The T66 Tower Speaker with Powered Bass from GoldenEar is the first model in their new T Series, and is the latest in the company’s dedication to producing speakers with beautiful and accurate sound. The T66, and the T Series, pays homage to the Triton Series, sharing many of its same qualities while refining and adding to what was already a critically acclaimed design to make a tower speaker that elevates the listening experience, and looks good while doing it. My boss (editor) Art, has enjoyed owning a pair of their slightly smaller Triton 5s for about 4 years now.
The New GoldenEar T66 Tower Speaker
Price:
- $6,900/per pair (Gloss Black)
- $7,200/per pair (Santa Barbara Red)
Colors:
- Gloss Black
- Santa Barbara Red
GoldenEar Regional Sales Manager Chris Valk calls the T66 “an evolution to what [GoldenEar] did with the Triton 2 back in 2010.” The Triton 2 became the Triton 2+, which is still being sold, and is the basis for the GoldenEar T66 Tower Speaker. The T66, like the Triton 2+, utilizes built-in DSP-controlled subwoofer amplification, a long-throw powered sub-bass section, cast-basket mid/bass units, a driver complement containing GoldenEar’s High-Velocity Folded Ribbon AMT tweeter, and quadratic planar radiators – all contained within a tall, sleek, and slender profile.
The High-Velocity Folded Ribbon AMT (Air Motion Transformer) tweeter allows for audio to be played at higher volume levels without the distortion you might hear from a dome tweeter. These AMT drivers, are similar to the famous Heil designed tweeters of the ‘70s and early ‘80s that made ESS speakers extremely popular back then (Art, our editor had 4 ESSs running back then, loves the sound of those AMT tweeters, which sound “electrostatic” – that is clean and faster than dome tweeters. That tweeter is mounted between the two 4.5” mid-range drivers that have multi-vane phase plugs and a slightly convex shape, which help the waves form with less distortion and more accuracy. On the back of those drivers, there’s a convex to the magnet on their motor structure that also aids in the production of more accurate sound waves.
The bottom of the T66 is powered and has a single 5”x9” woofer on the top, and another on the bottom of the speaker, creating a line array effect, allowing the bass to cover a greater depth of field. In between those, on either side of the tower in a sealed enclosure, are a single passive drivers. The T66 Tower Speakers are sold in pairs, and can be used for music, casual TV viewing, gaming, or home theater. GoldenEar has additional speakers that can pair with the T66 to build out a full home theater system. Chris Valk says many use cases will not require an additional subwoofer, but if the room is larger, you can certainly add one to your system, such as the SuperSub X.
The T66 is the first speaker that sees Biwiring from GoldenEar. Though the tower speaker is meant to be a standalone system, it is also meant to be customizable to suit your room’s needs. Should you desire to build out that speaker system, Biwiring makes that available to you, with separate treble and bass cables.
The GoldenEar T66 Tower Speaker does away with the fabric grille and replaces it with a metal grille, and the speaker sits mounted inside a full footprint cast aluminum base. There are two finishes: the standard Gloss Black, and the limited edition Santa Barbara Red.
This evolution to GoldenEar’s already stellar speakers brings customization to a whole new level for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts. Our editor, Art Feierman, owns a pair of the Triton 5 speakers, which he says “sound rather excellent relative to their modest to high-end price,” and he loves them although he admits to stuffing them into a too small 11ft x 13ft room.
For those who love great sound and beautiful design, the T66 delivers both in a slender, elegant cabinet that will fit into your space and provide the audio experience you are looking for, and will pair excellently with your smart TV or smart projector. With the ability to expand out from a pair of speakers (but it not being a necessity in most cases) the GoldenEar T66 Tower Speaker is certainly worth keeping your ear out for. It will be shipping soon.
