Triangle Capella Review. Full Synergy HiFi Streaming System for $3k.
By Steve Huff
For the last couple of months I have had a full modern HiFi stereo system from Triangle here that consists of new speakers, amplifiers, DAC and streamer. This system comes in at $3k for everything (synergy included) and I have been having a blast with it as an all in one digital streaming system as well as a vinyl playback system.
Video Review!
Yep, Triangle has designed some very interesting and cool looking speakers that have the amp built in, the DAC built in, the streamer built in (well, somewhat) and all one needs to do is plug them in to your power outlets, hook up to wifi using the Google Home app and then get to listening. Took me less than 5 minutes to set up, then another 15 to get room correction set up and implemented. Oh yea, these have the ability to correct for room issues automatically. Have a bass node you have been battling? This issue would be fixed just by running the room correction cooked into the Capella app.
The beauty of this system is that it is for those who do not want to mess with amps, DACs, streamers or trying to create a system that has perfect synergy. No need for that with the Capella. It’s all here. No muss or fuss at all. Within minutes one can have breathtaking HiFi Sound, or so they tell us. Oh yes… the sound, that is something I will talk about in this review of the Capella. The sound quality for me is what sits above all else when it comes to speakers or a system. It just doesn’t matter how nice a speaker looks if the sound is subpar.
My questions: Is there a compromise here? How do these compete against the more costly Buchardt A10’s that use the same wireless hub/remote and concept? Can these be used as a main system with other sources like a turntable or CD player? Could I (super picky me) be happy with just these as my main system?
Let’s get to it as I am excited to talk about these after many weeks of listening to them.
Ever since the much more costly flagship Triangle 40th Anniversary Duetto Magellan speakers came into my life I have been smitten with what this French brand has been doing. They make very attractive (if not a bit flashy) speakers that sound alive, exciting and they always fill the room with life and pure musical energy. No brightness here.
I used to think Triangle made speakers that sounded bright, all due to what I heard on the internet for a couple of decades now.
After listening to three sets of Triangle speakers so far, I feel that this brand does not make a bright speaker. Instead, they are revealing and deliver details with “big body moving energy”. They are alive, punchy and yet deliver the top end in a way that is not overdone or underdone. You would be surprised at how many speakers, even high end models, fail at this. Triangles on the other hand have never left me wanting, nor have they left me sitting still for long.
So yea, I love the Triangle sound. Those 40th Duettos are one of my top three bookshelf speakers ever. Feed them quality power, with a quality source and they will not disappoint. That is the key though with most systems. Matching everything up and hoping it all sounds glorious is not always as easy as it sounds.
This is part of the HiFi dilemma.
SYNERGY is real within audio. I have heard some amazing and expensive speakers sound awful with the wrong amp or source. I have heard cheap low cost speakers sound amazing with a quality amp and source. It sucks when you go buy your dream amp only to realize it is no good with your speakers, and yes, this can happen. I am listening to an amp right now that sounds a bit dull with my Duet 15’s from Pure Audio Project. Not my ideal and if I were stuck with this setup I would not be a happy listener.
I mean, there is nothing worse than spending a fortune on all of these pieces of audio gear only to have it end up sounding just “ok” in the end. I am listening to the $3k Capella system now, without any additions. As they sit just as they are out of the box, what I am hearing now at this moment is just as “high end” sounding as one $15k system I have heard recently. Ouch! (to that $15k system). These are pretty remarkable and as a full system I will say it now…This system is 100% UNBEATABLE for this cost.
There are quite a few who want to get into HiFi Audio but do not want to risk thousands to try and get it right. Whether you are a seasoned audiophile who is sick of buying and selling or a newbie to HiFi in 2024/2025 then this is a system that may attract you, even if for a 2nd system in a bedroom or office as these are also perfect for that as well.
The Tweeter of the Capella Speakers is pretty special for this price point
Just like Buchardt?
Brands such as Buchardt have done this wireless all in one thing with their A10 and A700 speakers in recent years. Their A10, for me, was flat out stunning. Built in powerful amps, DAC and streaming function as well. Buchardt also made their A10’s tunable with a USB dongle that loads in “master tunings” to fit your room to the speakers and sound you prefer. The A10’s also allow for room correction using the same Hub and Zen mic as these new Triangle speakers use.
So the new Triangle Capella speakers not only look beautiful they are super easy to set up and reminded me of the Buchardt A10 set up experience. It was quicker though, easier, as Triangle pairs these at the factory. All one needs to do is plug them in, open the google home app and set it up to your wifi. Takes about 1-2 minutes and it’s awesome.
Opening the Capella Speakers
We get a lot here for our $2995.
Inside of the box we get the two speakers (mine came in Astral Blue) and an accessory pack. These also ship in Nebula Brown, Black Star and also in Space White.
I also received the optional S05 Stands from Triangle that fit the Capella perfectly. The speaker has built in stands that are on the base of each box. This allows the speakers to fit right onto the stands base, making for a secure fit. The S05 stands are a must in my opinion as they fit the speaker perfectly and also helps the bass to be all it can be. I have four other stands here but if I were to buy the Capella I would want the Triangle stands for them as they finish off the look and make for a decent and nice solid stand. I do suggest placing these on stands for the best sound quality but if you are not in a situation where you can use stands and place these out into your room a bit they can also be used on a desktop (albeit with less soundstage/imaging performance).
I tried them on the stands and on my cabinet both. They sounded fantastic either way but were much more immersive on the stands, placed into the room a bit. Allow them to breathe some and they will do the spatial thing well. These do have a port but that port is on the bottom. The air from the woofer comes out of this bottom port and reflects off of whatever the speaker is standing on. The stands work great for this as does a desktop.
Inside of the accessory pack sits two long power cables, which are thin and are used to power each speaker. In the video above I said they were around 6 feet long but they may be closer to 10 feet in reality. There are also two very handsome magnetic grilles included as well as the wireless hub and remote. That’s about it. After plugging the speakers in to the wall and powering up the hub (which is wireless, so no wires to the speakers besides the power cables) one just needs to open up the Google Home app on the old phone and set up the hub, which will then pair to the speakers within a minute or so.
Triangle also includes a huge “quick start” sheet in the box which makes it easy and puts it all into a step by step way to follow and set up. Took me a just a few minutes to have them making music from Tidal and Spotify connect.
They are ready to stream digital music right out of the box and when setup and we can do so with Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Roon, Airplay or Chromecast right out of the box.
With the Hub one can also add more to the system if they desire. Maybe a turntable with built in phono stage like I did with the U-turn Orbit table I own. One can also up the SQ somewhat by adding a very HQ streamer to the Hub. Adding a $5k HiFi Rose RS130 streamer to the coax in of the hub meant I could then use the Rose as the streamer. Yes, this upped the sound quality but it’s not needed here at all as what comes with the Capella setup does a mighty fine job all in itself.
Oh, these have a 100 WPC amp inside of each speaker as well.
LISTENING
Sure, one CAN upgrade this $3k system by adding a high quality streamer or even a HQ DAC but this is not needed nor would I recommend it. The beauty of the Capella is the fact that it’s all in one, minimal, modern, ready to go out of the box as an instant digital streaming solution system. It should be enjoyed just how it is mean to be. An affordable HiFi SYSTEM that has all you need built in and sounds damn good, amazing at times really. When you have a system like this you will not worry about what to upgrade, rather you will be smiling as the music flows from a system that “just works”.
Let me state again that the sound quality is not lacking in any way in my room. In fact I have had times at 2AM when I was all out shocked and blown over by what was happening here. The imaging is superb and instruments have beautiful timbre as well, just like some of the bigger money systems. I have been so impressed I delayed this review a bit just so I could have more time with the Capella. It was nice just listening without any thought to other components or the sound, just enjoying what was coming out of the speakers.
LET DOWN?
When I first set these up I thought I would be let down.
Heck, I had just been listening to a system that cost 10X what this one costs, so surely I would be a bit underwhelmed, I braced myself to hear a smaller/thinner sound with a more digital type of haze to the sound.
I set them up, did the room correction using the Zen mic and started to stream my playlist on Tidal (Which you can check out @HiFiHuff over at Tidal). I’d say from cutting open the box, assembling the stands to sitting in my seat listening to the first track took about 30 minutes max.
From the first impactful track “My Cosmos Is Mine” from Depeche Mode I was a bit blown away rather that let down. This is one of many tracks that I use to test for impact, punch, bass and imaging. It has loads of sounds coming from front, back and sides. There are two sets of vocals here, one from Dave Gahan and the background from Martin Gore. In comparison to the $30k system I had installed prior the sound is a bit smaller, but almost just as impactful and full bodied. I am hearing a lot of “high end” in these cappella speakers.
The Triangle Capella offer up a similar sound signature as the Triangle Duetto 40th, which are $7500 speakers (that still need an amp, DAC, etc). No, these do not sound just like the 40th Duettos and can not replace them for those who want that, but the Capellas sound very similar in tone and the way the imaging and stage is set to those flagship speakers. They sound like a smaller version, but not much smaller, maybe a hair brighter in the treble.
The Capella system may even be bringing out a touch more detail and airiness than my reference system is right now, which is nuts. Then again, my ref system is made to sound analog with a warmth and musical glow to it. The Capella brings more of the actual details forward vs my Pure Audio Project Duet 15’s ($7k) powered with the very warm leaning $1400 Singxer mono blocks, the $3600 Eversolo DMP A10 Streamer, $4500 Nordost Valhalla cables and a smooth operating but incredible $12k Weiss DAC 501 MKII.
Of course my reference system is all about immersion, emotion and realism so the $3k Capella system doesn’t quite reach the same heights but I was shocked to hear just how good these little jewel like boxes were, especially in the top end. Most $3k speakers have less than perfect treble so hearing this on the Capella setup was nice. The tweeter here is a star in this lower cost show.
This is where the real true beauty sits with these as no, they may not sound like a $30k system but they also do not sound like any $3k system I have ever heard. On sound only, I can state this as a system for streaming digital from say Tidal, it hangs with $10k+ systems. It costs under $3k so this is a real stupid value. I’m shocked Triangle didn’t price these at $4500.
Oh and these do not sound bright at all here but mildly full bodied, pretty clean and nicely transparent. The bass is also stunning, especially considering the small size of these speakers and their 6.5″ driver. In my 13X18 room they have not had any issues and fill the room with ease. I will say it again, these do wonderful imaging and the soundstage is wide with some depth. Not so much in the height dept but that is usually reserved for mega systems.
They sound really great at low to mid volume. When you want the paint to be peeled from the room, these may not do that but they will play loud. When going to the upper levels of volume (way louder than I would ever listen) with say heavy metal or big bodied rock the sound does start to get muddled just a little but I mean, a little bit.
Listening to acoustic, vocals, horns, piano and anything that chimes, these are knock outs.
The song “Question” comes on from Moody Blues. An oldie for sure but the sound here is spatial, detailed and punchy with the Capella. One some speakers this song can sound a bit lackluster, maybe even a bit dull. On others it can attack the senses with even hidden details becoming apparent. Here, with the Capella, the sound is high energy and with gorgeous treble but also with some balls in the bass and mid bass. I love the treble here, but I usually do love the treble from Triangle speakers. They have a way of being revealing, yet stay pretty smooth and often time create that “walk in soundstage” experience.
I enjoyed listening with Tidal Connect as I could use the remote for volume and skipping songs. No, there is no display on the hub, no VU meters, no gimmiks but those are really just for show anyway, right? This is pure modern HiFi and I feel more and more will be going this way as it makes so much sense. The masses (and their wives) really do not want five boxes hooked up to two speakers, taking up space and heating the room (depending on your amp).
Nope, the majority out there (and many wives) would love a complete system, a high end sound, all in one box…well, two boxes like these.
The port is underneath on the bottom of the speaker.
Adding a Turntable
While I do not listen to vinyl much at all these days I do still own a U Turn Orbit Special turntable that sounds so pleasing, even with its built in phono stage. I added it to the Hub via the RCA inputs and was able to listen to my records again. Guess what? The Capella system sounded wonderful with this table as well. I heard nothing to complain about here at all but I do believe that the amps in the speakers must have been matched really well to the drivers as they just sound so good. Listening to vinyl was nice so I am happy that it’s an option here with the Capella system thanks to the wireless hub. I still preferred streaming but bringing out the vinyl again was so much fun, and easy to boot.
What is not to like?
Well, for those who like to tweak or add different source components this will not be for you. Sure, you can tweak this setup but why would you? That’s not really what THIS system is meant for or all about. So for those who love all of the boxes in your system (like me), those who like to try their hand at system building and those who just love to tinker and tweak, you may not love the system.
Compared to a $30k+ separates system, these are not that but can I state that these get 75% of the way to a system IN SOUND that costs $30k all for under $3k, or a bit more when you add the stands.
Compared to the $4600 Buchardt A10 they are way more similar than different, but are still pretty different. They use the same concept. The same wireless hub. The same remote. The same room correction. They look quite different and sound a bit different. The Buchard have a more bass focused/darker sound and are smoother and lighter in the treble dept. The Triangles are more mid/treble focused so they sound more transparent and open allowing more “air” and therefore a larger soundstage. The A10’s are smoother, the Capella more exciting of a listen. Neither is right or wrong. Just pick based on your own preferences. The Buchardt is made in Denmark. The Capella in France. The Buchardt will cost more but have a more traditional look with the woods. The Triangle have a bit of bling.
What is to LOVE?
Well, there is a lot to love here. From the design of the speakers with the colors on offer, they do look high end. With the 100 WPC amps inside as well as the DAC inside matching up perfectly to the amp and speakers themselves…well, this guarantees gorgeous sound quality without the fuss.
In smaller to mid sized rooms these could be heavenly. In my space, the bass is just about perfect without any sub needed. The bass is tight and tuneful but also quite present without boom or sounding artificial. The remote is pretty freaking nice as well and bests some remotes that come with exotic gear. I also like that we do get the ability to add other sources to the hub. We then just change the source on the remote.
These speakers connect via WiFi to the wireless HUB so there is no ethernet connection needed, as with some gear. Finally, out of the box these allow for streaming direct from Spotify Connect or Tidal Connect. Can also use Qobux when using the app. These are also Roon ready and work with Airplay and Chromecast.
The Capella are a HiFi audio system in a box, from a well known speaker manufacturer. Yea, they are very good and are worth every cent of their asking price if you want a system that just works out of the box and sounds stunning. A system that has only one small wireless box. No need to find a source that works well, as it’s all built in. The Capella have the style, the features and the sound that make them behave like a more pricey system and no stress included. They are ready to make beautiful music right out of the box without needed additions. Yes, these sound AWESOME! I still own the smaller Triangle AIO speakers but these, the Capella, are on another level from those. Remarkable!
This is modern day HiFi for the masses and for those looking to dip a toe into the world of HiFi audio the Triangle Capella make for a perfect starting (and maybe even ending) point. They are a downright stupid deal as well. Nothing here sounds cheap, low or even mid end here! Rather these encroach I a little bit into the high end territory where things cost much much more. Out of the box one can be set up and listening to music within minutes. An easy heartfelt recommend!
See more info at the Triangle Website
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