Canton DM 900 Soundbar and Wireless Subwoofer Preview

We've been reviewing Canton loudspeakers (Karat Reference 2) pretty much since Audioholics came into existence. One of their earliest design concepts was to put out the best speakers in their class. That was a long time ago but it doesn't seem like they've let up on that goal. Their newest offering is a soundbar and wireless subwoofer that has a lot of people talking. The Canton DM 900 solution includes not only a wireless subwoofer but also Bluetooth connectivity and high-end audio decoding. While we don't know the price yet, we're looking forward to learning more about this soundbar solution, perhaps at CEDIA 2013 in a few weeks.

It is easy to shove a few drivers into a plastic enclosure and call it a soundbar. Canton has the lineage to make sure that their soundbar not only looks good, but sounds good as well. The DM 900 features a soundbar and wireless subwoofer. The soundbar is 35 by 2.4 by 2.6 inches. While it won't touch the newest, super-thin and super expensive OLED screens - those are curved and can't be wall mounted anyhow. At just over two and a half inches thick, it should do well under most wall-mounted displays.

Unlike many soundbars, the DM 900 is designed to work without a receiver. It has digital audio inputs (one each coaxial and optical) and an analogue audio input (RCA. There is a subwoofer for those that want to connect to a different sub. The included sub is wireless and connects via a 5.8Ghz connection. The DM 900 soundbar can decode Dolby Digital, DTS, and DTS True Surround HD. It has an integrated wall mount and comes in either black or white.

The subwoofer is wireless, has a 200 watt amp, and features a 9" driver (we've seen it reported as 8" but the website says 9"). It is 10.6 by 13 by 11 inches which is fairly large for this type of soundbar solution. Usually we see manufacturers pairing their soundbars with tiny, shoebox-sized subs that chuff out more air than actual music. With a subwoofer of this size, you can be assured that there will be some actual bass being played. Canton rates the DM 900 down to 30Hz which, while possible, seems a bit generous. Honestly, with a wireless sub/soundbar solution, we'd be happy to see real performance down to 40Hz. Canton lists the DM 900 subwoofer as a "passive membrane" solution which sounds like it has a passive radiator instead of a port. If this is true (we're not sure, we don't see anywhere where they may have put a passive radiator), it may make placement a bit easier.

The DM 900 soundbar features four 2" midranges and two 1" fabric tweeters and an 100 watt amp to power them. The system is rated up to 23kHz. It has a lip-sync function to correct for any delays and presets to correct for different placements/rooms. As an added feature, the DM 900 has Bluetooth capabilities for connecting to your mobile device. Sporting the aptX codec, this allows for high quality streaming from your portable device or Bluetooth-enabled computer. 

Conclusion

If you are a fan of Canton and are looking for a bedroom system, the DM 900 should be on your list. Given that it doesn't require a receiver and you can connect up to two digital sources, it makes it a perfect solution for a small room. Add a real subwoofer with a wireless connection, Bluetooth streaming, lip-sync, and more and the only question we have is, "How much?" We'll likely have to wait until CEDIA to find out.

For more information, please visit www.canton.de.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.