Canton DM 60 2.1 Virtual Surround System - Black

Product Information

One of the secrets of Canton’s success is that it takes a hi-fi approach to its speaker design. The DM55 uses separate tweeters, midrange drivers and woofers for each channel (six drivers in total) powered by a 200W amplifier However, the Voice mode helps by boosting dialogue so you don’t have to crank it up quite as much. Good job, too, as the tonal quality of its dialogue is top-notch. The combination of a solid mid-range, expressive treble and subtle bass depth makes speech sound almost life-like, particularly Joe’s narration. The front mesh plays host to a bright blue LED display that disappears when idle. There are no buttons on the unit itself – everything is controlled by a stylish silver remote. A word of warning though – don’t be tempted to use the surround setting for music, as it’s too vague and unfocused.

The DM101 goes bigger still, fit for TVs 50 inches and bigger. It also has a 200W amp, but the number of mid-range drivers has been increased from two to four (two per channel). The deep bass rumbles with warmth and aggression, lending satisfying weight to punches and explosions while also being agile, taut and spirited when streaming heavy blues tunes from Spotify. Dimensions were 60 x 30 and a perfect match for the granite board! Maybe this was a bit of overkill, but better that than to try and change anything once the Kuro and Canton were in position. The current arrangement is: Sound modes include Stereo and DTS TruSurround, plus a new Voice mode that boosts speech and a Hotel mode that sets a maximum volume limit. The DM55 will also decode two-channel Dolby Digital.

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There are also bass, treble and lip sync adjustments, plus three EQ settings that let you match its acoustics to the location – EQ1 is for free-standing sideboard placement, select EQ2 if your TV is placed on top of the unit, while EQ3 is for placement on a unit or shelf. Canton DM50 – Operation It's worth noting that newer soundbases, such as the Sonos Playbase and the Q Acoustics M2, do include HDMI connectivity. What we have here is the newly updated Pyle PSBV600BT. Based on an already popular model, this version comes with a couple of added features - Bluetooth 3.0 streaming and an optical connection. This is added to the basic, and industry standard, 3.5mm aux and RCA inputs. For less than a hundred dollars, this might be everything you expect in terms of connectivity from a soundbase or any wireless speaker. Please don't get me wrong, it doesn't match a dedicated subwoofer for rumble - there's no trouser-flapping activity involved here. But in its own right and on its own terms, it's simply astounding and I'd be perfectly happy to watch films in future without firing up the 5.1. Once again Canton has shown the rest how it’s done with a soundbase that delivers an unusually powerful and refined performance. It’s every bit as impressive as the DM50, perhaps even more so, offering crisp sonic detail, dynamic midrange, excellent scale and commanding bass – the sort you simply don’t expect from such a slim box. The inclusion of Bluetooth apt-X is a huge bonus.

Obviously none of this is an issue if using the DM50 in stereo mode, which (as the What Hi-fi review and others have stated) may be preferred anyway. I'm not joking, the bass is truly stunning. The Canton has no right to produce such deep and plentiful bass from something so compact, it's an engineering miracle! Now this is purely coincidental, but the dimensions of my TV stand are 56 cm wide x 30 cm deep, the Canton is 55 x 30 and it fits absolutely perfectly and blends seamlessly, almost like they were designed to work together. Add this to the weight factor mentioned earlier (the Canton can support tellies up to 40 kilos) and the only other competition was the Maxell SB3000, which looked like an absolute beast and would be far more dominant aesthetically. Re the downmixed PCM performance: have you tried switching the Canton to stereo mode when using that? You may prefer it, as it'll be cutting out any 'surround' processing.Canton can do no wrong when it comes to their DM range, with both the DM50 and DM55 being highly rated and even winning awards for their design and sound. It’s been three years since the release of the DM55, so now is as good a time as any to bring a new base into the world and hopefully add to the long list of Canton’s success. To access the advanced sound settings, hold down the “play mode” or “sound” buttons and use the volume keys to turn them on and off. The setup menu is predictably basic on the three-digit display, but it’s better than the cryptic flashing lights used by other soundbases. One of the things that traditional home theater systems can do that sound bases definitely cannot is surround sound. Try as you might, and no matter how amazing the drivers are in your new base, they are not going to be able to convince you that things are happening above and around you, as it would be with 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound. Then again: that’s not really their purpose. A sound base is there to offer a step up from a traditional soundbar: a convenient, one box solution that will often offer stellar sound. And while it doesn’t have as many speaker options in its arsenal, in terms of spacing, the quality of the drivers and the algorithms behind them can often do a passing imitation of what surround sound might be like, even if it’s nothing like the real thing.

There are metal feet underneath that not only add to the DM55’s air of class, but also add enough of a gap to allow the two downward-firing woofers underneath the base to work properly. and I have put my hand on top of the glass shelf whilst something was booming out and have felt no vibration at all. Another minor bum note is Surround mode, which does little to enhance your enjoyment, aside from a gentle widening of the soundstage. It’s fine but you lose the directness of Stereo mode. You might reasonably ask why we haven’t placed this one higher, and that’s because it has one glaring flaw. You can stream Bluetooth, but only up to the Bluetooth 3.0 standard. That is, to put it mildly, completely insane. Even the cheapest wireless earbuds these days are using Bluetooth 4.2 or even 5.0, so it makes no sense at all why the DM76 has such neutered Bluetooth capabilities. If you can live with that, it’s a good buy, but a very puzzling one.I lived with this arrangement fairly happily but always kept an eye on soundbar technology and improvements over the years. I do have 5.1 Surround Sound, but I also had my telly professionally calibrated and there was always a sense that the picture was far superior to the potential sound, that it was adequate but no more. Having said this, we still love them. When making your choice, consider the space you have, the placement you’d like for your speaker, and whether you want to add any other speakers to the mix. Remember that many bases require a pretty open space to emit sound as opposed to a bar which can be placed almost anywhere as the speaker grills are only really at the front. Another new feature is an Eco mode that automatically goes into standby if a signal isn’t detected for an hour (although it’s disabled if auto power is activated).