Canton Townus Sub 12 Active Subwoofer, White (Piece)

The Canton Townus Sub 12 is an active subwoofer with a 308 mm titanium woofer, its own Class-D amplifier, and a passive radiator, taking over the frequency range below your main speakers.

In satin white, it's the version for bright living spaces where a black cube would draw too much attention. Technically, the colour changes nothing: 250 watts nominal power, 400 watts music power, depth down to 20 Hz.

Why the Canton Townus Sub 12?

Because here, diaphragm area and control come together. The 30 cm titanium driver with double-folded wave surround can swing widely without losing its shape. It sits front-firing in the baffle, while the equally sized MDF passive radiator works on the underside. Canton describes this as bass reflex with passive radiator – the co-resonating membrane replaces the classic reflex port along with its chuffing noises. Add to that controls for level, phase, and crossover frequency plus three-stage room adaptation to tame the worst room modes.

What you hear

At first, less than you expect – and that's exactly the compliment. A properly set up Sub 12 doesn't announce itself as "bass" but as a foundation: films gain physical weight, organ pedal notes truly occupy the room, electronic music gains punch without turning to mush. Only when you mute it do you notice how much was missing before.

Who is the Canton Townus Sub 12 for?

Plainly put: for medium to large living rooms and anyone using their system for both cinema and music. It complements compact speakers just as well as floorstanders that give up early at the bottom. If you mainly listen quietly in a sound-sensitive rented flat, though, you'll never exploit its potential – a smaller subwoofer is the more sensible choice there.

Our verdict

Plenty of driver, clean controls, living-room-friendly build quality: the Sub 12 is a subwoofer you don't need to hide. Anyone claiming a big sub automatically sounds intrusive simply hasn't heard a properly set-up one. We'll show you how that's done at HD Zürisee in Wädenswil – including calibration in your own home.

Technical data

• Type: Active subwoofer
• Acoustic principle: bass reflex with passive radiator, active driver front-firing, passive radiator downfiring
• Amplifier: Class-D
• Nominal/music power: 250 / 400 watts
• Woofer: 1× 308 mm (12") titanium, double-folded wave surround
• Passive radiator: 1× 308 mm MDF, downfire
• Frequency range: 20–200 Hz
• Crossover frequency: 50–200 Hz, adjustable
• Phase control: adjustable
• Room adaptation: 3-stage switchable
• Inputs: 2× high-level (speaker terminals), 2× low-level (RCA)
• Output: 1× low-level (RCA) for daisy-chaining to a second subwoofer
• Additional features: auto on/off (amplifier mode), adjustable volume
• Finish: satin white, lacquered
• Dimensions (W×H×D): 36 × 47.2 × 49.8 cm
• Weight: 21 kg
• Included: Townus Sub 12, fabric cover, power cable, instruction manual

Frequently asked questions

What connection do I need for the Sub 12?

Normally a single RCA cable from your AV receiver's subwoofer or LFE output to one of the low-level inputs. If your amplifier doesn't have such an output, use the high-level inputs and wire them in parallel with the speaker cables. Both are supported and sonically unproblematic.

How big can my room be for the Sub 12?

With a 30 cm driver and 400 watts of music power, it feels comfortable in rooms of roughly 20 to 45 square metres. In smaller rooms it simply runs more relaxed, which does no harm to precision. The three-stage room adaptation helps match it to the room size.

Where's the best place to put the subwoofer?

Usually in the front plane, slightly off-centre from the room. Corners raise the level but emphasise room modes and quickly lead to booming. The subwoofer crawl method has proven itself: briefly place the sub at the listening position, walk the room, and set it up where the bass sounds most even.

Does the Sub 12 make sense for a pure stereo system too?

Yes. Via the high-level inputs, you connect it in parallel to an integrated amplifier's speaker terminals. With a low-set crossover frequency, it unobtrusively supplements the main speakers at the bottom end instead of overshadowing them. Compact speakers in particular gain noticeably in substance this way.

Why buy the Canton Townus Sub 12 at HD Zürisee?

Because the setup decides between success and frustration, and we do this daily, not once a year. We work out room, placement, and crossover frequency with you, deliver to your home, and integrate the subwoofer cleanly into your system with our own technician.

Goes well with

Matching floorstanding speakers or bookshelf speakers from the Canton range, an amplifier as the centrepiece, and the right subwoofer cable at the right length.