Loudspeakers

Measured on the tweeter axis, Canton's 'Reference' standmount offers an impressively flat, if very slightly U-shaped, forward response [see Graph 1], with uniformity good to ±1.8dB (200Hz-10kHz) and only drifting out to ±2.9dB and ±3.8dB (200Hz-20kHz) across our pair as a result of the 9K's high treble boost. The latter, incidentally, is successfully ameliorated by listening ~10° off axis or by attaching the grille which attenuates the presence/treble by 3.4dB [blue trace, Graph 1 below]. Pair matching – a measure of Canton's excellent quality control – is equally tight at 0.7dB (200Hz-10kHz) and 1.5dB out to 20kHz.

Sensitivity, rated at 87dB by Canton, is closer to 86.1dB/1kHz and a more subjectively representative 85.7dB from 500Hz-8kHz. Bass, however, is well handled by the 78-820Hz (–6dB) bandwidth of the 174mm 'ceramic-tungsten' mid/woofer and supplemented by the large (70mm) rear-firing port, tuned to a broad ~50Hz. The diffraction-corrected bass extension is also 50Hz (–6dB re. 200Hz), with a steep roll-off thereafter [green shaded area, Graph 1]. Despite its modest sensitivity, the Reference 9K is no pushover to drive – there's a minimum of 3.2ohm/30ohm and large swings in impedance and phase angle through the bass, resulting in low EPDRs of 1.35ohm/25Hz and 1.8ohm/66Hz (plus 2.25ohm up at 10.6kHz).

Otherwise, harmonic distortion is a low 0.3-0.5% through the midrange (re. 90dB SPL) although the minor response ripples at 750Hz/1kHz are revealed as possible cone misterminations in the CSD waterfall [Graph 2]. The ultrasonic dome resonances at ~40kHz are well out of range [pink shaded area, Graph 1]. PM