CANVAS L Paints a Bigger Picture for Hi-Fi Soundbars

The Danish company has built its name around a fairly direct idea: take the convenience and visual cleanliness of a soundbar, then engineer it more like a serious loudspeaker system than a conventional TV audio accessory. That approach was central to the CANVAS model we reviewed earlier this year, in which StereoNET's Eric Teh found a system that sought to bridge the gap between lifestyle-friendly design and proper two-channel listening.

With CANVAS L, the brand is now pushing that concept further. The new model is positioned as an audiophile soundbar for larger displays and more ambitious living-room installations, combining custom driver engineering, onboard amplification, room correction and BACCH 3D+ spatial processing inside a single architectural enclosure.

CANVAS is not being shy about the product’s intent, describing the CANVAS L as “the world’s first audiophile soundbar”. That is a bold claim in a category already full of premium TV audio systems, but the engineering brief here is clearly closer to an active hi-fi loudspeaker than a typical Atmos bar built around small drivers and virtualised surround effects.

The CANVAS L uses a custom 8-inch Scan-Speak woofer developed with Danish audio engineer Benno Baun Meldgaard, supported by an 8-inch passive radiator based on the same woofer design. A custom 4-inch Scan-Speak midrange driver and 29mm SB Acoustics ring radiator tweeter complete the driver array, with the tweeter/midrange module mounted in an aluminium baffle and designed to align with the front panel to reduce edge diffraction.

Amplification is also considerably more serious than the soundbar norm. CANVAS claims a total peak power of 1,500 watts, with 2 x 300 watts allocated to the woofers, 2 x 200 watts to the midrange drivers, and 2 x 50 watts to the tweeters. The company says distortion is kept below 0.02 per cent at full-rated power, aided by a high-efficiency GaN power supply.

The cabinet has also been reworked for the larger format with a highly rigid Compact Density Fibreboard enclosure with the company’s BridgeBrace+ reinforcement system, designed both to improve acoustic stability and provide the structural strength needed for TV mounting.

Where many premium soundbars lean heavily on surround-channel processing, CANVAS L continues the company’s interest in BACCH 3D+ technology. Licensed from Princeton University, the processing uses crosstalk cancellation to create a wider and more three-dimensional stereo image from a single front-facing enclosure. As ever with this kind of spatial processing, the real test will be how convincingly it works in normal rooms rather than controlled demonstration spaces, but it remains one of the more interesting technical points in the CANVAS proposition. 

Connectivity has also been expanded with HDMI ARC/eARC, digital coaxial, Toslink, stereo RCA and Ethernet, with wireless streaming support for Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, TIDAL Connect, Spotify Connect, DLNA and Roon Ready playback. Control4 support is also included, which should make the new model more relevant for custom installation projects.

Room correction is handled through the CANVAS app, using either the company’s Zen Microphone or an iPhone microphone. CANVAS says the system can optimise its frequency response to the listening room in around a minute, which should matter given the product’s intended role as both a TV audio system and a standalone music system.

The design story remains a major part of the package. CANVAS L is intended to sit visually with larger TVs, with front panel sizes for 65, 75, 77, 83 and 85-inch displays, plus optional custom sizes from 98 to 115 inches. Thirteen finish options are available, including black or light grey textile fronts, Danish Kvadrat fabrics and wood slat finishes in light oak, mahogany and walnut.

The company is also linking CANVAS L to the HiFi Frame concept, developed in collaboration with Samsung, which integrates TV, sound, and Scandinavian interior design into a single visual statement. A limited Carsten Beck Edition will also be offered, combining the CANVAS front panel with artwork by the Danish artist and Samsung Art Mode integration.

Pricing starts from €5,999, including the front panel, hybrid bracket and universal TV bracket. Final pricing will vary depending on finish and front panel selection.

CANVAS L will make its world premiere at High End Vienna 2026, which runs from 4th to 7th June at the Austria Centre Vienna. CANVAS will exhibit in Room H X4, Stand L03, where the StereoNET team will be on the ground to hear the new system and report back from the show floor.

For more information visit Canvas