Kanto TUK Active Speaker Reviewed!

The Kanto TUK caught my eye when they were released a few years ago and today thanks to a client loaning them out I managed to get them in for a review. To me, I’m a sucker for this era of clean minimalist, if even a bit futuristic, styling we are seeing from companies like KEF and Emotiva. The looks department ticked all the right boxes for me looking good in white and black options but with Active speakers not always having the best reputation, and the price being so high I knew for a lot of folks this won’t be blind but. I was excited to try them in a variety of scenarios and below, as always, are my unpaid and unbiased thoughts.

The Concept

Kanto Audio is a very interesting company to me. Instead of entering into the world of passive speakers and competing there (they do offer a couple of passive models despite it not being their focus) they have stood out as active speaker specialists. Plenty of companies like Klipsch (with the Sixes) and Kef with their wireless models offer Active models but they are essentially adaptations of passive models. Edifier is definitely the gold standard in this arena when it comes to price and performance but their styling never really followed a distinct ethos.

Generally, Kato speakers are very affordable, costing somewhere in the region of 2-300 dollars but the TUK is the flagship, the big boy, the standard. Pricing on the Kato website is currently $899 so they better deliver.

Two areas catch the eye with the TUK concept, obviously, the design which we talk about in the aesthetic section of this review but also the inclusion of ribbon tweeters (AMT) that we have experienced and enjoyed on other speakers. Connectivity and user experience were other areas that got the kitchen sink thrown. To me, the Kanto TUK is every bit about refining the experience of using speakers, that’s the benefit of active speakers that many companies miss and TUK attempts to make the end product as refined and polished as their cabinets.

Aesthetics and Build Quality

It’s not often I want to throw statements like 10 out of 10 out there but if ever there was a time it’s now. Yes, 100% yes. The Kanto TUK beautifully matches the striking design with class-leading levels of finishing. This is a lesson in simple is better, minimalism is master, and these things look so damn good in every situation.

So why am I so in love with the design, well really you need to get them in hand to understand. The proportions, the angles, the use of curves, and the placement of the inputs and controls are one of the best layouts I have seen, maybe only matched by style masters themselves KEF. Whoever created the prototype TUKs must have sat back with a big grin on his face, surely he knew he created a winner.

Up front top, we get the ribbon tweeter that sits behind machined grills and is inlaid from the cabinet this is rectangular and proportional in size to the full front face of the speaker. Below that the angle of the recession is matched for the circular woofer. They went as far as to color match the center of the cone to the cabinet housing leaving a clean black ring for the diaphragm flexion.

The left speaker has the controls and led panel. On the far right, you have a beautifully machined volume pot that feels amazing to use with just the perfect amount of resistance to fine-tune your levels. To the left neatly stacked are 5 small labeled LED’s that indicate the current input.

I hate LED’s for speakers, most of the time, especially front facing. The light emitted in a dark room is unwanted and I usually resort to taping the front but even that is taken care of thanks to Kanto offering a night mode that turns them off. Simple touches make welcome additions.

Further to the left is a receiver for the remote and one of the best functions I have seen on a speaker of its kind. A front facing 3.5mm input. What’s so special about that? Again nothing, convenience, the fact I don’t have to go rummaging around in the rear of the speaker and move it to connect my phone via cable. I’m a simple man from a simpler time and something about this made me really happy.

The back panel is perhaps a bit busy, they have a lot of options going on for connectivity like Phono, RCA, Optical, USB, and your standard cable compressors. What catches the eye here is a sub-out port allowing you to connect a subwoofer for a more realistic and fulfilling experience. The sub used can be anyone that is compatible but I also received this review set of Kanto TUK with the company Kanto sub 8 which for the money is a perfect match in both looks and capability.

Finishing and materials feel absolutely top-notch, nothing out of place, and they feel like a solid dependable premium product.

For me, the versatility of the TUK in the looks department is perhaps its biggest draw for consumers. A speaker likes this blends in, it’s charming and non-imposing, capable at the same time to be a conversation piece or just blending into the background. An easy way to tell you I like them is that I think they look equally good in black or white and readers of this website know that I positively hate black speakers.

Sound

Is this a case of lipstick on a pig or is it a case of brains plus beauty? Thankfully the latter.

Had Kanto gone the lazy route of a incorporating simple dome tweeter I don’t think they would have done enough to stand out. For me, with my recent purchase of the Emotiva B1+, i have fallen hard for the capabilities of ribbon drivers. They offer something unique and crispness and air to the high notes that can only be achieved with this type of tech.

Now there is one other famous ribbon speaker on the market, the one that in sound must be brought to attention for comparison purposes. The Emotiva B1+. Those ribbon speakers match the highs of the TUK and do so while costing 3 times less. Those are passive speakers though so you miss out on connectivity, and design and you need to consider buying amps, receivers, and cables to optimize them. The Kanto is one of the only ribbon speakers I can think of using ribbons in active form and its end product is striking.

Given the type of drivers used and the small diameter woofer the Kanto Tuk sound energetic and focused on the top end and midrange. Bass is what I refer to as punchy and detailed but lacks realistic sub-bass depth. It’s fine in quantity for near-field listening but in a party environment or for watching movies I heavily recommend a subwoofer because it’s an unbelievable well-rounded system when incorporated.

With this focus on highs, they can come off sounding abrupt to some forward and top-focused. For me it’s refreshing and the neutrality and spacing allow them to open up and present this crystalline image to the sound.

Jazz tracks were potent in energy and very pure sounding. Surprisingly the bass shone in this area because the tightness of the driver delivers a very refined and detailed mid-bass reproduction. EDM did expose the lack of sub-bass in contrast but if you listen to rock, jazz, and acoustic tracks these are stellar performers.

Vocals are on the dry side, focussing on detail and with very little coloration. If I was to compare these speakers it would be to a set of Etymotic ER4SR earphones. Without anything added to them, dry but detailed and revealing. Floaty and spacious. This of course doesn’t make them the perfect pairing for people who enjoy more warmth or weight and certainly won’t work for people who enjoy smooth rolled-off highs.

For me its sound was refreshing, to not have something focusing on a safe consumer tuning is rare and bold and I like it. When pairing them up with the 8-inch sup you get a real experience. Where the focussed and direct upper frequencies are balanced with the low notes. In this configuration, I think it’s best suited and a real stand out for the price. Energetic, lively, spacious, and impactful. I cannot believe I am saying these things about an active speaker.

Final Thoughts

Audiophiles often forget the purpose of active speakers and dismiss them yet audiophiles aren’t your standard consumers. Most people want a set of speakers to be plug and play and not have to deal with a complicated setup or finding amplifiers capable of driving them. Because of this many companies get away with producing sub-par active speakers because they can or they create active speakers as an afterthought, shoving connectivity and low-performing amplification into a speaker that was designed to be used passively.

Kanto is building its line off the back of specifically designing active speakers. Elevating the category with striking design, clever functionality, and pushing the boundaries with the sound. It’s not a normal active speaker by any means and even at the high price, they are one of the best value active speakers on the market today.

Official website of the Kanto TUK: www.kantoaudio.com