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Canton Vento 826.2 Speaker Review

Rate this speaker:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 12 5.2%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 126 54.8%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 79 34.3%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 13 5.7%

  • Total voters
    230

Doenerkunde

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In Germany Canton seems to be the number one classic hifi brand in big retail stores. If the average Joe goes to a big consumer electronics retail store (like Media Markt or Saturn) to buy a classic stereo setup there is a big chance that he will leave with a pair of Canton (followed up by Heco and Elac and maybe Magnat).

Germany is a nation of renters with a vast majority of listening spaces falling in the 150 to 350 sqft category with brick walls and neighbors close by. So voicing might indeed have something to do with the target audience. E.g. my Elac DBR62 (in tandem with my room) produce a solid 8dB or so spike at 55hz at my listening position in my 200sqft listening space and most people don´t use EQ.

Overall: Good to very good directivity, good to very good linearity with limited extension, bothersome THD spike at high listening levels. Overall good performance and I am somewhat baffled by the mediocre poll results, but I guess expectations seem to be anchored around the holy trinity of Genelec, Neumann and Revel.
EDIT: The last sentence was unneccessarily hostile. I fall in the "fine" category, but there are valid reasons to evaluate things different. :)
 
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AudioKC

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Preference Rating
SCORE: 5.7
SCORE w/ sub: 7.9


Sensitivity: 86.5dB (300Hz-3kHz ; spec: 85dB)
Frequency response: +/- 7.2dB 39Hz-20kHz ; +/- 3.3dB 80Hz-20kHz

View attachment 253181View attachment 253182View attachment 253183View attachment 253184View attachment 253185View attachment 253186


Horizontal treble response is very bad, with that peak and dip. Resolution of the speaker will vary based on recording.

In my experience I found speakers with such wild horizontal directivity responses sound unpleasant.
 
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hansik

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Kef - narrower focused soundstage
Cantons are wider simply. So depending on what you want from speaker, one of them would be an immediate strike off.

I like both, but I would prefer the ls50 meta out of the Kef budget line, as it’s wider than r3 somwhow.
I had both KEF LS50 and Vento 830.2. They were very close, I slightly preferred the Vento´s. Here in Europe I got a big discount.
 

Trell

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In Germany Canton seems to be the number one classic hifi brand in big retail stores. If the average Joe goes to a big consumer electronics retail store (like Media Markt or Saturn) to buy a classic stereo setup there is a big chance that he will leave with a pair of Canton (followed up by Heco and Elac and maybe Magnat).

Germany is a nation of renters with a vast majority of listening spaces falling in the 150 to 350 sqft category with brick walls and neighbors close by. So voicing might indeed have something to do with the target audience. E.g. my Elac DBR62 (in tandem with my room) produce a solid 8dB or so spike at 55hz at my listening position in my 200sqft listening space and most people don´t use EQ.

Overall: Good to very good directivity, good to very good linearity with limited extension, bothersome THD spike at high listening levels. Overall good performance and I am somewhat baffled by the mediocre poll results, but I guess expectations seem to be anchored around the holy trinity of Genelec, Neumann and Revel.
I’ve Canton Vento in my 200 sqft living room but I do I like my Genelec 8330A better in my small home office.

That said, the 8330A is used in a desktop setup. Having a Genelec 8361A as fronts in a HT setup is very expensive, though. And I do need two more monitors for the surround on top of that.
 

Robbo99999

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I marked this down due to the 2-4kHz distortion issues, whilst at the same time not having any half decent bass extension, and also whilst keeping the relatively high price in mind! Seems like I've voted with the majority!
 

3125b

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Price in Germany is 700-800€/pair. No bargain, but not a ripoff either. Kind of a "meh" product.
 

MZKM

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Horizontal treble response is very bad, with that dip. Resolution of the speaker will vary based on recording.

In my experience I found speakers with such wild horizontal directivity responses sound unpleasant.
You mean >10kHz? If so, then sure, but I doubt how audible it is, especially with the on-axis lowered to compensate. But of course I would prefer it to be better.
 

AudioKC

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You mean >10kHz? If so, then sure, but I doubt how audible it is, especially with the on-axis lowered to compensate. But of course I would prefer it to be better.
Yes. Oh it’s audible for me. Similar issues in many Elac speakers, sound very funky and weird for me.

UPD: obviously I didn’t listen these speakers. So it is just an opinion about horizontal directivity based on my experience. I can be wrong for sure.
 
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ririt

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I haven't done any direct comparison yet. I'm waiting for a miniDSP FLEX TRS to be delivered today so I can properly time align and EQ my Rythmik Audio E22 subwoofer with the KH 150s. Then I would be able to decide if going with Neumann's MA1 software, Dirac Live or miniDSP plugin (with REW filters). As of now, Neumann's MA1 app is doing OK but pretty sure Dirac Live and even miniDSP plugin with REW filters are going to do a better job regarding integration and bass management of course. After EQ and time alignment is done, I can do a direct comparison with the M106s switching speakers in and out.
Please keep us posted about your future comparisons..
 

Mnyb

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I marked this down due to the 2-4kHz distortion issues, whilst at the same time not having any half decent bass extension, and also whilst keeping the relatively high price in mind! Seems like I've voted with the majority!
And the port resonance!
They now how to do better. I also voted not terrible.

20 years ago I had a pair of large Canton floorstander with dual 8” It was a 3 way , it included some line level eq box to put between pre amp and power amp or in the tapeloop , it included some compensation for .. ( I don’t remember).
The add on box was noisy I remember ? But I liked the speakers then , they where lively exciting and could play bass and had some large scale dynamic’s that my small Thiel 1.2 lacked.

So I know that they could build speakers back then , and probably still has the skills today.
 

AudioKC

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Price in Germany is 700-800€/pair. No bargain, but not a ripoff either. Kind of a "meh" product.

What is the price for Revel M105? Objectively Revel is much better speaker.
 

Prana Ferox

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I'm going to disagree with Amir on the cosmetics, perhaps fit and finish are price-point appropriate but there's not even a faux-veneer finish option (I think speakers should look like they're made of wood, to each his own), the drivers cosmetically look cheap (I especially dislike the trim ring around the woofer to make it look bigger) and the grille also looks cheap (possibly why it's so hard to find a picture of it.) The oversized logo and font looks tacky. I won't speak to the sound but certainly in this price range you can get much better looks.
 

3125b

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What is the price for Revel M105?
Harman speakers are few and far between in Europe, if they are available at all then at very inflated prices, at least twice of what they cost in the US.
I can't find the M105 listed currently, but the M16 are 1300€/pair which is 270€ more than the much better KEF R3 for example.

but there's not even a faux-veneer finish option (I think speakers should look like they're made of wood, to each his own
I do agree that these particular speakers aren't much to look at, however there is definitely something to be said for a good high-gloss finish. I'd take that over faux-wood any day of the week, a vinyl wrap almost always (emphasis on almost, there is definitely a right and several wrong ways to do it) look cheap.
And even a real wood veneer can look bad.
 
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ROOSKIE

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And the port resonance!

I think that is strange. It is not the first time and unfortunately certainly not the last time we read tests showing problems with poor implementation of bass-reflex port. That with speakers from otherwise good manufacturers. Strange that the manufacturers don't do anything about it? They have test equipment and knowledge.

Even worse if that is the case with port resonances if we are dealing with relatively expensive speakers of course. As you point out: ". It should be fixed at this price point"
The pipe resonance is ugly in isolation on paper but it is likely not an audible concern in this model. This is especially since at 750hrz on a rear facing port the energy will just merge with the wide distribution of sound at that frequency zone.

The peak is very high Q and as you can see in the full Klippel frequency response graphs it barely affects the response. I really doubt anyone can hear this as an issue.
If using with subs (which you really should consider if aiming for high performance)just plug the port. Issue resolved.

Pipe resonances are going to happen.
With lower tuning they happen at a concurrently lower frequency as you tune lower. If you tune lower using a smaller diameter port this raises the pipe resonace frequency but also greatly increases port turbulences. There are ways to mitigate the strength of port resonances.
One common very typical way is with internal cabinet 'stuffing or lining'(which is put in there for several reasons).
However, to absorb frequencies below 1k or so the stuffing would have to be excessive and very thick which in small cabinets will not work.

This speakers 1st strong pipe resonance is at 750hrz so far 2 low for absorption especially in a small box.

Given what I see here with a lower tuning in a small box and overall-narrow Q peak I think this port is adequately designed with any further development appreciated but really only in concept not experience.
Ok, I also thought that my M106 didn't weigh that much. But I guess my perception is skewed due to the fact they replaced DIY speakers that were only slightly bigger (but same size woofer) than the M106 but were almost double in weight.
My M126be's feel solid as can be and are quite well built. That said I have several DIY speakers using similar driver arrays that weight substantially more. Why? likely because I don't have the ability to use laser vibrational analysis and simply have to overbuild and cross fingers. The weight of a speaker is important in retail costs with all shipping. I prefer manufacturers don't use my method which is surely wasteful but work more often than not.
Most of my DIY is solid, however a couple times something that sure seemed well built(over-built) had a cabinet resonace in testing.

The cabinet volume of course will really change the weight fast. If your cabs are 20% larger in volume vs the M106 then you will gain significant cabinet weight if using heavy materials like Plywood.

Anyway a 40lb(2x a Revel M106) 6" 2 way is pretty overbuilt if that is indeed what you have. Fun to build though.
 

amper42

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I don't have the Vento 826.2 but I do have a pair of Canton Vento Reference 9.2 DC 7" two way bookshelves. I found in listening tests I really like the mid bass kick they offer. It can make some songs come to life more than expected. I prefer the BMR monitor for it's flat response and lower bass capability but with lots of rhythmic music the Canton Vento Reference 9.2 DC can really get your foot moving. I have compared them to my Revel 105. The M105 sounds timid by comparison. In addition, the bass on the M105 easily distorts while the Ref 9.2 does not. However, I certainly don't listen at 96dB either. More likely 80db would be loud. If I was going to use a bookshelf without a sub, I would easily pick the Vento 9.2 over the M105.
 

ROOSKIE

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Is there a software that can calculate in room bass response, if you feed it with spinorama data ? Something easy where you provide room sizes, and can position the speakers in the room, then can see predicted in room bass FR?
1st I will state that playback SPL is a big factor is perceived bass. While a 10db increase in the mids sounds 'twice' as loud subjectively, about 5-6 db increase in bass sounds 'twice' as loud subjectively. So a speaker light on bass at low SPL might sound perfect cranked and a speaker with full bass at low SPL might sound overly thick cranked.

... software prediction = I don't know if that is a great substitute for trying a few speakers in your room.

Plus bass is a very subjective area of sound. You may like some very different from someone else and the variation of listener preference in what amount of bass is right was very, very wide in Harman's published testing.

Anyway, you really ought to have the ability to adjust the frequency levels of the bass range via PEQ or similar means. You can't completely control how the bass ultimately sounds by frequency response alone but you will get ahold of much of it.

Back to the simulated in room bass, even room modes are dependent on enough factors that a prediction will be meaningfully off. (do you want to predict a 12db gain at 45hrz for a room mode that is actually at 52hrz?) This is very important since a speaker losing bass here might work well or it might gain nothing depending on exactly where the mode is.

I can say this after testing dozens of speakers often in the exact same location I recommend measuring each one. The variation is quite notable and I have only had a few speakers that would require essentially the same PEQ application for in room bass adaptation.

One thing that is very important are all of the interference reflections (SBIR).

Even just slight differences in driver height from floor and cabinet width and where the port is and what frequency the driver hands off to port affect the range from 40-150hrz substantially.
Distances to the front wall and side walls being very profound in their effects.
Number of drivers radiating is huge factor. Driver size is factor. I have noted that a larger driver seems to be less affected by SBIR than a smaller driver which makes sense if you think about it. (similar to using multiple woofers, which are all different distance from some boundaries thus spreading interference over a wider range with less severe specific nulls.)

Anyway, you really ought to have the ability to adjust the bass range via PEQ or similar means. Plus once you have a great tune for closed windows spring hits and you open all the windows wide and the room sounds very different.
 

ROOSKIE

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I don't have the Vento 826.2 but I do have a pair of Canton Vento Reference 9.2 DC 7" two way bookshelves. I found in listening tests I really like the mid bass kick they offer. It can make some songs come to life more than expected. I prefer the BMR monitor for it's flat response and lower bass capability but with lots of rhythmic music the Canton Vento Reference 9.2 DC can really get your foot moving. I have compared them to my Revel 105. The M105 sounds timid by comparison. In addition, the bass on the M105 easily distorts while the Ref 9.2 does not. However, I certainly don't listen at 96dB either. More likely 80db would be loud. If I was going to use a bookshelf without a sub, I would easily pick the Vento 9.2 over the M105.
Accessories4less used to have sick deals on the Vento set you have(maybe where you purchased).

I meant to buy some and then they were gone.

I picked up a new 526.2 set for under $500 a few years ago. They were a tiny bit bright(easily adjusted so no biggie) and if memory serves me over-all pretty good. Around that time I had the Revel M105's and did prefer those but I think the speakers could have been cross shopped for personal tastes.

The M105 really needs a high pass to take out the low bass even in a 2.0. No way that is a good speaker for mid-bass centric listening. Really almost no 5-5.5" woofer based models are.
Watching a 5" woofer flopping around at 45hrz completely uncontrolled without any help from the box that was tuned to 60hrz is painful to watch. Most 5" drivers can handle 1-5watts once you get 6-10hrz or so below the port tuning. This is fine for some music genera's but certainly not anything with get up and go.


PS. My 526.2's had the new Vento line's woofer and so they used the W surround. Here an image from the Vento 20 to show the new Vento line is using that newer woofer.
1672352816841.png
 
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sofrep811

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Several pairs of Cantons have hit US Audio Mart the past couple weeks and are selling for under $400. Not sure model? They look very nice.
 

Blumlein 88

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@Amir A nit to pick. Usually a slight increase in amplitude response above 10 khz doesn't sound bright. It sounds airy, a bit of sense of air added. A bump in the response around 6-8 khz sounds bright. You aren't letting your measurement curve bias you on brightness are you? :)

Of course a lean woofer response can also give a brighter sounding perspective too. Maybe it is bright and airy.
 

dogmamann

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In Germany Canton seems to be the number one classic hifi brand in big retail stores. If the average Joe goes to a big consumer electronics retail store (like Media Markt or Saturn) to buy a classic stereo setup there is a big chance that he will leave with a pair of Canton (followed up by Heco and Elac and maybe Magnat).
Germany is a nation of renters with a vast majority of listening spaces falling in the 150 to 350 sqft category with brick walls and neighbors close by. So voicing might indeed have something to do with the target audience. E.g. my Elac DBR62 (in tandem with my room) produce a solid 8dB or so spike at 55hz at my listening position in my 200sqft listening space and most people don´t use EQ.

Overall: Good to very good directivity, good to very good linearity with limited extension, bothersome THD spike at high listening levels. Overall good performance and I am somewhat baffled by the mediocre poll results, but I guess expectations seem to be anchored around the holy trinity of Genelec, Neumann and Revel.
EDIT: The last sentence was unneccessarily hostile. I fall in the "fine" category, but there are valid reasons to evaluate things different. :)
I hardly saw cantons in any retail stores like Mediamarkt except for their basic models like gle series. Ventos and up are normally found only in hifi stores. There are some Mediamarkt and stauen branches which has a hifi room. But again they still have only handful of hi end speakers. Good thing is those ex demo speakers will come super cheap at the end as no one knows the value to them. Saturn in stuttgart has a hifi section and their eBay page is the one bargain place!
 
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