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Sound: The SW2 monitor already demonstrated a great ability to indulge its bandwidth and create a wide soundstage. There was no particular lack of low frequencies and a real easiness in floating a believable stage in the listening room, something many small similarly priced floorstanders are sadly not always capable of. The legendary Triangle vividness was present but with no particular emphasis in the treble. Where many competitors focus their efforts on detail resolution, tone and overall feeling of refinement, the Triangles obviously gave high priority to rhythm, dynamics and liveliness.

Some small harshness in the top end certainly remained but was not really disturbing. Once I replaced the original jumpers with the later Duetto specimens, this specific treble attribute vanished to be replaced by a very crystalline texture. That demonstrated the importance of wiring. Every current owner of Duetto SW2s should adopt this change. Like most Triangle models, these speakers love power and the outcome is proportional to the quality of amplification. My Orpheus Laboratories Three monos proved a good match and the overall dynamics were surprisingly equal to what one obtains with good tower speakers, delivering impressive weight on bass lines with great authority.


The rhythmic energy delivered by the Magellan Duettos SW2 was truly enjoyable and should hardly be bettered by any competitor in this segment. These monitors are so blessed with timing precision that listening was never boring. Small shortcomings were mostly related to colorations that contribute to the overall sound—the famous house sound signature—which remained stable from recording to recording. These monitors definitely have their own character and must be associated with the right partners. With sufficient drive power, a good tonal balance and enough room to breathe, they delivered a tonally consistent and coherent sound from top to bottom to reward with complete satisfaction considering their price. Adding the Meteor subwoofer for a 2.1 setup was at least in my book not fully convincing. It is generally difficult to find the perfect balance and the ability of these monitors to deliver solid and deep bass makes seamless tuning even more difficult.


I know many audiophiles who need to have this kind of effect to feel a deeper more immersive soundstage. In my opinion, the  Duetto SW2 is sufficiently open and vivid to avoid such artifice. The bass register is tight and clean. It needs no particular support below 40Hz and the limitations are more linked to dealing with a two-way speaker (completely obvious when listening to symphonic works). If you simply insist on more bass weight, I’d look at a different speaker altogether. It is nevertheless quite evident that the Duetto is a highly versatile speaker. All manner of recordings—compressed, live, electrical, classical, unplugged—were delivered with the same pleasure. Believe me, that’s not always the case with speakers this resolved and energetic.

So… what can we expect from the new ‘just’ Duetto? While they follow the Triangle tradition of delicacy and vividness, they are actually quite different speakers. It only took me a few minutes to realize just how different the new Magellan baby really is. I was a bit confused at first since in one sense I could have written that this was no longer a Triangle. Still, the corporate identity is preserved, with all the main strengths of the predecessors reinforced. Simply the weaknesses (colorations, the quality of tone, overall linearity issues) have been thrown out. We are not dealing with a simple change of logo in the upper part of the grille but a completely new speaker designed by Triangle and serving the main goals of the brand without compromising other criteria.

The improvements are across the board. The beauty of the midrange is amazing. Transparency is among the best I have ever heard from a monitor. The bass is even tighter and deeper, the top end close to perfection. Where the SW2 could grow vague and soft around the edges, the Duetto remains sharply focused with a more efficient display of bass energy that opens the ear to a new world of expression and technique but always with agility and sensitivity. Personally, I think the most convincing improvement is the midrange quality. It’s simply astonishing. In this band, the density plus glowing transparency the Duettos throw at each voice or instrument are remarkable. That’s what made it difficult to compare this speaker to previous realisations by Triangle. I felt I was reviewing a top-range high-end bookshelf of almost a five-digit sticker.

Another amazing feature is the bass. At this level of performance, the question of a 2.1 setup makes no sense whatsoever. The new Duetto only shows deep bass extension when required to surprise me more than once with how low it could reach. Even if someone insisted on cracking the 25 – 30Hz boundary, he would have to focus on a very costly subwoofer, almost the Magellan sub to stay with the brand. You should say it’s a question of taste. I would answer that it’s more a question of common sense. These speakers really do not need any support in the low frequencies. At this level, the equilibrium is rather fragile. Why risk it for the rare organ madness?