French audio manufacturer Triangle has joined the current trend of offering all-new active wireless speaker systems. I went to the company's headquarters in Soissons, ninety minutes outside Paris, to hear one for myself ahead of its official unveiling. The Capella integrates hi-res wireless music streaming into a pair of active standmounters. This is ideal for those in smaller spaces or those who can do without the hassle of buying a separate amplifier, audio streamer, and the necessary cabling to connect it all. Instead, it's said to offer a compact stereo hub for music, home theatre and gaming.

The 2-way speakers incorporate Triangle's signature horn-loaded tweeter – here using a 25mm magnesium alloy dome – alongside a downwards ported 165mm cellulose pulp membrane mid/bass unit, hence the stylish aluminium standoff rail along the cabinet's bottom.

Each driver gets its own 50W amplifier, bringing the total power output to 200W (100W per side) of Class D bi-amplification. Triangle's digital signal processor (DSP) monitors driver behaviour to optimise the system's performance, while a digitally controlled crossover aims for a "perfectly linear frequency response." According to Triangle, the goal is deeper, better-controlled bass married to a more precise, balanced soundstage.

You can stream music from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop wirelessly via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi using UPnP, AirPlay, Chromecast, and Spotify Connect. It's Roon Ready and supports hi-res files up to 24-bit/192kHz. The Capella boasts a set of RCA stereo ports, single coaxial and USB type B inputs, a trio of optical inputs, and HDMI ARC, letting you hook up your TV as a neat soundbar alternative and do away with another box.

While this sounds standard stuff for anyone familiar with the likes of the KEF LS50 Wireless II or Sonus faber Duetto, the aforementioned hard-cabled connections are found in a small, separate hub where all the number-crunching and physical connections happen. The hub transmits wirelessly to the speakers over WiSA (Wireless Speaker and Audio Association) at 24-bit/96kHz. While this does introduce a tiny black box into the mix, it does remove the irksome issue of making sure your physical sources are on the same side as the 'master' speaker.

Sebastien Miquel, Head of R&D, in Triangle's anechoic chamber

Furthermore, it has the added bonus of room acoustics calibration using a mobile app, and your smartphone's microphone, to calculate and analyse the room where you have the speakers. The app then corrects and optimises the measurements, producing better sound. You can customise things even further by controlling the response curve and tweaking the EQ settings to your preference within the same app. If you want to get serious about optimising the Capella system, you can add an optional Zen microphone for more accurate measurements.

Hugo Decelle, Triangle's MD, and Sebastien Miquel

Hiding the rather 'work-a-day' hub away leaves you with a pair of rather lovely bookshelf speakers – the Astral Blue finish is breathtaking in real life. The rounded, high-density cabinets are wrapped in a lacquered walnut exterior.

THE LISTENING

Triangle is renowned for its crisp horn-loaded tweeters and bass drivers that can stop and start without any sense of flabbiness or overhang. This wireless speaker system doesn't depart from the formula, and really likes to make its presence felt.

A wide range of programme material was chosen to audition – everything from GoGo Penguin's Murmation to Yookie's Sunshine of Your Wub, via Joyce DiDonato and Orchestre de l'Opera National de Lyon's performance of I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Act 2: Tu sola, o mia Giulietta... Deh! tu, bell'anima under the baton of Riccardo Minasi. The Capellas did an outstanding job, given the circumstances.

The speaker retains the Triangle signature sound of its passive stablemates while offering the convenience of wireless streaming and the option to connect wired sources such as a TV, CD player and turntable via a hub that can be positioned nearby to said sources. It will also appeal to those who like the ability of KEF's alternative but would rather have a more classic, wonderfully finished wood-cabineted speaker on show than the ultra-modern aesthetic of the Brit boxes. As such, I look forward to spending more time with this exciting speaker system, which is available in Australia from late September 2024 in four finishes – Black Star, Astral Blue, Space White, and Brown Nebula – and priced at $5,500 RRP.

Visit Triangle for more information