image credit: Canton

Canton Pro XL.3

QUIET AND FACELESS

The Canton Pro XL.3 is a very compact outdoor speaker and, oddly enough, the largest in the Canton line of outdoor speakers. You can choose between a white or black case.

Loudspeakers are designed for simple wall mounting: first, you mount the wall bracket to the wall, depending on whether you want horizontal or vertical mounting. Then secure the speaker using the two supplied clips. The speaker can be rotated almost 90 degrees in each direction from the center position.

image credit: Canton

Sound Canton Pro XL.3

Both female and male performers' voices sound surprisingly rich given the compact size of these speakers. Billie Eilish's voice in the Bond song " No Time To Die " has a pleasant chest fullness, and the piano has a warm fullness to please.

With quiet and not overly complex music without a lot of bass, the Canton sounds great. The high frequencies could well have been more distinct, although at high volumes they become a little rough - but that's okay.

The problem is that most modern music has bass and you want the speaker volume to be higher than pure background noise. Especially outdoors, where the sound from the speakers is lost in the environment.

As Eilis' song gradually picks up steam, the speakers are not keeping up. Instead, they kneel and low frequencies cause distortion that travels far up into the high frequency range. An unpleasant metallic sound is produced every time a bass note is played. Ariana Grande through these speakers will never make you dance. A small string ensemble may sound good, but only if there is no double bass.

If you want these speakers, you either have to listen to them very quietly or use a receiver that can manage the bass and send all the low frequencies to the subwoofer. Sure you won't bother buying an outdoor subwoofer.

image credit: Canton

Conclusion

The Canton Pro XL.3 is a pair of compact outdoor speakers. They do sound fuller than they look, but they have one problem. Even if they manage to play the vocals well, it will become completely unbearable as soon as the bass guitar or drums start playing. Vocals not only get flat, they distort. The Canton speakers cannot catch up with their larger competitors, and while they are the most affordable in this test, they cannot be said to offer much for the money. We just have to tell you that we are a little disappointed with these street speakers.

Features of Canton Pro XL.3

• Type: two-lane, closed box
• Recommended amplifier power: 20-120W
• Sensitivity / impedance: Not available / 6-8 Ohm
• Dimensions: 15 x 23.5 x 15.5 cm (W x H x D)
• Weight: 2.1kg
• Colors: black or white
• Water resistance: not specified
• Other: swivel wall bracket
• Price: 39,990 r. pair.
• Web: canto.de