Floorstanding loudspeakers — Canton Reference 2

The Reference 2 is a passive three-way floorstanding loudspeaker in the Reference range that Canton introduced in 2023. By music power rating it ranks second among the five towers of the series, behind the Reference 1 with three woofers and 820 W, and ahead of the Reference 3, 5 and 7. In North America the pair sells at USD 23,000 in black or white and USD 26,000 in walnut.

Key specs that matter

The driver set comprises one 25 mm tweeter with a black aluminium oxide ceramic dome, one 174 mm midrange and two 219 mm woofers, the three larger units using Black Ceramic Tungsten cones. Crossover points sit at 160 Hz and 3,000 Hz, so the two woofers work only in the deep bass and the midrange driver covers the band up to 3 kHz on its own. Frequency range is quoted as 19 Hz to 40,000 Hz, efficiency as 88 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m, and impedance as 4 to 8 ohm. Rated load capacity is 370 W nominal and 630 W music. Including the plinth, each cabinet is 35 cm wide, 116 cm tall and 53 cm deep, and it weighs 62 kg. Finish choices are white semi-gloss, black piano lacquer and walnut veneer with a matte lacquer.

Engineering and use context

Canton divides the inside of the tower into four chambers whose volumes are sized for the individual driver groups. The bass reflex output leaves through the bottom in a downfire configuration. The enclosure is a stiff multi-layer laminate with a sweeping shape free of edges, backed by internal damping and stiffening to keep panel resonance low. The crossover is laid out on a board of epoxy resin and glass fabric with a 70 micrometre copper coating, and its components are arranged so that their magnetic fields interfere with each other as little as possible. The connection panel carries WBT nextgen binding posts with gold-plated copper bridges that accept one amplifier, two cable runs or two amplifiers, and the tweeter level is switchable in 1.5 dB increments. Magnets hold the fabric cover in place. Like the rest of the passive range, the speaker is assembled in Germany.

Pairing

With moderate efficiency and a low impedance limit, the Reference 2 suits solid-state stereo or mono power amplifiers comfortable with 4 ohm loads, and its high nominal capacity accepts high-output designs. For multichannel use, Canton offers the Reference Center and a Reference Sub rated at 750 W within this line.

Alternatives

The Canton Reference 3 is the smaller floorstanding model of the series with two 192 mm woofers and 500 W music power.