GoldenEar T44 Hybrid Floorstanding Loudspeaker - Santa Barbara Red - Each

A Tower with a Powered Subwoofer Built In

The GoldenEar T44 is a 5-driver, 3-way hybrid floorstanding speaker: a passive HVFR folded-ribbon tweeter and 4.5-inch cast-basket mid/bass driver on top, paired with a self-powered bass section built around a long-throw quadratic woofer, passive radiators, and a 500-watt peak (250-watt RMS) DSP-controlled amplifier. It's inspired by GoldenEar's critically acclaimed T66, scaled to a narrower, less expensive cabinet.

Because the bass section is self-powered, the T44 takes the heaviest load off your amplifier — even a modest tube amp can drive the midrange and tweeter comfortably. GoldenEar rates sensitivity at 92 dB in-room (89 dB anechoic) into a nominal 4 ohms (compatible with 8-ohm-rated amplifiers), and recommends 20 to 400 watts of amplifier power for the passive section.

The curved cabinet is just 7.5 inches wide, on a full-footprint cast-aluminum base with adjustable outrigger spikes and pads. It is sold each, in Piano Black or Santa Barbara Red, so a stereo pair is two.

Where the Built-In Bass Amplifier Earns Its Keep

A Self-Powered Woofer Section, Independently Measured

A long-throw quadratic woofer and passive radiators handle everything below the midrange, driven by GoldenEar's own 500-watt peak (250-watt RMS) DSP-controlled amplifier, measured under a sustained-tone test rather than the FTC's continuous-power standard. Audioholics independently measured the crossover points at roughly 113 Hz and 3.4 kHz.

The HVFR tweeter and 4.5-inch cast-basket mid/bass driver, fitted with GoldenEar's Multi-Vaned Phase Plug, handle everything the powered bass section doesn't — a narrower, lighter job than a fully passive tower asks of the same two drivers.

The Numbers, and What They Ask of Your Amplifier

GoldenEar quotes a typical frequency response of 32 Hz to 25 kHz, with anechoic bass response extending to 29 Hz at -6 dB. Sensitivity is 92 dB in-room (89 dB anechoic at 2.83V/1m), nominal impedance is 4 ohms (compatible with 8-ohm-rated amplifiers), and GoldenEar recommends 20 to 400 watts of amplifier power for the passive section.

A pair of 5-way binding posts is bi-wire capable. The cast-aluminum base has adjustable outrigger spikes and pads built in; the bass amplifier's own power cord needs an AC outlet near each speaker.

What Reviewers Are Saying

James Larson, Audioholics, measured the T44 and concluded that "GoldenEar's T44 speakers are a great choice for a full-range speaker system where appearance and size are important criteria. They sound great, and they look great."

Yongki Go, Ph.D., Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity, agreed, praising a "natural and expressive midrange, detailed treble, articulate and authoritative bass," and writing that the T44 "brings significant value at their price point."

Who Is This Floorstanding Speaker Best For?

• You want subwoofer-depth bass without a separate box in the room — the built-in 500-watt peak DSP amplifier and passive radiators reach to 29 Hz at -6 dB on their own
• Your amplifier is modest or tube-based — the self-powered bass section takes the heaviest load off your amp, so it only has to drive the midrange and tweeter
• You want GoldenEar's flagship hybrid approach in a narrower cabinet — the same self-powered bass concept as the pricier T66, just 7.5 inches wide
• You want one speaker per cabinet, priced and shipped that way — the T44 is sold each, so order two for a stereo pair
• You don't want to shop for a subwoofer separately — the built-in powered bass covers the room on its own for most music and movies. If you still want a dedicated unit for the lowest home-theater effects, add one of our subwoofers

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Position the speakers using the cast-aluminum base's adjustable outrigger spikes and pads, then plug each speaker's bass amplifier into a nearby AC outlet. Each cabinet has a pair of bi-wire-capable binding posts for banana plugs, spades, or bare wire.

Give the passive drivers a few hours of playback to loosen up; the powered bass section is ready to go from the first listen.

Two cables, two power cords, two speakers, and you are listening.

Pairs Well With

What finishes the system around a pair of T44 towers:

• Integrated amplifiers — a quality integrated amplifier only has to drive the midrange and tweeter, thanks to the built-in bass amp
• Stereo amplifiers — a separate power amp if you want more headroom for the passive section
• Speaker cables — the T44 is bi-wire capable, so a bi-wire run is an option here
• Power conditioners — each speaker's bass amplifier draws its own AC power, worth conditioning like any other powered component

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the price for one speaker or a pair?

One. The T44 is sold each, so order two for a stereo pair, or combine it with other GoldenEar T Series models for a matched home theater system.

Do I need a separate subwoofer?

For most rooms, no — each T44 has its own powered subwoofer built in, reaching below 30 Hz. Each speaker's bass amplifier plugs into AC power, so plan placement near an outlet.

What amplifier do I need?

Almost any quality amplifier from 20 to 400 watts per channel. Because the built-in amplifier handles the power-hungry bass, your amplifier only drives the midrange and tweeter — a good match even for lower-powered tube amplifiers.

Can I bi-wire the T44?

Yes. Each cabinet has a pair of bi-wire-capable binding posts.

What's the difference between the T44 and the T66?

The T66 steps up to a taller cabinet, a more powerful built-in bass amplifier, and two mid/bass drivers instead of one, for more scale and output, at a higher price.

What finishes are available?

Piano Black and Santa Barbara Red.

See It in Action

The Absolute Sound reviews the T44:

AV Nirvana talks with GoldenEar's Chris Volk about the T44 at CEDIA:

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