I like Canton's speakers. I had the Ref 3.2 DC's and still have a full 5.1 Vento system. They have a lush warm sound to them with solid bottom end, you even get surprising bass from the small models and the finish on the References is exceptional. |
I have used the Karat M-70(pre-curser to the Ref DC series)for 10+ years in my main A/V system.Thus far,nothing has been able to displace them.I have also hauled them down to my 2 channel room where they aquit themselves quite well.They may be the best all-around speakers that I have heard.My wife loves the way they look(slim,tall floorstanders with side-firing woofers in cherry wood veneer finish).I face the woofers inward. |
Disclosure: I retail Canton speakers, focusing on the Reference and Vento series. Canton is one of the largest loudspeaker manufacturers in the world, they've been at it for almost 40 years and have around 40% of the German market. The technology, engineering, build quality and finish of these speakers rivals anything out there. There's a reason they've been so successful.
As a company, they are almost completely vertically integrated, i.e. they make their own dirvers, cabinets, key parts, etc. Very little "off the shelf" stuff here.
These speakers are not for the analytical/microscope ruthlessly revealing crowd. All the resolution is there, but its presented in a balanced, natural, coherent way. Very low fatigue factor with these speakers, they're one of the few that really allow you to forget about the gear and get lost in the music. I've owned a lot of speakers, at and well above the price points of the top tier Canton's. They are a more than viable alternative in the class they compete in. They deserve to be better known and more widely heard in the U.S. (which is what I'm trying to do!). FYI - Canton will be partnering with me (Departure Audio) at this years Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in October. We will be demonstrating one of the Reference series models. |
I have the Canton Reference 9 monitors. I've only had them for a week and haven't fully broken them in yet, but they're already a huge improvement over my B&W 7nts... |
Canton Ref is a great speaker. I rep them in NYC and am proud to do so. |
I have owned Canton speakers about 10 years ago, moved on since then but not because of the value of the speaker they where one of the best speakers I owned. I bought them because they where warm not overly so, and had very tight and accurate sound reproduction that is still present today. I was also studying music at the time and doing alot of listening and couldn't find many flaws. Also there customer support was great. |
They are excellent speakers. |
I have owned over 30 different pairs of highend speakers and worked in the audio business for 10 years. I own the Reference 9.2s and they are phenominal! |
In early 2011 i decided to revive my lost hobby of home audio. I knew the place to start was speakers and i wanted to emphasize imaging and transparency.
I listened at length to Canton Ref 5.2, Paradigm Signature S8, Revel Studio 2, B&W 802D, Magico v2, Aerial 7B, Canton Ref 3.2 DC and briefly to several Focal products, Wilson audio, Monitor Audio, Polk, and a few others. Yes, i know amps were a variable here, but all used were high end solid state. In the case of the cantons it was mcintosh 300 and 400 wpc current versions (solid state).
5.2 had great imaging but was a little thin in musical bass frequencies. S8 had amazing imaging and some potentially pleasant tonal colorations. Studio 2 was very transparent but had poor imaging that was very dependent on listening position. 802D had weak imaging and a softness that eliminated them from consideration. B&W seems to get too much love for past accomplishments.
Magico v2 was amazing but dated in appearance and very expensive. 7B was good but didn't have the soundstage i was expecting. Wilson audio Sasha (new watt/puppy) was simply amazing but best performance was evident only in a specific listening location. I would have considered the new sophia's but the wife didn't like the looks.
focal tweeters tend to be disconnected from the lower frequencies. I wanted to listen to a sonus faber product but never got there.
A second listen to the Canton Reference 3.2 DC and a small discount from the dealer compelled me to purchase. This speaker looks great in piano black. It is by far the most forgiving in placement. It just kind of disappears. soundstage is persistent from a surprising range of listening positions. Other reviews accurately describe the tonal performance. almost perfect. Very, very listenable. Not sure how Canton does it, but i like it. Very alive presence.
My next choice to buy was the S8's. Great looks and superior imaging. I like the berylium tweeters on the most recent (v3?) model. Lower price. I suspect some of the minor mid range colorations would not have been noticed after a few weeks in my living room. Third choice was Wilson Audio. Strong presence and great bass extension. American made. Expensive though and i would have had to battle with the wife because of the looks.
Now I need an amp.
My story is no substitute for your own listening experiences. Listening to speakers is never time wasted. |
What are you using to drive your Cantons? |
Anyone heard the canton 1k ? |
Anyone owns the Reference 3K?
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I have the 9.2 DC reference stand mounts. I don't know if that helps... |
what do you think about the 9.2's? |
I recently heard a pair of Reference 5K powered by an Esoteric DAC/streamer and F-07 integrated amp.
- impressive build quality
- beautiful
- very detailed and resolving sound, unfortunately that became very grating at anything above 80 dB or so at listening position
- the issue to my ears wasn’t from frequency response aberrations, as that seemed pretty neutral, but rather from the tonality of the drivers. Perhaps this is a byproduct of using ceramic and metal for each driver. I’ve had this issue with other speakers using metal drivers like those from KEF and Paradigm.
Definitely not for me. I’ll also note that the resale value of Canton is horrible in the US. |
Well its 2023 and I figured anyone looking for gear now and stumbled upon canton would get a new entry update. Sooo
I own the 9k reference model for many years and they look and sound as new, which is as instruments and music sound.
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I own dc 2.2 reference , love them so much I recently purchased a pristine pair of dc 7.2 for my smaller room wonderful deep sounds stage incredible tight base extremely non-fatiguing. I cannot say enough good things about Canton speakers
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I own dc 2.2 reference , love them so much I recently purchased a pristine pair of dc 7.2 for my smaller room wonderful deep sounds stage incredible tight base extremely non-fatiguing. I cannot say enough good things about Canton speakers
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The Canton's are simply excellent speakers that excel at everything. I own the Ref. 7's the Ref. 9's and the Chronos. I have powered the 7's with many different amplifiers including the cheap Douk and Fosi, I have used Carver's reference, Dartzeel NHB 108 and various tube amplifiers. They seem immune from producing bad sound given that the ampls and interconnects are good. I used mainly Kimber for the Kables and various pre-amps. Yes, I'm sold. I don't just endorse them - I own them. Other speakers that I own include YG's Sonja 2.3, Q-Acoustics, Dali and some Elac's. I power the 9's with a Krell in my bedroom. They replaced B&W Silver Signatures, Chord's and Kef's. That is really how pleasing they sound. The other speakers were excellent but they didn't have the qualities of the tweeter in the Canton's which I find utterly non-fatiguing. I did try a hot cable on them one time and they did get shrill when turned up but it was obviously not the speaker but the cables as no other cables brought this out.
The transparency is you are there and the tweeter is a slice of heaven. The 7's only have a slightly larger than 6" drivers. The bass is fast and accurate under 92db.The midrange and the tweeter are the same that they use on all of their speakers including the Reference 1's. They are priced competitively and occasionally they come up on the used market. If and when some Ref. 2's or Ref. 1's become available I will pull the trigger.
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Chiming in to agree that Canton makes excellent speakers. Maybe not quite as flashy as some of the other brands out there, but every set I've ever heard from the more affordable to the reference models has been exceptional.
I think some people (myself included since I don't own any) overlook them for a few reasons. They are a big brand but not necessarily as popular in every region. They look pretty tame or traditional and don't have crazy cabinet shapes and materials. And they are rarely flavor of the month status like certain brands manage to become. Still, they seem like a really safe bet if you want to stop messing around and just buy a speaker to enjoy for the next decade or two.
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