Loudspeakers

And yes, you can hide the baffle with the included speaker grilles, equipped with a striking gold M-for-Magellan logo. But these are hefty and thick grilles, and I felt they did muddy the soundstaging quite a bit. Otherwise, our samples were decked out in Triangle's gorgeous Shadow Zebrano finish. Again, maybe not everyone's preference (there are the classic 'Space Black' or 'Golden Oak' as alternatives), but there's no denying the absolute quality of the fit and finish.

Master Of Midrange
Hooked up to my trusty Hegel H590 integrated amp [HFN Oct '18], the Cello 40th proved itself a revealing and insightful loudspeaker, with a noticeable focus on a lavish midrange performance. But to really get a nicely integrated sound, I did need to give my Microsoft Surface Dial, remote-controlling Roon via RooDial, a twirl to increase the volume to a more lively 'enthusiast' level.

These really are speakers built to be appreciated, not to deliver tunes softly in the background. Luckily, such a performance doesn't require a huge power plant. The Hegel amp wasn't put under stress by the 'low impedance but high sensitivity' Cellos, driving them along easily when cranking up the volume with Static Dress's Rouge Carpet Disaster [Venn Records VENN057; 44.1kHz/24-bit]. Seemingly Leeds' homage to the post-hardcore of At The Drive-In and The Mars Volta, the music was competently handled by these Cello 40th Anniversary models, even though they are a bit too refined to relay all the chaotic energy in these tracks.

Viking Invasion
It's a very different story with the atmospheric dark folk of Denmark's Danheim on Skapanir [self-released CD]. The deep drum beat propelling 'Faldne' might have been presented a touch conservatively, but the rich texture of the guttural male choir and the broad placement of the Viking-age instruments meant these engrossing tracks were rendered with authentic detail. And at times, there was real surprise as the Cello speakers presented an unexpected sound – the cawing of crows, huge horns sounding off in the distance – somewhere in the room. It was, and is, engaging stuff.

The same could be said for how the 'Parsifal Suite', played by the LPO [Orchard Classics ORC100207; 96kHz/24-bit], was channelled through Triangle's floorstanders. This album features a 'reconstruction' by conductor Andrew Gourlay of the disparate musical themes of Wagner's opera, condensing more than four hours of Teutonic drama into 45 minutes of beautiful music. It's a labour of love, and was fittingly portrayed on a (relatively) grand scale by these floorstanders. The strings in particular, but also the brash horns, were assigned a dominant position in the performance, and all without compromising the sophisticated character of the composition.

When 'III.Transformation Music' builds up to its crescendo, the intensity will find you shuffling back to take it all in. The power and the dynamics are all there, but it's the fluid, sophisticated midrange performance of the Cello 40th that will enthral symphonic lovers.

Sweggae Time
German/Sierra Leonean artist Patrice has built a reputation for fusing diverse musical influences in an idiosyncratic style that one reviewer, in France's Le Monde newspaper, labelled 'sweggae'. Therefore, after the Cello 40th Anniversary's strong performance with the Wagnerian orchestral works, it was reassuring to discover the speakers were equally adept at genre-hopping to Patrice's thoroughly modern-sounding Super Album [Supow Music BEC5611325; 44.1kHz/24-bit], a re-release of some of his previous hits embellished with new instrumentation.

Across the ska-like 'Soulstorm' to the rap-infused 'Change Today' and the laidback delicacy of 'Hippies With Guns', these celebratory Magellans homed in on Patrice's vocal antics as well as the extra instrumentation, including the muted trumpets on 'Change Today' and the beatbox sounds on 'Hippies…' that are arrayed playfully around the stage. Just as with Danheim's songs, here the Triangle speakers polished their signature performance – not overwhelming, not massive, but refined, classy and cultured.

Hi-Fi News Verdict
The Magellan Cello 40th are luxuriously adorned loudspeakers, with an equally compelling and distinctive voice. They have a certain flair, and seem especially at home portraying complex orchestrations. Without a doubt they are a fitting celebration of both the visual style and technological prowess of one of France's most go-ahead brands. Clothed in Shadow Zebrano, they're absolutely striking.