$2500 For These? Triangle Comete Compared to KEF R3 Meta and X-LS Encore!

Triangle Audio Comete Review: Are These $2500 Speakers Worth It?

Time Stamps:
00:00 Start
01:04 General
03:31 Impressions
06:53 Sound Clips
20:08 Straight Lines
23:33 Measurements
26:12 Final Thoughts

Welcome back to New Record Day! Today, we're diving deep into the world of audio with a review of Triangle Audio's 40th-anniversary Comete speakers. Priced at $2500 for the pair, these speakers boast a stunning design and promise an exciting listening experience.

In this comprehensive review, we'll explore every aspect of the Comete speakers. From their construction to their sound quality, we leave no stone unturned. With a combination of sound clips, listening impressions, and objective measurements, this review aims to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision.

The Comete speakers feature a 2-way ported design with a new rose gold-anodized magnesium dome tweeter and a midrange/bass driver in natural cellulose paper. While some may appreciate the controlled directivity of the top end, others might find it too aggressive.

Throughout the review, we'll delve into the nuances of the Comete's sound signature. From the lean lower frequencies to the emphasized top end, we'll discuss how these speakers perform across different genres and recordings. We'll also compare them to competitors like the KEF R3 and the XLS-Encore to give you a clearer picture of their strengths and weaknesses.

Additionally, we'll examine the speaker's measurements to validate our listening impressions. While the Comete speakers offer impressive aesthetics and some commendable aspects in their sound reproduction, there are also areas where they fall short.

In conclusion, the Triangle Audio Comete speakers present a unique proposition in the world of high-fidelity audio. Whether they align with your preferences and priorities is ultimately up to you. So, if you're in the market for speakers that deviate from the norm and offer a distinct sonic character, the Comete might be worth considering.

Join us in this in-depth review as we explore the highs and lows of the Triangle Audio Comete speakers. Whether you're a seasoned audiophile or just starting your journey into the world of high-end audio, there's something here for everyone. So, sit back, relax, and let's dive into the world of audio excellence with the Triangle Audio Comete speakers.

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[davidrivera]

Love this format. Sound clips of three comparable speakers provide a great reference point. The Sound Shed is truly paying dividends in the investments. Congrats Ron!

[cremersalex]

X-LS Encore sounded best with my new cheap Fiio JT1 headphones. Kef sounded nice but polite. Triangle sounded thin with tinnitus-evoking highs.

[mdocod]

The "bright" response in the 5K-15K range is nearly meaningless IMO. The signature differences we're all hearing that are meaningful are driven by the weak bottom end (partly from being so far away from any walls) and that sharp peak from ~500-1400hz. I think a lot of people look at a response plot and try to think of the entire range as having the same "meaning" but it just isn't true. The bulk of audio energy in music happens from ~40hz-4Khz. I wouldn't focus too much on the response of a speaker above 5K as we're not very sensitive to it and most of the energy up there is not what we think of when we think of "treble." It's more like the "air" on top of treble. It just needs to be present, it doesn't need to be particularly "flat" up there to sound fine. Takes young ears to hear much of anything above 10K anyway.

A few dB of response variance right smack in the middle of soprano vocal and very common octaves on many instruments... THAT is going to sound problematic.

[ah]

I owned the Triangle Comete 40th anniversary and to be honest I struggled with them in all areas having had PMC tb2i for many years. They are very directional and require a 45 degree angle towing. Tonally they were very dark and were not easy to pair with amplifiers even-though the three solid-state amps I used were neutral. The audio lab 8300a matched the best, but Atoll IN200 signature had better dynamics as the speakers performed much better. My EL34 tube amp simply sounded very thick with them.

The tweeters were very clear but bright and that made cymbals sound unnatural. Sonically, they changed quickly when moved farther from them. The mids were rich and the tweeters projected highs from within the horn so they were recessed, but I did improve this with kimber 4tc cable.

In my opinion these are overrated with the Santos rosewood finish contributing to their appeal. By the way, if you install the metal rosegold cones with the metal discs and place them on their stand, you will gain more dynamics and speed. They scale up with better and more expensive amplifiers giving more dynamic and clarity.

These were my experience with them and I am certain owners of these speakers have better pairing and get better results than I did.

[bryede]

I think the Triangles would do better closer to the wall and looking at the horizontal off-axis, it seems the top end falls more in line and they're counting on an untreated environment. However, it does seem that Triangle has gone more in favor of lean bass recently.

[larsisaksen]

Here in Norway the triangle's are $1200 USD.
The r3 are $2300 USD and the x-ls are not available.

I think the US pricing on triangle is making them less competitive that what they really should be.

[alternatywnetestyinsidera]

I am an owner of Trianle Comete 40th anniversary and I think they sound amazing. Warm amp, sub in larger rooms and they make outstanding sound. Nothing here was said about soundstage, musicality, 3-dimensionality, analitic aspects, whether they are "emotionally" sounding. Only tonality was covered in this video, wchich is not everything. By the way: why the frequency range graph was only presented up from 200Hz? What about below? In Europe we are lucky - they cost around $ 1800-1900.😃

[gasolin]

But does the trinagle comete sound bad, good ? Does a speaker only sound good if it sounds like a super flat studio monitor ? Dit you try all 3 speakers with an amp that has room correction and a mic the yamaha R-N1000A or the R-N2000A ? (digital in with yamahas)

[lukmanliauw]

Thinking probably need to break in more?
Somehow I had different experience with this speaker. I had this Comete 40th for about a year now & love it. Yes it did a bit toward bright at the beginning. It needed to break in about a recommended 200 hours according to my dealer and Triangle. Yes it was quite long but it loosened up the woofer and improved the drivers integration and more balanced. The bass improved over time.

I also did not find the tweeter harsh or sibilance in fact it was very smooth and very good in conveying delicate detail especially with a well recorded music and good quality cables. The sound was vivid and lively.

The Comete paired well with tube integrated amplifier and good quality cabling. it improved everything.

At the end of the day I think it matters of individual’s taste and gear matching as with any other speakers.:)

[audiomacaudiomac]

This is a revolutionary way to describe the sound of a speaker. Your viewers can follow your thoughts and verify it through the sound clips and understanding what you are describing. This takes away the subjective weight of using words or graphs as we have been accustomed to seeing from other reviewers. You should patent this method.

[adrianlungu]

Aren’t these in the Santos Rosewood finish? I’ve had that finish and, in my system with Moonriver 404 Reference integrated amp, the Comete 40th sounded pretty good. Yes, they needed a sub, but the sound was clear and fairly musical.

[photobriangray]

You can hear why the R3 Meta is an easy recommendation, honest with a little color, like a well-edited photo...

[warrens.]

I like the A-B testing approach and the differences were obviously audible. I have to wonder why this review is out of step with virtually every other of the many reviews of the Komete 40th anniversary speakers?

[sumeetlamba]

Why the fudge do you not have 2 million subscribers? You have the best, most informative, honest reviews on the web. Even though I can’t afford most of the equipment you review, it’s still an amazing educational experience. Time for your subscribers to spread the word about your channel

[JeyDeeSweden]

I find this way of compairing speakers very revealing and interesting. But! In real life you simply do not place different sounding speakers in the exact same place. Every different sort of speaker always needs to be tuned to the room by moving them and angling them in order to find the subjectively best possible match with the actual room accoustics.

[ivaylo]

I have the Comete 40th and i like them. Before i had the KEF R300 and to me they sound aluminium, not natural. It's personal taste.

[tothemax]

I own these and for low to medium volumes they excel, to much the tweeter tends to breakup (rated 90W). They are a mixed bag on paper and front ports have energy The tweeter for a horn is designed well, up top is never fatiguing just* and tone has great strengths. Also SET tube/SS class A amps are cream on my Comete 40th. Thank you Triangle.

[TheGmthree]

I am on my second year as owner of the 40th Anniversary Triangle Comete speakers. I really like these speakers in almost every way. My sources are Vinyl via a Dual 721 turntable with Ortofon OM20 cart. PSAudio BHK Signature Preamp into PrimaLuna EVO 300 tube amp. My other favorite speaker is the ELAC Signature UBR62's. I routinely swap these back into my system after listening to the Triangles. LOVE the ELAC's as well. They are more well-behaved and solid....but the Triangles are just more exciting. Keep up the great work, BTW!

[mfgxl]

X-LS Encore impressed. I think a speaker company would be wise to send you their new designs before putting them into production. And of course, pay you a consulting fee for your time and listening room expense.

[benyHiFi]

Great review as always, Ron! Please review the Holo Cyan2 soooon!!!