Loudspeakers

It is generally accepted that the trend for 'lute-' or 'boat-shaped' speaker cabinets, with curved, low diffraction baffles and non-parallel side walls, was brought into being by Franco Serblin while he was the guiding light at Sonus faber. Countless brands have followed suit including Canton with this new Reference series. 'In previous Reference series, curved side walls were already a basic design principle. In terms of resonance damping, stiffness and dispersion characteristics this delivers better acoustic performance. So, in the case of the new Reference, we rounded off the design even further, making it more elegant and modern', says Canton's technical director Frank Goebl.

Upgrades the company made in the background have paid off. 'We invested a lot in new construction and rendering, and cabinet audio performance prediction tools, these enabling the complex structures.' With a keen eye for industrial design - 'trends in interior and furniture design remain an inspiration and influence' - Canton's new Reference range takes it up a notch. The white satin requires a fine base finish and two layers of UV-resistant silk matt lacquer, while the high-gloss 'Black Piano' finish is applied in 12 steps, sanded and polished, for a dazzling depth effect. The high-quality, fine-pored walnut veneer is achieved by a special sanding technique and finished with a matt lacquer.