In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Canton. Canton Reference 9 2023 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Reference 7 2023 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Canton Reference 9 2023 and Canton Reference 7 2023 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Canton Reference 9 2023 | Canton Reference 7 2023 |
|---|
| Brand | Canton
Germany · founded 1972 | Canton
Germany · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6.85" |
|---|
| Woofer | — | 2 x 6.85" Aluminum ceramic tungsten (Wave-surround) |
|---|
| Frequency response | 25-40k Hz | 23-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | — |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 125-220 watts | 160-320 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.14kg / 39.9lbs | 33.11kg / 72.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 17.7" x 10.2" x 15.4"
449.6 x 259.1 x 391.2mm | 38.5" x 11" x 17"
977.9 x 279.4 x 431.8mm |
|---|
What size room are the Canton Reference 9 2023 and Canton Reference 7 2023 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Canton Reference 9 2023 |
Canton Reference 7 2023 |
| Near-field |
Good |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Reference 9 2023 is a 2-way design whereas the Reference 7 2023 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Canton Reference 9 2023Canton Reference 7 2023
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Canton Reference 9 2023 |
Canton Reference 7 2023 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.85-inch |
|
Woofer
|
x -inch
|
2 x 6.85-inch
|
Reference 9 2023 features a 1" Aluminum ceramic oxyd Tweeter and x " Woofer. On the other hand, the Reference 7 2023 features a 1" Aluminum oxyd ceramic Tweeter, a 6.85" Midrange and 2 x 6.85" Aluminum ceramic tungsten (Wave-surround) Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 190 / 3200 Hz.
Frequency Response
Reference 9 2023 has a frequency range of 25-40k Hz whereas Reference 7 2023 has a frequency range of 23-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 23Hz, the Reference 7 2023 can go slightly deeper then the Reference 9 2023's min frequency of 25Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Reference 7 2023 can handle a max power of 320 watts RMS, whereas Reference 9 2023 has a max power handling value of 220 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Reference 7 2023.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Reference 9 2023 features Binding post type posts and Reference 7 2023 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Canton Reference 9 2023's and Canton Reference 7 2023's external dimensions. Canton Reference 9 2023 has external dimensions of 449.6 x 259.1 x 391.2mm (17.7 x 10.2 x 15.4inch) whereas Canton Reference 7 2023 has external dimensions of 977.9 x 279.4 x 431.8mm (38.5 x 11 x 17inch).
Canton Reference 7 2023 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 20.3mm wider, 528.3mm taller and 40.6mm deeper than Canton Reference 9 2023.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Canton Reference 7 2023 needs about 19% more floor or shelf area. Canton Reference 7 2023 is 41mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Canton Reference 7 2023 is 528mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Canton Reference 9 2023 is approximately 1013.6cm2 / 157.1inch2 and base area of the Canton Reference 7 2023 is approximately 1206.4cm2 / 187.0inch2. The Reference 9 2023 requires 16% less surface area than the Reference 7 2023 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.