Canton Reference 9k opinions

I know this is an old thread but since it still pops up prominently in search results I thought I’d chime in, as I’ve had these for a few weeks now and have been running them in.

The comments above about needing 2 subs with these is absurd. They have some of the best, most authoritative sub-100Hz performance I’ve heard on any standmount under $10K. I have put these through some torture tests and believe the specs that say they reach to 25Hz, that is my experience. They soften a bit maybe below 40, but only slightly. Subs are absolutely optional with these--I’m a bass nut, so I’ll probably add 1 eventually, but again, entirely optional.

Also, I’d like to push back against audiotroy’s uncharacteristically incomprehensible reply (i like and respect much of your input, but not in this case)--I would put these Cantons in a comparison with B&W, Focal, and Sonus Faber, three brands I’m very familiar and current with. I love Focal best of those three, the Aria 926 were truly special, but they don’t remotely compete with these on the low end. The Arias are "sub mandatory", but do so much else right that they’re easy to love. I’m not quite as enamored of B&W and sF, but that’s just my personal taste.

These Canton are both refined and bold, neutral and engaging, go deep but not with boomy mid-bass bloat (I’m also running these with very good electronics that tend to the lean/neutral side, so it’s a great match).

The old cliche is that B&W are like sitting in the first row, Focal are like sitting in the 5th row, and sF are like sitting in the 10th row. I’d say these are like stage-diving. A whole different level of engagement with the music. I won’t go any deeper into my impressions of performance across the frequency range because my room is still in progress and not treated, but I’m used to it and can at least make relative comparisons. Zero criticisms at this point, at this price.

For the price these are a ridiculous bargain, and should be a top audition for folks looking for a sub-optional speaker.

I  contacted Canton in Germany asking what they would set the cross-over of the sub for the 9k reference they responded somewhere between 50 and 60 Hz.

wassaicwill

Excellent description, but wouldn't you put Canton and focal on one side and sonus faber and usher on another regarding what speakers sound more similar? If the gent likes the Ushers now wouldn't he fint cantons a bit unforgiving? I appreciate the time you took in your post and probably agree, Usher speakers are very good on their own but while the cantons might sound more exciting in the short term would be less forgiving in the long term.

Thanks for the responses. To be honest I forgot about this thread and have been just listening to my Ushers and been pretty happy. If I could find a pre-owned pair of 9K's I would jump at the chance but they don't seem to come up very often. They have gone up a couple of hundred dollars since I started this post but still seem like a good deal for $3,700. I'm convinced these are really great speakers especially for the price. My only remaining concern is my room size. At 9 ft x 12 ft I really have no choice but to put the speakers against the long wall. I only have about one foot from the back of the speaker to the wall. Do you guys think it would still be a good match for my room? I wonder if the fact that my Ushers are front ported indicates I should stick with them rather than take a chance on something rear ported. If I were to buy them new testing them out is not a very good option considering restocking fees and shipping costs would be pretty high. All opinions will come of course

Sorry I missed this thread until now. I purchased a pair of Ref 9K with matching stands in Jan 2019 and have been very happily listening to them since. I started off with a new Accuphase E-280 integrated and after 3 solid-months (24/7) of break-in & listening I was not happy. So I listed both them both for sale and told myself I would keep whichever one did not sell first. The E-280 went very quickly. I then used a Bryston BP-25/4B-SST and was much, much happier. A good match. Several months later I decided to roll in my tube amp, and, voila, wonderful match with the Cary 20wpc Class A Rocket 88 amp & SLP-98P preamp. Stunningly good. Additional upgrades I made were, 1) filled the stands with sand & lead shot. A nice improvement in bass extension & overall clarity. 2) put Herbies large dots between the speakers & stands. 3) the biggest improvement - upgraded speaker cables to WW Silver Eclipse bi-wire - MSRP same as the speakers. This past May I rolled in a PASS Labs INT-25 (25wpc). While different, it is every bit as nice as the tube combo and adds a bit of additional solidity in the deep bass. I've owned this particular pair of speakers longer than I've owned any pair of speakers in the last 40yr of this hobby, so I guess you can say I've been pleased. I'm in the midst of deciding between totally new speakers or just adding one of the new, small DSP controlled powered subs. If new speakers, the Ref 8K is high on the list, though I've never been able to live with a floor standing speaker for long. No hurry. The Ref 9Ks provide terrific SQ with the classic jazz, class rock & classical music I listen to. Plus, the fit & finish of these speakers is as good as I've seen. Highly recommended.