Audio Video News

Canton Chrono 70 Loudspeaker: $1,995/pair

Just over a year ago, the 50-year-old German brand Canton made its way back to the States after a decade-long hiatus. Among the first wave of products to arrive on these shores is the impressive looking — and sounding — Chrono 70 floorstander, the smallest of three towers in the Chrono series and one of the few speakers made in Europe, not China. The speaker is a rear-ported two-and-a-half-way design that mates an aluminum-manganese tweeter with two 6-inch aluminum woofers in a stately 37-inch-tall cabinet offered in black or white.

Running through his arsenal of demo tracks, reviewer Michael Trei confirmed the Chrono 70’s ability to produce deep, tuneful bass while shrugging off massive orchestral crescendos. On the Philip Glass score for Mishima, the 70’s conveyed a spacious soundstage while preserving the tonal clarity and fine detail of the track’s percussive elements. And when it was time to crank it up and get the party started, Trei loved how effortlessly and cleanly the speakers handled “Tied Up” by Yello while maintaining a neutral tonal balance. Whether you’re looking for a set of floorstanding speakers for music or want to build a surround-sound system around them, the Canton Chrono 70 is a speaker that, as Trei put it, punches way above its weight class.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Impressive bass output
Plays loudly without stress
Matching center, surround, and Atmos speakers available
Minus
No wood finish option
Needs to be pulled out into the room for best sound

Full Review Here (posted 2/2/22)

Definitive Technology Descend DN-15 Subwoofer: $1,799

Resident bass guru David Vaughn couldn’t wait to get his hands on the flagship model in Definitive Technology's Descend series of subwoofers, the hulking DN15. Though he has sat through many trade-show demos of Def Tech speakers over the years, he has never owned one and never considered the brand top-of-mind when it comes to subwoofers. That all changed once he moved the DN15 into his home theater, an act that took some doing because, at 24 inches square, this is one big box. It has to be to accommodate its 15-inch driver, two 15-inch passive radiators, and 500-watt amplifier. The enclosure also houses a 56-bit digital processor featuring three custom EQ modes — one of which boosts output in the 17-23Hz region — and an eight-position intelligent phase control along with the usual volume, EQ, and crossover controls. There’s no app but you do get a compact remote that provides access to everything you need.

The DN15 proved to be a real crowd-pleaser with movies, especially those with soundtracks that dip below 20Hz and rattle the windows such as Pacific Rim and The Haunting. One of the truly awe-inspiring scenes was in 13 Hours: The Secrets Soldiers of Benghazi when the sniper’s rifle unloads a .50 caliber round during the embassy attack. Vaughn’s take: “The rifle was loud, sharp, and impactful — just like it's supposed to be.” Staying on the military theme, Vaughn cued up the "soften them up" scene from the Hacksaw Ridge to see how low the sub could go and concluded: “The DN15 was able to keep pace with the rapid fire and never sounded strained or overmatched.” If you crave kick-ass bass, you owe it to yourself to check out the DN15, but you’ll have to first make sure you have room for it.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Powerful output
Intelligent Phase Control allows for precise alignment with main speakers
Useful remote control
Minus
Large size makes optimal placement difficult
No custom EQ options

Full Review Here (posted 2/16/22)

Onkyo TX-NR7100 A/V Receiver: $1,099

A new AVR from Onkyo at last! It’s been quite some time since one has landed on our test bench and we’re pleased to report it was definitely worth the wait. The TX-NR7100 marks the arrival of a midline receiver that promises solid audio performance with its nine amplifier channels, the latest in video connectivity standards, support for all of the major high dynamic range (HDR) formats, and onboard streaming via Chromecast and AirPlay 2 plus direct access to Tidal, Spotify, Pandora, and other popular services. Thanks to those nine active channels, the NR7100 can power a full 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos or DTS:X setup or a theater setup with fewer channels plus one or two remote listening zones.

The NR7100 also supports 4K video at 120Hz or 8K at 60Hz and provides a wealth of connections, including six HDMI inputs, in addition to putting a series of sound customization features at your fingertips, including the cutting-edge Dirac Live auto room/speaker correction system (which Dan Kumin covers in great detail in the full review). Our rundown of features, of course, is merely a preview of an AVR that can do most everything you need it to do, except pop your popcorn.

After extensive testing with a sampling of music and movie soundtracks, Kumin confirmed the NR7100’s aural proficiency. The 2017 World War II action flick Dunkirk was a standout. “Every scene sounded (and looked) fabulous via the TX-NR7100 and my new 65-inch Sony OLED TV” with the propulsive Hans Zimmer score and thrilling Spitfire fly-bys dramatically demonstrating the merits of a full-on Atmos setup. Onkyo has delivered a highly capable receiver that does much of what your typical flagship AVR can do but at a fraction of the cost.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Onboard Dirac Live room/speaker correction
Nine amp channels for a full Atmos/DTS:X experience
Multiple HDMI 2.1 connections with 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz support
Minus
Small remote control a bit cramped
Somewhat light-duty casing and speaker outputs

Full Review Here (posted 2/23/22)

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