On the Bench

The Canton's frequency response (quasi-anechoic, measured at 1 meter) reflected my subjective impressions: relatively flat with a drop-off in the lower frequencies. The bass response became unstable around 200 Hz, and was permanently down 3 dB at 60 Hz, which is to be expected from 4" drivers loaded in a slim cabinet.

The high-frequency response was superb, given the combination of Canton's ADT-25 tweeter and ICE amplifier module.

As expected, the Cantons had excellent off-axis response, even when seated 30 degrees horizontally off-axis.

The Cantons are obviously not designed to reproduce the bottom octave, as distortion is almost 5 percent, and the near harmonic overtones blur the signal.

At 50 Hz, the Cantons were struggling, both in increased distortion and difficulty reproducing a clean 50 Hz waveform.

But, at 1 kHz, distortion was less than a quarter percent.

And at 10 kHz, distortion was really low.

Conclusions

The Canton CD 3200's were designed for the sizeable market of flat-panel TV owners who don't want a lot of speakers cluttering up their room, or have to deal with cables running between various components.

With their built-in IcePower amplifiers, the Canton's deliver solid performance even when connected directly to the display or set-top box (plus the benefit of a high SAF based on its plug-and-play abilities). However, when paired with a quality processor/receiver and a subwoofer, the Canton's are capable of producing audiophile sound. Either way, they will make a very attractive complement to any flat-panel display.


- Ross Jones -

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