Canton your_Duo review

Offer the convenience of wireless, but they're not the most precise Tested at £600

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

Decent speakers and worth an audition if you’re sold on having wireless

Pros

  • +

    Good build and finish

  • +

    go loud with ease

  • +

    set up is simple

  • +

    enjoyable sound

Cons

  • -

    Could be more precise and open

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

Wireless speakers such as these Canton your_Duo sound like a great idea, freeing you of cable clutter while playing multiple sources.

Wireless speakers sound like a great idea, freeing you of cable clutter while playing multiple sources. But they’re hard to execute, especially if you’re trying to match the quality of a wired system.

You can stream music to the your_Duo speakers through two transmitters: a USB dongle (your_Stick) or an iPod dock (your_Dock). These have a range of up to 20m, and you can connect additional Canton products to create a multiroom system.

The amps in the speakers output 50W each. They are encased in a sleek cabinet, nicely finished in gloss white or black. At the back is a switch to choose between three zones, and a channel selector. And there’s a nicely finished remote control.

On its own, the your_Duo speakers cost £500, but Canton is offering a starter bundle of the speakers with either the dock (£150 on its own) or the dongle (£130).

Pairing up the speakers with dock or dongle is easy. The dock charges your iPod while playing and can also be connected to an existing system via wired line inputs. The dongle needs no software installation and you can stream via iTunes or Spotify.

The speakers fill the room with a solid sound. Vocals are smooth and the bass is weighty, though it could be a little more precise and taut. Streaming is stable, the speakers bring out the best of low-res files, and they’re easy to listen to over long periods of time.

But the Cantons fall between two stools. They’re too big to be desktop speakers, despite the flexibility. And there are desktop speakers like the Focal XS Book and the Epoz Aktimate Micro, which are more detailed, sound more fun – and are cheaper.

On the other hand, compare them with conventional wired hi-fi speakers, and the Cantons fall short in terms of quality. If you’ve got your heart set on wireless, you’ll have to increase your budget to get the best sound. At this price, these are acceptable wireless speakers that perform decently.

But they’re hard to execute, especially if you’re trying to match the quality of a wired system.

You can stream music to the your_Duo speakers through two transmitters: a USB dongle (your_Stick) or an iPod dock (your_Dock).

These have a range of up to 20m, and you can connect additional Canton products to create a multiroom system.

Canton your_Duo: Power
The amps in the speakers output 50W each. They are encased in a sleek cabinet, nicely finished in gloss white or black. At the back is a switch to choose between three zones, and a channel selector.

And there’s a nicely finished remote control.

On their own, the your_Duo speakers cost £500/pair, but Canton is offering a starter bundle of the speakers with either the dock (£150 on its own) or the dongle (£130).

Pairing up the speakers with dock or dongle is easy. The dock charges your iPod while playing and can also be connected to an existing system via wired line inputs.

The dongle needs no software installation and you can stream via iTunes or Spotify.

Canton Your_Duo

Canton your_Duo: Performance
The speakers fill the room with a solid sound. Vocals are smooth and the bass is weighty, though it could be a little more precise and taut.

Streaming is stable, the speakers bring out the best of low-res files, and they’re easy to listen to over long periods of time.

But the Cantons fall between two stools. They’re too big to be desktop speakers, despite the flexibility.

And there are desktop speakers like the Focal XS Book and the Epoz Aktimate Micro, which are more detailed, sound more fun – and are cheaper.

On the other hand, compare them with conventional wired hi-fi speakers, and the Cantons fall short in terms of quality.

VerdictIf you’ve got your heart set on wireless, you’ll have to increase your budget to get the best sound. At this price, these are acceptable wireless speakers that perform decently.

See all of our speaker Best Buys

Follow whathifi.com on Twitter

Join whathifi.com on Facebook

What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

Read more about how we test