Canton Townus 50 walnut

In 2021, Canton refreshed its mid-range lineup by launching the Townus series, which replaces the Chrono and Chrono SL series. The name evokes both the urban universe (“town”) and the Taunus, the region in Hesse where the German manufacturer has been designing and assembling its speakers for over forty years. The Townus 50 carries on this dual heritage: a clean design tailored to contemporary interiors and an acoustic design drawing on the brand’s expertise.

Three finishes to match your interior

The speaker is available in high-gloss black lacquer, matte satin white, or genuine walnut veneer. The edges of the cabinet are generously rounded, a choice that goes beyond simple aesthetics since it reduces unwanted sound reflections on the corners of the enclosure. The drivers are mounted with no visible screws thanks to aluminum rings machined using the “Seamless Diamond Cut” process, a technique that eliminates visible tool marks on the metal.

The protective grille, made of an acoustic fabric with rounded corners, is attached by magnets with no visible notch or locking system. This attention to detail is also evident on the binding posts, which feature finely threaded gold-plated connectors ensuring a long-term stable contact. With its 50 cm width, 17 cm height, and 27 cm depth, the Townus 50 fits easily under or above a TV.

A 2.5-way architecture that enhances intelligibility

The role of a center speaker is often underestimated: it reproduces almost all dialogue and front sound effects in a home theater system. The Townus 50 uses a 2.5-way configuration that lets it clearly articulate the midrange while maintaining solid low-frequency support.

Two 154 mm drivers with titanium cones share the workload in the bass and midrange. Titanium offers an appealing combination of rigidity and lightness: the cone follows signal variations precisely without building up troublesome resonances. Canton equips these transducers with “Wave” surrounds, a multi-fold design that allows significant excursion while maintaining linear behavior. In simple terms, the sound remains controlled even when the volume goes up.

The 25 mm tweeter uses an aluminum oxide ceramic dome, a material Canton also uses on its higher-end series such as Vento. A waveguide designed through acoustic simulation optimizes horizontal sound dispersion, widening the listening area without creating tonal imbalance when you move off the central axis. The frequency response extends up to 40,000 Hz, well beyond the audible range, which indicates well-controlled high frequencies with no resonance artifacts.

Bass-reflex and rigidity: Canton’s design choices

The bass-reflex loading makes it possible to use a relatively compact cabinet volume while still reaching low frequencies. Canton specifies a low cutoff frequency of 30 Hz, an impressive figure for a center speaker of this size. The cabinet benefits from internal bracing intended to limit enclosure vibrations, which could otherwise color the sound or create unwanted resonances. This work on mechanical rigidity is all the more relevant as the speaker can handle up to 140 W of power, allowing for high listening levels.

The crossover frequencies are set at 400 Hz and 3,000 Hz. The first value defines the point at which one of the two 154 mm drivers begins to fade out, leaving the other to cover the midrange alone (the 2.5-way principle), while the second marks the handover to the tweeter. These crossover points have been calculated to avoid destructive interactions between transducers and to ensure a smooth transition between frequency ranges.

Integration into a multichannel system

The Townus 50 is designed to work with other models in the series. The Townus 90 or Townus 100 floorstanding speakers provide the main front channels, while the compact Townus 30 units can serve as surrounds. The Townus Sub 12 subwoofer, with its 308 mm titanium driver and built-in 380 W amplifier, handles the low-frequency effects channel.

For Dolby Atmos setups, Canton offers the AR-5 module to be placed on top of the front speakers. The Smart Amp 5.1, a compact amplifier with integrated streaming functions, is an alternative to traditional AV receivers while remaining fully compatible with the Townus series.

Manufacturing and position within the range

Canton manufactures the Townus series at its factory in Weilrod, Germany. This choice of local production applies to the brand’s mid-range and high-end models (Reference, Vento, Townus), while the entry-level GLE series is assembled at a partner factory in the Czech Republic. The Townus 50 is positioned one step above the GLE 50 Center and below the Vento 50, sharing with the latter the titanium cone technology and ceramic tweeters.

Technical specifications

Acoustic design

• Type: center speaker
• Principle: 2.5-way bass-reflex
• Admissible power: 140 W

Driver configuration

• 25 mm aluminum oxide ceramic dome tweeter
  • Waveguide optimized for uniform dispersion
  • Extended response up to 40,000 Hz
• 2 x 154 mm midrange/woofer drivers
  • High-rigidity titanium cones
  • Long-throw surrounds for low distortion and improved dynamics

Loading technology

• Bass-reflex for deep, controlled bass
• 2.5-way architecture for balanced and natural reproduction

Sound performance

• Clear and precise dialogue reproduction
• Excellent voice intelligibility, even at high volume
• Powerful, tightly controlled bass
• Dynamic response suited to both movie soundtracks and music
• Wide sound dispersion for a homogeneous soundstage

Design and manufacturing

• Rigid cabinet limiting unwanted vibrations
• Drivers integrated with no visible screws for a premium finish
• Rounded edges improving sound dispersion
• Machined aluminum rings with diamond finish
• Magnetic protection grille with invisible mounting
• Made in Germany

Design and integration

• Elegant and timeless design
• Available finishes: high-gloss lacquer, satin, or real wood veneer
• Harmonious proportions for easy integration into a modern living room

Dimensions and placement

• Dimensions (W × H × D): 50 × 17 × 27 cm
• Freestanding installation on furniture or stand
• Ideal position: centered, below or above the screen