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The center-channel 505 has dual ports, and surround-channel 502s a single port. Both the center and surround speakers sport a single set of binding posts. Unless I someday move my comfy chair, the designated speaker locations in my listening room are as rigidly defined as Newtonian physics. I placed the towers along my front narrow wall, about 8 feet apart, and the center speaker beneath my TV. I put the surrounds on my own trusty stands behind my chair and along each side wall.
Finally, the speakers sport a very gently curved front baffle that's said to improve both frequency-response linearity and driver efficiency in the crossover-frequency range. Canton's compact Karat S1 bookshelf model serves as the surround speaker for the system. A two-way ported design, the S1 also sports a 5-inch midrange/bass driver and a 1-inch tweeter.
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Proper positioning of the sub isn't critical, but placing it near the front speakers is preferred. It found a home next to the TV and complimented my home theater electronics with its simple design and refined looks. The GLE 420 compact speaker I used for surrounds, meanwhile, sports one tweeter and a single 61? Since the 420's port is located around back, there's no built-in provision for wall mounting.
The Canton Chrono speaker system proves that you cannot judge a book solely by its cover . It provides a realistic soundstage, with imaging that is particularly well-suited for surround sound film reproduction. If you’re looking for a 5.1 system in this price, you’ll definitely want to put the Canton Chrono series on your audition list. As expected, the 509 floor-stander had excellent off-axis frequency response, particularly in the mid and high-frequency range. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of mid-bass energy the AS 525 SC was generating in both film and music. I did not expect, and did not perceive, a significant amount of low bass impact from the modest-sized sub.
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So before the first note played through the 10-MX II ensemble, I had reservations about what they were capable of. Once the Cantons were broken in a bit, I got down to the task at hand. Taking baby steps, I listened to some Ziggy Marley and Sting's Brand New Dayin both two-channel stereo and enhanced stereo mode through all the speakers. I increased the volume until the built-in overload protection cut out and switched the speakers off momentarily. After several adjustments of the subwoofer crossover frequency and volume, I was able to achieve better performance without overloading the speakers. Highs were crisp but a bit hollow when I listened to Grover Washington Jr. play saxophone solos.
The Chronos all use Canton’s ADT-25 tweeter, a variant of the same tweeter used in Canton’s higher-end speaker lines. For the Chrono series, the tweeter uses a new flared baffle, which is claimed to increase the off-axis response of the driver. I’ve listened to other Cantons using the ADT-25 tweeter , and found in both subjective listening and bench testing that they had excellent off-axis response.
Canton Plus QX Speakers. CENTER/FR/FL silver tested nice
Canton has been making upscale speakers since 1972, with acclaimed models such as the Vento and Karat series. Besides sounding great, Cantons tend to look really nice, which adds to the cost of the speaker. As the embodiment of our philosophy of the Truth in Sound its performance is unconstrained. The AS 525 SC subwoofer put out a robust 100 dB at 50 Hz with only 0.49% distortion. This was consistent with my subjective observation that the Chrono sub could pump out a significant amount of mid-bass energy.
The Canton Movie 10-MX II System is an attractive looking ensemble. The speakers don't attract undue attention to themselves because of their demure size and striking design. The ergonomics of the subwoofer are properly thought out and paired well with the small but powerful surround speakers.
I found that the Cantons seemed to open up as the volume increased. The 509 floor-standers are rated at 88.3 dB sensitivity; the 505 center channel speaker at 87.5 dB, and the 502 surrounds at 86.5 dB. So the Chronos should be mated with an amplifier or receiver with ample power reserves to get the most out of them.
All measurements, except frequency response sweeps, were conducted with the calibrated microphone placed one foot from the driver. For bench testing, the speakers were moved away from corners to the middle of the listening room, to minimize room-loading effects. Next, TVs with shiny cabinets started to appear in all shapes and sizes. Now the metal bug has finally worked its way into speakers, with companies turning out silver-cased systems that would look right at home in the living room of T-1000, the cop-suited robot from Terminator 2. The Chrono series consists of two floor-standing front speaker models, the 507 and 509.
When the unmarked semi-tractor trailer slowly backed into my driveway, I knew I was in for something different. While the Canton payload was being hydraulically lowered onto my driveway, I realized why FedEx and UPS were not involved. If asked to lug around this array of boxes, the local deliverymen would have come for me with fire and pitchforks, keeping the speakers for themselves. It's a good thing too, because these Ergo speakers are worth talking about.
The 525 SC uses a front-firing, 9″ aluminum speaker, and incorporates Canton’s SC technology, which is said to improve deep bass response. Given the rather modest size of the sub (the cabinet is only 10″ wide by 14.6″ deep), I set my expectations regarding low bass accordingly. The GLE 455 center speaker uses a sealed cabinet with a tweeter and two 61? Unlike with some center speakers, there's no way to adjust the cabinet's vertical tilt.
In the end, I set the sub's crossover at its highest setting and let my Atlantic Technology P2000 preamp/processor perform the signal surgery. I ended up settling on an 80Hz crossover around the room, though the towers could probably easily handle 60Hz. Unlike some of my colleagues at Avodah Publishing, I was first exposed to consumer electronics with 12-volt products.
The subwoofer is a bandpass design with the driver facing rearward and completely enclosed with only the port visible. A volume control and adjustable crossover frequency knob are conveniently placed high on the back panel of the subwoofer. I've had some experience with cube speaker systems in the past that left me with a bad impression of what accurate music reproduction is all about.
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Canton has proprietary circuits to restrict the excursion limits of the satellite and center channel woofers. The 10-MX II subwoofer has advanced Subwoofer Control Technology with excursion control circuits as well. Frequency range is optimized without sacrificing stability or control of the unit. But the 10-MX II was designed chiefly for home cinema applications. Choosing titles with a wide spectrum of tonal qualities, I found an equal balance of dispersion across the entire auditory range. The center channel did a good job of reproducing dialogue and the surround speakers played sound effects from prop planes and explosions to laughter and footsteps quite well.
Nonetheless, I was bowled over by the brilliant large sound coming from the small cubes. The center and surround speakers have screw-type speaker terminals to connect them to an amplifier. The terminals accept a wide gauge of speaker cable or banana plugs, but I found the design awkward.
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