In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Canton. Canton Reference Center 2023 is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Reference 2 2023 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Canton Reference Center 2023 and Canton Reference 2 2023 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Canton Reference Center 2023 | Canton Reference 2 2023 |
|---|
| Brand | Canton
Germany · founded 1972 | Canton
Germany · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.85" | 6.85" |
|---|
| Woofer | — | 2 x 8.62" Black ceramic tungsten |
|---|
| Frequency response | 25-40k Hz | 19-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | — | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 130-230 watts | 370-630 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 25.95kg / 57.1lbs | 61.69kg / 135.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 10.6" x 27.5" x 15.3"
269.2 x 698.5 x 388.6mm | 45.6" x 13.7" x 20.9"
1158.2 x 348.0 x 530.9mm |
|---|
What size room are the Canton Reference Center 2023 and Canton Reference 2 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 Center 2023 |
Canton Reference 2 2023 |
| Near-field |
Good |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
Average |
(* 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 Center 2023 is a 2-way design whereas the Reference 2 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 Center 2023Canton Reference 2 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 Center 2023 |
Canton Reference 2 2023 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.85-inch |
1 x 6.85-inch |
|
Woofer
|
x -inch
|
2 x 8.62-inch
|
Reference Center 2023 features a 1" Aluminum ceramic oxyd Tweeter, a 6.85" Midrange and x " Woofer. On the other hand, the Reference 2 2023 features a 1" Aluminum oxyd ceramic Tweeter, a 6.85" Midrange and 2 x 8.62" Black ceramic tungsten Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160 / 3000 Hz.
Frequency Response
Reference Center 2023 has a frequency range of 25-40k Hz whereas Reference 2 2023 has a frequency range of 19-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 19Hz, the Reference 2 2023 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Reference Center 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 Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
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 2 2023 can handle a max power of 630 watts RMS, whereas Reference Center 2023 has a max power handling value of 230 watts RMS, 400 watts less than the Reference 2 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 Center 2023 features Binding post type posts and Reference 2 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 Center 2023's and Canton Reference 2 2023's external dimensions. Canton Reference Center 2023 has external dimensions of 269.2 x 698.5 x 388.6mm (10.6 x 27.5 x 15.3inch) whereas Canton Reference 2 2023 has external dimensions of 1158.2 x 348.0 x 530.9mm (45.6 x 13.7 x 20.9inch).
Canton Reference Center 2023 is 889mm shorter and 142.3mm less deeper than Canton Reference 2 2023 but it is also 350.5mm wider.
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 Center 2023 needs about 47% more floor or shelf area. Canton Reference 2 2023 is 142mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Canton Reference 2 2023 is 889mm 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 Center 2023 is approximately 2714.4cm2 / 420.7inch2 and base area of the Canton Reference 2 2023 is approximately 1847.5cm2 / 286.4inch2. The Reference Center 2023 requires 47% more surface area than the Reference 2 2023 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.