spiral of indecisiveness!

[@barrybrennan2135]

Nice, you can readily discount Andrew Robinson's recommendations, or...go all socks, Birkenstocks and lifestyle.

[@QoraxAudio]

Aparently you're subscribed to the same channels as I am haha.

[@volpedo2000]

Bullwinkle Eats Vegemite my dream is owning a pair of Sasha 2 but missing the money and the space.

[@MrB1rdTurd]

@@barrybrennan2135 I'm so glad so a few other people disregard what he has to say. No other reviewer screams "untrustworthy" as him to me. He sounds so incredibly paid for, and he's not even that big a channel. The way he replies to people who call him out for his crap in his comment section is hilarious, though. Massive ego. Edit: And I dare anyone reading this to find me a youtuber with a more smug profile picture.

[@davidricardo942]

Will i hear you, started following same channels in the last few months and a lot of great info all the time.

[@RasheedKhan-he6xx]

Just strolling through old videos on youtube today. This was a very well articulated review; really top notch because at one point I thought "he's saying they sound American" and a split-second later you said "Klipsch". Shows how well you were able to describe them !

[@michaelwright1602]

This looks like a nicely designed and engineered speaker. Danny at GR Research did a semi tear down on the BRX, some cheesy parts on the woofer, but nothing bad, but one of the better speakers that has come through his shop. He found nothing really wrong with this pair, they measured out nicely and actually had some quality parts for this price point. Nothing to re-engineer, upgrade a few parts to take it to the next level, other than that, he stated this is a quality speaker for the money. And Danny is a friend of Sandy Gross, the man that designed the BRX.

[@EssenceofPureFlavor]

What I love about you is even though you're very into audio equipment, it's ultimately about its ability to recreate music. That isn't the case with a lot of reviewers.

[@michaelbarrett3886]

Another great review John. Completely agree that you can't give an outright winner as so much depends on room, music tastes, amplifier etc but your review highlights what people should be aware of when doing their own demo at hifi store. Thank you.

[@bertoray5497]

What books would you recommend for elevating the height of the speaker stands?

[@Leo-yn5fx]

these golden ear's are perfect for desktop use. I really dig em and will get a triton for my living room setup later this year.

[@gdubaz]

Totally agree with that description. that transparency means the speakers just fully disappear. There is no sense of the music originating from the speakers, the music just “exists” in space with you. My first experience with this was also with my first pair of KEF LS50’s, and it wasn’t subtle. It represented a completely different listening experience taking things to a whole new level. It wasn’t a case of comparing them with “cheap” speakers either, my previous pair were Klipsch RP 600 M’s. But the difference was game changing. I haven’t heard the Golden Ear’s yet, but they have consistently received great reviews, so I might just have to do that. Meanwhile, I upgraded my LS50’s to the Meta version, and I continue to be amazed with every listen.

[@rotaks1]

Fantastic review. Very informative. I think I understand your point about AB testing. I own the LS50 and the RP 600M and I never AB test. I listen to each one of them for an extended period of time and enjoy both for what they are. There is no winner. Miss your playlists.😳

[@mmdusa]

Brilliant review as always John. Was listening through my LS50's. Love your website too. Thanks for all your hard work. It really shows.

[@terrywho22]

Every time you show that Hegel, I am reminded how much I like their gear and want one of their amps. Great review and ideal comparison with the LS50. One thing that might have been worth mentioning is the integration of the drivers. I've found just about every standmount that uses ribbon tweeters sounds like you're listening to a couple of drivers instead of an integrated unit. This may be part of the reason that position to get them to disappear was more difficult than on the LS50s. Lastly, I wish the manufacturer would provide the tolerances of the frequency response. Without that, the numbers are worthless. I doubt that the low end is -3dB at 40 Hz with a speaker that is that small and 90 dB efficient, but who knows?

[@UKDagnar]

Starting to question if I watch your vids for the technology or just to see what amazing band you're listening to now. Weddo's !!!!!

[@MrKarlengel]

Oh, that record by Howe Gelb is amazing. So you are finally embracing the jazzy side of life John, so it seems.

[@bassandtrebleclef]

I ABd a $2000 pair of kef and b&w speakers. Both sounded wonderful, but the b&w speakers were more impactful, fun and 'ready to rock'. Then did the same for an $800/pair b&w and the Elac speakers everyone loves and came away with a similar impression... The elacs were more refined but not as much fun. I wound up not buying any of them but the experience reminded me why it really is important to AB speakers when you can... Not just for the shopping experience but because it reminds you of what qualities in sound you value more than others.

[@SinclairMacleod]

Great to see a full review again. Love your passion for the music.

[@toddhupp]

Yes: amt tweeters are very revealing. very detailed.

[@saint6563]

Respect your interpretation of "transparency". A 'Real World' definition; since we don't have access to the studio nor master tape. Thank you.

[@leonpjhb]

You are a master of your craft. You make reviews accessible and relatable without dumbing it down. Beautiful work. Thanks.

[@malek8736]

They remind me of ADAM Audio active monitors

[@OrganNLou]

I had tried the Adams and found their tweeter a little more peaky in the highs and not as much coherence as the GoldenEars.

[@malek8736]

@@OrganNLou I'm talking about look. As for sound, Adam Audio has multiple lines with multiple models; so, without specifying the model and each system setup, a comparison is not fair.

[@dannyb1979]

Thought the same myself; owned the TV7s, AX5s and AX7s and found the AX7s to be about some of the best speakers I've ever heard; that's over the likes of Neat, Rega, PMC, B&W, KEF, Monitor Audio speakers I've owned in the past too

[@RennieAsh]

@@dannyb1979 I have ax5s too, unfortunately it's an oppo mobile phone and not a pair of speakers ;-)

[@stephenscharf6293]

Once again, you set the bar for (video-based) quality content for audio reviews. Great information and excellent context to provide "insight."

[@nickaleo7]

Setting up a listen for these speakers/monitors this upcoming week, cant wait!! Speakers were suggested to me via Jim Williams/Audio Upgrades. He also recommended an Adcom 545 or 555 that he modifies. Cheers!

[@mark22732]

Can't help but notice the Cambridge CXN you've got on the shelf. I have one fo those myself, and I'm curious about your thoughts. Has there been a video on it? I can't seem to find anything.

[@janbenschop7597]

Couple of observations: it is not just about "chuff." Passive radiators can be mass- loaded, whereas ports cannot. Also, multiple passives can be tuned to different frequencies simultaneously. The tweeter is not a ribbon or folded ribbon. It is an air motion transformer, which moves more air with less power. It also does not move like a piston. Good subjective review, though... DACs don't change a speaker's frequency response, though... Tonal aberrations have a lot to do with spatial cues as well as the ability to present an ensemble of separate instruments, rather than just a total sound, no matter how dynamic.

[@jasonwrites9186]

a) best B-roll music of any hi-fi channel b) It's "Soof-Yahn" Stevens c) xoxo

[@jacopodeangelis3033]

I'm learning new adjectives in English just by watching your videos, and i love it!

[@user-xb4nn6ql5l]

Love your work. I have no more questions-you’ve articulated it beautifully. One thing though - and I’m surprised no one else has picked you up on this - how to pronounce Aegir. As you know, all Schiit’s products have Norse names. So if you pronounce them in German you’ll be on the mark. So it’s pronounzed “ägir” or in anglified, a-gear. I don’t know if Schiit intended this pun but I wouldn’t be a bit surprised...

[@AudioFlat]

These speakers don’t have a ribbon tweeter (as you say they do) they have AMT (air motion transducer) units and work quite differently to a ribbon. Now the patent has lapsed AMT tweeters are everywhere (very good they are too) and definitely the fashion of this year when it comes to speaker design.

[@DarkoAudio]

Then why does the Golden Ear website explicitly refer to this tweeter as a 'high velocity folded ribbon'?

[@costykali6930]

@@DarkoAudio as a comparacion ?

[@erikhoogantink8529]

Normally a ribbon tweeter is an aluminium foil between magnets moving front to back to produce sound. An AMT or Air Motion Transformer is a folded ribbon that moves in a sideways direction squeezing out the air between the folds. So they work quite different. Don’t know why the terminology used by Goldenear is different from convention. Probably some marketing thing. Good work on the channel. Regards from Holland

[@ErnestoDelAguilaIII]

I like your definition of transparency

[@OrganNLou]

John, Thank You for this review! After having just purchasing the Aon2s, I see many similarities here in the BRX. I had to get away from the constant tinkering with the Magnepan MMGs (which I could never get just right), to finding a box speaker which could deliver what I find magical in the Magnepans. The GoldenEars do what I want, they make music!

[@michaelmityok1001]

The A/B comparison format at the end is VERY useful - ignore the trolls who demand more, the fact you put so much effort into what you do is fantastic, don't let them annoy you too much.

[@philipgardiner2003]

“Delicacy and finesse” are not two words I would use for Mytek. Hegel, most definitely. How you compare them with Magico A1 and Focal Sopra 1?

[@jasonmichaels4791]

Nice review - easy to understand and draw your own conclusions with the conditions you made. Over the last few months it seems like you've rearranged your room and acoustic treatment you also mentioned speaker set up in this review . . . Any chance that you might do a "back to basics" room set up video?

[@matt34003434]

Great review and comparison. The BRX are high on my list for my next upgrade and I liked that you referenced the RP-600m as those are my current mains.

[@BastianUllr]

I like your version of transparency. My current Fyne audio is very "transparent" given it portrait clear differences from the components of the chain and changes of the master version. If the KEF LS50 is richer, then the Golden Ear must be an emaciated sounding speaker. You know, preferences and LS50 really didn't worked for me with my gear.

[@vincentliew9763]

John has good audiophile vocabularies (in layman's terms) , he speaks my mind out and I find this important. Because it's difficult to review audiophile products thru KZbin where there's so many limitations to subscribers. Keep up the good work John. Regards from Malaysia.

[@mediaremote9653]

I’ve enjoyed your review. Specially I’m curious to go and listen because I found myself in your room evaluating different loudspeaker types finding out that my preference is a loudspeaker representing music as produced without making bad productions sound nice.... leading to the impression these speakers are worth checking out

[@cosmicwebb]

Brilliant review mate 👍 The logo on the front is a possible deal breaker for me though 😕

[@linnemeyerhere]

Hey John, I was one of the first to get my pair of BRX's and I found they take around 100 to 150 hours to break in. I found them and still do very transparent as you mention and I liken them to highly resolving headphones allowing you to listen extremely deep into the music.

[@postaudio]

Golden Ear BRX or Buchardt s400 mk2?

[@darreng279]

I liked your pace and intonation and the transparency of this review but where's the Brian Blessed playlist?

[@adrianinnavan3910]

Yes and PBRs add a bit of dampening to produce a tighter bass than a port. And yes even my first speakers, Celestion UL6, had them over 40 years ago.

[@christophertan3707]

Thanks!

[@stephenduffy1881]

Why do most speaker manufacturer angle the speaker connects up? it really send the wires the wrong way when the wire generally goes to the floor on its way to the amp.

[@darreng279]

If your wires have spades on one end and bananas on the other, the spades connect to the speaker posts and the bananas to the amp. This sends the wire the right way down to the floor.

[@TheBlessed595]

So glad u considered Goldenear BRX..I always appreciate your views keep it coming....can't wait for your review of RME ADI 2 DAC

[@davidricardo942]

Hi John new to your channel, love the way you presented and explain the speaker. Sending positives vibes from Puerto Rico ~ been for the last two decades into hi-fi and it has been fabulous.

[@dam_j4105]

I had them for two days from my friends at Audiouest and tested them withe the SonoS AMP & BlueSound powerNode 2. I really like the sound of them but what i don´t like are the very american (organic) form of the speaker and the cheaply looking things like the wobbly plastic golden ear logo thing on the front and the very thin mesh on the sides. That are things that not really going with german customers. Thanks for the test !!

[@DarkoAudio]

Thin mesh? I'd hate to see what you'd describe as 'thick enough'. Panzerproof!

[@dam_j4105]

That would be a nice advertising! But when I takes them out of the package I feared i go into the passive radiators.

[@sandygross6018]

The BRX has the logo screened directly onto the cabinet so don't understand your comment regarding the "wobbly plastic logo on the front" which is not present on this speaker? Perhaps you had a different loudspeaker?

[@ossiebacchus7110]

Love the bloopers!

[@johndaddabbo9383]

1. KZbin viewer no doubt sitting home in his or her's captain chair - I need MORE comparisons! ...but I've given her all she's got - responded Chief Engineer Reviewer! and 2. I feel that you did an excellent job comparing the two. Honestly, I don't see how it could have been any better. I'm shopping these exact two speakers (as well as two others), and YEAH you did a fantastic job (IMO).

[@FlintingSun]

So of the two brx and ls50 which ones are better sounding to your ears?

[@filofilo8127]

Another articulate presentation John.

[@christophersellon8998]

John, another great review thank you. Please don’t forget to add some vinyl in the mix...

[@amazoidal]

Now you have to compare with the new Wharfedale EVO 4.2 which also has a Heil-like tweeter and is 3-way.

[@antonioalvarez5253]

H390 working only as a Pre is just phenomenal.

[@juliaset751]

Stereophile felt that the punched metal grills on the Reference caused some comb filtering. Did these sound better with the grills on or off? Great review as always, thanks.

[@DarkoAudio]

Yup. I preferred the sound with grilles off.

[@soanis6362]

Wait, aren’t the ls50 up for grab for just around 750$ a pair? At least in DE

[@petervanderham4725]

About €800 a pair here in the Netherlands. Tempting, but I already have some nice Dynaudio's :)

[@Cocteau61]

hay John, super nice job. Its funny though, I just found this video after turning in my BRX "Followup" about an hour ago. We hit all the same points. LOL !!!

[@DarkoAudio]

Great minds and all, Herb.😆 Hope you're well.

[@datdudeinred]

Please get a triton reference pair in for review they say its unbeatable for any price under 100k.

[@OriginalgEd]

nice video and love the out-takes !

[@josevarela6352]

Very good and hunble analysis, John. I fully follow your opinion about winners and loosers. In many cases, there are no winners neither loosers but different approaches to music reproduction. Greetings from Madrid!

[@BastianUllr]

3.3kHz xover point? That's high for a 6" - this speaker seems to have somewhat poor dispersion given the xover point and the AMT tweeter. Maybe that's why you need to mess around with positioning quite a bit.

[@RennieAsh]

Ribbon type tweeters tend to have varying dispersion - narrower in vertical axis so even crossed over with smaller mid or lower frequency you'll still get a different kind of sound

[@jimbrunsman1011]

Thanks for another excellent review. I appreciate comparing speakers of similar prices and discussing their differences. I really like my Klipsch powered speakers (R 15M) and they sounded much better with my old Definitive Technology sub. But the sub died and and I'm now craving a couple of subwoofers. John, don't you like subwoofers? I've seen several stand mount reviews, but nary a mention of subwoofers.

[@ervinpoljak8332]

Superb review! I appreciate your view on transparency very much.

[@54tristin]

I wonder if the inner passive radiators cause inference with each other and this adds to the positional sensitivity of the golden ear

[@gtric1466]

John, Very interesting review and comparison. i like the way you explained the technical terms. Sounds like the BRX is certainly worth an audition.

[@peter1987]

Excellent review and comparison, thanks

[@robmaxwell3678]

I like the comparison to the LS50 - that's such a common speaker that many have heard what is sounds like, so the comparison gives a good idea for a potential listener to decide if it might be worth checking out. The final test of course is hearing it for yourself. I had hoped to do so, but jumped at a very slightly used KEF R300 for $900 bucks and am very satisfied so I'm jumping off the bus of speaker auditioning for awhile. Still fun to watch the reviews though.

[@cyberdroidsystematic3230]

X = Expanded. You are welcome.

[@FOH3663]

Fascinating Thankful That's my take on the manner in which you carefully utilize descriptive word choice... all too often lost on KZbin content creators. Again, well done and much appreciated.

[@tedjensen8841]

Great review. Thank you!

[@Masononi]

I think you might enjoy Helena Deland.

[@Cyba_IT]

So, basically the BRX with one (or two) subs would be an exceptionally good setup. I was given an old Phillip's 5.1 surround system a while ago, maybe a mid to late 90's model, which I thought was trash. The receiver unit and sub certainly were so they went in the cupboard but I thought I'd try the satellite speakers with my Yamaha amp and sub as a kind of quadrophonic computer speaker setup in my office. The difference with the Phillip's satellite's is that they have neodymium ribbon tweeters and a small mid/upper driver. It honestly blew me away when I played a flac file through the system. The clarity and transparency was incredible. I've since added another sub and when sitting in the right spot they sound as good as, if not better than the KEF's in my lounge.

[@lindsaywebb1904]

Transparency seems a very agile term, often used in recording to describe the degree to which a piece of equipment is ‘un coloured’ (mostly in regard to pres and EQs, although also compressors) in mixing it becomes about clarity - but somehow not quite - similar with a pre-master...the ability to ‘see through’ a mix. I like apportioning it to hifi gear too; evocative without being too precise.

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

Lol love the ending ! Great job John appricate the video review , What about that front bottom edge that hangs out from the golden ear ? Does that effect the sound ?

[@jekken333]

Probably my next pair....

[@michaelk.3436]

Great review. So you would recommend these for a class D amplifier. Any other bookshelf brands that are good for class D?

[@Dortch3]

You are comparing the kef and brx then transition to if you want more than Kipsch, yet don't state to simply pay twice as much as the klipsch....not sure if this is a 'red herring" yet unfamiliar with this type of switch. I will have to further research it.

[@Soundnautic]

Is there a noticeable hiss with the ribbon when no sound is going on? Comparison with ADAM monitors? I love the ribbon sound... it has a pleasing high end with depth and harmonics.

[@EndstyleGG]

Depends on your other equipment

[@mw4609]

Most high-efficiency speakers will reveal noise from the gear. Not the fault of the speaker, it's the fault of noisy gear (sources, cables, amp, etc). Get better gear, or choose lower-efficiency speakers.

[@porkchopspapi5757]

But what about the bass? Unless I missed it, you didn't mention how deep, with all those surfaces rarefying, it could go.

[@JBLClassic]

I had a pair of Golden Ear triton 5’s, but once the JBL L100 Classics entered the scene, there was no reason to keep them around. I’ve heard the top golden ears and I really didn’t like them any more than my 100’s.

[@freelancer1499]

Comparing a $4000 speaker to a $1500 one....

[@anonmouse956]

Name checks out.

[@davidmorgen4558]

Which speakers do you think are best to handle the dynamic of mid 70s progressive rocki fron early genesis to gentle Giant I my self might go for kefs just for there imagiening alone which can be hard thing to find for many budget speakers.(.Spicas tc 5os & dahlquist Dq tens being rare exceptions)

[@MikaelSchou88]

Thorough (Hi-Fi) level review(s). 👌🏼💯

[@KREOLIS]

Did you try putting up the KEF by 10 cm aswell? Yes they are not rated tor that, but I am just curious.

[@Mattiu75]

Sometimes when transparency an dynamics are the key factors then the listening fatigue is the consequent drawback. Is this the case? Are we dealing with a best lap or a race winner loudspeaker (or both)?

[@ericharrelson32]

Nice review and comparison.

[@anonmouse956]

Is the ribbon tweeter the cause of the narrow sweet spot the reviewer is talking about?

[@GjbMcN]

I listened to Golden Ears Tritons at Hifishow 2019 in MELBOURNE I requested Call Your Girlfriend by Lucy Wainwright Roche and when the Big Bass Dum came in, it wasn’t there maybe the room was to blame but it was very noticeable.

[@Rodruiz117]

Love the style

[@leemartin2978]

Another first rate review. I think the LS 50 are currently about £800 , without stands , so are these about double ?

[@wollymolly]

Love your reviews and this is another great one. Just wandering if you would be able to review the Buchardt s400, would love to hear your take on those. Maybe when the new Buchardt amplifier comes out, it would be awesome if you could review the combination of their amp with the s400 speakers. Thanks :)

[@stevenbeau6268]

Great review...s

[@gabrielmease1169]

Doesn't seating position determine determine stand height??

[@edmundgil6008]

BRX sounds like it is EMPHATICALLY.... the CLEAR winner! But what about as compared to the Kef LS50 Meta??????? 😃

[@ABC-rh7zc]

I would define transparency as high amount of detail along with accurate timbre. In other words, the speaker doesn't colour or obscure anything. p.s. how is your German coming along? :)

[@Drackleyrva]

Great review! Would speakers with passive radiators like the BRX benefit from a subwoofer?

[@jeffkalina7727]

Using a comparative product when doing a review is the only way it should be done. In this case the LS 50 was perfect. Keep it up. Your buddy across the pond did the same product at the same time and your review was better as Steve left out a comparable.

[@davidmckay9552]

hank you for all your time and expertise

[@dlorbieski]

"Pipe and slippers"...good one👍👍🤣🤣