Hello, long time lurker of the older Superb forum and I now keep coming back to the S3 Superb as a do it all mile muncher/family holdall.

 

Regarding options; I really enjoy my music so usually spec the uprated factory audio equipment but there seems to be a lack of feedback regarding the Canton setup on the S3.

 

I remember back when it was announced that the Octavia 3 could have it optioned, even before launch, there was a lot of talk of this topic. As soon as they started hitting the showrooms people seemed to post comments regarding comparisons between the standard system and the Canton set up but I cant find any such specific details regarding the S3's Canton system. 

 

If anyone could offer any views that would be great, thanks.

 

 

Hello, long time lurker of the older Superb forum and I now keep coming back to the S3 Superb as a do it all mile muncher/family holdall.

Regarding options; I really enjoy my music so usually spec the uprated factory audio equipment but there seems to be a lack of feedback regarding the Canton setup on the S3.

I remember back when it was announced that the Octavia 3 could have it optioned, even before launch, there was a lot of talk of this topic. As soon as they started hitting the showrooms people seemed to post comments regarding comparisons between the standard system and the Canton set up but I cant find any such specific details regarding the S3's Canton system.

If anyone could offer any views that would be great, thanks.

I've got the new Canton system in my L&K and the only word to describe it is fantastic! I haven't listened to the standard stereo to compare it to but I can compare it to Bose from my past Audi A4, Jbl in my Peugeot and Bose again when I test drove the new Mazda. It beats them hands down. I have only got the volume to 2 thirds so far and it's it loud, clear without being distorted. The bass from the sub is clean and crisp with a punch. I didn't really expect it to be so good but honestly it is. If you don't go for the l&k I would deffinatly spend money and add this as a option!

Thank you for the feedback, sounds good (excuse the pun!)

 

Given a decent quality sound file, the Octy 3 Canton setup sounded good to my ears so I already guessed the Superb offering should be at least as good as that! Thanks again.

I think I posted about this a while back. Essentially my view was that the standard sound system is pretty poor compared to what I'm used to. The Canton system was significantly better, rating as OK/quite good on my scale. However, the testing was pretty flawed as it was a rushed situation and the cars were stationary at the time. The Canton has a clever DSP (I believe it's an Alpine unit) that attempts noise cancellation - this might help quite a lot.

Also, these units tend to need some time in use before delivering their best and I don't think this applied in my tests.

Suffice to say that I've ordered Canton in my S3, even though it's money down the drain on a 2 year lease!

The Canton has a clever DSP (I believe it's an Alpine unit) that attempts noise cancellation - this might help quite a lot.

Also, these units tend to need some time in use before delivering their best and I don't think this is applied in my tests

The question I want to know is how good is it at cancelling out road and engine noise? That would be a major plus point for me to spec it over 19" alloys if it worked both when head unit is on or off.

If there was an option to turn that function off, can someone with Canton take a drive with it switched on, then off and back on again (minus music) then provide some feedback on its ability or lack off to resuce background noise pls?

I agree about the speakers requiring a run in and the system a burn in before optimal sound is produced. I had a speaker hifi setup that I almost took back to the shop as it sounded so bad. They said give it a decent volume and continuous music or varying types for a couple of days (20hrs they recommended) to 1. Exercise the speakers, 2. Put a currant through the system to blow out any electrical cobwebs to turn a phrase.

It worked a treat and they have improved even more over the last 6 years. Good things come to those who wait

2. Put a currant through the system to blow out any electrical cobwebs to turn a phrase.

 

That's called raisin' the audio quality ;-)

 

I would also love to know how well it works - hopefully one of these L&Kers will be able to find out...

Edited 13 October, 201510 yr by thewinelake

Just an update. I went to look at three Superbs yesterday. One was an L&K 220 DSG Hatch so had the Canton fitted. I used music on my phone (320kb quality) to connect and stream via Bluetooth on this and their 190 SEL Exec Estate (standard speakers with Columbus) to compare. There's no doubt whatsoever that Canton is (pretty obviously) better but also that it is worth the money. Id say it was in line with Audi' £1000 Bose systems in most regards except outright bass weight/control. This was the systems overall weakness. It appeared to be a typical case of pushing a physically small sub too hard or supplying it with a slightly underpowered amp. The bass was either on the weaker side or present but overblown and not controlled too well, making it sound as though the timing was out. I found better results were gotten by keeping the sub volume down to neutral (or between 0-4 at most) in the settings and increased slightly under 'Bass' in the EQ adjustment. I'm sure more time would allow me to dial it in more precisely but as id already done 15 minutes of listening I though it time to move on!

 

It was great to have the opportunity to compare though and in terms of volume, separation, detail and sound stage I have no doubt whatsoever its well worth the £600 upgrade. I am a bit of an audiophile though so the bass control was a little disappointing.

Luckily there's plenty of room in the boot for you to add some additional aftermarket bass too!

The question I want to know is how good is it at cancelling out road and engine noise? That would be a major plus point for me to spec it over 19" alloys if it worked both when head unit is on or off.

If there was an option to turn that function off, can someone with Canton take a drive with it switched on, then off and back on again (minus music) then provide some feedback on its ability or lack off to resuce background noise pls?

 

 

The supposed noise cancelling abiolity of the Canton system is, to me, one of THE most important things about the Superb III ..........................IF it is as the description sounds, that is. I suspect however it isn't what some people are assuming it to be, unfortunately.

 

If there truly is an ability to counteract road and engine noise, then I find it bizarre that it would not have been flagged as a key advance, rather than just a little ( unexplained ) mention in the brochure when describing the attributes of the optional Canton system.

 

I have asked about it but have been given varying answers. I think most people you ask simply do not know so answer based on their assumptions.

 

If I could significantly cancel the horrible drone and roar of car noise then it is, to me, holy grail !

The supposed noise cancelling abiolity of the Canton system is, to me, one of THE most important things about the Superb III ..........................IF it is as the description sounds, that is. I suspect however it isn't what some people are assuming it to be, unfortunately.

 

If there truly is an ability to counteract road and engine noise, then I find it bizarre that it would not have been flagged as a key advance, rather than just a little ( unexplained ) mention in the brochure when describing the attributes of the optional Canton system.

 

I have asked about it but have been given varying answers. I think most people you ask simply do not know so answer based on their assumptions.

 

If I could significantly cancel the horrible drone and roar of car noise then it is, to me, holy grail !

 

Mog-Puss Their isn't much of a horrible drone and roar of car noise to cancel in the first place in the S III !

If you want even better sound quality from Canton (and standard) , avoid using bluetooth audio, its bit rate is pretty poor so even a 320kbps MP3 maybe degraded slightly due to data overheads. BT Audio standard bitrate for BT Audio in consumer grade equipment is 384kbps, and that assumes your music source is pretty close to the BT antenna in the car, the further away you go, just like WIFI the bitrate drops to maintain consistent (not always good) audio quality and connection.

 

To get the best out of the system put your music on SD cards and play directly from the headunit where IIRC the MIB Columbus can play FLAC (Lossless) files, there is no point playing FLAC files over BT Audio because it will be transcoded to around 320kbps for the Bluetooth hop.

Good point. Presumably a USB cable would be another way (eg if you want to listen to Spotify premium)

Mog-Puss Their isn't much of a horrible drone and roar of car noise to cancel in the first place in the S III !

 

There will be in terms of my tinnitus and hearing loss.

 

There certainly is with my MkII, a car vastly overated for quietness. It certainly isn't. Fundamentally, the Superb is not a luxury build of car. It's great on a lovely road, but as soon as it hits an average or poor one noise comes up mechanichally and past the inadequate lagging, to make too much noise in the cabin. And yes I am careful with what tyres I use. Also, that VW 2L diesel, is just waay noisier in town than what I have noticed with Ford - shockingly quieter.

A Merc S Class for example, is a luxury build of car and when you hit an average or poor road, it makes far less of a change.

 

Skoda liikes to use the slogan "Simply Clever" and it is. The company scored a huge win with the clever optimising for leg room. So it's like, why spend so much on a luxury car when you can have nearly as much legroom for an average car price ? Brilliant !

Now how about, why spend so much on a luxury car to get quiet when you can get it for an average car price ?

 

You're not going to get that latter attribute from the kind of build possible in the Superb. B.t.w. it annoys me that there isn't extra barrier treatment in the higher models of the MkII and presumably in the MkIII as well. But nowadays you CAN get it, or a great deal of it, electronically.

It has taken a lot of research to get workable systems in a car. It is not as simple as it is with noise cancelling headphones like you use on a flight, otherwise we would have seen it many years ago. It is far more complicated to do it in an open cabin of a car and with the variety of noise types to have to deal with.

 

I have taken an interest in this because of my own ear problems and when I read that little mention in the brochure about noise cancellation, I got a cautious spike of excitement. I say cautious, because if it really were what I hoped it to be, it would surely be bigged up as a breakthrough and big selling point in the manner I described above.

 

When I heard about the MkIII superb coming, I was really, really, really hoping, that Skoda would be the smart company we know it to be and get involved with Harman Kardon, whose suite of technologies they call "Halo Sonic", seem to offer greatest promise. Alas no, they had not.

 

I suspect, hoping to be wrong here, that the "noise cancellation" in the Canton system is not very much like the Halo Sonic technology. I suspect in the Canton it is about altering the music programme to compensate for noise, rather than an attempt to actually cancel car noise as such. I do hope to be proved wrong though !

Edited 25 October, 201510 yr by Mog-Puss

Sounds like Superb 3 isn't the car for you Mog ? Maybe better to spend a little more on a 'premium' brand then be unhappy ? I can only speak from personal experience but I was delighted with how quiet my Scout was and was astounded with my Superb.

For me it's on a whole new level.

Sounds like Superb 3 isn't the car for you Mog ? Maybe better to spend a little more on a 'premium' brand then be unhappy ?

 

+1 it certainly sounds like it will be too much of a compromise for you especially as you do not want to go larger than 17” wheels.

 

Hope you find a car that fits your criteria. 

The Superb MkIII is very much a car for me. For so many reasons, it is a car for me.  A car of a fundamentally luxury build is not just a little more expensive but massively so and if you buy second hand then you risk big repair bills at some point. No I prefer the idea of the Skoda.

 

I just wish Skoda would be the clever, smart people they are and incorporate noise cancelling technology of the level that has recently become real, into their clever cars.

 

It would be the cake and eat solutiuon like they provide with the legroom.

 

I keep an open mind abouty the Canton, obviously, and await reports from people using it and perhaps a tech who really knows about it, to define what it's "noise cancelling" abilities actually are.

And on the wheel thing, with a good electronic cancellation system in place, you could happily spec the largest wheels, which do look good after all.

Mog you have my sympathy. I have tinnitus as well but not really badly at the moment and I know it effects people in different ways. I just have a constant whistle.

The noise cancelling is interesting though because my only exposure to it is headphones. In fact I'm wearing a pair as I type this !

Do any other manufacturers offer it at the moment ?

I'm sure one of our lucky L&K owners will jump in to test it for you !

There have been more rudimentary attempts in the past. Some manufacturers have long placed a simple device in the engine bay to try to counteract engine noise.

 

Bose has been known with some US manufacturers ( and Honda ? ) to have made a system with a degree of active noise cancellation, but I don't know how successful it has been. Proabably not.

 

I am given to understand that significant progress has been made nowadays and that really effective solutions are available if only car manufacturers would adopt it as OEM in their cars.  If only they would realise the potential for sales, in being able to say , hey how about an average car price but as quiet as a luxury class car build ?

 

It is difficult getting information though. For example, Harman Kardon's system , Halo Sonic as they refer to it, is built in to certain US models, but as far as Europe goes, it remains unclear which manufacturer(s) has signed up. They are not communicative, at all.

 

If Canton have developed anything - even quite like - Halo Sonic, then I tell you this, I'd get rid of my MkII as soon as I could get an MkIII delivered !  Seriously. The Superb MkIII is an ideal car ( taxi ) for me in all other respects. If I can get active noise cancellation now, then I'd get my MkIII now.

The technology is actually used both ways. The new 2.3 I4 Mustang pumps out a "rumble" through the stereo to give a better impression of a muscle car to the driver as the engine runs near silent.

Not required on the V8

Engine noise creation is a "fun" aspect of these technology suites. There are lots of cars with that kind of thing. Didn't Skoda already have that on the Octavia with Canton a while back ?  It is easily done, compared to active noise cancellation.

 

It is a simple aspect of Halo Sonic, offerering this too. I'll give you a link to Halo Sonic below.

 

A related thing is the production of external warning noise, on EV cars, for pedestrian safety.

 

The difficult thing to do and the exciting aspect of noise manipulation, is the cancellation of road and engine noise, in the cabin.

 

 

Halo Sonic links :

 

Harman's dedicated department website :

 

http://www.halosonic.co.uk/

 

 

A Youtube video to show it in action :

 

 

 

Another feature of interest, in more detail :

 

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/harman-wants-quiet-ride-using-tech-behind-noise-cancelling-headphones/

 

 

This is the HOLY GRAIL !

 

 

I look forward with interest to learning more about what the Canton system is, and is not.

 

I suspect it won't be what I'm hoping for but if not, I would encourage Skoda to get interested.  It would be the ultimate application of "Simply Clever" and if anyone has lines of communication to people who could make it happen, please convey what I'm saying.  It makes sense - "Luxury car quiet for an average car price ".

Edited 25 October, 201510 yr by Mog-Puss

I don't know if the S3 has sound cancellation but I find the noise level in my car ideal.

I may be an odd-man-out but I actually want to hear the engine and tyres.

The first gives me an audible warning of any possible developing faults and the latter gives me feedback on road grip, particularly in colder weather.

 

 

Engine noise creation is a "fun" aspect of these technology suites. There are lots of cars with that kind of thing. Didn't Skoda already have that on the Octavia with Canton a while back ?  It is easily done, compared to active noise cancellation.

Whether it's true or not, and I have no reason to doubt the source (a police driving school), the Octavia VRS plays a fake engine growl over the speakers when it's in Sport.

BillyJim, the "noise cancellation" ability is on the Canton upgraded sound system, but what it actually means it does is an open question that I was trying to promt by contriubting to this thread. I may also do a more decicated thread on this matter.

 

To want noise, as in your case, is a perfectly valid stance to take, each to their own and all that. For me, I'd take complete silence, if I could. Of course no system could do that but what has become to be at least available nowadays in technological terms, can vastly reduce fatiguing noise. If only car manufacturers would show a greater and more urgent interest in adopting it.

 

I suspect for now that the " cancellation" feature of the Canton stystem is not really what I am seeking ( but I hope to be proved wrong ! ).

 

If not, I hope to stimulate interest in such a system, fwiw. I really do think it would be the ultimate smart move by Skoda in offering another giant killer advantage.

You've cracked the legroom, now do the quiet, kind of thing.

 

And for those who don't want cancellation, they could keep it off, or apply it moderately, or not spec the system that has it.

I suspect you're right. How about Lexus? They always seem quite quiet to me

Our fears are confirmed, it is not noise cancelling, more noise counteracting as in it adjusts the music equalizer to counter engine noise etc.

Quote below taken straight from the engineering description manual (790pg's+):

DSP – Digital Sound Processor

A part of the amplifier, the DSP is designed to calculate algorithms used when processing digital audio signal. DSP parametrization is carried out at the end of the vehicle production line (End Of Line proces). During this procedure, the unit is loaded with parameters which are later used to process the audio signal. The parameters differ by type (limousine, combi) and the car's equipment (fabric or leather interior). The DSP processes signal for each speaker individually. Among other, the DSP calculates the VNS function (Vehicle Noise Cancellation). Based on the engine rotation speed and the vehicle speed, the equalization is modified in real time in order to eliminate the noise of the vehicle.

Shame, I thought they had been clever but for £600 what can you expect! I was hoping for a system that works even when the radio is off, I.e. it is a full time passive system.

I still ordered it though.