Canton Townus 30 Bookshelf Speaker, Black (Pair)

The Canton Townus 30 is a compact 2-way bookshelf speaker with a bass-reflex enclosure that pulls a surprising amount of foundation out of just 21 cm of width.

In gloss black it looks like a small monolith on a stand – inside work a 174 mm titanium driver and a ceramic dome. The Townus 30 is supplied as a pair.

Why the Canton Townus 30?

The heart is the 174 mm mid-woofer with a titanium diaphragm and a triple-folded wave surround. That surround allows long, low-distortion excursions – the reason this compact housing delivers bass you wouldn't expect just by looking at it. Up top, a 25 mm aluminium-oxide ceramic dome takes over from 3,000 Hz and works up to 40,000 Hz. The bass-reflex port fires backward, the edges are rounded, and the drivers sit screwless in the housing.

What you hear

A grown-up, substantial sound instead of thin compact-box fare. Down to 38 Hz the Townus 30 stays serious, voices sound full-bodied, and the treble resolves finely without wearing you out after two albums. On a sturdy stand and with a bit of distance from the wall, the soundstage opens up noticeably – pushed right against the wall, you give away exactly what you paid for.

Who is the Canton Townus 30 for?

Straight talk: the Townus 30 fits small to medium living rooms, a proper stereo setup on stands, and as a high-quality front or surround speaker in a Townus home cinema. It's not the right choice if you want to fill a large, open room with high levels and true deep bass – then a floorstander or an extra subwoofer is the way to go. And if you're planning bi-wiring: the 30 has a single-wiring terminal, bi-wiring clamps only appear on the larger floorstanding models in the range.

Our verdict

A lot of speaker in a small footprint, cleanly finished and consistently understated in gloss black. The Townus 30 rewards good placement more than expensive cables – a truth not everyone in the industry likes to say out loud. Which amplifier, which stand and which distance from the wall gets the best out of it for you is something we're happy to work through with you at HD Zürisee.

Technical data

• Type: bookshelf speaker (compact), passive
• Acoustic principle: 2-way bass reflex, rear port
• Mid/woofer: 1× 174 mm titanium (triple-folded wave surround)
• Tweeter: 1× 25 mm aluminium-oxide ceramic
• Frequency range: 38–40,000 Hz
• Crossover frequency: 3,000 Hz
• Sensitivity: 86 dB (2.83 V/1 m)
• Rated/music power handling: 90 / 140 W
• Nominal impedance: 4–8 Ω
• Connection: single-wiring terminal, banana-plug compatible
• Finish: gloss black, lacquered
• Special features: screwless driver integration, magnetic fabric cover
• Dimensions (W×H×D): 21 × 36 × 27.7 cm
• Weight: 8.1 kg per speaker
• Included: Townus 30 (pair), feet, oval fabric covers (black), instruction manual

Frequently asked questions

Is the Townus 30 a floorstanding or a bookshelf speaker?

A bookshelf, or compact, speaker at 36 cm tall. It works best on a sturdy speaker stand so the tweeter sits roughly at ear height. It also works on a sideboard, but should have some distance from the rear wall there.

Does the Townus 30 have bi-wiring terminals?

No, the Townus 30 has a single-wiring terminal with fine thread. Bi-wiring and bi-amping connections appear in this range only on the large floorstanding speakers. In practice that's no disadvantage: decent speaker cable and a stable amplifier get you much further here.

How deep is the Townus 30?

It measures 21 × 36 × 27.7 cm (W×H×D). Allow a few extra centimetres for cables and the rear bass-reflex port, or the sideboard will feel cramped fast. On a stand, the depth doesn't matter, what counts there is mainly the distance to the wall behind it.

Is the Townus 30 supplied as a pair?

Yes, you get two speakers along with feet, oval fabric covers and an instruction manual. That gives you a complete stereo pair. If you need an odd number for a multi-channel expansion, let us know – we'll check availability directly with the distributor.

Why buy the Canton Townus 30 at HD Zürisee?

Because a compact speaker with the right placement and electronics can punch well above its size – and with the wrong ones stay well below its potential. We advise you from practical experience, deliver and set up at your place, and our technician Mauri stays your point of contact afterwards.

Goes well with

An integrated amplifier with headroom gets the Townus 30 going, a speaker stand brings it to ear height. For more depth, a subwoofer is worthwhile, and the matching speaker cable for the connection.