Focal Kanta N°2 Tower speakers

Focal Kanta Nº2: Technology

This new Focal KANTA Nº2 tower speaker is the range of speakers between the French brand’s Electra range and Sopra range.

Nonetheless, it has the majority of technologies developed for the Focal Sopra range of speakers.

However, the most important and striking innovation is the use of Flax cones combined with a 100% Beryllium tweeter!

Focal Kanta Nº2: Design

The Focal KANTA Nº2 speaker is a superb tower speaker with very contemporary dimensions and shapes.

This tower speaker is quite impressive as it measures 1.2 meters and weighs 35 kg.

The KANTA Nº2 tower speaker is available in 8 different finishes, articulated on a satin gloss or walnut plated casing and coloured front panels. These are made in a moulded high density polymer.

Focal Kanta Nº2: Speakers

The cabinetmaking has a very complex shape, thus enabling a perfect phasing of the speakers and a perfect diffraction control of the tweeter.

This HDP material (High-Density Polymer) is 70% denser, 15% stiffer, and 25% more damping than MDF.

The plywood casing is stiffened via internal reinforcements. These were optimized in order to provide the maximum internal load without having to increase the size of the Hi-Fi speaker and so that the speaker can fit in the majority of medium sized rooms.

The load is composed of a double bass reflex (front and back) that uses PowerFlow technology.

The woofers and midrange speakers of this Focal KANTA Nº2 speaker all have a cone of 16.5cm in diameter. They also have in common the famous “Flax” cone. This is made out of flax fibre sandwiched between two glass fibres. This technology was fully industrialized and mastered by Focal in St Etienne, France.

This superb cone is combined with a TMD (Tuned Mass Damping) suspension and NIC (Neutral Inductance Circuit) motor like the ones found in the Focal SOPRA 1 bookshelf speakers. It is the same for the 27mm pure Beryllium inverted dome tweeter.

Focal Kanta Nº2: Connections

There is only a mono cabling connection and we prefer this choice made by many high end manufacturers today such as Wilson Audio, Magico…

Focal’s superb terminal is similar to the one of the Focal Sopra 2 tower speakers. 

Focal Kanta Nº2: Set-up

The Focal KANTA Nº2 tower speaker rests on a Zamac base in the shape of a 4 point star with spikes for a precise adjustment.

This base provides perfect stability for the speaker without taking up too much space on the ground.

Focal Kanta Nº2: Testing and Listening

From the opening bars, we realize that these are indeed high end speakers.

The sound restitution is defined and very detailed without ever being too aggressive. The balance is very fair and does not favour any range. There are the qualities of the Sopra 2 but with more substance and smoothness.

The Focal KANTA Nº2 speaker is less monitoring than its big sister. However, there is the neutrality unique to Focal products. They know how to value the quality of the electronics upstream.

The midrange is present and very natural! The singers seem to be standing in front of you. The voices are incredibly “smooth” and natural. The strings and brass delivered by the KANTA Nº2 are realistic and have a nuance out of this world.

The treble is superb like always with the Beryllium tweeter. Precise and of remarkable finesse.

The soundstage is also to be mentioned as an example. It is deep and wide. It flows freely outside the lateral field of the speakers.

The bass is powerful and completely controlled. There is no trailing nor any colouration. On a big pipe organ, we can perfectly distinguish the pipe organ pedalboard and the playing.  

The Flax sandwich woven between two thin layers of fibre glass enabled to obtain a very light and rigid transducer. This translates to the capacity of moving at high speeds without any deformation. The resulting dynamic and the impacts are very impressive.

The creativity of the Focal engineers seems limitless. The brand is number one and it still continues to innovate and always in the right direction.

The KANTA Nº2 makes accessible the technologies developed on the Utopia and Sopra ranges.

Certainly the best speaker of the moment in this range and it is French! It is completely manufactured in France unlike other leading brands such as B&W that manufacture everything in China, even speakers that are worth thousands of euros.

Highly recommended speakers! +++

AWARDS:

HiF- World: 5 globes
Hi-Fi Choice: Recommended
Hi-Fi News: Highly Commended
Stereoplay: Highlight 11/2017
On Off: Premio 2018 – Mejores cajas acùsticas High-End
DARKO Audio: Product of the year 2017
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