Canton CD 250.3 Center Speaker, Black (Single)

The Canton CD 250.3 is a flat 2½-way center speaker made of aluminum that takes over dialogue in home cinema and finds room under or above the TV.

The CD in the name stands for Custom Design, Canton's flat wall series – nothing gets played back here, the CD 250.3 is a passive speaker connected to an AV receiver. Black anodized, 43 cm wide and only 10 cm deep, it fits into the TV wall without pushing itself into the foreground. Wall mount and stand are included – the center you hear but barely see.

Why the Canton CD 250.3?

Inside the aluminum housing, a 110 mm aluminum woofer, a 110 mm aluminum midrange driver and a 25 mm aluminum tweeter dome work together. The 2½-way layout with crossover points at 400 and 3,500 Hz is exactly why voices stay present and clean here – in quiet dialogue as much as in the middle of an action scene.

The center is the most important speaker in home cinema: most of the film's soundtrack runs through it. It decides whether you understand every word or keep reaching for the remote to adjust.

What you get

• Flat aluminum housing, black anodized, 43 × 14 × 10 cm
• 2½-way closed: 110 mm woofer + 110 mm midrange + 25 mm tweeter
• Frequency response 45–30,000 Hz, efficiency 87 dB
• Power handling 70 W (nominal) / 130 W (music)
• Wall mount and stand included
• Removable grille front cover
• Tonally matched to the Canton CD series

Who is the Canton CD 250.3 suitable for?

Plain talk: The CD 250.3 is made for anyone building a slim, unobtrusive home cinema and valuing intelligible speech. It harmonizes best with the other speakers in the CD series, so the sound picture matches all around. Anyone who listens purely in stereo, on the other hand, doesn't need a center at all – this speaker only shows its strength in a multi-channel setup. As a soloist in the living room, it would simply be in the wrong place.

Our verdict

A thoroughly solid, unobtrusive center for space-conscious home cinemas – unspectacular in the best sense, and that's exactly what you want for the dialogue channel. A note from us in Wädenswil: Canton now keeps the CD series in its archive, at HD Zürisee remaining stock goes out while supplies last. We're happy to work out with you which front and rear speakers suit it.

Technical data

• Type: Center speaker
• Series: Canton CD (Custom Design)
• Acoustic principle: 2½-way closed
• Passive radiator: Bass reflex
• Woofer: 1× 110 mm aluminum
• Midrange driver: 1× 110 mm aluminum
• Tweeter: 1× 25 mm aluminum
• Frequency response: 45–30,000 Hz
• Crossover frequencies: 400 / 3,500 Hz
• Efficiency: 87 dB (2.83 V / 1 m)
• Nominal/music power handling: 70 W / 130 W
• Nominal impedance: 4–8 Ω
• Connection terminal: Speaker cable clamps
• Material: Aluminum housing, black anodized
• Front cover: Grille, removable
• Wall mounting: Prepared, mount included
• Dimensions (W×H×D): 43.0 × 14.0 × 10.0 cm
• Weight: 3.5 kg
• Manufacturer's warranty: 5 years
• Scope of delivery: CD 250.3, wall mount, stand, instruction manual

Frequently asked questions

Is the Canton CD 250.3 a CD player?

No. At Canton, CD stands for Custom Design, the flat speaker series for wall and furniture. The CD 250.3 is a passive center speaker for home cinema and is connected via speaker cable to an AV receiver or a multi-channel power amp. It doesn't play discs itself.

What do I need a center speaker for?

The center reproduces the dialogue in home cinema and anchors voices firmly in the middle of the picture. It's the most-demanded channel in a film. A good center therefore makes the biggest difference to speech intelligibility – more than any additional effects speaker in the room.

How tall is the Canton CD 250.3?

The housing measures 43 cm wide, 14 cm high and 10 cm deep. This lets the center fit under most TVs or on a sideboard. Wall mount and stand are included, so you can also mount it above the screen.

Does the Canton CD 250.3 match other speakers?

It harmonizes best with the Canton CD series, because tonal character and tuning then match. In principle, it can be integrated as a center into any multi-channel setup. What matters is that the front speakers go in the same tonal direction – we're happy to help you with that.

Is the Canton CD 250.3 sold individually?

Yes, the CD 250.3 is a single speaker and is sold as such – as is usual for centers, since you need exactly one in a multi-channel setup. Wall mount and stand are included, you generally don't need extra mounting material. Only the speaker cable is added.

Why buy the Canton CD 250.3 from HD Zürisee?

Because a center is only as good as its tuning to the rest of the set. We advise you from experience, combine matching front and rear speakers, and set up your home cinema at your home on request – service included, through our own technician.

Goes well with

The matching home cinema speakers for the surround set, a subwoofer for the bass foundation, an amplifier or AV receiver as the centerpiece and decent speaker cable. You'll find more models at Canton.