Danish Design
I have the pleasure of meeting again a new and exciting Danish design. It happens a lot lately, and I have great examples of Danish design speakers and electronics reviewed here at Sond News — let’s remember just two of them: Raidho TD1.2 “The Journey of Life” and LYNGDORF Cue-100: Iconic Design with a High-End Reference Sound. The Danes continue to amaze me again and again with their harmonious and functional design, celebrating simplicity and minimalism with exceptional sound. Clean lines, a neutral color palette, and the use of natural materials such as wood and woven textiles characterize their unique approach to design. This Nordic design expression will always prioritize functionality and practicality to achieve a perfect balance between aesthetics and function, fostering a sense of tranquility and well-being — something they call “hygge”. And this is gloriously beautiful, calm, and timeless.
Presented at IFA Berlin this year (2025), CANVAS HiFi’s collaboration with Samsung was not only hard to ignore but also an attempt to fuse TV design, sound engineering, and art into a seamless living room piece that drew significant attention. Munich HighEnd follow-up: I got to see the CANVAS Soundbar up close and hear it. The truth is that Danes had played with this fusion before; for years, Bang & Olufsen’s striking design amazed us. But what is new here — and it has to be heard — is the scale and excitement that CANVAS HiFi has successfully put in place. Because I have to say it before even getting into the details – it delivers impact, nuance, and atmosphere beyond expectations, given its size and form.
HiFi Frame
The HiFi Frame is a combination of the industry’s best sound and best picture in a single design that complements our most exclusive TV series. It is aimed at consumers who demand both experience and aesthetics at the absolute highest level, says Knut Eirik Rornes, PM and PR Samsung.
Even if it started as a collaboration with Samsung, CANVAS HiFi delivers a unified picture performance with stunning sound and matches the performance of other TVs, such as Sony, LG, and Panasonic. The design is so ingenious, and the possibilities are so generous that anyone will find a way to extend their TV with incredible sound.
CANVAS HiFi is a compact sound system designed to fit within a slim frame, supporting any modern flat TV in sizes 55”, 65”, 75”, 77”, 83”, and 85”. While HiFi Frame is specifically designed to work with Samsung “Art” TVs, the regular CANVAS HiFi works with any brand’s TV sized from 55 to 85 inches. Its unique MDF enclosure houses two powerful 6.5” bass/midbass woofers, larger passive radiators, and two high-end tweeters, all from SB Acoustics, with each component contained in its own isolated chamber. The CANVAS frame includes all the necessary electronics to power these speakers, featuring a 4-channel, 250 Watt RMS amplification system capable of delivering a frequency response down to 30Hz. It is powered by a robust built-in 300-MIPS quad-core DSP processor that can load room-correction settings and run the renowned BACCH 3D crosstalk cancellation and Spatial Audio filter.
What you see should complement what you hear – the HiFi Frame features Kvadrat textiles chosen not just for their looks but also for their acoustic transparency. Each fabric has been tested to ensure sound passes through without distortion or coloring, preserving every detail of the performance. For a different aesthetic, handcrafted wooden fronts are available in light oak, walnut, or mahogany. Whether wall-mounted or floor-standing, the HiFi Frame is designed to harmonize with your space. A single, unified frame houses both the Samsung TV and the CANVAS soundbar, with hidden cabling and precise alignment across sizes from 55″ to 85″. On the wall, it appears as a calm, clean rectangle; on the floor, it makes a bold statement.
CANVAS HiFi
The HiFi Frame and CANVAS HiFi ensure seamless connectivity regardless of your source. It supports Apple AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Roon, and HDMI eARC, making it simple to stream music, watch movies, or enjoy any media from your TV, phone, or network. Vinyl enthusiasts are also covered: its analog input with a Burr-Brown DAC provides high-quality, full-fidelity sound for turntables with integrated phono stages.
Setting up is simple: just one tap on an iPhone or a guided process on Android to get everything started. Once connected, operating it is easy. HDMI eARC enables The CANVAS to respond directly to your TV remote, ensuring perfect lip-sync and volume control as if it were integrated with your TV — smooth, precise, and effortless.
A perfect collaboration
After CANVAS’ team of sound geeks had created the perfect sound, a team of interior designers was tasked with designing the ideal frames based on classic Danish design.
Anne Fabricius Møller
Anne’s remarkable talent has earned her international recognition. She is a valued member of the Octo Gruppe, displaying her work at exhibitions worldwide. Her art is also featured in the Danish Museum of Art and Design and the renowned Drud & Køppe Gallery in Copenhagen. Awards such as the Biennale Award and grants from the Danish State Art Foundation highlight her exceptional skills.
Anne Fabricius Møller, renowned for her striking textile designs, infuses her creative style into CANVAS HiFi’s speakers, enhancing the listening experience with visual appeal. The colors Burnt Umber, Light Green, and Organic Green, all made by Kvadrat, showcase her distinctive touch, combining aesthetic and functionality. These speakers go beyond sound; they act as a canvas for Anne’s artistry. Her designs help create a visually pleasing atmosphere, enriching each auditory moment. It’s a simple yet elegant mix of art and practicality, changing the way we enjoy music.
Cristian Zuzunaga
Cristian Zuzunaga began his journey with studies in Typography and Graphic Design at the London College of Communication and the Royal College of Art. Today, he divides his time between the vibrant cultural hubs of Barcelona and London, drawing inspiration from the complex fabric of modern life and the architectural harmony of global cities. In a borderless world where creativity flourishes without limits, Zuzunaga plays a leading role, merging art, fashion, and design into a unique blend. This combination not only alters our perception but also influences how we feel and interact with objects, reshaping the essence of our era.
By choosing from Cristian’s wide selection of textile designs, one can customize CANVAS HiFi to mirror one’s personal style and home interior. Whether it’s the bold Structure Grey, the warm Ocean Grey, Dark Blue, Umber, or the calming Milled Ochre, each pattern, carefully designed by Cristian Zuzunaga and made by Kvadrat, adds a unique character to the space.
Susanne Helberg
Susanne, an experienced interior designer, has worked with nearly every Danish furniture classic. Her deep expertise has greatly influenced the final design of CANVAS, including details such as shape, materials, color options, and usability. This has resulted in a distinctive solution that seamlessly combines high-quality Hi-Fi sound with stylish interior design.
CANVAS is characterized by carefully selected materials, such as pieces from the renowned Danish textile brand Kvadrat and wooden fronts made by local Danish artisans. The color palette includes Light Oak, Walnut, and Mahogany, reflecting Susanne Helberg’s meticulous design.
The CANVAS universal TV bracket looks stunning from the back as well, embodying sleek, functional design. It eliminates the unsightly clutter of boxes and wires commonly found in entertainment setups. Designed with a hidden compartment behind the screen, it offers a discreet way to hide electronics, cables, and sockets.
Technology
High-end speaker construction
CANVAS is crafted like a top-tier High End HiFi speaker, equipped with high-quality SB Acoustics die-cast aluminum chassis, next-generation paper-cone bass and midrange drivers, precise, stiff paper-cone long-excursion passive radiators, and SB-CANVAS-designed die-cast aluminum waveguide silk-dome tweeters, seamlessly integrated into the front grilles for a diffraction-free design. Its cabinet is solid, constructed from satin-black-painted MDF and reinforced with the innovative CANVAS BridgeBrace structural bracing system. It also includes a 4-channel Burr-Brown DAC, a HiFi amplifier, and sophisticated linear phase Analog Devices DSP crossovers.
Room Correction
CANVAS is usually positioned directly on the floor against a wall or mounted on a wall, which significantly boosts the bass and can result in a boomy sound. By integrating a Room Correction system via CANVAS iOS and Android apps, the frequency response can be adjusted, turning the bass boost into a major advantage with increased output compared to free-standing speakers. Since this bass enhancement is not affected by time-domain or room modes, DSP correction produces clear, natural boundary gains. Measurements can be performed using an iPhone’s microphone or, for even better results, the Zen smart reference microphone, compatible with both Android and iPhone.
BACCH 3D
To achieve true stereo imaging with traditional HiFi speakers, they should be placed freestanding, at least 30-60 cm (1-2 feet) from the back wall, and spaced at least 2 meters (6 feet) apart. This is necessary due to the physical phenomenon known as cross-talk, in which sound waves intended for one ear also reach the other, reducing the perception of 3D sound. BACCH 3D (Band-Assembled Crosstalk Cancellation Hierarchy), developed by Princeton University professor Edgar Choueiri, acts like a digital cushion between you and the speakers. It ensures each ear hears only sounds from its respective speaker, restoring authentic 3D stereo imaging with realistic width, depth, and height — comparable to the high-end HiFi systems. Importantly, BACCH 3D isn’t a sound filter adding effects like reverb or surround; instead, it eliminates errors in the sound waves reaching your ears, allowing for pure, true 3D audio without coloration. Best of all, it works with all stereo recordings from the past 70 years and can even decode down-mixed Dolby Atmos for immersive surround sound.
With a shared passion for sound, we ventured into uncharted territory, unafraid to challenge convention. We poured countless hours into research and development, pushing the boundaries of what was possible in the world of audio. The quest to rein in the unruly bass led us to groundbreaking breakthroughs in acoustic engineering. We developed innovative solutions that harnessed the power of placement, allowing us to tame the bass and bring it under our control. It was a moment of triumph, as CANVAS began to emerge as a system capable of delivering not just background music but a truly immersive audio experience.
Hybrid Foot / Wall Mount
The universal TV Mount supports most new TVs on the market, across all brands and popular sizes. The CANVAS patented solution, complemented by matching-size front grills, ensures a flush, gapless alignment between the CANVAS speaker and the TV, creating a unified, seamless look. All CANVAS speakers include a hybrid foot-and-wall mount. This solution lets you choose how to use your CANVAS, even after purchase. Whether you prefer it on the floor or wall, or decide to change your setup later, this versatile design eliminates the need to buy additional accessories to enhance the living room.
Sound Quality
Let’s take a deep breath, as we are here now, in the heart of the sound experience offered by the CANVAS HiFi, alongside its intelligent integration with the TV and minimalist design. And this experience not only complements the visuals but also amazes the spectator. This is no small feat, as many have tried before and failed gloriously. To say that sitting down and hearing the first sounds will impress you is an understatement. It will blow you away. The sheer force of the bass, in a spotless way — controlled and forceful — the totally unexpected good imaging, scale, and depth of the sound will overwhelm even the most prepared viewer. You will not expect to hear such a spectacular sound from a single point source; usually, that landscape can be created only with multiple sound sources (at least two stereo channels, positioned apart).
But, in fact, the CANVAS HiFi responds to the room, not the other way around. For spatial imaging, BACCH 3D takes an entirely different approach than traditional surround. There is no voodoo here — just cutting-edge, precise engineering that creates a wide, tall, and deep three-dimensional soundstage that feels genuinely authentic. The sense of space and depth is very realistic, and the sound escapes completely from the box below the TV.
And there is the dynamic of the sound reproducing stunning movie effects with ease. Going down to 30Hz is helping a lot, especially without a subwoofer attached. Because you really do not need one. CANVAS is really using very clever bass natural enhancement due to positioning, extracting every bit of impact without becoming boomy or bleeding into the midrange. With the help of room correction, there is a significant impact on bass and nice clarity in the midrange. The level of clarity and detail is outstanding and will translate into perfect dialog clarity in the movies and excellent vocal reproduction, with just enough sparkle up top. This clarity, combined with the sheer dynamics and bass impact, will be pretty shocking at first listening.
I listened to CANVAS HiFi in a few rounds in the Romanian dealer’s prepared room. I preferred to evaluate it on the premises rather than take it home, as I did not have space to set the TV on the floor and, given my home’s layout, it was not easy to reposition it. In the dealer’s acoustically prepared room, I could test it in both configurations — on the floor and on the wall. Also, I had the chance to hear it in the untreated room, and after that in the fully treated room. It was a real advantage, as I could see how it performs in a standard, non-acoustically treated room. I could not have achieved this comparison in my home. And for this availability and openness, I have to thank our dealer in Bucharest, HiFi Expert. In the second round of listening tests, as you can see in the pictures, the room was professionally acoustically treated by Vicoustic, who will now offer the same high-standard services through HiFi Expert to anyone interested. By measuring the room — physically and acoustically — and drawing a complete schematic, Vicoustic will provide an engineered room treatment — a complete solution for every space — that not only looks good but also solves all acoustical problems. This is what happened with our dealer room, and I can attest to the massive difference in sound quality. HiFi Expert is our official representative in Romania for both CANVAS HiFi and Vicoustic, and this way, we are lucky to get the best sound and proper room treatment in the same place, as these go hand in hand. The support, expertise, and customer service of HiFi Expert are off the charts, so we are incredibly fortunate in this regard.
CANVAS HiFi movie performance
In the first place, I tested CANVAS HiFi with a selection of movies, and, now, looking back, it makes no sense to dissect the performance of every test clip because the performance was so consistent across the board that whatever you watch, the experience will be just great. Even placed on the floor in the untreated room, CANVAS HiFi will dazzle you with the bass impact, clarity, and incredible soundstage. It will take a while for your eyes to leave the soundbar itself and surrender to the experience, as it is so unusual and almost inconceivable how the immense sound is generated. After the waw effect, you will get completely absorbed by the action as good sound matters as much as a good picture. Together, sound and image will create a great immersion and it will have a totally different meaning and impact of anything you will gonna watch, that is a promise!
I have listened to a few soundbars before, and I can tell you that nothing compares to the CANVAS HiFi experience. I will not venture into any direct comparisons, as I cannot listen to them in the same session, and that would be unfair. But based on my experience, the Danes achieved something extraordinary here in such a beautifully designed package. The lifestyle factor is incredibly well implemented, and when you hear it, it will be an already done deal.
Of course, you will not be able to hear the planes from the Top Gun 2 movie flying behind you, but the spaciousness of sound, the dimensions of effects, and the immersiveness will never let you feel that you missed much. CANVAS HiFi is not a complete surround system, and it cannot replace that. Still, it delivers such a natural, clear, and dynamic sound, with a broad and deep soundstage, that I never questioned the sound mastering intention of any sequence I’ve watched. There is a real deep base, clean, impactful, and dramatic. The voices are much more transparent and more intelligible than on so many other expensive sound bars. I still have an illusion of the dimension of sound, the separation, and precise positioning in space, all coming just from below the screen. I am sure that a big part of this wonder is achieved through the BACCH 3D system, which is part of the signal processing. This technology is amazing, and without it, CANVAS HiFi would not have gotten half of the performance. Also, standard driver dimensions, like in a regular speaker, contribute significantly to the sound’s great dynamics and sheer impact. This, I think, is a great advantage and leads to unforced, natural-sounding, excellent control even at very high volume. I popped the volume to 80% and CANVAS HiFi kept the perfect composure, with no distortion, no bass saturation, and no brightness in the upper register. At more than 90 dB, CANVAS HiFi proved that larger drivers, adequately controlled by powerful amplification and tight DSP, really make a winning recipe. Those larger drivers can achieve and sustain more than an array of small ones usually can, as we can see in the usual suspects.
I have watched movie clips with the CANVAS HiFi on the floor – I can tell you that this configuration conquered me visually, only if I had the room for it – and on the wall, before and after the room was properly acoustically treated. There was a difference, undoubtedly, but there is no show stopper here, as the DSP and room correction will do a great job in almost any bare room. The first impression comes from the floor/untreated scenario, and it is hard to forget the huge impact and pleasant surprise. What came after, with the prepared room and repositioning of the TV on the wall, was just a refinement, not really a night-and-day difference — not for movies, anyway.
CANVAS HiFi musical performance
I have to admit that I did not spend much time in the beginning listening to music, especially in the floor/untreated room configuration. I was drawn in by the impact and high level of immersion of the movies, and I dreamed wide open of such a setup in my home. I do not have the proper space for now to position the TV like this, but I have to admit it can be so rewarding visually and accommodate a much larger screen than what I have now flush on the wall.
I switched to music on the second assessment step after the room was acoustically treated with Vicoustic help, and yes, the difference is big and has greatly improved the sound quality. The most noticeable improvement after the sound stage itself was better bass control and spooky spatial positioning of instruments. Before, the soundstage for movies was enveloping; now, with the acoustical treatments, the sound landscape extends much deeper, and spatial positioning is just perfect. BACCH 3D magic is doing wonders with music from a single point; the positioning and separation are incredible, almost on par with a proper stereo setup. Compared to a high-end setup, the music can be a smidge mechanical due to the extended clarity, but that is all I can report on the DSP intrusion. Other than that, what is achieved here in this configuration is fantastic and magical.
The tonality is excellent, the frequency extension is almost as good as a full-range speaker’s, and the overall experience is wonderful. It is not fair to compare it to a full-range high-end system; of course, there are some physical limitations, and even with nice spatial positioning and layering, it cannot replace the real magic of a proper stereo setup. But for watching music on TV and casual listening in the living room, the magic is there, and the sound quality will fully satisfy the casual listener. Again, here, the 6.5″ drivers, together with 1″ tweeters, will help a lot with proper musical reproduction compared to the competition’s smaller drivers.
What is really cool is that no one will expect to hear such good sound coming from the soundbar. If someone expects great sound from some imposing stereo setup, they will definitely be surprised by the music coming from CANVAS HiFi; the lifestyle and minimalism will have a more impactful effect on your visitors. The dynamics, control, and immediacy are also very good, and this will impress a lot in the pure musical reproduction, giving it a sense of realism not easy to be achieved with a not so thoughtful stereo setup. The power delivered with great control is not easy to match; this is a great advantage of a unified solution.
In conclusion, CANVAS HiFi handles music nicely, offering unexpected tricks, good impact, and separation. The music sounds natural, impactful, and clear. What can we expect more of?
Conclusion
CANVAS HiFi proved to be a winner, somehow the Danes managed to fuse an extremely good, clean, and minimalistic design with powerful, clean, and large sound. All this at a more achievable price point than Bang & Olufsen, for example. With a starting price of €3.350 for the 55″version and rising to €3.745 for the 85″ in plain black, it is not cheap, but it is on par with other premium soundbars that offer a lot less. The more expensive real wood-finished versions (€4.995 for the 85” version) will impress with their premium, timeless character.
What is so interesting about CANVAS HiFi is the perfect execution of a design idea and its ability to match most high-quality screens out there. If you get a bigger screen in the future, there is no problem, all you have to do is acquire a larger front and that is an opportunity to upgrade the finishing also. Being able to take the TV off the wall and place it on the floor, or vice versa, at any time (everything is included in the package) seems like a design marvel. Not needing a subwoofer, the elegance of the cable-free environment, the perfect fusion with the display, coherent integration, the luxury and finesse of the design, the never-ending color palette, natural textures, high-quality materials, all this with such a great sound, will make the CANVAS HiFi a no brainer so don’t venture into the listening room if you are not prepared not to be able to leave without it!
As a downside, I can only see the extra cost of the Zen Microphone (€125), and given the whole package, it would have been nice to include it. Yes, the calibration can be done with the phone’s mic, but using a dedicated one like Zen will provide better results.
For the impressive design, high-quality finishing, outstanding sound quality, and so impactful sound, we have no other option but to offer our greatest recognition to CANVAS HiFi with the Editor’s Choice Award. CANVAS HiFi is by far the best soundbar we have had the chance to listen to this year.
As always, I want to extend my gratitude again to the HiFi Expert representative here in Romania. And I want to thank you all for following me here. Let’s hear only the best!
