Focal Kanta No.1 Loudspeaker

There’s no shortage of small two-way loudspeakers vying for attention, so standing out from the crowd will take something special – something more than just distinctive looks. Fortunately, in the case of the Focal Kantas, form very much follows function and the innovative and visually arresting cabinet construction is reflected directly in the unforced clarity and organization, musical presence and articulation that characterize their performance. The company’s Micro Utopia was an impressive is somewhat unbalanced and demanding performer, a situation that improved significantly with the Diablo Utopia and improved again with the Sopra No. 1. Now, the Kanta 1 brings the inherent sense of balance and even-handed musical confidence of the smallest Sopra model to an even more approachable price point. Perhaps it’s not surprising that the Diablo Utopia has recently received a much-needed make over, elevating it to Utopia III Evo status. Meanwhile the Kanta 1 does a sterling job of demonstrating the considerable musical virtues and pleasure to be had from a truly versatile and well-engineered compact speaker. Using clever construction to build on the inherent mechanical advantages of a small cabinet and combining that with thoroughly engineered and innovative driver design, the result is a speaker that thrives on musical energy and purpose – without constantly reminding listeners how impressive it is given the small cabinet. It’s poised and expressive performance sits squarely in the same camp as Crystal’s impressively musical Minissimo and that’s no small commendation. Competitively priced for the musical performance(s) it delivers, the Kanta 1 slips neatly between my other current favourite, moderately priced compacts, the Joseph Audio Pulsar 2 Graphene ($7,700) and Prism ($3,699). Give it a listen and you might be surprised (or reminded) just how musically engaging and satisfying an essentially simple but carefully refined two-way speaker like this can be. The Kanta 1 proves that really enjoyable music doesn’t need to cost the earth.

 

Specifications

Type:                                      Two-way reflex

Driver Complement:             1x 27mm IAL3 Berylium inverted dome tweeter

1x 165mm Flax-cone bass-mid

Bandwidth:                            46Hz – 40kHz ±

Impedance:                            8 Ohms (3.9 Ohms minimum)

Sensitivity:                             88dB

Crossover Frequency:           2,400Hz

Dimensions (WxHxD):          234 x 422 x 391mm

Weight:                                   13kg ea.

Finishes:                                 Gloss black, Gloss White, Walnut Veneer with Ivory, Dark Grey or Black front-panel

Price:                                      Speakers: €5,000/pr – Matching Stands: €1,000/pr