While I wait for my build week I'm interested in people opinions of the Canton sound system?

 

Any audiophiles out there care to review it?

It's a good system and I'm pleased with mine.

It's in a car which is not the best soundstage so don't expect miracles when doing 70 on a motorway. Accept the limits that any car under £150k is likely to introduce and you should be pleased with it.

It's ok, but preferred BOSE system in previous A6 I had.

I've got it as an extra in a SE Business.

Very glad to have it over the basic system.

It has grown on me - a combination of the speakers loosening up and my getting used to it.

It's a very different style to the Audi's Bose - The Bose is "beefier" with a more powerful bass and more power generally, but I think the Canton has a touch more elegance.

Note that the speakers in the rear doors hardly work at all - not sure if this is by design, but for front-seat passengers that's irrelevant!

I had a decent system in my previous car, and I sometimes miss the ability of that system to go loud without distorton (but it was a convertible, so perhaps needed it more!). The Canton does distort at loud volumes, but I guess one probably shouldn't be going that loud anyway....

Hmm, that's a bit disappointing to hear about the distortion I would have hoped that a system of this calibrate would be able to deliver at all volumes

Remember Canton provide the speakers not the amp.

Canton is really a good system but only when you are not using Columbus/Bolero as the DSP or player of the file. If you stream music from Apple Music HQ, interestingly, it sounds much better using external sources. It is also the case for FLAC files. 

I got it as standard and i don't know how the standard system sounds but need to lower the output of subwoofer as its a bit too much base for my taste. Compared to my 6 speaker Lancer its much more powerful and clean sound. 

It is wise not to expect too much from the system, as Felis says above it is just a car sound system.. It is a decent set up and I find it especially good for classical stuff that needs a wide soundstage. Like many other car systems I have had it does not cope well with head banging stuff too well but at my age that is no longer an issue 

 

I cant say how much better or worse it is than the other Superb systems but I would think twice before paying for it as an add on extra.

Hmm, that's a bit disappointing to hear about the distortion I would have hoped that a system of this calibrate would be able to deliver at all volumes

I don't know if it's source dependent but I haven't been able to make mine distort even at uncomfortable volumes. I think it's very good indeed.

People want different things from their car audio - for my music it is perfect. I can clearly hear the piano string dampers on a good recording and the Dolby surround is excellent.

Got it as an extra and no regrets. Friend bought a new octavia a month before me with the default sound and he already spent more time and money to buy and put in a decent sound system.(Canton is still better)

Superb's standard is likely a bit better than octiavia's, but still.

It's pretty good -- OK, not as good as the JBL studio monitors I use at home, but a lot better than most car sound systems, the sound is quite neutral and accurate rather than exaggerated or coloured. The sub is fine once you turn the level down, though you're conscious that the low frequencies are coming from somewhere behind you. The central speakers on the dash do help to give a much solider sound image than systems with only left/right speakers.

In short: better then most standard audio systems in cars, but worse then most quality speakers at home.As IanJD says, it's a strange sensation when you hear the bass coming from behind.

I've come from a 10 speaker McIntosh system in the Subaru and this is so damn good by comparison. Louder by a long shot and far clearer. It is also (IMO) better than the Bose System in our Mazda, the Bose system in my mums Saab (which admittedly is now about 7 years old) and it's also better than the Mark Levinson(I think) system in my fathers Lexus.

The only car system I've had experience with which I think trumps it is the B&O system in the Audi A8... But then again that's a lot more expensive car.

In short: better then most standard audio systems in cars, but worse then most quality speakers at home.As IanJD says, it's a strange sensation when you hear the bass coming from behind.

Of course it depends what you mean by "most quality speakers at home". If you mean proper high-quality hi-fi or monitor speakers as bought by people who really care about sound quality, agreed. If you mean the much more common speakers that come with "all-in-one" or "home cinema" or "PC speakers" -- which is what far more people have -- then the Canton system is almost certainly better. Just trying to set expectations here...

To put things in perspective....Naim for Bentley system is the price of a Skoda Citigo.

I specified it as an option on an SE-L exec and I'm still glad I did.

I am much happier with the sound quality when compared against the upgraded hi-fi  fitted to the 3 series I owned prior to the Superb.

Thanks for all the comments guys, I'm looking forward to hearing for myself now :-)

Of course it depends what you mean by "most quality speakers at home". If you mean proper high-quality hi-fi or monitor speakers as bought by people who really care about sound quality, agreed. If you mean the much more common speakers that come with "all-in-one" or "home cinema" or "PC speakers" -- which is what far more people have -- then the Canton system is almost certainly better. Just trying to set expectations here...

Agreed, I meant the typical B&W, Klipsch, Focal, ... speakers, not the Samsung "Home-theater" things .

I have it on the SE Business and I'm glad I ordered it. What it lacks in absolute oomph in the bass it gives you in the midrange and treble with a lovely open clean sound that lets you hear the separation of sounds, and spend a bit of time tuning the sub and you can begin to appreciate it. You hear the best of it in the front as somebody said the rear speakers are only tweeters and midrange not sure why it is set up that way it seems a waste of units unless with the sub in the boot the bass would be overpowering. 

 

To be fair you can't, and shouldn't, compare it to a half decent home set up but I don't think you will be disappointed. As for distortion I haven't experienced it and I play moderately loud sometimes, IMO you would need to drive it uncomfortably loud to hear distortion, is it more likely the distortion is in the source or a faulty unit. Finally use flac files to get the best out of it. 

I didnt know we can play flac files. i just play mp3 in 128 to 320kbits range which is mostly fine. 

A word of warning for anyone considering an estate with the variable boot floor and Canton sound system options:

 

When the variable boot floor is in the raised position the sub woofer port directs sound into the space created underneath. In this position it's muffled and needs extra volume to be heard. Fortunately most of the time mine is in the lower position which is fine. When I do need to raise the floor I notice the lack of sub woofer coming through in the sound. It's not a powerful sub so being in a situation to have to push it more for it to be balanced with the rest of the speakers isn't very good.

 

On the whole though it's not bad for a factory fit offering and I came from a car that had fully customised audio with a 12" sub, 3 amps and EQ / sound processor. I would encourage people to fine tune the sound to their liking. Experiment with the EQ, sub volume and surround modes. My preference is to boost bass a little and cut a bit of mid-range which suits my type of music (mostly EDM). My advice would be not to boost EQ too much, it can cause issues with clipped audio which is bad for the speakers and resulting sound.