The recently released Smart series represents a new milestone for Canton. Until now, the company has been known for its loudspeakers; the first shelf loudspeaker appeared as early as 1972. However, to keep up with evolving times, multiroom components are becoming increasingly important. This also applies to the Smart Soundbox 3 multi-room loudspeaker and the Smart Sub 8 active wireless subwoofer (in black and silver). Of particular interest to us, however, are the components Smart Soundbar 10 and Smart Sounddeck 100, about which we provide an overview below.
Smart Soundbar 10
Weighing almost five and a half kilos, Soundbar 10 has a total of four woofers, two of which are mounted on top of the cabinet for Dolby Atmos, and two mid-range and tweeters each. It is clear that Dolby Atmos is a top priority for this model, meaning that the Soundbar is equipped with decoders for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital and DTS.
DTS:X is also in the planning stage, which will be added via an update. The weight of the Soundbar 10 is partly due to the fact that there is glass on the top. This gives it a chic finish and the touch elements for operation are also embedded in this surface.
Four HDMI connections (one output with ARC and three inputs with HDCP 2.2, 3D and 4K) and LAN are located on the rear of Soundbar 10. Otherwise, there are optical and coaxial digital connections, one RCA and one Sub Out. Of course, the Soundbar can be integrated into a Google Home Multiroom network. The On-Screen Display (OSD) function is also particularly functional.
Smart Sounddeck 100
The Sounddeck 100 is the jewel of the Canton range. It sits in an MDF case and weighs just over twelve kilos. Outstanding material, in combination with excellent workmanship, is something to see and hear. In addition to streaming and multiroom, the Dolby Atmos implementation is the most exciting thing about this model. However, since there are no top speakers, the 3D sound is generated four-way. In addition, a total of seven wireless speakers from the Smart series can be connected to the Sounddeck 100, bringing a real home cinema feeling to every living room. The model also features Chromecast, which highlights its flexibility in terms of streaming services and Google Home control. Voice control is only available via Google Home and smart devices, as the Sounddeck 100 does not have any built-in microphones. It is also possible to use Spotify Connect. A remote control is included.
A total of four HDMI connections with ARC and HDCP 2.2 are available to users*, including one output and three inputs including HDR10 support. There is also, of course, a LAN/network connection, one optical and one coaxial digital output, one analogue RCA output and a subwoofer per-out (for an external wired bass speaker). As mentioned at the beginning, the Sounddeck 100 does not have top firing speakers, but it does have four woofers and two aluminium cone mid-range speakers and two fabric cone tweeters.
Final Thoughts
Both models from Canton are high-quality manufactured soundbars that can play along with the other devices of the current upper class. The outstanding sound experience and the possibility of bringing real 5.1.2 sound into the living room via the expansions are crucial. But even without these expansions, they still deliver first-class sound.
