I listened to the worlds first audiophile soundbar and unbelievably, I think it might actually justify that claim

Date:
Sat, 20 Jun 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Description:
1500W of speaker power in a three-way speaker system that reaches down to
25Hz without subwoofer and some robust bracing to make sure actually stays where you mount it

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter When the Canvas L was
announced, and declared itself the "world's first audiophile soundbar" , the TechRadar Slack lit up. The likes of KEF and Bang & Olufsen would surely dispute that claim and is this upstart company really going to beat them at their own game?

Well, I got to listen to the new Canvas L in action at the High End Vienna 2026 hi-fi show, and my skepticism is gone. Other companies have produced absolutely glorious-sounding soundbar-shaped speakers, but the Canvas L is pretty astounding even in that context.

It's not trying to be like soundbars that apply 50 drivers to create a really big sound that works with Dolby Atmos spatial audio in all directions. It's pretty clear when you see the speaker arrangement that this is following a more traditional stereo speaker setup, just transplanted into a shape that's more like soundbar, and that sits below a TV. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: (Image credit: Future) Each side of the soundbar has an arrangement with a 29mm SB Acoustics ring radiator tweeter, a four-inch mid-range driver custom-built by Scan-Speak, and an eight-inch Scan-Speak woofer, the latter of which is paired with a matching eight-inch passive radiator. So that's a pretty classic three-way system (plus a radiator), just in a cunning disguise. It requires a pretty robust amount of bracing, and the cabinet here certainly looks more like what you'd expect from hi-fi than from a soundbar. And the hefty size means it's designed to mount to the back of your TV, rather than sit on a surface. You may like This 'true audiophile' soundbar fits loudspeaker-size drivers into a box that sits under your TV
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Of course, even though this is basically a pair of floorstanding speakers in
a cunning horizontal disguise, all the amplification is on board, and there's a hefty 1,500W of peak power. Specifially, there's 300W per woofer, 200W per mid-range driver, and 50W per tweeter, all class D.

Canvas Hifi says the frequency response is a huge 25Hz to 40,000kHz and that brings me the juicy part: how it sounds. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. (Image credit: Future) Let's start with the fact that I can easily believe those big frequency range claims, because there's just wildly deep bass that resonates convincingly right through your abdomen, in a great way.

The low end is just gloriously meaty, giving you something to really grip
onto and flow with in the music, and that can wake you up with guttural punch if it needs to.

I felt that were was just a slightly boomy edge to it when digging to the deepest depths, which wouldn't necessarily be surprising for something with two huge radiators, but it may have just been an artefact of the cobbled-together listening rooms we have to use at trade shows. What to read next Bluesound Pulse Cinema Mini review: the best small soundbar for music I listened to Cambridge's new Evo 300 streaming amp, and it raises the bar for modern hi-fi Majority Bowfell Halo Atmos review: a small soundbar system with impressive bass

Even if it it's part of the bar's sound, I'd still have no real complaints if I wanted a powerful system without a sub you just wouldn't need one, and it had no problem dispersing bass thoughout the room, as you'd want. (Image credit: Future) The sense of power goes beyond just the bass it has no problem filling the whole room in front of me with a wall of sound that's packed with texture, and brings convincing realism to every delicate element in vocals.

It's so dynamic and impactful, with excellent musical timing, in a way that just gives it engrossing rhythmic energy. I could have happily sat floating
in its sound the rest of my day at the show.

I've talked about the power a lot, because it's what stands out most. It can be really light-touch when it needs to be, meaning that it really does feel like an elite hi-fi experience in soundbar form, because it has the versatility that I associate with truly excellent large speakers and then
the ability kick you like a horse when the song demands it.

My overarching takeaway from the experiences was just for firm and 3D the instruments feel in music, even without the full separating you'd normally have for a stereo soundstage. (Image credit: Future) Here's the thing,
though: I only got to hear it with music. Ultimately, this is is still a soundbar, and how well it works with movies is a big deal. I have no doubt it's going to handle the dynamic scale of a great soundtrack easily, but I'd definitely want to hear it with dialogue before arriving at any definitive conclusion.

Oh, and the other thing is the price. The Canvas L will reportedly start from $5,999 for the base model, which includes fixings to attach it to your TV,
and it'll work as a stand for your TV as well. That will have a front panel for the speaker as well, of course.

That's about $6,880 / 5,150 / AU$9,760 and it's for the smallest size. (The size of the speakers won't change at larger sizes, but you'll get a different front panel and fixtures.)

But bass as low as 25Hz is really hard for anything that isn't a dedicated subwoofer to hit. I had a look for stereo speakers that can match it, and you're looking at something like the Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G which cost
the same as this without amplification or the Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4, which cost about $20k.

So relatively speaking, the Canvas L is a bargain? Sure, why not. The best soundbars for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best soundbars 1. Best overall: Samsung HW-Q800F 2. Best budget: Sony HT-S2000 3. Best premium all-in-one: Klipsch Flexus Core 300 4. Best Dolby Atmos surround system: Samsung HW-Q990F The best stereo speakers all budgets Our top buys, based on real-world testing and
comparisons

Read our full guide to the best stereo speakers 1. Best overall: Q Acoustics M40 HD 2. Best compact: Dali Rubikore 2 3. Best desktop speakers Creative Pebble Nova 4. Best budget buy: Q Acoustics M20 HD Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/televisions/soundbars/i-listened-to-the-worlds-first -audiophile-soundbar


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