Monar Canvas Speaker

Most speakers end up as black boxes on a shelf, and most connected displays bring a screen's glare into the living room. The Monar Canvas Speaker tries to sidestep both: it is built like a framed canvas, with a speaker system behind an art display, and the maker positions it as neither just a speaker nor just a digital frame.

Sound in a 4.9cm body

According to the maker, the acoustic design comes from an R&D lab involved in product development for B&O. The result is described as a 90W hi-fi system with a 2.2-channel stereo architecture, a 20Hz–20kHz frequency response and a digital amplifier rated at 0.1% distortion or less, all packed into a body just 4.9cm deep.

• Six studio-grade drivers in total, per the maker
• Dual 4-inch bass drivers with airflow control tuned for the slim enclosure
• 98/30mm "golden ratio" midrange drivers tuned for vocals
• A titanium-dome tweeter with a patented bell-shaped chamber for wide high-frequency dispersion
• A glass-fiber-reinforced enclosure with separate chambers for each driver to limit interference

A display that behaves like a canvas

The front is a paper-like, low-reflection art display made by BOE, which the maker says is viewable from any angle and comes preloaded with more than 50,000 artworks, including pieces by Van Gogh and Hokusai. A Music-to-Art Engine analyzes the rhythm, melody and lyrical mood of tracks played from services such as Spotify and generates a new visual every 12 seconds; a Live Lyrics mode animates lyrics to the beat across 12 themes. Owners can also display their own photos and videos, create art from text or images in the Monar app, and use AI music generation. A Sensory Sanctuary mode pairs nature soundscapes with calm visuals for meditation and sleep.

Frames, cables and setup

Frames are interchangeable: a standard Monar-branded frame and a minimal white frame are included in the description, with additional frames bringing the choice to six styles across materials such as linen and metallic finishes. A toggle switch modeled on a turntable tonearm handles physical control, while a recessed rear cable channel hides the 2.2m soft cable, offered in black or white, so nothing shows from the front. The unit can hang on a wall or sit on an easel.

Everything runs through the Monar app over Bluetooth, and the maker says the AI features are free for life. Two units can be paired for stereo, and a multi-sync mode links several units across rooms.