German lautsprecher maker Canton has updated their entry level line of GLE loudspeakers with six freshened models sporting a curved front baffle, improved efficiency, and extended top end.

 

Notable among the updated models are the Canton GLE 490 floorstanding loudspeaker, the GLE 470 floorstanding loudspeaker, the GLE 455 center channel, and the GLE 430 bookshelf loudspeaker. The Canton GLE 490 is a 3 way speaker utilizing two 8" aluminum woofers mated with a 7" aluminum midrange and Canton's redesigned 1" silk dome tweeter. The GLE 490 has an approximate impedance of 6 ohms, better than average sensitivity of 90.5dB and a frequency range of 54-24k Hz. At $1399 a pair MSRP that is a lot of loudspeaker.  The 490's little brother, the Canton GLE 470, is an MTM design. The 2 1/2 way 470 uses two 7" drivers and the same 1" silk dome. Canton claims improved off-axis for this MTM from a redesign that sends midrange to the top 7" only. For only $499 more the Canton GLE 455 center channel makes this array 5.1-friendly. The 2 1/2 way GLE 455 utilizes two 6 1/4" aluminum drivers mated with the 1" silk dome.

 

While the boxy, vinyl clad Canton GLE series may not have the sex appeal of some of the competition, the big German floorstanders produce an extraordinarily big, rich sound that is pleasing as well as forgiving of less than stellar source material. I've auditioned the predecessors of these new Canton's, and I can heartily recommend a sitting with them if you're in the market for new loudspeakers at this price point.

Von Schweikert has added a new loudspeaker to their stable. The Von Schweikert Unifield 3 is intended to provide full scale sound in a package with a diminuitive footprint.

 

At first glance the Unifield3 looks like a fairly conventional bookshelf perched on top of a ported woofer. The top unit sports a 5" full range driver  coupled with a ribbon tweeter that extends the top end to 40kHz. The bottom unit houses a 7" Seas magnesium driver in a front ported enclosure that is advertised to 32Hz. This enclosure utilizes a highly damped transmission line design to help the 7" driver achieve it's extension in a fairly small box. Available finishes are piano black and cherry. The Unifield3 presents an amp-friendly load of 8 ohms and 88dB sensitivity. At 190 lbs/pair the 40"x 10" x14" presents an average, if heavy footprint for a floorstanding loudspeaker. Rated for 100 watt amps, the Unifield3 will play nice with amps as low as 20 watts.

 

Von Schweikert's goal with the $15k/pair Unifield 3 was to make a statement class loudspeaker with a smaller footprint and lower pricetag. They claim they have accomplished that with the Unifield 3.

Curved enclosures aside, LSA Group's LSA1 bookshelf and LSA2 floorstanding loudspeakers bear a suspiciously strong resemblance to the discontinued Von Schweikert VR-1 and VR-2 loudspeakers, both of which always garnered favorable reviews.

 

LSA has added a new variation of their LSA1 loudspeaker to their speaker lineup. The LSA LSA1 Statement uses the same 6 1/4" paper cone as the other models, but instead of the silk dome used in other LSA offerings, a ribbon tweeter has been implemented. Coupled with an entirely reworked crossover, LSA claims the statement betters the frequency response of the standard LSA1 at 30-32,000 Hz, as opposed to the base LSA1's 45-20,000 Hz. If true, 30 Hz is quite extraordinary for a bookshelf loudspeaker. 

 

I have had the opportunity to audition a pair of LSA LSA2 floorstanding loudspeakers and found them to be competitive in the price tier they occupied. The LSA LSA1 Statement loudspeakers will set you back $3000/pair. If their frequency response claims are true, they deserve an audition if you are in the market for a higher end bookshelf that can fill out the lower registers like a floorstander.

British loudspeaker producer Neat Acoustics' Paul Ryder and Bob Surgeoner have a simple idea about the type of loudspeakers they would like to create, inspired by the fact that both Paul and Bob are musicians. The goal of Neat Acoustics is to come as close as possible to recreating the live performance.

 

The newest line from Neat, the Momentum range, consists of a bookshelf and a floorstanding model that look like just about any other 2 way design. The difference is that they are isobaric designs, utilizing internal passive radiators in conjunction with conventional ports. The Neat Acoustics Momentum 3i is a 2 way bookshelf loudspeaker that utilizes a 6 1/2" woofer with phase plug coupled with an inverted titanium dome tweeter, that despite appearances, is Neat's design and not a Focal unit. The Neat Acoustics Momentum 4i is a 2 1/2 way floorstanding loudspeaker that features the same driver configuration as the bookshelf, with an additional 6 1/2" driver aimed south in an isobaric configuration. Both speakers are average to good sensitivity at 88dB, and the floorstander is a slightly easier load to drive at 8 ohms vs. the bookshelf model's 6 ohms.

 

Neat's facility includes a recording studio, and each design is tested the old fashioned way; by ear with a variety of source material. Refreshing in a world of computer designed audio components. The Momentum range is available in maple, oak, cherry or rosenut finish. The Momentum 3i will set you back $3500/pair. No pricing on the Momentum 4i.