Hard to believe that Canadian speaker manufacturer Kanto Audio has been producing active loudspeakers for close to 18 years. Hardly the new kid on the block anymore and after almost two decades, the brand keeps consistently releasing powered speakers that fight well above their weight category. Most of Kanto’s success has stemmed from sticking to what they, and do it well – desktop and active speakers, mostly below $1,000 retail and evolving their sku’s year-over-year with better connectivity, more power and nicer colours.
Originally an OEM manufacturer before Kanto was founded in 2007, the brands overnight success only took about a decade with the launch of the popular YU series. The cute as a button YU2, was intended for near-field desktop listening. The YU4 offered an affordable 140-watt complete sound system, while the larger YU6 bumped the power to 200 watts. The YU series couldn’t have been timed better, with an exploding condo market that made a powered space-saving speaker, all the more desirable. Streaming audio through Bluetooth had become mainstream and platforms like Spotify had re-energized a whole new younger demographic to the joy of sound. The YU series also benefited from the rise of vinyl and again, the appeal of being able to plug a turntable right into the back of the speaker, just made the discover of vinyl records so easy to a new generation that were not even born when albums were the only way to access music. Talk about launching your speakers in favourable market conditions!
Kanto has since released a higher end powered speaker called the Tuk while also expanding their desktop offerings through their ORA series while continuing to offer the YU series. Earlier this year during CES, we received a sneak peek at the latest Kanto speaker called the REN.
The REN is a high-performance 200W active speaker, and for the first time in Kanto’s history, the REN features HDMI ARC alongside a connections greatest hits that include Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C, optical inputs supporting 24-bit/96kHz, an RCA line-in, and a dedicated sub-out. The REN also features a 5V 1A USB charging port on the back panel that can be used as a power source for smart phones or network streamers. Like the YU series, cycling between connections can be done either with the supplied remote or by pushing the knob on the powered speaker. Each connection is accompanied by a different LED colour on the front panel. The LED’s can be adjusted to five brightness levels including off. What’s missing from the traditional Kanto offering is a phono out. I was going to make a big stink that Kanto would release a new speaker without a phono stage particularly when phono has been a big selling feature for past Kanto speakers. But now that most sub $1000 turntables include an integrated phono pre-amp built in, my guess is that Kanto saw it a bit redundant having a phono pre-amp included in the new REN and clearly the big deal with the REN is HDMI ARC.
HDMI ARC allows for a high-quality connection to a TV, controlled via the included Kanto IR remote. While you can connect to sources wirelessly over Bluetooth 5.3, or use the USB-C or optical inputs for desktop PC or Mac connectivity, the included HDMI ARC allows the Kanto REN to be a strong contender as a soundbar replacement with the accuracy of a DSP-controlled stereo system with proper right and left channel separation.
Our Unboxing
If you are familiar with the Kanto YU6, the design of the REN is similar both in weight and form, but with a more modern and sophisticated cabinet design with recessed mill work around the drivers. When asking Brett Smalley, Kanto’s Marketing Manager to guide me through the differences between the YU6 and the REN outside of connectivity features, he told me to think of the REN as a hybrid, taking the best features of the high-end Kanto Tuk such as the 5.25” concave cone driver (Tuk’s is an aluminium driver the REN is not) and blend it with the 1” silk dome tweeters featured in the YU6 for a completely redesigned soundstage.
The handsome REN speakers sent for review came in matte orange, almost a perfect pumpkin orange. Kanto has a history of releasing funky colours and in addition to the orange, the REN also come in matte black, white, blue and gray. No glossy options which I’m fully OK with.
For our initial testing out of the box we powered up the REN – one active speaker drives a passive speaker via the included speaker wire. Within minutes we were streaming Spotify via Bluetooth 5.3. These being test prototype speakers sent to me, a factory reset had not been done before they had been shipped to me and the speakers were adjusted to full treble. My heart sank thinking that Kanto’s magic had come to an end and that the REN have no bass! Luckily an easy adjustment brought the speakers back to neutral and the familiar warm full Kanto sound that favors a deep bass was back!
A nifty feature with the REN allows the user to swap and determine which speaker will be the left and right channel. This can be handy when a power outlet appears on the right side of the room (most powered speakers have the active speaker as the left channel) or if attachments to external sources is easier in one direction versus the other. The REN has the active speaker set as the left channel by default but by holding the “next track” button on the remote for five seconds you can turn the active speaker into the right channel.
We continued the testing by repositioning the speakers to the side of a Samsung 75” Frame TV and connected the REN speakers via HDMI ARC. Naturally, via ARC, the Kanto REN automatically power up when the TV is turned on which is another nice feature if this speaker is mostly going to be used as an external source for the TV. Remember to go into the audio settings on your TV and switch the setting to PCM or “audio output mode” to properly activate external speakers. But here is where the REN really differentiate themselves from the YU series. Kanto has added two sound modes, “vocal boost” boosts voice by increasing midrange frequencies and is designed to tackle the frustration when voice dialogue can get lost and muddy. A second “Night Mode” is designed to calm overwhelming and too loud sound effects by reducing low frequencies and applying a high-pass filter to the speakers and mutes any connected subwoofer for nighttime viewing. The two sound modes certainly come in handy living in say a condo, where accuracy of voice is controlled by processing rather than simply by raising or decreasing volume control.
Expanding the theme of the REN as a speaker bar replacement the REN has a proper functioning sub-out crossover and automatically filters sub-bass from its 5.25” aluminum woofers to an external subwoofer, while leaving the REN woofers to focus on midrange frequencies with minimal distortion, and in our experience the voice mode worked the best when an external sub was present and the night mode as mentioned mutes any attached sub. The two sound modes are operated with the REN remote. Press the sound mode button once to enable “vocal boost” and one more time to enable “night mode.”
While the RCA line-in and 3.5mm mini jack allow for analogue audio sources like record players (so long as it has a built-in phono stage) to be connected to the REN, the real advancement with this latest Kanto speaker is the inclusion of HDMI ARC and the ability to dedicate these speakers to a 2-channel home theatre set-up.
Best of all, Kanto has finally improved the look and design of their included remote. The Kanto YU remote feels basic and an afterthought, whereas the REN remote looks and feels sophisticated with a rubber textured grip. The remote finally looks like it can be seen on a date with the speakers without being embarrassing!!
We lived with the REN as our main TV sound source for over a week. Sporting events had natural commentary, movies blended vocals, soundtrack and special effects with ease and the matte orange added a sophisticated touch of colour and pop, to what is usually a conservative black or white décor.
So, the big question; you have $700 to budget for a new sound system and you have narrowed your choice down to the Kanto YU6 or the new Kanto REN – what should you do?
Buy the REN at $699.00 – They have a slightly more sophisticated sound than the lively and deep YU6, priced around $579.00. The REN has a better remote and processing power for video playback that’s not found in the YU series or even Tuk for that matter. The REN also has all the connectivity options of the YU6 except a built-in phono pre-amp which can easily be solved by attaching a turntable with a built-in phono preamp. And lastly, HDMI ARC really turns the REN into an all rounder capable of steaming music and performing as a superbly capable soundbar replacement.
The Kanto REN will be available later this month and are distributed by Gemsen in Canada.