Floorstanding loudspeakers — Canton GLE 80 S2

The GLE 80 S2 belongs to the second generation of GLE towers from Canton Elektronik and follows a passive three-way layout, sitting below the GLE 90 S2 and GLE 100 S2 towers in the range. Canton lists it at EUR 699 under item number 04534 in Black Decor, with a White Decor version carried as item 04535.

Key specs that matter

The cabinet holds four drivers. Two 174 mm woofers handle the low bass, a third unit of the same size covers the midrange, and a 25 mm tweeter sits above them. Canton sets the crossover points at 300 Hz and 3,200 Hz. Canton's stated bandwidth spans 23 Hz to 40,000 Hz, and efficiency is given as 89.5 dB measured at 2.83 V and 1 m. Nominal impedance is stated as 4 to 8 ohm. Power handling is rated at 130 W nominal and 280 W music. Its enclosure is 19 cm wide, 99 cm tall and 30 cm deep, with a weight of 17.6 kg per speaker.

Engineering and use context

Bass and midrange cones are newly developed ATB parts (Aluminium Titan Black), and the tweeter is an AB design, Aluminium Black, fitted with an integrated waveguide that Canton says spreads the treble widely up to 40 kHz. Low frequencies are tuned with a bass reflex port that fires to the rear, in what Canton calls a backfire layout. The front panels carry a satin finish, and magnetically attached fabric grilles are offered in black or white, so no visible fixings are needed on the baffle. Banana plugs fit the terminals. Canton presents the model for both two-channel stereo and multichannel home cinema.

Pairing

Within the second-generation range, Canton names the GLE 50 S2 as the matching center speaker, the GLE 30 S2 for surround duty and the Power Sub 12 S2 as the subwoofer for a full home cinema layout. For a streaming system without a separate receiver, the maker points to its own Smart Amp 5.1, which adds wireless playback to the passive towers. Any conventional stereo or AV amplifier used with the speaker should be comfortable driving an impedance quoted down to 4 ohm.

Alternatives

The Canton GLE 90 S2 is the next larger floorstander of this series, with two 192 mm woofers, 320 W music power and a 105 cm tall cabinet.