Напольная акустика — Canton GLE 90 AR S2

The GLE 90 AR S2 is a passive tower from the S2 generation of the GLE line from Canton in Germany, and it combines a conventional three-way front speaker with a Dolby Atmos height module integrated at the top of one cabinet. The idea is to deliver overhead effects in a home cinema without fitting separate ceiling or height speakers. Canton lists it under item number 04550 in black at a German price of EUR 1,149 and under 04551 in white.

Key specs that matter

The front section uses two 192 mm ATB woofers, a 174 mm ATB midrange and a 25 mm AB tweeter set in an integrated waveguide. ATB stands for Aluminium Titan Black and AB for Aluminium Black, the cone and dome materials Canton uses in this range. The Atmos section is a two-way upfiring module with a titanium mid-bass driver and a second 25 mm AB tweeter. Front crossover points are 300 Hz and 3,200 Hz, and the height module divides at 3,200 Hz. Canton gives a range of 20 Hz to 40,000 Hz for the main speaker and 50 Hz to 30,000 Hz for the height part, an impedance of 4 to 8 ohm and an efficiency of 90.5 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m. Load ratings are 150 W nominal and 320 W music for the front section and 60 W nominal and 100 W music for the Atmos module. The cabinet measures 21 x 117 x 30 cm and each speaker weighs 22 kg.

Engineering and use context

This is a 3-way and 2-way passive bass reflex design with a resonator that fires to the back of the cabinet. There is no amplifier inside, so both sections are driven by an external receiver. The Atmos module has its own pair of terminals, which lets an AV receiver feed the front channel and a height channel separately to the same box. The upfiring drivers send sound toward the ceiling, from where it reflects down to the seat. The cabinet rests on integrated feet that lift it off the floor and decouple it. Finishes are black or white wood decor with a satin painted front, and magnetic fabric grilles come in matching colours. Terminals accept banana plugs, and Canton gives five years of warranty.

Pairing

To use the height module, the owner needs Atmos decoding in the receiver or processor and spare amplifier channels for the height outputs, and Canton names its own Smart Amp 5.1 as an example. The impedance that falls to 4 ohm calls for an amplifier rated into that load, while the high efficiency keeps power demands moderate. Because the height effect depends on reflection, a flat ceiling above the listening area is needed.

Alternatives

The Canton GLE 90 S2 is the same series floorstander without the integrated Atmos module.