Subwoofers — Canton SUB 650

The SUB 650 is a powered subwoofer made by the Weilrod company Canton Elektronik, launched in 2011 as part of the Ergo family and still carried in the maker's range of free-placement subwoofers. Unlike most of Canton's current subs, it is dressed in real wood veneer, with black ash (item 03092), cherry (03094) and wenge (03096) offered. The recommended price at introduction was about EUR 1,349 per unit, which placed it below the SUB 1500 R and the Reference Sub in the catalogue of the time.

Key specs that matter

A single 310 mm (12 inch) aluminium cone is mounted face down. The digital amplifier is rated at 200 W nominal and 300 W music power. The stated frequency response is 20 Hz to 200 Hz, and the crossover can be moved from 45 Hz to 200 Hz. Phase switches in three positions - 0, 90 and 180 degrees. The cabinet measures 360 mm wide, 480 mm high and 500 mm deep and weighs 23.5 kg. Canton includes a remote control.

Engineering and use context

The aluminium diaphragm is built in two layers, and its edge uses Canton's wave surround, a profiled rubber roll that lets the cone make long strokes while its movement stays linear. Because the woofer fires down and the bass reflex port also opens toward the floor in a downport arrangement, neither driver nor port is seen from the front, and the floor acts as the loading surface for both. A massive MDF enclosure resists the pressure the long-throw driver builds inside. The amplifier has soft clipping, which rounds off the signal when it reaches its limit instead of cutting it hard, and Canton's SC technology adds a filter for infrasonic content below the useful band so that the cone does not waste excursion on signals that cannot be heard. A compensation circuit with three presets adjusts the low end to where the box stands - free, near a wall or in a corner. Automatic standby switching powers the amplifier up once input is detected, and a removable grille covers the driver.

Pairing

Connection runs through low-level cinch sockets and high-level screw terminals, each with a matching output. An AV receiver or preamplifier feeds it by the cinch LFE or sub pre-out, while a stereo amplifier without a sub output can drive it through its speaker terminals, and the outputs forward the signal to the main speakers or a second sub. The wood finishes suit Canton's veneered Ergo and Chrono loudspeakers.

Alternatives

The Canton SUB 1500 R is an active subwoofer with 500 W rated power, a titanium cone and a radio remote.