Полочная акустика — Canton GLE 30

The GLE 30 is the larger of the two compact passive speakers in the first generation GLE range from the Weilrod loudspeaker company Canton. This two-way reflex box is sold per piece at EUR 299 on the German Canton site, a figure that includes VAT but not shipping costs, and the maker describes it as suitable for free standing use, shelf placement or mounting in a rack.

Key specs that matter

A 174 mm woofer with a titanium diaphragm is combined with a 25 mm dome tweeter made of aluminium-manganese. The crossover frequency is 3,000 Hz. Canton rates the frequency range at 38 Hz to 40,000 Hz and the impedance at 4 to 8 ohm, with an efficiency of 89 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m. Load capacity is 90 W nominal and 140 W music. The cabinet measures 19 cm wide, 36 cm high and 28 cm deep, and each speaker weighs 6.4 kg.

Engineering and use context

Its port opens on the back panel. Both drivers sit in polycarbonate baskets, and the woofer uses a triple-folded wave surround. The tweeter is mounted in a waveguide meant to control dispersion. Finishes are black decor with a matt black front or white decor with a satin white front, and a fabric grille is fixed magnetically. Banana plugs fit the terminals. The two finish versions carry separate item numbers, 04182 for black decor and 04183 for white decor. Production is carried out in the Czech Republic. Each speaker is packed in a carton of 58 x 38 x 49 cm with a shipping weight of 15 kg.

Pairing

Canton lists the LS 660 as the matching speaker stand for the GLE 30. Within the maker's own catalogue the model is intended to sit in GLE home theater systems and can be combined with the Power Sub 12 subwoofer and the Smart Amp 5.1 amplifier. For a plain stereo setup, the 4 ohm lower limit of the impedance range calls for an amplifier specified into 4 ohm, while the good efficiency lets moderate output powers drive the pair. The compact model was later succeeded by the GLE 30 S2, which keeps the same music rating in a 19 x 36 x 27 cm cabinet and adds a walnut decor to the black and white versions. In that second generation Canton moved to Aluminium Titan Black woofers, Aluminium Black tweeters and an upgraded waveguide, and the family grew to four floorstanders from the 170 W GLE 70 S2 to the 380 W GLE 100 S2.

Alternatives

The Canton GLE 20 is the smaller two-way box of the original GLE line, built around a 154 mm bass-midrange driver.