Vintage Canton Ergo Passiv Loudspeakers

[safeharbor]

Hi folks! Anyone familiar with this fantastic model of speaker made by Canton in the early '80s? I purchased a pair on ebay, but can't find ANY information on these beauties anywhere. I'd like to get some idea:

A. How much they retailed for back in 1980.
B. Where I can find owner's manual/promotional literature.
C. What the audio critics thought of them way back then.

Anyone else have a pair? How do you like 'em? I LOVE MINE. The sound is so clear and the cabinets are a work of art. They look like they are hand-crafted from solid oak.

I have them teamed up with a Rotel 1070 Preamp and Threshold S/300 II Power Amp.

Any information or thoughts about these wonderful speakers would be appreciated. Thanks!

safeharbor

 

[bolly]

Checked orion bluebook, but I need a model number as there are many Ergo's

 

[safeharbor]

Ergo Model Number

Thanks for the reply. I'm afraid that the only reference I have is Ergo Passiv! I had the original boxes and even the warranty card, but that was the only reference. The tag on reverse side of each speaker simply says Ergo Passiv. Did you see the picture? Perhaps that will help you. Thanks again!

AJ

 

[bolly]

maybe The "P" stands for Passiv

CANTON SPK, ERGO P (PAIR)
Description: OAK, WALNUT, BLACK or WHITE
Manufacture Years: 1982 - 1987
Additional Information:
Power: 160w
Retail
MSRP: $2,600.00
USED: $900.00

 

[Don C]

Which county makes the best speakers?

USA, everyone knows that.

 

[krimney]

"BEST" is a relative term...

My personal favorite would lean towards England. Mission,Goodmans,Kef,Tannoy,Celestion, IMF.....
I like the warmer laid back sound, I guess more of the "east coast" sound.

Kinda like the most beautiful women post of a while back. Hell, they're all good :yes:

 

[safeharbor]

Canton Ergo Passiv

Thanks to all who researched this speaker, and/or responded with information! Contacted Canton to see if they might have some more information, but they could not help me. Any more information, such as user guide or original ad would be great. It is amazing just how rare this model is...never see/saw another pair for sale anywhere in the world! The sound is absolutely amazing for a 20+ year old speaker. Thanks again!

 

[kfa888]

The sound is absolutely amazing for a 20+ year old speaker. Thanks again!

Cause thats when good speakers were made :thmbsp:

 

[safeharbor]

I agree 100%!

 

[brainsmasher]

All I can throw in is I have a canton passive sub that is a very solid performer. But alas it is the good ol' US of A, the clear winner for speakers in my house.

 

[safeharbor]

Anybody out there have a user guide or original owner's manual for the Canton Ergo Passiv? Still one of the best speakers I've heard. Thanks!

 

[skibjr]

I used to sell Canton Ergos when I worked for ABT Electronics in Morton Grove, IL - back around the early to mid-90's. Ultra-high-end esoterica, but worth every penny, IMHO. Beautiful hardwood craftsmanship in just about every fine wood you can imagine, as well as special order piano laquer finishes.

I've forgotten just about everything I used to know about Canton, but it turns out ABT is still in business and still carrying the Canton line. It's a longshot, but you might try contacting them at http://www.abtelectronics.com to see if anyone there can point you in the right direction. With any luck, they just might have some old brochures laying around...

 

[safeharbor]

Thanks! I'll see what they've got. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated! :thmbsp:

 

[safeharbor]

Update

I found two vintage Canton brochures on ebay.

Turns out that the Ergo P (Passiv) was the top-of-the-line speaker made by Canton at the time!

There was also an Ergo Actif which had an integrated amplifier built in to the speaker, much like the powered subs of today.

Canton discontinued the Actif before the Passiv...not sure why. Evidently, the Passiv earned its place in the line-up for quite a while.

I have seen another pair of the P's go up for sale on ebay, but they were refinished and not original. They are a very rare find.

Thanks to all who helped to dig up info on these speakers!

 

[myu701]

Apparently you're not the only Canton Ergo Passiv enthusiast on AK: MikeCh

And I'm about to join the club. I haven't heard them yet, but all I've read looks really good. Although appearance takes a back seat to performance, signs of solid workmanship on the outside should match what is inside. Especially with speakers. And these look to be beautifully designed.

Are you still enjoying yours?

 

[Isotonic]

I have a Pair of Canton Ergo 80 DC's. Beautiful light Walnut speakers from the 80's. They are in a class all there own. They don't sound West Coast, East Coast or British. The have a beautifully clear top end and a taught and muscial low frequency response. I tend to prefer warm speakers from the East Coast and British schools. These are not warm but they sound open and beautiful. I like them as much as anything I have owned. Good deals abound on that auction site because they are relatively unknown.

On second thought, I could compare then to old ADS speakers from the 80's, but they are far smoother.

 

[safeharbor]

Yes, I am still enjoying the Cantons! I have connected them to a vintage Sansui Receiver, and the sound is wonderful. Getting ready to switch them to a Denon POA-2400 amp setup. Components come and go, but the Cantons have remained as the anchor in my collection. What a find!

 

[myu701]

Well, another pair got taken off that auction site (local pickup only). A little higher than what I've seen earlier, but if I didn't already have a set I'd have taken it. Somebody in the NYC area is probably .

 

[Arkay]

Canton has made speakers for many years, but remain not so well-known outside of Germany. Their vintage speakers, with wooden cabinets featuring rounded edges and metal-mesh grills, were quite good; their subwoofers in particular. Their more recent offerings, esp. at the top end of the market, are even better. Not the very best in the world, but very good and better than most. Definitely worth a try, when you find them; you're likely to be impressed.

I have (or have had) speakers from America, Canada, England, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong and China, and have heard speakers in showrooms from a few more countries. Overall, I'd have to say that the best speakers come from...

America! :yes:

However, this is based in large part upon historical evidence of vintage speakers. Today, nearly all companies making speakers produce them in China, even if the designing is done back in the home office. Most Chinese manufacturers use the same suppliers for certain parts and materials, and very similar production processes, so there is less to distinguish between speaker quality today than there used to be. Some high-end manufacturers still make their speakers elsewhere, but these are usually only the very expensive and most sophisticated models. It is very difficult to compete against the Chinese factories, at lower price points.

That said, there are still US-made speakers, like the Magico line, that out-shine anything made in China, or probably anywhere else. So I think the answer to where the BEST speakers are made, remains "America." That said, there is close competition from some European companies, like Vivid (UK/South Africa), Cabasse and Avant Garde. Where the US --and nearly everyone else-- has lost competitive ground is in the middle-market and lower end of the market, where they have handed everything over to the Chinese.

 

[myu701]

^ Arkay, I won't dispute that America has made some of the best speakers in the world. And certainly a number of affordable models (relatively speaking) which were able to go head-to-head with speakers from other countries costing much more. But I take it you're saying that "the best speakers come from... America" in a general sense? From a standpoint of best value and performance in one package?

Canton's latest offerings are really impressive, from a specification and build perspective. I've not yet had the chance to sample them directly, but plan to as I've located a dealer within 30 minutes of me. I am very curious to see how they've progressed. They don't advertise much at all in the USA, but I think they should. Very good value. Probably not the all time best, but for "affordable mid-fi" I think they're highly compelling. To me they're rather neutral, somewhere in between the sound of "east coast" and "west coast". Coming from being more familiar with an east coast sounding speaker, they felt a little bit bright at first... but then in time I came to find myself adjusting and then appreciating the extraordinary detail delivered. To me, very much a worthwhile trade. Of course, if you've got music very heavy in the higher frequencies, it can be a little overwhelming. I just turn down the treble a little. Or, switch to an alternate set for that particular music.

What really intrigues me most about speakers is that each speaker manufacturer has some combination of product characteristics unique to them (although some other makers may offer something "very similar"). And thus, you'll periodically find a maker producing a very desirable speaker model. It has just the right combination of driver quality, audio dynamics, musical sensibility, build quality, and price. Sometimes a model like this will become a focal point upon which the company focuses and hones... but often, it'll be a model that exists for a while and is then replaced with something that intends to improve upon it, only to miss the mark somewhat. And it's THAT high-mark speaker which becomes the fun of the hunt, for me. Although there are some like this with a popular following (e.g. the AR-3/AR-3a, JBL L300, etc.), I'm more interested in the speaker less talked about. The sleeper, or hidden gem. In your vast experience with audio components, what speaker brands/models would you say fall in that category for you?