Canton Ergo 702 DC speaker system test

A few shortcomings of German speakers can not take away their main advantage – the musicality. Ergo 702 DC have their own vision of proper sound, but they are always interesting and enjoyable to listen to.

TEST RESULTS

CONSTRUCTION FEATURES: 702 DC models are another modification of the timeless Ergo line. The speakers are made in the good old design, often called classic. However, judging by some of the design elements of these speakers one can unmistakably recognize the products of the German company Canton. 702 DC are the youngest floor models in the updated line. The low cabinet is made of MDF, part of the front panel around the speakers is covered with velvet and covered with a perforated metal grill, a long-standing trademark of Ergo speakers. It is recommended to install the speakers on adjustable height metal studs. The cabinet is internally braced with cable ties and beveled walls that minimize the effect of standing waves on the sound. The enclosure with the smooth transition between the side panels and the top panel and the rounded corners looks really nice, not least because of the impeccable quality of the natural wood veneer. Several color options are available: black ash or beech veneer with black grille, beech veneer or silver lacquer with silver grille.

DC suffix after the model number stands for the use of Canton proprietary technology called Displacement Control. Its essence is to remove low frequency subharmonics from the signal received by the woofers. If this is not done, there are harmonic distortions in the operating range of the speakers. Uses a 4th order usa filter designed specifically for inverter-type speakers. German engineers claim the DC application leads to a linear frequency response and clarity in the bass region.

The 702 DC drive units are laid out in a symmetrical d’Appolito pattern, although the use of a 2.5-band crossover configuration keeps the MF/LF units unequal. Only one driver covers the entire MF/LF region below 3.5kHz, the other works as a pure woofer, handling frequencies below 300 Hz. Both drivers are equipped with 180 mm diameter aluminum cones with anodized surface. Concave dust caps are made of the same metal. The molded cones are of variable thickness, minimum in the voice coil mounting area, gradually increasing at the periphery of the diaphragms. This is to get the optimum relationship between mass and stiffness of the diaphragms. Metal cones effectively dissipate heat from the coils. Driver chassis is made of polycarbonate.

The tweeter in the Ergo 702 DC is a 25mm dome AMT tweeter. AMT stands for Aluminum-Manganese Tweeter. The AMT features a dual ferrite magnet and voice coil with reduced gap.

The speakers crossover inherits the ideas of the more expensive Karat Reference 2 DC. To separate the high-frequency content the speaker uses a 4th-order filter that combines an electrical filter with a steepness of 12dB/oct. and an “acoustic” filter with the same roll-off, resulting from the fall in sensitivity of the tweeter itself. A special effort by Canton engineers was made to smooth out the behavior of the frequency response of the speakers, making them more controllable. And our impedance measurements confirmed these claims. The Ergo 702 DC is switched by four gold-plated terminals with the original two piece cable jumpers.

AUDIO QUALITY: Speakers have a remarkably smooth frequency response that is exemplary in the bass section. It looks like

The glorification of DC technology isn’t just a promotional move by Canton. Some unevenness of frequency response is noticeable only in the midrange, but it does not interfere with the musicality of the “german speakers. Speakers have a beautiful midrange with textured timbres and showing fine details of the arrangement. The sound of Ergo 702 DC can hardly be called neutral, but a pleasant, warm tone coloration only adds them emotionality.

The bass response is deep, fast and detailed. The contrabass and organ are reproduced with good intelligibility and a natural tonality. The high frequencies are clear and distinct. Oboe and timpani take on a nice sharpness, but not shrillness. A slight loss of sound detail is present only in the last octave. The speakers are good for chamber music, but for the quality playback of orchestral compositions they do not always have enough dynamic range. No problems with the tutti, but forte softens the dynamics, which is especially noticeable on the edges of the frequency spectrum. Sometimes this effect leads to a slight detachment of the sound of German speakers.

Ergo 702 DC plays very well at moderate levels, opening up the depth of the scene and giving a good sense of the concert hall volume. The transparency of the panorama checks out well with recordings of choral music. Here the “Germans” easily separate individual voices, showing just a holographic picture of the scene.

PRICE: $1100.

SUMMARY

ASKS: true classic design smooth, detailed sound throughout the working range transparent music scene.

Disadvantages: Compression of the macro dynamics, slight coloration of the midrange timbres.

CONCLUSIONS: few disadvantages of German speakers can not take away their main advantage – musicality. The Ergo 702 DC has its own way of thinking about sound, but it is always interesting and enjoyable to listen to.