Canton DM50 2.1 Virtual Surround Sound Center for Home Cinema and Music, Black

This is a REALLY nice sound base...and it should be for the price. It's not perfect, but my issues with it are relatively minor and worthy of at most a 1/2 star deduction.As point of reference, I currently have a Zvox 220 with my guest room TV and a Yamaha SRT-1000 in my family room. I have previously owned a Zvox 320, 420 and 555. I purchased the DM50 to replace a Zvox 220 I was using in my master bedroom. I wanted something with more output, buI needed something relatively small to fit on the shelf of my AV stand and this was perfect. It is a bit bigger than a Zvox 220 and slightly smaller than a 320/350. It has 200 watts output compared to 35 watts for the 220 and 40 watts for the 320 and 350. It also costs a lot more than either, so it's not fair to directly compare them. Since the DM50 replaced the Zvox 220, the 220 is my point of reference.When I began looking for an upgrade to the 220, but still with a smallish form factor, I came across this DM50, manufactured by a German company. I was not familiar with Canton, but this unit received uniformly rave reviews from the European reviewers. I was a bit hesitant to purchase this without being able to audition it, but Amazon is great to deal with if I had a problem or wasn't satisfied.The first thing you notice when you open the box is the build quality...it is beautifully and solidly constructed. The remote control is amazing by itself. It fits the hand perfectly, is surrounded with aluminum and has rubberized buttons. It is easily the nicest remote I've ever held in terms of build quality. It's also a relatively simple remote...reminiscent of the Zvox remotes in that respect.All necessary cables are provided and since I was swapping this in for the 220, it took all of 3 minutes to have this up and running.This does not have an HDMI input....not many of these sound bases do. The manufacturers assume you will be running your various sources into your TV with a single Toslink connection to run from your TV to the Canton. Some care about the HDMI input, I do not.The DM50 lives up to the reviews...excellent bass (subwoofer output if you want more) and clear audio. For its size, it can produce a lot of audio.The DM50 comes equipped with Bluetooth 4.0 and can decode Dolby Digital and DTS. It has Stereo and Virtual Surround modes. The Virtual Surround mode is relatively effective, but you will not confuse it with a true 5.1 system. It sound good and I find myself looking for movies with a lot of action in its soundtrack just to play with it.PROS:Most impressive build qualityExceptional remoteExcellent bass, audio quality and substantial audio outputUnit can learn your remote control's functionsDisappearing display (similar to Zvox, although a single red/green light remain on to reflect on/standby status.)Simple operation.Dolby Digital/l DTS decodingNitpicking:It lacks auto on (seriously, Canton?)The auto off takes much longer than it should to turn off.Volume control goes from 0-100, but you really can't hear it until it gets to about 40. I normally listen to it between 55 and 65. Just seems odd.This sounds much better than the Zvox it replaced and there is no comparison in build quality. Again, that is to be expected given the difference in cost. I do miss the Zvox' auto on feature and quicker auto off. I will definitely keep the Canton, but you have to appreciate what Zvox can do in the 220 and 320/350 at their price point.All in all, an excellent sound base at a premium price.