Triangle is one of the names that spontaneously comes to mind, when you hear “French speaker maker”! Not by chance. It has been active for more than 40 years. The founder, of Triangle, Renaud De Vegnette, started the activity in 1981. The decision of the French to present an anniversary model of the Comete, is certainly interesting! What have they planned?
By Manos Mastrantonakis
Especially in the last decade, Triangle has made its presence obvious in the field of music lovers who are looking for speakers with good performance. The construction principles, the sound identity and the appearance are unique. According to the people of the company, some of its basic constants are the assembly of its units “within the walls”, in France, and the search for the most faithful simulation of live music. One such project was the Triangle Borea BR03 that we tried in an earlier issue and left us with positive impressions. Of course, the Triangle also moves in higher price categories and it is very likely that in your searches you have come across the successful Esprit EZ series and if you are looking for speaker bases you have heard of the Comete. This series is a clear “step-up” from the Borea series but remains affordable. The presentation of an anniversary model of Comete on the occasion of the 40 years of the company is certainly interesting. Are Comete a major upgrade from the Borea BR03 and how do they stand out? Let’s see:
What a wonderful inner world!
The Comete 40th Anniversary is a Limited Edition implementation based on the well-known Comete, which together with Antal are characterized by many, perhaps the most “value for money” and recognizable speakers of the company. The differences of the anniversary version are not limited to the aesthetic part but also extend to the interior of the construction. The implementation remains two-way, two-loudspeaker, but what definitely stands out on the outside is the improved TZ2520MG tweeter with hopper charge and gilded magnesium canopy. According to the French, this material offers better stiffness and weight characteristics. Inside, while the 6.5-inch processed paper mid-woofer follows in the footsteps, it incorporates improvements to the inner profile with better suspension, while hidden but substantial changes have been made to the filter materials and duct-based wiring of high purity copper, OFC. The speaker filter is second-class in the low-frequency industry and fourth-class in the high-frequency industry and uses refined quality materials, including unarmed coils, polyester capacitors (MET) and ceramic resistors. Triangle has also done very good work on the speaker connection terminals, which are custom, high quality, gilded and can accept cables terminated in all popular ways and are supported on a metal plate, with the version logo and serial number.
The cabins, with dimensions of 200x400x324 mm (LxWxH), are based on the larger Signature and Magellan series and are made of high density MDF with wall thicknesses ranging between 20 and 23 mm. The feeling they give is of high quality while the appearance is beautiful, with finishes in rose or fig wood. Combined with the gilded tweeter the result is a speaker-jewel that everyone would love to have in their living room. And it is a speaker that will suit most Greek salons as it is suitable for spaces up to 25 m2 while the presence of bass reflex holes in the front makes its placement a little more flexible in terms of rear limits. In any case, the company sets as minimum distances of 40 cm from the rear limit and 50 cm from the side limits while the distance between the speakers and the listener should ideally be greater than 2 meters. At these distances the listener will be able to enjoy what the Comets can really do with their frequency response ranging from 49Hz to 22kHz and their nominal resistance being at 8Ω and not falling below 4Ω (minimum 4 , 2Ω).
Alive and mature!
The Cary CAD-120S MkII (final) and Cary SLP-98 (preamplifier) were used to test the anniversary comets, with the former delivering 120W in ultralinear mode and 60W in triode mode. With a sensitivity of 90dB, the Triangle speakers proved to be a passable load for both modes and were driven to beyond the desired volumes without signs of compression. Our feeling is that they will perform satisfactorily and they will not refuse to show their virtues as much as the watts, and especially the level of the amplifiers, goes up. Regarding the installation, the above-mentioned recommendations of the company were followed, however, it is worth noting that due to their small volume could even be placed on a shelf. But they deserve a good pair of bases with the company offering a corresponding model stands called S04 – 40th Anniversary.
In terms of sound impressions, the element that stands out here is Twitter. From the first listen, the Comets give the feeling of vitality. If the words of De Vegnette are true, based on which the company’s goal is to realistically deliver the energy of live music, then Comete is such a successful endeavor. The high frequencies were presented with vivacity and immediacy thanks to the directionality of the funnel, without getting tired or exaggerating. Τhis implementation is governed by a maturity that allows instruments such as wind instruments or cymbals to emerge and give the feeling that they are really in your space and you do not just listen to a recording. Τhe level of detail that the speaker can retrieve is at a high level and the general character of the presentation that focuses on clarity and relative balance also contributes to this. As you can see, the middle frequencies do not try to show much emphasis on the low and medium, which usually gives the impression of large bodies and “sweetness”.
Leonard Cohen’s voice will be heard with its familiar hoarseness and closeness, but this will not apply to all voices and all recordings. Something similar can be said for the low field, where the Comets perform satisfactorily the pulse and rhythm of the recording with good control and plausibility. As with most base speakers, using a subwoofer would be quite helpful in the range below 100 Hz especially if the space is larger than 25 square meters and your music requirements are such. It’s just that in this case, it’s worth investing in something really good that can boost the level of the Comets as their low sounds natural and fast enough.
Finally, the Comets do an excellent job of separating the instruments in the mix, while the soundstage shows a relative closeness without suppressing.
The conclusion; We really liked the Comete 40th Anniversary. This is a very good and complete implementation of a base speaker that probably has the principles that the company has follow over these 40 years. Lively and pleasant sound, very nice appearance, good construction and reasonable requirements from the amplifier. For someone who own the BR03 -or some speakers of a similar level- and wonder if the upgrade is worth it, the answer is clearly yes. BR03 may be a proposal with a good cost-effectiveness ratio, but Comete, at least in its anniversary version, is an upgrade at all levels with Twitter making a difference. We would even say that it is one of the most remarkable proposals we have heard in this price category. So if the above ratings match the speaker profile you are looking for, then the Comete 40th Anniversary is highly recommended.
Overview
Description: Base/Shelf Speaker
Roads / Loudspeakers: 2/2
Loudspeakers: 1x 25mm tweeter, gold-plated magnesium canopy, funnel charging, 1x 165mm mid / woofer from processed paper
Charging: Double bass reflex
Cross frequency: 4kHz
Sensitivity: 90dBSPL / 1W/1m
Rated resistance: 8Ω (minimum 4.2Ω)
Frequency response: 49Hz-22kHz (± 3dB)
Dimensions: 200x400x324 (mm, πxυxβ)
Weight: 8.8kg.
Price: € 1.499
info: Orpheus Audio, tel .: 210-5221.524
