Subwoofers — Canton Smart Sub 8

The Smart Sub 8 is the compact cube-shaped member of Canton's Smart subwoofer range, a powered bass unit that joins the German maker's wireless soundbars and speakers without a cable run but can also be wired to other equipment. Canton prices it at EUR 649, and the two finishes carry separate item numbers, 03997 for black semi-gloss and 04149 for white semi-gloss. The company also bundles it with its soundbars, for instance in the Smart Soundbar 10 Entertainment Set and in a Smart Soundbar 9 plus Smart Sub 8 set.

Key specs that matter

The cabinet is 27 cm wide, 33 cm high and 27 cm deep and the unit weighs 8.5 kg, while the shipping carton measures 35 x 44 x 35 cm at 9.71 kg. Inside the closed box an 8 inch (219 mm) woofer made of cellulose and graphite points at the floor. Canton rates the built-in amplifier and the driver at 200 W music power and quotes a transmission range from 27 Hz to 150 Hz, adjustable through a connected Smart product. The crossover point can be moved between 50 Hz and 200 Hz, which allows it to take over bass from small satellites or from larger speakers. In ECO standby it uses 0.32 W.

Engineering and use context

Whereas the flat Smart Sub 10 spreads a similar driver across a wide low box, this model packs it into a compact cube, so it needs less floor area and fits beside a TV cabinet or in a corner. A downward-firing cone sends its output towards the floor, from where it spreads out evenly in all directions, so the front of the cube does not need to face the seats. Canton's SC technology works in the signal processing to keep output stable and limit distortion as the level rises. The phase and volume settings, and the channel level relative to the other speakers, are handled from the Smart device that controls the system rather than on the cabinet itself. The sub wakes when a signal is present and returns to standby when the signal ends. The feet are height adjustable, with provision for spikes and for absorbers depending on the floor.

Pairing

The Smart Sub 8 connects wirelessly to Canton Smart soundbars and Smart speakers, and a cable link to third-party amplifiers or AV receivers is also supported for use in a conventional hi-fi or home cinema system outside the Canton Smart range.

Alternatives

The Canton Smart Sub 10 uses a woofer of the same size in a flat 42 x 16 x 42 cm cabinet with a glass top, which can be hung on a wall and costs EUR 749.