I have a friend who was quoted a price for an HT room setup and he's come to me for assistance.
One of the speaker brands in the quote was Triad Speakers.
Has anyone heard ANYTHING about this company before?

There is a guy over on AVSforum that works for TRIAD. They seem to be very respected by owners. 95% designed/built in Portland Oregon.

The other option quoted was for Sonance speakers.
Either way, the cost of these in-walls far exceeds the cost of a decent floorstanding/on-wall system.

I have never heard the Sonance or Triads so i'm hesitant to make any comments simply because they are in-wall units.

From most of the reviews(owner or otherwise, and not very many) I have been able to read, they are very positive for the Triads.