To celebrate its 40th anniversary, Triangle has decided to reissue its most prestigious speakers, while also giving them the benefit of the latest technological developments. The Triangle Magellan Cello 40th is one of the lucky ones to have been chosen for this update, which is far from insignificant. In this new version, it aims to offer performance on a par with that of its predecessor, the Magellan Grand Concert, while retaining a footprint similar to that of many living room column speakers.
One major development concerns the tweeter of the Magellan Cello 40th. A determining factor in the temperament of Triangle speakers and the brand’s true DNA, it now uses a composite dome made of magnesium alloy. This new material has an excellent mass/rigidity ratio. The dome is ultra-lightweight and responds to the slightest movement of the voice coil without deformation or the appearance of surface undulation. Its good mechanical behaviour allows it to maintain a particularly low level of distortion in the treble.
For an impeccable response in the extreme treble
In addition, the very low mass that this dome gives to the mobile assembly gives this new tweeter remarkable behaviour in the most extreme frequencies. As proof, it climbs safely up to 30 kHz. The Magellan Cello 40th is thus capable of meeting the reproduction requirements of the most up-to-date high-res audio streams.
Finally, as with many of the brand’s products, the tweeter has a horn-like mouthpiece. This design gives it a behaviour halfway between a compression chamber system and a conventional dome configuration. To counterbalance this effect and eliminate any harshness in the treble, while preserving the slight brilliance so dear to the brand, a very tapered phase plug is placed in front of the dome, inside the horn. It also has the effect of opening up the dispersion angle of the treble and thus reducing the directivity of the speakers to provide an enlarged optimal listening area. Finally, this new tweeter uses a magnetic circuit based on a neodymium magnet. This choice has made it possible to considerably reduce its size while preserving the intensity of the magnetic field present at the level of the motor’s air gap and in which the coil is immersed. Triangle has taken advantage of this space saving to optimise the acoustic load housed behind the dome. It guarantees better elimination of the rear wave from the dome, which, once again, has the effect of reducing distortion.
The subtlety of the paper membrane for the midrange
Triangle has remained faithful to the paper membrane for the midrange. Following numerous comparative tests and listening sessions, this choice clearly emerged as the one that offered the most natural midrange, particularly for voices. It should be noted that Triangle has opted for a ‘petits plis’ type peripheral suspension to give its midrange speaker great speed.
Similarly, in order to avoid the appearance of standing waves near the centre of the membrane and to promote the dispersion of the high-midrange, the core cap of this speaker has an ogive shape. Finally, the very structure of the membrane is the result of extensive research. Its profile is not simply a cone. It has a specific curvature designed to distribute the force exerted by the voice coil evenly over its entire surface. This distribution of force limits, once again, the appearance of surface undulations and, consequently, distortion or colouration of the sound message.
Two woofers with high excursion for bass
The reproduction of the lower end of the spectrum is entrusted to two woofers associated with a bass-reflex load. These woofers also benefit from the latest innovations in composite materials. Their cones are made from a honeycomb glass sandwich, a material derived from the latest research in the aerospace industry. Called SVA, for Sandwich Verre Alvéolaire (honeycomb glass sandwich), this material offers the mobile crew an optimum ratio of mass, damping and rigidity. The loudspeaker thus accepts high excursions without deformation. A specificity that allows it to descend into the low-midrange with great ease.
Enhanced power handling
Furthermore, to ensure that the Magellan Cello 40th can handle the most intense dynamic surges without fear and be able to deliver a sustained sound level without time limitation, the basket of these woofers, made of injected aluminium, is equipped with a heat-conducting ring. Its function is to optimise the dissipation of heat generated by the speaker motor when listening at a sustained sound level.
This ring captures the heat from the core and the yoke and then evacuates it towards the outer cover. The power handling for each speaker can thus exceed 200 W RMS. This system prevents any risk of thermal runaway and ensures better performance from the speaker. For example, a noticeable decrease in temperature of around 20°C is observed after a 100 W pink noise signal filtered at 80 Hz high-pass has been applied to the speaker for 120 minutes.
A front-ported bass-reflex load
For a proper bass reproduction, it is essential to combine the woofers with an acoustic load adapted to their behaviour. Triangle has opted for a bass-reflex type load. It occupies most of the internal volume of the cabinet. Note that the highest part of this volume is dedicated to the acoustic load of the midrange speaker, which operates in a closed load. To avoid the formation of standing waves, which cause undesirable colouration of the sound message, both in the load dedicated to the midrange and at the level of the one associated with the bass, the partition wall is inclined.
This choice has the effect of eliminating the longitudinal reflections of sound waves in the acoustic loads and thus avoiding the risk of the ‘organ pipe’ effect that can occur on certain column speakers. This phenomenon tends to favour the reproduction of certain frequencies, essentially at the bottom of the spectrum, resulting in a thick and soft reproduction. This bass-reflex load is decompressed by a large frontal vent.
The set-up
Cello speakers are not the kind of product that you take out of the box, set up and they work straight away. They require careful and precise set up.
The front-facing decompression vent means you will have no trouble placing this speaker in the listening room, given the rear partition. Observe a distance of at least 20 cm. As suggested by the proprietary double terminal block, a magnificent creation of the brand, it is really important to bi-wire these speakers.
The gain in performance is quite simply decisive. Finally, don’t hesitate to use an amplifier with a good power reserve, because these lovely speakers can sing quite loudly and they need energy to power them. If you’re a bit of a tinkerer, with the help of your dealer you can even create a very clever passive bi-amplification for results that, we have no doubt, can be very eloquent.
The sound
The best of both worlds, that’s essentially what this new version of the Cello seems to offer us. On the one hand, and you will hopefully forgive this burst of nostalgia, we find what made the historical models of the Soissons brand so strong: a very beautiful speed of execution, a transparent and mineral frequency response and a very beautiful temperament. But on the other hand, we are delighted to find a very good command of the different registers, and especially the delicate transition between them. The sound spectrum is reproduced with remarkable homogeneity. Here, it is impossible to know where we are in terms of the transition between the different speakers. The filtering has been carried out with great skill to allow this cohesion between the different registers. In the same vein, the modern Triangle factory offers mature and highly controlled products. Gone are the small approximations of yesteryear, which were certainly quite romantic, even sometimes seductive, but tiresome in the long run. Here, nothing is left to chance; everything is impeccably controlled from one end of the spectrum to the other. Ultimately, this brings us into the presence of truly modern transducers, capable of delivering a very wide sound spectrum, without any attenuation. The bass is deep, taut, very precise and very vigorous. The mid-range is characteristic of the French brand, i.e. particularly open and informative. It offers a lively, nuanced and fluid rendering of all melodic lines. Finally, the treble is simply successful because it manages to reconcile a very surprising energy with a beautiful finesse. This is not always easy, and we must salute the tenacity of the developer for having achieved this explosive cocktail. The Cello also provide an attractive spatial presentation that puts the different sections of large ensembles into perspective. Combined with a strong temperament, this three-dimensional sound image manages to generate beautiful emotions in very large ensembles, such as a full symphony orchestra.
Our conclusion
It was with great pleasure that we discovered the new Triangle Magellan Cello speakers, which brilliantly celebrate the brand’s anniversary. These are successful speakers in every respect, which do credit to the Soissons factory. They offer a sound aesthetic that fits perfectly with what Triangle wants to offer its most demanding customers today: wide bandwidth, lively temperament and panoramic imaging. All this, and more, they are able to offer you, but only if they are given a great deal of care and attention in their implementation. Under these conditions, they will repay you a hundredfold, and amaze you with their ability to enhance all musical styles.
Author: Laurent Thorin
Technical sheet: Triangle Magellan Cello 40th
- Origin: France
- Price: €11,000
- Dimensions: 1,080 x 250 x 340 mm
- Weight: 38.8 kg
- Rated power: 140 W
- Sensitivity: 90 dB
- Frequency response: 35 Hz to 30 kHz
- Impedance: 8 ohms (minimum 3.4 ohms)
- Low-frequency crossover point: 350 Hz, 12 dB/octave
- High-frequency crossover point: 2,500 Hz, 24 dB/octave
