Before I begin, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a Very Happy New Year 2025! May the new year bring with it plenty of happiness, good health, great wealth as well as all the Audio and Video goodness us audiophiles deserve!
With that done, let’s move on to my first review piece for 2025, the Triangle Capella speaker system. Many manufacturers today realise that there is a growing demand, for lifestyle centric components that deliver performance while staying pleasing to the senses. The Capella system is one built to answer this demand. How does it stack up in this competitive segment? let’s dive in!
Having previously reviewed the fantastic Triangle AIO Twin, I was pretty excited to have a go at the new natural step up the ladder with the Capella. The AIO Twin was a pretty enjoyable experience with its great balance of beautiful design and build quality mated to pretty good sound quality as well.
The Capella system though similar in principle as the AIO Twin is not part of the ecosystem. It is a Wireless speaker system all on its own which doesn’t overlap or share its platform with other products. In other words, it’s a pure standalone speaker system which just needs you to add sources. It even has its own app which we will get into later on in the review.
Speaking of sources, source management is done via an included compact stereo hub. This small, plain black box is the brains of the operation and comes with a whole plethora of connectivity options. The hub does focus heavily on digital and wireless connectivity but there is a single stereo RCA connection as well as a 3.5mm jack for those with some legacy components. If you’re looking to pair a turntable, you will need to look for an external preamp or a unit with a built-in preamp.
Something of a miss to some will be the lack of built in streaming smarts. A consideration which given the design and outlook of such a speaker is not unwarranted. But in my opinion, I prefer the absence of streaming facilities. It allows the flexibility to choose a preferred platform. Another aspect which makes me favour this setup is the ability to change out faulty components. An all-in-one system can become dead weight sometimes if a specific component is not working. Rendering the entire system useless.
Pulling the speakers out from the box, I am instantly reminded of the quality of the AIO Twin. Triangle has really put in effort to ensure the luxury experience is translated through the build quality of their products. The Astral Blue finish that I received as my review unit is absolutely beautiful. The way the pattern in the finish plays with light exudes pure elegance. Little touches of champagne gold on the aluminium base and the frame around the grill just add that polished refinement to the overall aesthetic. The grain on the finish fades away as you move to the back of the cabinet.
Take the grill off and the equally pretty driver complement greets you. A magnesium alloy 25mm tweeter which sits in a horn loaded frame is beautifully finished. The horn has a polished chrome surface which reflects the pink copper hue of the tweeter. Around it is a ring with a fluted design which made of plastic which is colour coordinated based on the chosen cabinet finish.
Next, we have the midbass driver which is a 160 mm unit utilising a cellulose pulp membrane. The driver comes in a bright white and contrasts beautifully against the cabinet finish. The midbass driver is also sitting in the same fluted design ring but with the addition of a colour matched gold ring. This tastefully placed details help to tie together all the various surfaces and materials to give it a coherent, sophisticated look.
The speakers are of a ported design with the flared port facing downward facilitated by the aluminium base which helps provide the clearance needed. The driver combination and ports allow the speakers to have a reported frequency response of 22kHz down the 42 Hz (+/-3 db.). Each driver is powered by a 50-watt digital amplifier, giving a total of 100 watts per channel.
Setup is very simple and straightforward. Just follow the instructions and give it time to search and link up to all the items in the system and you should be good to go. The only issue I faced was more due to my home internet instability and nothing at all with the Capella system. After you have the system fired up and connected to your home network, you can link it to the Triangle Capella app. You can control the unit via the app or to some degree using the streaming services apps.
A feature only available through the app is room calibration. This is a great feature to have as it allows the system to be calibrated to its environment, optimising the listening experience. In practice however I found the process a little bit clunky and the results can sometimes be a little hit and miss. The interface is also a little bare bone though admittedly navigating the app is pretty easy.
Personally, I feel the app can use a little more refinement on the UI and the calibration performance, especially given how amazing the speakers look and sound. Something easily fixable through an update maybe? Do also take note that non iOS users will need to purchase a separate microphone in order to utilise this calibration feature. Something a number of customers might not like.
I genuinely preferred interacting with the Capella system using the included aluminium remote. This Bluetooth remote is built superbly with a satisfying weighty feel. Bright LED indicators help to signify volume level and active inputs. A clever way to keep this off the speakers, maintaining its pristine aesthetic. Sometimes the remote does disconnect from the hub, but this can be remedied in the app by pairing the remote. A rare niggle.
Switching to sound, I love how these speakers work great not only with music but also with movies and TV. I connected my TV to the system trying both optical and HDMI with great results. The system painted a convincing soundstage while providing an exciting and impactful sound. If your content consumption is of the multichannel variety then this is where you will lose out. The system cannot support it, so you will not be able to enjoy surround sound with this system.
The overall audio signature is detailed, nuanced with a good amount of depth and punch in the bass. Treble has the right amount of sparkle and brilliance while staying smooth and pleasing on the ears. In short this is a very easy listening speaker which is very forgiving of its music source. You can play most music through these and not be disappointed. A standout quality is actually in the vocal performance. The speakers maintained an excellent centre image with vocals firmly placed in the soundstage. This strength is also very beneficial in TV viewing where dialogue is clear and highly intelligible.
Stability of the wireless speakers was also exemplary. I never had any dropouts, or signal performance issues. If anything, any bad point of experience is purely due to network issues such as signal strength and bandwidth. One thing to point out during use is the uneven distribution of the volume gain as you move up and down. The first few steps seem to have very little gain but suddenly in the middle, the volume moves in larger increments.
I spent quite a good amount of time with these speakers. Ingesting content from streaming, a connected CD player, TV programming and movies streamed on Netflix. Safe to say on all fronts, I was not at all disappointed. All throughout the system also performed admirably and did not give me any problems except for those few minor items I mentioned previously. During this period, the speakers have really grown on me and in many instances even blended into my daily life, which is exactly what you want from a lifestyle device.
These speakers have been built with a focus on being flexible, entertaining and beautiful. It’s safe to say that Triangle hit the nail on the head with these speakers. Now they may not be the most audiophile speakers at this price point, especially if we were to speak of detail, resolution and dynamics, but it’s hard to find systems that do what the Capella does as well it does. If you’re in the market for new lifestyle-oriented system and are conscious of décor, then this system needs to be on your shortlist. I know it’s on mine!
The Triangle Capella Wireless Speaker System retails for RM 13,900 and is sold by The Experts Group. Visit The Experts Sound showroom at Mid Valley City – Gardens Mall, Lot S-207, 2nd Floor, Kuala Lumpur for more information.
