Canton designs and constructs all their drivers in-house. This has resulted in a sustained development process that separates this company from the pack.

The first recording I made notes on was Festival with Reiner and the Chicago Symphony. This showoff recording cries out for full-range speakers. The concert bass drum gets a workout throughout this album. Heard from the Reference 5s these room-filling low-end whacks left nothing to be desired.

I’ve been on an Ann Hampton Callaway kick lately. With this kind of vocal pyrotechnics, the wide frequency coverage of the Reference 5’s midrange driver is just the ticket. Sexy as hell – I loved the way Callaway sounded with these speakers.

Sometimes you feel like music with some grit and dirt, in your face and in your ears. This is Lone Justice: The Vaught Tapes. Listening to this Bernie Grundman – mastered LP, via the Reference 5s, I could feel the raw roots power this band must have projected live. Snare drums slappin’, guitars twangin’, and Maria steppin’ up to the plate and driving it over the wall – the Ref 5s brought the bacon without politeness or hi-fi niceties. These speakers can rock.

I ended by treating myself to some Miles Davis Birth of the Blues. I first heard this album played on yuuuuuge Wilson Chronosonic XVX loudspeakers. Hearing it in my own room via the Canton Reference 5s, I did not feel shortchanged. ‘Trane’s tenor and Cannonball’s alto spoke the truths that Miles was in search of. Outstanding reproduction of outstanding music.

The Canton Reference 5 loudspeakers are beautiful, physically and sonically. The creative design of the drivers, coupled with serious cabinetry and European craftsmanship, results in a product that excels in a crowded category.

Many audiophiles dedicate the largest portion of their system budget to loudspeakers. That’s a fine approach but, depending on your hi-fi system budget, with the Canton Reference 5s, that may not be necessary. These high-value speakers acquit themselves with authority matched to components that cost much more. At a mere 80lb, they more than carry their weight.

Sasha Matson, Stereophile, May 2025

Sensitivity was a high 89.4 dB. The effective resistance drops below 2 ohms [so] the Reference 5 is a demanding amplifier load, though this will be ameliorated by its high sensitivity. When I investigated the Canton’s vibrational behavior the resonant modes I found are all very low in level and have a high Q, which means they won’t have audible consequences. The decay of each drive unit’s step smoothly blends with the start of that of the next lower in frequency, which implies an optimal crossover topology.

Overall, the Canton Reference 5 offers excellent measured performance.

John Atkinson, Measurements

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