I was also surprised by how well Canvas handled stereo separation. To accomplish that, Rasmussen says sought out the creator of the BACCH 3D audio filter, Princeton professor Edgar Choueiri. That technology was also used in Jawbone’s Jambox speakers (it was known as “LiveAudio”), where it helped those small boxes deliver three-dimensional audio. While I wouldn’t mistake Canvas for a full-fledged surround sound setup, its large sound field was impressive, especially during trailers for Gravity and Blade Runner 2049.
As for connectivity, Canvas will connect to LG OLED TV’s via HDMI-ARC or optical cable, and for wireless audio it’ll support AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Tidal, Spotify Connect, Sonos Connect, DLNA and Bluetooth. There’s also an analog connection that you can use for record players and other gear.
Canvas’s biggest issue right now is that it’s only designed for LG’s OLED B and C-series TVs from 2016 to 2019. It doesn’t support the curved C-series 2016 model, or any of LG’s higher-end OLED offerings. While you could conceivably attach any TV to it, you won’t get the clean look you’d get with LG’s OLEDs. At just 15-inches tall, Canvas might also sit a bit too low for most TV watchers. Rasmussen says the company is considering a wall mount accessory to help with that issue.
I’ll admit, Canvas is the sort of expensive product with niche appeal that I’d typically ignore. But it actually sounds and looks good enough to appeal to a decent chunk of LG OLED owners. And it wouldn’t be that tough for the company to add support for other sets later.
You can pre-order the 55-inch Canvas model today for $999, while the 65-inch model will run for $1,099. The company is launching a crowdfunding campaign in October to gauge interest and raise more funds. The final pricing will likely end up higher than those pre-order figures, but that’s actually reasonable for the quality it delivers.
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