Elodie Deveau - Triangle

One is unlikely to get into the audio industry by accident, and the path of the heroine of our interview is an excellent confirmation of this. As Elodie says, music has always been a part of her life. At the age of four, she started learning classical dance. It's a passion that has allowed her to develop over the years, and she still devotes herself to it in her free time. Dancing allowed her to discover music, rhythm, and sounds. Her parents also played a big role in this. Elodie's mother worked in a musical instrument store, so growing up surrounded by guitars, pianos, saxophones, and trumpets was a natural thing. Her father, on the other hand, let Elodie 'play' with his hi-fi system, so she could listen to vinyl records by artists such as Pink Floyd, Supertramp, Paul Young and Genesis. Her first experience in the hi-fi industry was with the French audio equipment manufacturer Elipson, where she managed distribution in Southern and Eastern Europe. Then, at Triangle, she had the opportunity to really grow, taking responsibility for key markets such as Europe, Canada, South America, and the Middle East. "For the past seven years, I've been representing Triangle in these countries, and I still deeply share the human values of my colleagues who make Triangle what it is today. We are a small team of about twenty passionate people, all committed to making Triangle a globally recognized brand!" - says Elodie.

We know that the company was founded in 1980 by Renaud de Vergnette, but it is difficult to find information on what he was doing before then. Where did his passion come from and what led him to this point?

Renaud was, first and foremost, an interior architect. Before founding Triangle, he worked for a company in Paris that specialized in furniture design and interior layout. He had always been passionate about classical music and had a very specific, wide, and immersive sound in mind - one that he couldn't find in the speakers of that time. He was part of an enthusiast club where members built their own speakers, assembling crossovers, drivers, and cabinets themselves. One day, he presented a speaker model to his club, and they highly praised his unique sound signature and keen ear. This encouragement motivated him to keep going. La Revue du Son, the leading audio magazine of that era, highlighted his work, bringing him into the spotlight. And that's how the story of Triangle began.

Triangle's first designs were quite daring in terms of shape, but when it came to loudspeakers, Renaud de Vergnette chose traditional materials such as paper. Today, different materials have their supporters, and it is also common to see cellulose diaphragms, but apparently this was a problem from the customers' point of view at the time, as paper loudspeakers were considered obsolete.

Yes, it's true that even in the 80s, paper seemed a bit old school, but 45 years later, it's still going strong! Renaud was constantly researching sound and, of course, tested all the innovative materials of the time. But he fell in love with vintage full-range Audax speakers, originally used for sound reinforcement, featuring small-pleat suspensions. They perfectly matched his vision of sound! He didn't care about the outdated image associated with paper - his goal was to achieve a natural, uncolored sound. Paper is a noble material, and our R&D team still seems far from changing it. But don't think they haven't considered it... Let's just say that, so far, nothing has convinced them otherwise.

Today, you continue to manufacture paper-diaphragm loudspeakers, but not only - Triangle has many more materials as well as interesting technical solutions to its credit. Some have already become quite iconic, such as the harmonica-shaped suspension in the speakers, while others are less well-known. Which of these technologies do you think is the most important?

At Triangle, the goal has never been to pioneer innovative materials for sound reproduction. Renaud was skeptical of new materials, often seeing them as more of a marketing tool rather than a real performance improvement. What excited him was creating both visually and sonically striking objects using well-known, proven materials and pushing them to their highest potential. Triangle has carried on this pursuit of neutrality, especially in the midrange, by using a 100% natural white paper cone with no surface treatment. Paired with a small-pleat fabric suspension, this design delivers an uncolored sound, with clear and detailed vocals. Triangle is often recognized for its balanced sound signature. The horn-loaded tweeter has also been a key feature for nearly 25 years. We continuously refine it with new materials, improved waveguides, and meticulous work on phase plugs. This tweeter is known for its dynamic and open sound, designed to create a wide soundstage, staying true to Renaud's original vision. Additionally, we place great emphasis on our cabinet construction, incorporating various internal reinforcement systems to further enhance performance.

In some models, such as the Quatuor 40th, you will see speakers not only on the front but also on the rear panel. Does this solution work? And if so, why don't we see it more often in less expensive models?

The rear tweeter is justified on more advanced floorstanding speakers like the Australe Ez or Quatuor. These models are designed for larger rooms, where the speakers are often positioned away from the rear wall. The rear tweeter adds extra ambiance by reducing directivity issues, especially when you're not perfectly facing the speakers. This results in a more diffused sound throughout the room. Adding a rear tweeter to the Borea range would be more of a drawback than a benefit. Since it interacts with the rear sound wave, it is best suited for larger spaces or dedicated listening rooms. Borea is designed for customers looking to enjoy high-quality sound within a reasonable budget.

French hi-fi equipment, especially loudspeakers, is often identified with a particular sound character - fast, bright, resolving, energetic, and open, without warming or big, booming bass. This 'school of sound' is similar to the Japanese. In Japan, this is partly due to the housing conditions. Small flats and thin walls mean that people don't want to disturb their neighbours. And what does this originate from in France?

Actually, we don't feel like we apply any special tuning. Our goal is simply to reproduce what seems closest to reality. Uncontrolled low frequencies can disrupt the rest of the spectrum, and unrestrained high frequencies can become overly aggressive. We strive for a smooth and balanced sound... but yes, perhaps that's what defines our sound signature. That being said, I don't think we neglect bass frequencies - it's quite the opposite. We just believe they should be present only when they need to be! In France, we appreciate things when they are in their right place, quite simply.

I've noticed that the sound of your loudspeakers is evolving and with each successive generation it seems to become less French and more universal, balanced. Does this mean that you are slowly giving up on what makes your speakers unique?

As mentioned, we are always pursuing neutrality in sound reproduction. The balance may have shifted slightly - Renaud had his vision, our engineers have theirs - but they all follow the same philosophy and direction. Once again, we are not abandoning anything, we continue to evolve. With each new range or update, we always strive to bring improvements - not just for the sake of change, but to genuinely enhance our speakers. Of course, we also pay close attention to feedback from our partners and customers. Audiences evolve, and we can't deny that music itself is constantly changing as well.

There is still a perception in the audiophile community that Triangle speakers are the ideal for pairing with tube amplifiers. It seems to me that you do not uphold this association. At exhibitions, your loudspeakers are rarely presented with tube amplifiers, and on promotional photos, we see Primare or Accuphase amps more often than something like Octave or Unison Research. Are you afraid that this label might stick to you too much?

Triangle uses high-sensitivity drivers, making them easy to pair with tube amplifiers since they require very little power to perform optimally. Tube amplifiers remain a niche choice today, but that doesn't mean we disregard their value - on the contrary, it's an advantage that our speakers can be paired with all types of amplifiers! That's why we showcase different pairings in our visuals and at trade shows. Many of the preconceptions within the audiophile community are often based on equipment from 20 years ago.

On your website, one can find pictures of loudspeakers standing in an anechoic chamber, but Renaud de Vergnette has always been an advocate of listening and evaluating equipment with the ears and not with microphones. What does this look like today? In the process of designing new loudspeakers, are measurements or listening more important?

Exactly. Renaud always said that a speaker cannot be measured because even the way of measuring can be debated. He believed that a speaker should be listened to above all and that human emotion and perception are more important. The feeling often takes precedence over the frequency response - after all, we can measure what a speaker emits, but not entirely how our body perceives it. We strive for rigorous work on the linearity of both the drivers and the speaker itself, but in the end, there is always a subjective listening session among the team, led by Sébastien Miquel. If subjective adjustments need to be made, they will be, because the listening experience matters more than computer analysis. This means that corrections are sometimes applied, even at the expense of perfect linearity.

In 2011, "something happened" at Triangle. "Arrival of a new generation of men and women determined to modernize the company while maintaining Renaud De Vergnette's values of creativity, audacity, and passion." - it seems a bit enigmatic. What exactly happened, and is the company still operating as it is today?

Unfortunately, in 2006, Renaud de Vergnette's wife passed away in a domestic accident, which was an extremely traumatic event for him. It was at that moment that he decided to sell the company and entrust it to a new team. Between 2006 and 2011, this new team struggled to find its place. The clash of ideas failed to create a stable and structured balance. Renaud had been a driving force within the company, and filling his role proved to be a difficult challenge. In 2012, Olivier Decelle, the owner of the brand and a longtime friend of Renaud, decided to hire Sébastien Miquel to lead the R&D team. He then asked his son, Hugo, to take over the company. Through their combined expertise, they revitalized Triangle and modernized its brand image. A new generation had begun.

Your company boasts about manufacturing in France, but we live in a globalised world, and I guess that not everything is made locally from scratch. I have heard that cabinets are imported from China, even those for the flagship Magellan series. Is this true?

We place great importance on traditional French craftsmanship. That's why we have maintained our own production tools to manufacture our speakers in our Soissons facility. However, due to outsourcing, we have lost most of our subcontractors over the years. In fact, the last French cabinet manufacturer closed in 2008, while others were acquired by large competing groups. Even today, we face a situation where local French and European companies are unable to provide the level of quality and pricing needed to keep our current product ranges competitive. As a result, we now source components worldwide, including from France, Europe, and Asia. For example, the cabinets for the Magellan series are produced in Asia, where the quality-to-price ratio is simply more favorable than with most European manufacturers. Triangle must find the best balance to continue offering high-quality speakers within a reasonable budget.

Where did you get the idea for the gradient lacquering, where the front is finished in wood veneer, the back is black, and the other surfaces turn seamlessly from one colour to another? Is this difficult to achieve?

This idea originally came from the tie-and-dye trend that emerged 15 years ago in Parisian hair salons. It later evolved into the luxury automotive industry, seen in special editions of Lamborghini and Bugatti, before becoming more widespread in home decor. By using this gradient effect, our designer Jullien Thaller wanted to showcase our artisanal expertise. The idea was to create a 360° design rather than a front-facing product, allowing people to walk around the speaker and experience something different from every angle. This innovation was first introduced in our high-end Magellan range before being adapted for Capella, our premium active speaker. The strong character of the bird's eye wood veneer is softened by the gradient tones, creating a refined balance. We are the first to bring this design to the market, and it took us over a year of development with our cabinet supplier to perfect the color blending and finishing techniques.

One of the most popular trends among audiophile loudspeaker manufacturers now is the introduction of wireless models, as evidenced by your Capella monitors. Is this a sales hit? Will you be moving further in this direction?

The Capella has been a great success, with nearly all 1,000 pairs sold in the past six months. Demand has been so strong that we are even struggling to keep up with certain finishes. We take great pride in this achievement because, in a market dominated by well-established brands, it is challenging to carve out a place. Triangle still has a long way to go in building its reputation and expertise in this field, but we are very pleased with the results and will continue in this direction.

Recently, you introduced several home cinema speakers. Is this still an important part of the Triangle range?

Yes, home cinema is an important part of Triangle. We are seeing a new trend where hi-fi is no longer necessarily aimed at the "general public" but rather something more passion-driven, for people who truly love it. We observe that small, compact home cinema setups, such as satellite speakers with a subwoofer, are declining. However, those who want to dedicate a room to a home cinema installation are willing to invest in larger speaker systems. Triangle must offer a complete solution with a broad product range. Our customers really appreciate our Borea range, which has received numerous awards worldwide. Those who initially purchased a stereo system can also upgrade it to a home cinema setup. This offering is primarily available in our entry-level and mid-range lines - Borea and Esprit EZ. Naturally, this is less common in higher-end speakers, as they are more specialized for stereo hi-fi listening.

How do you currently assess the audio market in different countries? Which geographical regions are the most interesting from your point of view?

France is, of course, our largest market - it represents the roots and identity of Triangle. Europe follows, as we have built a strong distribution network there over the past 20 years. Expanding our brand awareness in Western countries that are geographically or culturally close to France happened quite naturally. In the United States, we established a subsidiary, which has helped strengthen our brand image. Asia, however, is a more challenging market for a small company like ours, as we face difficulties in finding the right operational approach to ensure success.