This review page is supported in part by the sponsors whose ad banners are displayed below



This review first appeared in the March 2013 issue of hi-end hifi magazine fairaudio.de of Germany. You can also read this review of Triangle speakers in its original German version. We publish its English translation in a mutual syndication arrangement with the publishers. As is customary for our own reviews, the writer's signature at review's end shows an e-mail address should you have questions or wish to send feedback. All images contained in this review are the property of fairaudio or Triangle Electroacoustique - Ed.
Reviewer: Martin Mertens
Sources: Analog - Thorens TD 160 HD, TP250 arm, Benz Micro MC Gold; digital - Creek CD 43 MkII, Logitech Transporter
Amplification: Phono - Lehmann Black Cube SE II; integrated - Jadis Orchestra, Exposure 2010 S, Musical Fidelity AMS 35i
Loudspeakers: Gaithain ME150, Thiel SCS4
Cables: Vampire CC interconnects; Fast Audio Compact 6M biwire
Power delivery: Audioplan FineFilter S, PowerStar S sockets, PowerPlant S conditioner, PowerCord cables
HiFi-Rack: BassoContinuo
Review component price: €10.000/pr


Circumnavigatrix. Triangle Magellan Cello II. Does that sound French to you? Even looking at it didn't ring typically Gallic bells. Would it at least sound French? Lest this opener … um, opens up discussions on nationalistic sound ideals, let's quickly sidestep those lovely clichés about fat American sound, the bright sound of Japanese kit or any typically British voicing. Thinking of my own encounters with French hifi components from Jadis, Cabasse, Audiomat or Atoll, I had to admit that they were all earmarked by high dynamics and a certain joie de vivre. Would the Cello II exhibit similar virtues?

This is the smallest floorstander from French speaker house Triangle's top Magellan range. I'm not sure of the true origins of the company's name. It does mean what it seems to. Since their first 1980 speaker did sport a nearly triangular mid/tweeter head, one could speculate. Ditto for the Magellan tag. Its namesake achieved immortality as the first to circumnavigate the globe. Perhaps it implies that this speaker series encompasses everything important to audiophiles? Given box size and that prominent central upfront spike, 'cello' of course seemed pretty obvious


Whilst still on looks, colleague Ralph opined that those were a bit 'old school'. Presumably he was inspired by those unusually broad basket rims. And there really was a time when no ambitious speaker maker worth his salt could make do without fat trim rings to conceal the actual far skinnier basket terminations. But Triangle's broad edges around midrange and woofers are anything but add-on motorcycle chrome. The drivers are simply massively built. The baskets must support heavy magnets with generous pole plates encased in robust magnetic shielding canisters with heat sinks. To keep up with such material opulence, the tweeter too gleams inside a short horn that's been turned from solid aluminium billet.

Triangle themselves design and manufacture all of these drivers as items specifc to a model or range. Even the external end of the trumpet-shaped bass reflex port is metal, requiring that the frontal model decal gleam in mirror-polished spit shine to get any attention itself. Whoever expected pure-blooded high efficiency from this confluence of massive motors, tweeter horns and big bass ports will be disappointed however. Whilst dynamics are on the menu as is well-extended bass, to combine those two with a very high sensitivity value in a slim speaker of agreeable height isn't. Still, the 91dB7W/m figure is quite higher than the popular average.