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The Short Form

Price $11,000 (AS TESTED) / cantonusa.com / 612-706-9250

Snapshot

An uncanny ability to project the power and dynamics of a big horn setup combined with the bass and refinement of traditional cones in this pricey system.

Plus

•Potent and authoritative, yet subtle and transparent •Impressive fit and finish

Minus

•Requires very careful setup for optimal performance •Costs as much as a small car

Key Features

Vento 809 DC ($5,000/pair) •1-in aluminum/manganese dome tweeter; 7-in aluminum-cone midrange driver; (2) 8-in aluminum-cone woofers; 44 in high; 63 lb Vento 805 CM ($1,500) •1-in aluminum/manganese dome tweeter; 7-in aluminum-cone mid-woofer; 7-in aluminum-cone woofer; 20.8 in wide; 29.5 lb Vento 802 ($2,000/pair) •1-in aluminum/manganese dome tweeter; 7-in aluminum-cone woofer; 14.3 in high; 19 lb Vento AS 850 SC ($2,500) •12-in aluminum-cone driver; 200-watt amplifier; 15 x 20.5 x 20 in; 71.5 lb

Test Bench

Measurements revealed just a few often-seen faults. The 809 DC has well-controlled directivity, a very mild floor-bounce attenuation (less than 4 dB at 270 Hz), and some irregularity above 500 Hz. The grille on my sample rattled noticeably during bass-limit tests. The sub has above-average dynamics, delivering max SPL of 111 dB at 62 Hz and a true 20 Hz at 86 dB, though its crossover range proved considerably more limited than its dial markings suggest. - Tom Nousaine Full Lab Results

The 805 CM center speaker and the bookshelf 802s that I used for surrounds have tapered cabinets much like those of their bigger brothers - although as two-and-a-half-way and two-way designs, respectively, they demand much more from each driver. Nevertheless, Canton manages to squeeze plenty of bass extension from their smaller, ported cabinets. To help stabilize the 805 CM, with its curved bottom, the center speaker comes with a cradle that also enables you to adjust its vertical angle, a neat touch.

Even though all of the Vento speakers have been designed to deliver well-extended bass, you'll still want to add a subwoofer to round out a complete home theater package. The AS 850 SC fits the bill nicely with the same type of cabinet design and aluminum woofer cone as its siblings. Powered by a 200-watt digital amp, this hefty sub uses a forward-firing 12-inch driver for impact, with a downward-firing port to increase its overall output. The 850's amp is well equipped, with a three-position switch to tailor the low-frequency extension and a control that lets you adjust the phase continuously through 180 degrees. Curiously, there's no way to totally bypass the internal crossover, even though most systems these days use the crossover inside the surround processor.

SETUP Because of the their extended response, I initially tried running all of the speakers full-range, using the sub strictly for the LFE channel. Although this might have worked well in a space larger than mine, I soon found that this approach resulted in bass that was a bit too thick and tuneless, no matter where I put the speakers. With experimentation, I ended up with the main speakers crossed over at 40 Hz and the center and surround channels set to 60 Hz. The main speakers worked best near what is a typical position for ported speakers in my room: about 2 feet from the front wall and 3 feet in from each side wall. The subwoofer was just to the right of the left speaker but near the wall, while the center channel was on a stand just below my video display. I used the surround speakers up against the wall and directly to each side of the listening position, raised about 2 feet above ear level.