Canton DM55 2.1 Virtual Surround System - Silver Glass

Product Information

The display is an excellent addition – one that many soundbars at this price go without – and makes setup easier, even if it’s limited in what it can show. It doesn’t sound pushed either, thanks to good-quality drivers; it projected well into my medium-sized living room. I find the volume needs to be up at around 75 or so (out of 100) for regular TV watching, however, and at 90 for films. As such, there isn’t a whole lot of room to spare if your ears can take more – but at least the volume is usable all the way up to the maximum. Other connections include digital optical and coaxial, Ethernet, sub-out and an analogue line input. For wireless connections there’s Bluetooth (3.0 and aptX) and Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz). One of the nicest features of the previous series was the solid remote control that came with it – rather than the cheap ‘credit card’ style remotes that often gets tossed in with less premium products. Canton have provided a wand of their own creation that’s solid and responsive to use and adds to the high-end feel of these products.

It also brings to attention the placement of sounds, with the left and right channels separated well enough to get a sense of the unfurling action. It’s a big sound, too, taller than I expected. However, the size of the soundbar means it isn’t the widest: it’s big enough to feel a medium-size room with ease. If anything, it could go louder and bigger if you want to invoke the ire of your neighbours. That said, the tendency to lean towards the low-end does mean that in action scenes dialogue can become lost in the commotion. I found the voice mode helped in pushing it forward, and I’d recommend switching it on from the get-go.Sound modes include Stereo and DTS TruSurround, plus a new Voice mode that boosts speech and a Hotel mode that sets a maximum volume limit. The DM55 will also decode two-channel Dolby Digital. With three HDMI inputs, if you’re someone who needs to unclutter their AV set-up then the Canton can help simplify matters.

The success of their DM50 and DM75 sound bases helped transform German manufacturer Canton into a seriously respected brand on these shores. Now they’re set to release the replacements for both award winners, in the form of the DM55 and DM100… Mid-range performance is strong. The guitar strums that begin of Paris, Texas are piercing and resonant, setting a confident tone for the rest of the film. The solid HDF cabinet houses a modern, 200 watt digital amplifier with integrated 2-way loudspeaker system and down-fire subwoofer. This gives the DM55 optimum speech intelligibility, impressive spatial presence and powerful bass tones. It can be controlled with its own remote control or that of your television. All remote control functions of the DM system can be learned in just a few steps on the TV remote control unit. As well as making your TV sound great, the Canton DM 55 also offers easy Bluetooth music streaming. Using the high quality apt-X Bluetooth codec, you can stream music from your smartphone, tablet or Bluetooth-equipped laptop or desktop computer. Stream your music library or use a music streaming service such as Spotify and enjoy a massive range of music in Canton quality. With its subtle high gloss top and semi gloss body, the DM55 takes sound base style to a whole new level. Despite its good looks, the DM55 will still hold TVs up to 40kg in weight - enough for all but the largest sets. A quality remote control is also included and, thanks to an IR learning function, is compatible with your TV's remote. Finally, a multifunction display keeps you informed of all the settings and adjustments made.I know with Forums you can get a sense that this issue is a frequent occurance because that is why we have posted comments, but I wonder how many are affected by this issue, 1 in 10, 1 in 1000, 1 in 50,000? - I get slightly more worried when I hear someone has the same issue twice - unusually for Lightning to strike twice unless the obvious is true and there is a Quality issue. There are metal feet underneath that not only add to the DM55’s air of class, but also add enough of a gap to allow the two downward-firing woofers underneath the base to work properly.