Canton GLE 50 Center S2 Center Speaker, Makassar (Unit)

The Canton GLE 50 Center S2 is a sealed 2.5-way center speaker for home cinema setups that handles speech reproduction – here in the Makassar finish.

Makassar is the dark, distinctly grained wood look of the GLE S2 series: it stands out where black and white disappear. The baffle stays silky matte black, while the wood wraps around the top and sides. Technically the center is identical to the other finishes – two 154mm woofer/midrange drivers with ATB membrane, a 25mm aluminium dome with waveguide, sealed cabinet with no bass reflex port. Delivered as a single unit.

Why the Canton GLE 50 Center S2?

Because speech intelligibility in home cinema hinges on a single channel. The GLE 50 Center S2 works as a 2.5-way system: both 154mm drivers carry the bass, but only one plays on up to 400 Hz, with the tweeter taking over from 3,000 Hz. That keeps the voice in one hand instead of splitting it across two equal drivers left and right of the tweeter – the reason many symmetrically built centers sound a bit hollow in the middle. The sealed cabinet deliberately does without a reflex port, which would only cause trouble in a tight TV compartment anyway.

What you hear

Clear dialogue without reaching for the volume, anchored in the middle of the screen instead of floating between the front speakers. On the top end it goes up to 40,000 Hz, so room ambience and sibilants keep their air; on the bottom end Canton states 30 Hz, though the deep bass ends up with the subwoofer in multichannel operation anyway. And because it's forgiving at 89 dB and 4 to 8 ohms, your receiver doesn't need anything special beyond working cleanly.

Who is the Canton GLE 50 Center S2 in Makassar for?

Plain and simple: for anyone who wants to set up their home cinema on display rather than hide it – and whose front speakers also come from the GLE S2 series. Makassar works best when the floorstanding speakers wear the same finish; a single wood-finish center in front of black speakers quickly looks like a mismatched leftover. Pure stereo listeners don't need a center at all. And if your furniture compartment is tight, measure first: 50 × 17 × 27 centimetres is no small footprint.

Our verdict

Technically the same solidly built center as in black and white, visually the variant with character. Honestly: the finish doesn't buy you an extra decibel, but it does buy you a living room where the system doesn't look like a foreign object. At HD Zürisee in Wädenswil, we'll check with you whether Makassar suits your front speakers and furniture, and plan the surrounding set at the same time.

Technical data – Canton GLE 50 Center S2

• Type: center speaker, passive (GLE S2 series)
• Acoustic principle: 2.5-way, sealed cabinet
• Tweeter: 1x 25 mm aluminium black with integrated waveguide
• Woofer/midrange: 2x 154 mm Aluminium Titan Black (ATB)
• Frequency response: 30–40,000 Hz
• Crossover frequencies: 400 / 3,000 Hz
• Efficiency (2.83 V/1 m): 89 dB
• Rated power handling: 80 W
• Music power handling: 140 W
• Nominal impedance: 4–8 Ω
• Connection: screw terminal, banana-plug compatible – no bi-wiring
• Finish: Makassar, silky matte lacquered baffle
• Dimensions (W×H×D): 50 × 17 × 27 cm
• Weight: 8.5 kg
• Sales unit: single unit
• What's included: GLE 50 Center S2 in Makassar (single unit), equipment feet, oval fabric cover with magnetic attachment, instruction manual

Frequently asked questions

Is the GLE 50 Center S2 delivered as a single unit?

Yes. A home cinema needs exactly one center, which is why Canton sells it by the piece. The box contains the speaker, equipment feet, the oval fabric cover, and the manual. We're happy to work out with you how many channels make sense for your setup overall.

What finishes is the GLE 50 Center S2 available in?

Canton offers it in black, white, and Makassar, all three with identical technology. Makassar is the dark wood look with distinctive grain. It looks most coherent when the center and front speakers wear the same finish – we're happy to help you work out your combination.

What does 2.5-way mean for a center speaker?

Both 154mm drivers handle the bass, but only one plays on up to 400 Hz into the lower midrange. That means the voice reproduction comes from one source instead of two spatially separated ones. That's exactly what makes dialogue more stable than in classic symmetrically built centers.

Can I place the center on a stand?

Yes, that's often even the better solution than a deep furniture compartment. Two things matter: as close as possible to the middle of the screen and aimed at the listening position. If it sits noticeably below ear height, a slight tilt noticeably improves intelligibility – at 8.5 kg that's easy to manage.

Why buy the Canton GLE 50 Center S2 at HD Zürisee?

Because the choice of finish and the match to the front speakers should be decided together, not one after the other. We've worked with Canton since the late nineties, know the GLE S2 series from hands-on practice, plan your surround set, deliver, and have our own in-house technician for installation and service.

Goes well with

A floorstanding speaker front in the same finish, a subwoofer as the foundation, further home cinema speakers for the surround channels, and the rest of the Canton range.