Canton Smart GLE 3 s2: An excellent choice for those seeking quality monitors at an affordable price

The Canton GLE Smart 3 speaker system is easiest to describe as a budget version of the smart Vento. All the electronics, amplifiers, indicators and remote control interface (not very easy to initially configure, but widely configurable and, in addition, trainable) from the above-mentioned speakers were simply transferred to the popular shelf model, thereby reducing the cost of a ready-made pair of stereo systems by almost a third compared to the shelf Canton Vento Smart 3.

Canton GLE Smart 3 can work as regular active monitors if you feed an analog signal from a pre-amp or a source with an adjustable output (RCA and XLR inputs are provided for each speaker). You can also connect via digital coaxial inputs or optics, and in this case you will no longer have to pull cables to each speaker. Wireless connection is provided via Bluetooth. And the USB Type B input, which is only available on the “master”, allows you to connect a signal directly from a computer – in this case, it will identify the speaker as an external DAC capable of receiving a PCM stream up to 24 bit/96 kHz (the USB receiver built into the GLE Smart 3 actually interfaces without problems at 192 kHz, but the digital audio interface that follows it is apparently not designed for such a frequency).

Finally, there are two options for connecting the speakers to each other – the usual one, via a 75-ohm cable, or wirelessly. Of course, the configuration can be expanded from a regular stereo to a multi-channel system (in general, the platform supports a maximum of eight channels). For this, Canton GLE Smart 3 has Dolby Digital and DTS decoders, as well as several tools for obtaining real theatrical sound: improving the transmission of dialogues, softening the dynamics, tone correction, setting delays, etc. By the way, we put the word “wireless” in quotation marks for a reason. In fact, you will need even more wires than usual. Saving money here is achieved only by eliminating speaker cables, but thanks for that – they often cost a pretty penny in traditional systems.

During the first turn on, we used a purely wireless mode. The signal from the source is via Bluetooth, distribution between a pair of systems is also over the air. During listening, we concluded that this option is more attractive for its user convenience than for its high sound quality. But even then it became noticeable how honestly the Canton GLE Smart 3 audio tract behaved – due to the artifacts introduced by the signal compression by codecs in the wireless channel, the space of the stage seemed enlarged and synthetic, and the timbres – simplified, which, of course, did not benefit the musicality. On the other hand, there were no signs of embellishment, smoothing, blurring or any other attempts to mask the flaws of Bluetooth. And when you listen to files in mp3 and AAC, which have already undergone digital compression, the absence of some other digital alchemy is perceived rather as an advantage – at least the files sound as they are.

The analog connection in any case disables the wireless channel between the left and right speakers. And in this mode, the scene is much more accurate and voluminous in depth, and the timbres in the middle and especially low bands are much more saturated. Such a sound is already approaching the studio quality and, perhaps, is even better calibrated in musical balance than the regular Canton GLE 436.2 . Which is not surprising: Canton probably did everything possible to achieve more accurate frequency and phase matching of the bands, as well as matching the digital amplifiers with the speakers. As good as the passive analogs were in building plans and apparent images, but the GLE Smart 9 is even better in this regard! The difference in the sizes of the instruments is perfectly felt, their distance and contours are shown more clearly, and in the overall picture there are no indistinctness or distortion. At the same time, the analog connection provided an excellent transfer of powerful dynamic contrasts and a cool drive and was inferior only in the subtleties of working out some nuances. For example, someone will not like the character of the high frequencies – it has a slightly dryish touch. And someone – a barely noticeable slowness at low frequencies.

Canton GLE Smart 3 reveal themselves best if you use a digital connection via SPDIF – including when pairing the left and right speakers (and not the standard one, but a higher-quality cable). We took the signal from an inexpensive network player, but the changes turned out to be very significant: details appeared that were not there with an analog connection, the noticed coloring on the high frequencies evaporated, the handwriting in the midbass and middle became more open and polished. There was even a crazy desire to listen to music at high volume, because the acoustics began to create a real concert “pump”.

Canton GLE Smart 3 Specifications

Configuration: 2 speakers, 2 bands
Acoustic design: bass reflex
Inputs: USB Type-B (only on the Master system), Coax, TOSLink, linear L/R, XLR
Outputs: Coax, SUB
Built-in decoders: Dolby Digital, DTS Digital Surround, DTS TruSurround
Modes: Virtual Center for 4.0 configuration, Virtual Surround for stereo, Music & Surround Sound
Support for wireless protocols: Bluetooth 3.0 aptX
Frequency range: 28 – 30,000 Hz
System (total) power: 350 W
Band crossover frequencies: 3000 Hz
Finish: black panel with ash or white body
Dimensions: 19 x 36 x 28 cm
Weight of 1 pc.: 7.5 kg