A lot of suppositions and market analysis here by the self appointed cognoscenti of Audio. I heard them and they are special in a way I haven’t heard in quite awhile....think Bozak B313b! They sound like music...warm, defined and full of dynamic swing. Superb soundstaging as well. I’ve owned Dynaudio C4’s, Wilson 6 and 7’s, Sophia’s, B&W lineup including 802D2’s and so many more. All had their virtues but none connected with me like the Kanta No.2 Speakers. Simply put, a symphony sounds closer to the real thing through them!
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rsure: Sounds like you were hearing the laid back sound of tubes vs devialet, rather than a difference in speakers.
Did you ever decide on one?
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I am very excited about these new speakers and am looking for some help help me with a decision I am trying to make. I have an opportunity to buy a used (mint) pair of Sonus Fabre Olympica iii speakers for around $7000 but unfortunately can’t audition them for too long as the seller is traveling soon. The Kantas sounded very good to me (driven by a Devialet 130 pro) at the dealers but the Sonus Fabres also sounded good albeit possibly a bit more laid back (they were driven by an Audio Research tube preamp and a pass labs power amp). Also the listening room at the sellers place was not at all ideal/treated so is difficult to do a fair comparison.
If anyone here has heard both these speakers, any suggestions on whether the new Kantas are possibly worth giving up on the Olympicas at $7,000?
Thanks!
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I'd love to be able to report to you. |
Anyone else hear these and want to give impressions? |
If one is taking style with the substance, its at best fair value. Not doubting its a high performance transducer, but a few other speakers would make my shortlist. At that price, I feel others offer more at similar cost. If the European prices, which currently around fifteen hundred less, would be presented here in the US, it would change my sentiment about the value. |
The folks at the show indicated a 9995.00 price to the group that were listening at 5he same time I was. He also said they were in the middle of the Kanta line and a center were forthcoming over the next year to 18 months. They may have had some variation through the day, but I clearly heard 9995.00. And at the price quoted, I think they will be considered a great value, I definitely want to hear more as those fit my budget, but I am not sure I want to wait that long to get all 5 as I need a 5.1setup in addition to 2 channel. |
$1000 this way or that shouldn't be a big deal on a speaker like this. I have no doubt I could find a dealer to knock $1000 off a pair. My dealer knocked $700 off my 936's, and no, they weren't showroom models.
The big problem with the Sopra line is they tend to work best in rather sizable rooms. A line below them better tailored for smaller spaces, but better sounding than the Electra line, isn't a bad idea. My impression of the F cone is that it captures some of the virtues of a paper driver better than the W cone. |
Actually just had read they will price at $9995 for US customers. The UK and EU pricing is considerably lower, and at that price, I believe they may have pitched this product into too many strong competitors on this side of the pond. Since this product is pitched below the Sopra series and using it as a reference, I have significant doubts about its US pricing strategy.
I'm expecting them to push the style a bit more than substance on this product. Well, good luck to them! Hopefully dealers have some space to negotiate as needed. They may very well need to.
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Google "kanta No. 2 price", I mean. |
The $9000 price is what you get when you convert UK pounds to US dollars. If you Google "kanta no. 1 price" you get a WhatHiFi article that indicates they will be £7000. If so, that's more than twice what I paid for my 936's. Can a copper ring, a new rubber surround, a Be tweeter, and a new box transform the $3000 926 into a $9000 speaker? That seems like a bold leap, a TON of confidence in the F cone over the W cone, and makes the 900 series look like a real steal. In my estimation, of course.
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I heard them as well at the show and thought they sounded really good for $10k. The two pairs that i listened to were connected to Naim equipment. |
Not sure where you guys are getting the $9,000 price but they will be $10,000.
Also, where did you hear that the prices of the Sopras are going up? |
I doubt the price of the Sopra will increase in relation to this. The differential in pricing is currently five thousand greater with a model of similar specification. Additionally, pricing at each individual tier is based on what the market will bear with consideration to all peer competitors. Canton Ref K series is competitive to the Sopra series as do the B&W 800 Series. These factors will play a greater role in pricing then in house competition.
Stereoplay has already produced its first review of the Kanta No.2 with a base set of measurements and ratings. Based on those figures, Focal has certainly achieved its stated goals on bass performance and it has most of the hallmarks of current Focal designs.
The bass falls of -3db at 38hz and -6db at 34hz and should provide a fairly good in room performance. Its pretty even handed and doesn't show the mid bass boost used buy some. On axis, the frequency response is quite flat to 30 degrees to either side. Getting up to 60 degrees off axis does show some of expected response falloff at the lower treble and upper treble. Its expected given the 2.7khz crossover between the mid/tweeter and is a compromises made between driver dynamics and dispersion. It has slightly less emphasis at the upper treble, which is used often to balance in room response. Might be a slightly less airy sound as compared to the Sopra.
Plenty of competition at this price point. B&W 804 D3, Canton Reference 7K or 5K, Revel's upcoming F228Be, PSB Imagine T3, and the Dynaudio Contour 30 are all within the target area. Focal is adding a some additional style to their product as a differentiation. |
Gonna be $9,000/pair. Price of Sopras will be going up. |
I haven't heard them yet, but I'm thinking I'd like to. I think I like the styling, though I'm not too sure I dig on the blue shades. A red or that burnt orange they do the Sopra's in would be better option than two shades of blue. It's nice that the style can range from bold to very organic. Apparently that base is made from the same stuff they cast the driver baskets from. I suspected they may be a replacement for the Electra series. I suppose that shows a lot of faith in the quality of the F cone. I'm going to assume they're going to ask Electra-like prices for those. I'd expect the Kanta No. 2 to go for about $6500-7500. My big question is will the No. 3 feature another 6.5" driver like the 936 and 1038, or will they do the NIC job on the 8.25" driver from the 948 and build out the cabinet a bit more for increased volume. I'm thinking they'll do 2 8.25" drivers. |
This is one of few speaker companies that I pay attention to. Did you hear those with tube, hybrid or ss amps? One of the reasons of why I do is that some used Utopias can be had for a reasonable price. A lot of sound for $4k -$6k, especially with the right amp match.
I also pay attention to speakers like Lansche and Kharma, but this is academic, I will unlikely ever be able to afford them. |
They sounded good to me . The rep stated they use the Aria's flax drivers and the Sopra's tweeter
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They sounded good to me . The rep stated they use the Aria's flax drivers and the Sopra's tweeter |
I listened to them as well. I realize they wouldn’t be at their best in a show setting, but they showed a lot of promise. I was told by another rep. , that they are replacing the Electra series with these. I think it is a good step. The Electra’s have been around a long time, but the new Kanta series will be a great companion to the Sopra line at a better price point. It was nice to be one of the first to see and hear the new product. |
I heard a quick demo at the show today and they sounded quite good although the music was unfamiliar to me.
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Really really glad I make my own.
Glad to see Focal is going back to a cabinet material that won't melt in the rain though!
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