CANVAS L – CANVAS HiFi presents what it calls the world’s first audiophile soundbar at HIGH END Vienna 2026

The soundbar has long carried an awkward reputation in traditional HiFi: useful, tidy, sometimes clever, but rarely a term that promised real sonic authority. CANVAS HiFi has already argued against that view with CANVAS, a wall- and television-integrated system that treated the screen not as the enemy of good sound, but as part of a modern listening environment. With CANVAS L, the Danish company is now pushing that idea further and describes its new model as the world’s first true audiophile soundbar. The first public presentation will take place at HIGH END Vienna 2026, a setting in which claims about dynamics, spatial precision, tonal balance and build quality tend to be tested by an unusually demanding audience. The message is deliberately ambitious: less TV accessory, more serious High-end HiFi system for contemporary interiors.

Key Facts

• New CANVAS L conceived as a larger audiophile TV and music system
• CANVAS HiFi describes it as the world’s first true audiophile soundbar
• Custom drivers from Scan-Speak and SB Acoustics
• Sound tuning by Benno Baun Meldgaard
• BACCH 3D+ technology for a notably wide spatial presentation
• HDMI ARC/eARC, S/PDIF coaxial, S/PDIF optical, Cinch and LAN
• Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, TIDAL Connect, Spotify Connect, DLNA and Roon Ready
• Designed for televisions from 65 to 85 inches, with custom sizes up to 115 inches
• World premiere at HIGH END Vienna 2026
• Market launch planned for the fourth quarter of 2026

From CANVAS to CANVAS L – a bigger claim, not just a bigger format

CANVAS HiFi never positioned its original CANVAS system as a conventional soundbar. It was framed instead as a living-room HiFi solution that could be integrated elegantly with a television, without forcing the owner into the usual compromise between interior design and audio performance. CANVAS L now takes that argument into more assertive territory. CANVAS HiFi is no longer speaking merely of a HiFi soundbar, but of an audiophile soundbar – a phrase that will inevitably raise eyebrows among listeners used to traditional loudspeaker systems.

That is precisely where the product becomes interesting. CANVAS L is not intended to be understood as an add-on for television audio, but as the central playback system for film, music and gaming. It is aimed at listeners who do not want a visible pair of loudspeakers in the room, yet are unwilling to give up spatial scale, precision and musical substance.

“With CANVAS L, our ambition was to create far more than a conventional TV audio product. We wanted to deliver a true audiophile experience with the emotional engagement, scale and precision of high-end hi-fi – integrated seamlessly into contemporary interior design.”

Laust Nielsen, CEO of CANVAS HiFi

Custom drivers instead of an off-the-shelf solution

At the heart of CANVAS L is a newly developed acoustic architecture. CANVAS HiFi uses custom drivers from Scan-Speak and SB Acoustics, rather than relying on generic modules adapted to a slim cabinet. For the bass section, an 8 inch woofer has been developed together with Scan-Speak and tailored specifically to the comparatively compact enclosure of CANVAS L. It is supported by a passive 8 inch radiator based on the same woofer design, but without magnet and voice coil.

The midrange and treble section has likewise not been treated as a standard package. According to CANVAS HiFi, the system uses a 3 inch Scan-Speak midrange driver modified by Benno Baun Meldgaard, combined with a 29 mm ring radiator from SB Acoustics. The drivers are mounted in a particularly rigid aluminium baffle with a heavily damped, asymmetrical rear chamber. This is intended to improve driver integration at the front of the system, reduce edge diffraction and contribute to a cleaner, more precise presentation.

A powerful amplifier platform with real headroom

The amplifier section follows the same ambitious line. CANVAS L uses what the manufacturer describes as a new high-power amplification platform with separate drive for the individual driver groups. The bass drivers are assigned 2 × 300 watts, the midrange drivers 2 × 200 watts and the tweeters 2 × 50 watts. CANVAS HiFi states total peak output at 1.500 watts.

This architecture is supported by a GaN power supply designed to provide substantial reserves. CANVAS HiFi also specifies total harmonic distortion below 0,02 per cent at full rated power, with even lower distortion during normal operation. The intention is clear: CANVAS L should remain clean, controlled and free from obvious strain even at higher listening levels – a crucial point for any integrated system that wants to argue convincingly in the direction of High-end HiFi.

BACCH 3D+ and Benno Baun Meldgaard

Spatial presentation again plays a central role. CANVAS L uses an advanced BACCH 3D+ algorithm designed to create an especially broad and immersive soundstage. Unlike many Home Cinema soundbars that lean heavily on virtual surround effects, CANVAS HiFi says its focus is on a natural, precise and musically coherent presentation.

Final sound tuning is handled by Benno Baun Meldgaard. The Danish developer is well known in the High-end field, not least through his work for Gryphon, Raidho and Gamut. For CANVAS L, he is said to have applied the same principles that matter in conventional High-end loudspeaker design: tonal balance, organic flow, stable imaging and long-term listenability. It is also worth noting that the tuning is not presented as an abstract laboratory exercise, but as work intended to serve normal living rooms.

Integration for television, music and Smart Home

Despite its audiophile ambition, CANVAS L remains a modern, fully integrated living-room product. For television connection, HDMI ARC/eARC is provided. The system also includes S/PDIF coaxial, S/PDIF optical, an analogue stereo input via Cinch and a LAN interface. Wireless and network playback are covered by Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, TIDAL Connect, Spotify Connect, DLNA and Roon Ready.

Integration into modern installations has also been expanded. CANVAS L supports Control4 and receives automatic OTA updates. Room correction is carried out through the CANVAS App, either with the Zen microphone or via Apple iPhone models using the built-in microphone. That makes CANVAS L not only a design-led solution, but also one that can be adapted acoustically to real rooms.

Scandinavian design with 13 finishes

In design terms, CANVAS HiFi stays close to its existing language. CANVAS L follows a clean, minimalist Scandinavian form and is intended to integrate visually with large televisions. Standard configurations are planned for screen sizes of 65, 75, 77, 83 and 85 inches, while custom front sizes from 98 to 115 inches are also planned as an option.

The magnetically replaceable front panels will be offered in 13 variants. These include Black, Light Grey, Structure Grey, Dark Blue, Ocean Grey, Light Green, Umbwe, Burnt Umber, Organic Green, Milled Ochre, Light Oak, Mahogany and Walnut. TV and hybrid mounting solutions are part of the concept, with CANVAS HiFi referring to lighter and more versatile solutions for CANVAS L.

All benefits at a glance

• A serious audiophile concept in a living-room-friendly TV system
• A more substantial approach than conventional soundbars
• Custom drivers rather than standard chassis components
• High power reserves for film, music and gaming
• BACCH 3D+ technology for a wider spatial impression
• Sound tuning by an experienced High-end developer
• HDMI ARC/eARC and classic audio inputs in one system
• LAN, streaming and Roon Ready for modern music playback
• Control4 support for Custom Installation
• Replaceable front panels with 13 design variants
• Integration with large televisions, including custom sizes

Price and availability

CANVAS L will celebrate its world premiere at HIGH END Vienna 2026, taking place from 4 to 7 June 2026 at Austria Center Vienna. CANVAS HiFi will present the new system in room H X4, stand L03. According to the current schedule, market launch is planned for the fourth quarter of 2026 through authorised CANVAS HiFi dealers.

Pricing for CANVAS L is expected to start at € 5.999,-. According to the manufacturer, the front panel, hybrid mount and universal TV mount are included. The final price may vary depending on the selected front-panel material and size.

Conclusion

With CANVAS L, CANVAS HiFi is deliberately raising the bar for integrated TV audio systems. The phrase “audiophile soundbar” is bold, but in this case it is not merely a label: custom drivers, a powerful amplification architecture, BACCH 3D+ technology, high-quality construction and serious sound tuning all point to a concept that goes well beyond ordinary TV loudspeaker solutions. The decisive question will be how convincingly CANVAS L delivers on that promise in the listening room. As a concept, however, it is highly compelling, because it addresses precisely the gap that remains open in many modern homes: a large screen, carefully chosen interior design and, until now, no truly elegant HiFi solution with a credible claim to serious sound.

Technical Data