French audio manufacturer Triangle is the latest brand to jump onto the active wireless speaker system bandwagon, aiming to outmuscle systems from the likes of KEF and Sonus Faber with its new Capella speaker system. The Triangle Capella integrates hi-res wireless music streaming into a pair of active standmount speakers, removing the need for a separate amplifier or separate music streamer, to provide users with "a compact stereo hub" for their music, home theatre and even gaming needs.
Each speaker is a two-way design incorporating Triangle's signature horn-loaded tweeter with a 25mm magnesium alloy dome alongside a 16.5cm cellulose pulp membrane midrange – all powered by a total of 200W (100W each) of class D bi-amplification. Triangle's digital signal processor (DSP) monitors the drivers' behaviour to optimise the system’s performance, while a digitally controlled crossover aims for a "perfectly linear frequency response" that should result in deeper, better-controlled bass tones and a clearer, more balanced soundstage.
Triangle sells the Capella as being a hugely versatile, flexible system incorporating a range of inputs and outputs. The Capella boasts single RCA stereo, coaxial and USB type B inputs alongside three optical inputs, and there's an HDMI ARC input for connecting the speakers to your television as a soundbar alternative.
You can stream any music from your smartphone, tablet or laptop to the Capella system: Bluetooth and wi-fi capabilities are on board, with UPnP streaming, AirPlay, Chromecast, Spotify Connect and Roon Ready available. Hi-res files up to 24-bit/192kHz are supported. Unlike all-in-one speaker systems like the KEF LS50 Wireless II, the Capella comes with a small, separate "stereo hub" which acts as the nerve centre for all its streaming powers and physical connections. The hub is a WISA transmitter and connects to the speakers wirelessly, with hi-res 24-bit/96kHz streaming possible using WISA.
It's a clever setup, too, with room acoustics calibration possible through the Capella system. You can use the mobile app and your smartphone's microphone to calculate and analyse the room in which the speakers are set up, and the app with correct and optimise the measurements to deliver a better sound for the given space. You can manually customize the sound even further in the app, which lets you optimise the speakers' sound by directly controlling the response curve and tweaking the EQ settings to your preferences. An optional Zen microphone is also available for more accurate measurements for this room calibration.
Whatever the speaker system actually sounds like, the speaker units themselves are certainly easy on the eye. The Triangle Capella's standmounts incorporate high-density cabinets which pursue a luxury aesthetic thanks to their lacquered walnut exterior. The speakers are mounted on an aluminium base for greater airflow around the port, while a more rounded cabinet shape aims for a purer sound by reducing sound disruptions transmitted to the listener.
The Triangle Capella audio system is available now in four finishes – Black Star, Astral Blue, Space White, Brown Nebula – at a standard price of €2499. That's the same sort of territory as the Award-winning KEF LS50 Wireless II which currently sits at around £2250 / €2200, but less than the Sonus Faber Duetto system (£3490 / €3999 / $3999).
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