I went to audition the T2+'s. Terrible. Reminded be of blown speakers from college party days.

However, I was also able to hear the T5's on the same setup... very much better... just needed a bit of bass help to be good.

Then the T1's on a different setup... fantastic. Perfect to my ears.

Then the T3+'s on the T1 setup. Sounded OK. I said to myself, "I could get used to them." But no way worth $2500. Not too impressed.

Then brought the T2+'s onto the T1 setup. Still very doggy. The T2+'s were extremely, uncomfortably, directional, whereas the others had good sound stage. Nobody would accuse me of being a worldly audiophile, but I know bad when I hear it.

Did I just experience a bait and switch? or has anyone else seen such divergence in quality?

Going to a different dealer for another T2-3+ audition is several hours of driving, so that won't happen. My budget is not happy with the T1 commitment.

Thanks much in advance for your replies.

You got a bad demo, either on purpose (bait and switch, like you suggested) or just lame (unfortunately there's plenty of that too). All the reviews and awards are obviously not wrong, The Triton Two was awarded loudspeaker and audio product of the year by all the major industry publications upon introduction. And all the speakers you mentioned sound very much the same (Triton One, Two+, Three+ and Five), if they didn't, something was broken, or set up wrong.

Feel free to contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with more information on your experience and the name of the dealer and GoldenEar can try to help correct your bad experience with the dealer.

I've owned the Original T2's for over 4 years. They are the best speakers I've had in my house, period. I've never heard the T2's plus, but can only imagine them being T2's on steroids. Don't pass these speakers up. Find another dealer, if that's what it takes, and listen with some top notch equipment...these speakers will blow you away.

Sounds like a bad demo to me. In the few local dealers in my area that have 5/7/2+ - The sevens sounded good, the fives sounded more articulate, and the two+ made me sit down and just listen for a long time. The two+ are captivatingly good speakers.

Welcome Mr. J!!!!
A BIG +++++ to everything said above.
I bought the T 2s (not the plus) when they first came available over here, having auditioned all the GEt models below it and loved the sound, the 2s just had more of the same but better, bigger, richer, fuller, deeper!
I also own two pairs of the T 7s and a pair of the T 3s, now I finally got the Ones. They are all cut from the SAME cloth. If the T 2+s did not sound like the others (and no one is questioning your hearing) then something is indeed wrong. Either with the speakers or with the demo, or both. I heard the T 2s poorly demoed in S'pore, Mumbai, and quite poorly demoed in K. L. Malaysia. So I know they need to be set up properly, experienced this in my home theater, but even poorly demoed they never sounded bad really, just not their best.
Don't try to come get mine, you would have to pry them outta my cold, dead hands!!!!
Take your own music, get them set up properly, toed in (some shops don't know to do that, not sure why) and with good equipment they must sound astonishing.
Happy hunting,
God Bless,
Wayne

OK, I believe the T2+ must be as the whole world says they are... meaning they must be very good.

My experience going to my local dealer says to me that my local dealer is showing me a defunct T2+, and T3+ in order to upsale me to a T1. I think I see that they sell a lot of T1's and not much else.

I called an out-of-area dealer to see if they would sell me a set of T2+'s. He said "no." He said he could not as per dealer limitations.

So, I don't want to by from my local dealer as I consider them a scam shop. A distant dealer won't sell to me.

What am I to do?

How can I buy the Goldenear product?

Will Goldenear deal to me directly? Other dealers won't.. Does this mean I am hostage to the local Goldenear dealer whom I refuse to do business with as I consider them to be scammers?

My location is Beaverton Michigan.

Will Goldenear allow such a dealer to continue to offer their brand? I guess we will know as time passes.

Please understand... I may be just a backwoods country boy, but my ears are not stupid. I know I've been exposed to a swindle.