The Magellan Duetto 40th is a compact two-way monitor made by Triangle, the French manufacturer, released to mark the company's 40th anniversary. The Magellan series is Triangle's top range, running from the Duetto up to the Quatuor floorstander, and for the anniversary editions Triangle revised the drivers throughout, introducing a new magnesium-dome tweeter and a new cellulose-pulp mid/bass cone. All drivers in the Magellan range are designed, made and assembled in Triangle's own factory in France.
Key specs that matter
The Duetto 40th pairs the horn-loaded TZ2900PM-MG tweeter with a magnesium-alloy dome and a 16cm paper-cone mid/bass driver. Frequency range is 38Hz to 30kHz (+/-3dB), sensitivity is 88dB/W/m, nominal impedance is 8 ohms with a 4.6-ohm minimum, and recommended amplification is 30 to 150W, with 160W repetitive peak power handling. The crossover uses 24dB/octave slopes around 2.8 to 3.1kHz. Each speaker measures 252 x 348 x 460mm and weighs 16.8kg. Triangle recommends it for rooms of about 15 to 40 m2.
Engineering and use context
The magnesium-alloy dome is light and rigid, and Triangle chose it for greater linearity and consistency than its earlier tweeter. The short horn around the dome is shaped to limit directivity, so the treble level falls less rapidly off axis, and together with a phase plug it smooths the frequency response. A counter-cap fitted to the rear of the motor reduces reflections of the rear wave back into the dome, lowering distortion at the top of the range. The mid/bass driver uses a cellulose-pulp diaphragm with what Triangle calls a progressive suspension, which avoids a sharp mechanical transition where the cone meets the surround. Inside the diaphragm sits an ultra-light anti-vortex polypropylene cone coated with a latex damping layer to suppress irregularities at the upper end of the driver's band, and a powerful motor with a matched voice coil controls the cone in the bass. The fourth-order crossover is designed to align the phase of the two drivers through the transition. Triangle supplies an accessory kit for decoupling the speaker from its support.
Pairing
The benign impedance curve and moderate sensitivity make the Duetto 40th undemanding for most amplifiers, among them tube designs of moderate power. Triangle's dedicated S08 stands lock the speaker in place, can be filled with sand or steel shot, and rest on adjustable spikes, with cable management at the rear.
Alternatives
Triangle's own Magellan Quatuor 40th is the largest floorstander of the same anniversary series, using the same tweeter.