Kanto ORAMR 100W Powered Reference Desktop Computer Speakers with Bluetooth 5.0 and USB-C Input | Bi-Amplified | 100 Hz Automatic Crossover | Reference Quality Sound | Pair | Red

The Kanto ORA is a really good pair of desktop speakers. They have a pretty flat and laid-back sound. The bass with the unit itself sounds good, but it still doesn't produce much sub-bass (as expected of a speaker this size). If you don’t listen to a lot of bass-centered tracks, then you would not necessarily need a subwoofer with this. Connecting a subwoofer (I used a Kanto Sub8) activates the crossover (at 100Hz), allowing the ORA to focus its power on the mids and highs, producing a well-rounded, full-range sound. I bought this to replace my KEF Q100 + Pioneer SW-8MK2 + SMSL AD18 DAC/AMP setup, which was taking up a lot of space on my desk. Using a passive speaker also meant adding an amplifier and all the additional wires required, making the desk a mess. The ORAs are tiny in comparison and are powered, simplifying the setup considerably. One huge quality-of-life improvement for me with the ORA is that I can change its volume at the OS level (via keyboard) like an analog connection, even when connected via USB. I do this hundreds of times a day and don’t have to take my hands off the keyboard now. It is still a little confusing as the speaker volume (controlled via knob) and system volume are independent, and I am not sure how it’s affecting the subwoofer volume (it was at 50% with the SMSL, but I had to reduce it to 25% with the ORA). It took me a day or two of tinkering to get the volumes at a balanced state. @Kanto, if you are reading this, I hope you can share a guide on how to balance system, speaker, and subwoofer volumes, especially within the Kanto ecosystem. After dialing in the ORA and the Sub8, I compared it to the larger KEF system, and it was a tough one. The KEF, thanks to its coaxial drivers, sounded more magical than the Kanto. The imaging on certain tracks is out of this world, but on the flip side, they do sound thin and fatiguing with other songs (even though they are not bright speakers). The Kanto, on the other hand, sounded more laid back and neutral, which makes it a bit boring but more consistent across the range of songs I tried. At the end of the day, I prefer and am keeping the kanto setup for the desk, due to its size, laid-back neutral sound, simplicity, and other convenience features. The ORA feels well-tuned and optimized for the desk. If you want a speaker that you would like to move from the desk to the living room when needed, there are many other excellent (but larger) speakers at this price point that might serve you better. If this was priced around $249, it would have been a no-brainer recommendation.

I was skeptical about how these would sound considering their size. I was WRONG, completely wrong. The sound (and bass) that these tiny speakers produce is unbelievable. I am now a diehard fan. I have a small, modest setup with little room and was looking for (monitor) speakers that didn't have a large footprint. I did some research and chose these. I am sooo happy I did. The colors they offer are amazing and again, the sound is 10/10 from these little guys. They are powerful/loud, solidly built and worth the $$$.

These speakers did not disappoint. While the cost is high compared to other systems, they really have a quality sound that is very immersive. They do have good bass, but mids to highs are where they shine and for sure need a sub for that punch to focus on their strengths. These do have the strength to output sound in a medium sized space but they really are for a desktop configuration that will show their true quality. Some things that need improvement or suggestions, especially for the price point: -The volume knob is great but could use some additional button options for power and input switching. Trying to fit everything into a single function never works right and requires users to read a guide. This should never happen with something simple like speakers. -I did not like that there is a static left and right side of the speakers, this required me to purchase a longer cable to reach the computer. These should be designed to fit the desk configuration, not require me to configure the desk around them. -The sub out port required me to purchase an adapter at a music specialty store for the sub as this single RCA out is not a common cable in use today. Do your research, check out cable availability at the local stores first, then pick out a port to use. -While I liked the flexibility of picking my own sub, it would be nice to provide one as a package deal with a lower cost vs purchasing independently. Most desktop speakers have this today and it can be helpful for folks not adverse in sound systems. Otherwise, lower the price a bit if you are not going to to help ease the required sub costs -For the gamers, maybe look at adding some LED lighting features, they love that kind of stuff. -Provide some additional color choices, people don't always want black only. This was the most I have ever spent on a desktop sound system, but it was completely worth it all in. Sitting at my desk testing these out for the first time gave me goose bumps and produced a sound quality unlike anything I have experienced before out of desktop speakers with all genres of music. Kanto nailed it on the tech, now to just expand on the aesthetics.

I bought these specifically for the depth of the bass they can produce for their compact size, back when they originally released. On a 42 inch desk they still look noticeably large but not comically so, about as large as I would go for a small desk. First off, if you have a desk made of wood or plywood then I HIGHLY recommend using the SP9 stands, as using no stand or the S2 stand will causes early reflections which negatively impact the imaging. The RCA input on these have identical clarity to using a digital input, meaning they're good sounding even without the DSP (so don't fret if you have an analog audio setup like me, you aren't missing out on too much). One other tip I highly recommend trying, is to play around with how far away you have these speakers distanced from your wall. Initially I was disappointed in these speakers because they didn't sound as clear as I hoped, but after moving them farther away from my wall, the the clarity improved to a genuinely surprising degree and my opinion on them changed! The manual recommends these to be 20-25cm (about 8-10in) away from the wall, but I found that to be too close for sound quality sake and currently I have them set 13.5in away from the wall; Which is the farthest I could set them from my wall without ruining the bass performance. Make sure you have them aptly distanced apart from each other as well, not too close together. And atlas, the bass - they have generally a flat sound profile, but if you pair these speakers with a tone control (I'm using a Schiit Loki+ for example) or EQ them, you can raise the lower frequencies without ruining the sound clarity as long as you don't bloat the mid-bass. After raising said low frequencies, raise the volume higher than you normally have it set to. With these tweaks, I found that my eardrums could feel a thump come from the speakers during gunshots during gaming use, instead of just simply hearing the sound of a gunshot. Granted, these are certainly no bass cannons, it's a light thump that's just strong enough for your eardrums to feel the bass.

If you’re planning to use these as PC speakers, I highly recommend installing Equalizer APO right away. Seriously. It makes a massive difference, and I would not suggest running these speakers without some kind of EQ. I’m generally a fan of these speakers. I’m not an audiophile, but I do care about clear, balanced sound. Out of the box, though, I was honestly pretty close to returning them. Without EQ, the soundstage feels very flat, like everything is coming from the same place instead of having any real depth or separation. On top of that, they sound very muddy, especially with rock or metal. Once there are a lot of instruments happening at the same time, everything blends together and it starts to sound dirty. To be fair, these are reference speakers, and I probably should have taken that more into account before buying them. They are clearly tuned to be neutral rather than exciting right away. That said, there are some real positives even before EQ. The bass response by itself is surprisingly strong and solid for small four inch drivers, and it is perfect for an apartment setup without shaking the walls. The highs on their own are also very clear and crisp without being overbearing or shrill. The speakers do not sound hollow at all, which I really appreciate. Once I installed Equalizer APO and boosted the highs and lows a bit, everything came together. The soundstage opened up, instrument separation improved a lot, and the overall clarity jumped way up. With a few EQ tweaks, these speakers end up sounding very well balanced. Because of that, I decided to keep them. With EQ, they sound great for listening to music, watching movies, and even playing games. Without EQ, I really would not recommend them unless you're looking for studio monitors. One small but annoying thing to note: the speakers are not labeled left and right. The one with the volume knob is the left channel. If you are like me and running these to a PC, you will probably put that speaker on the right side closest to your tower so you do not have to run a long USB C cable across your desk. The downside is there is no built in way to swap channels on the speakers themselves, so you will need software like Equalizer APO to reverse them. Overall, these are very good value for your dollar. They absolutely need EQ to shine, but if you are willing to do a little setup, they become a really well balanced set of speakers for everyday use.

Pros: - Compact design with decent bass (50–70 Hz) for the size - Built-in USB DAC ensures low-noise PC connectivity - Flat base and treble - Sounds acceptable—but only after applying EQ to correct vocal issues Cons: - Muffled Vocals: Voices sound as if underwater, with a noticeable midrange abnormality (confirmed using a UMIK-2 mic). Despite being marketed as “DSP tuned” and “reference quality,” the speakers require careful manual EQ to fix this flaw. - Limited Connectivity: EQ fixes work only via RCA or USB; Bluetooth (which is limited to SBC, no AptX) won’t apply EQ unless you use a phone app like SpotEQ31. - Harsh Treble: Sibilance makes strings sound scratchy unless corrected with treble roll-off in the EQ. - Channel Layout: The main speaker is always on the right, with no ability to swap. - Paper Cone Woofers: These may compromise both sound quality and longevity. Not acceptable at this price. EQ Adjustments: Preset 1 – Correcting Vocals & Midrange Defects: 20 Hz: 0dB 25 Hz: 0dB 32 Hz: 0dB 40 Hz: 0dB 50 Hz: 0dB 63 Hz: +0.5dB 80 Hz: +1dB 100 Hz: +0.5dB 125 Hz: 0dB 160 Hz: 0dB 200 Hz: 0dB 250 Hz: 0dB 315 Hz: 0dB 400 Hz: -1.7dB 500 Hz: -2.5dB 630 Hz: -1.8dB 630 Hz: -0.9dB 1 kHz: +1.4dB 1.2 kHz: -1.4dB 1.6 kHz: +1.1dB 2 kHz: +2.6dB 2.5 kHz: +2.6dB 3.1 kHz: +2.2dB 4 kHz: +3.5dB 5 kHz: +1.5dB 6.3 kHz: 0dB 8 kHz: 0dB 10 kHz: 0dB 12 kHz: 0dB 16 kHz: 0dB 20 kHz: -2.5dB Preset 2 – Normal Vocals and Midrange, Enhanced Bass & Treble: 20 Hz: 0dB 25 Hz: 0dB 32 Hz: +1dB 40 Hz: +2dB 50 Hz: +3dB 63 Hz: +3.5dB 80 Hz: +4.5dB 100 Hz: +3.3dB 125 Hz: +1.4dB 160 Hz: +1.4dB 200 Hz: +1.4dB 250 Hz: +1.1dB 315 Hz: 0dB 400 Hz: -1.7dB 500 Hz: -2.5dB 630 Hz: -1.8dB 630 Hz: -0.9dB 1 kHz: +1.4dB 1.2 kHz: -1.4dB 1.6 kHz: +1.1dB 2 kHz: +2.6dB 2.5 kHz: +2.6dB 3.1 kHz: +2.2dB 4 kHz: +3.5dB 5 kHz: +1.2dB 6.3 kHz: +0.9dB 8 kHz: +1.2dB 10 kHz: +1.3dB 12 kHz: +2.0dB 6.3 kHz: -2dB 16 kHz: +1dB 20 kHz: -3dB 20 kHz: -5dB Using either preset significantly improves the sound by eliminating the muddled vocals. Preset 2 is better for music, preset 1 is better for audiobooks and youtube. Overall Verdict: While the Kanto ORA’s compact size and basic sound performance are appealing, its factory DSP tuning falls short—forcing you to manually EQ to fix muffled vocals and harsh treble. It is perplexing that Kanto did not use its DSP to calibrate the speakers properly. That's a huge missed opportunity. I am not sure what Kanto audio engineers were doing here. They could have used a basic UMIK-2 calibration mic to see the easily fixable flaws. I hope they can release a firmware update to fix the sound signature. At this price, bluetooth codecs like AptX (or Snapdragon Sound) and proper out-of-the-box EQ should be standard. If you have room on your desk, alternatives such as the JBL 305 MKII offer gold-standard performance, backed by superb audio engineering, without needing manual EQ. Consider the Kanto ORA only if compact speakers are a must and you’re willing to invest time in fine-tuning the sound with EQ software.

Honestly surprised by the quality of sound of these speakers, sizing threw me off a tad bc I thought they would be a bit bigger but I actually like the size! Cute color, great sound, easy connection. I currently have them connected to a vinyl player but easy to connect to my phone back n forth if needed. I might even buy a second set if my other speakers ever die on me. Worth the money!

I recently purchased the Kanto Ora in pink and had high hopes for this speaker, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to expectations. First off, the Bluetooth connection was a headache. It took multiple attempts to get it to pair, and even when it finally did, the connection wasn’t always stable. You’d think for $349, basic functionality like this would be smoother. That said, the bass response was surprisingly solid. For a speaker of this size, it packs a punch in the low end, which was one of the few things I actually enjoyed during testing. It really fills the room, and if you're a fan of bass-heavy music, it does well in that department. However, the speaker's build quality left a lot to be desired. The plastic cabinet feels cheap, and the “pink” color is way off. It’s more of a beige or dirty white, which was really disappointing considering we were hoping for something that actually looked pink. Plus, the finish scuffs ridiculously easy, so I can only imagine how rough it would look after a few months of regular use. For this price point, the external power supply is another letdown. It feels like they cut corners here, and I would’ve expected something built-in and more robust for a speaker that’s being marketed as premium. Ultimately, we’re returning it. The Ora may have potential, especially if you're just looking for a speaker with decent bass, but it’s just not delivering on the overall quality or design you’d expect at this price.

Not worth the price tag, seen it on YouTube and people liked it, sounds not bad, but she struggles in multiple different ranges, I’m also sad it didn’t include the speaker stand for the price tag. I guess for 100w it’s not bad fogeting the price, but for the price it really needs to be massively improved. It’s a $150 speaker at best.

The sound coming out of this tiny speaker is unbelievably good

وربي فخمة والصوت ولا غلطة

I tried out various computer sound options with my new setup and was really skeptical that the Kanto Oras would sound any good considering their size... but I'm blown away by how great they sound! First impressions: these speakers are smaller and lighter than expected. The case might be made out of a plastic material - build quality looked fine. I did not have high hopes. I plugged them into my computer and started playing some music, and wow - I love the sound. The audio is crisp with a satisfying amount of bass - more than enough for home office/computer use. The audio is very clear and pleasant - much better than a previous set of Edifier 12800DBs, which were very muddled and bland. The trebles are similar to a set of Logitech Pebbles but with a much fuller lower end. The speakers sound good at mid-volumes - but even at this volume, it should be more than enough to fill a room 15 x 20. The second speaker is wired with a proprietary cable that is a bit hard to find. I would have much preferred if the speaker used standard speaker wires, which would allow me to make my own custom length cables. The secondary speaker cable is also a bit thick and stiff. If you need a longer cable, Kanto will actually recommend you purchase the 4-pin mini cable from Edifier - AliExpress also has these cables for cheaper too. The volume control is a digital knob, but I think it does remember the volume upon start-up. There are no markings on the knob, so it's hard to tell what volume level it's set to. Overall, very happy - finally found a small set of computer speakers that are powerful enough yet provide a nice balance in sound.

Para ser unas bocinas de escritorio quedé impresionado por su rendimiento. A pesar de su tamaño compacto, estas bocinas ofrecen una calidad de sonido excepcional que supera todas las expectativas. Lo más destacado es su capacidad para producir un sonido claro y robusto, una proeza notable para bocinas de su tamaño. Uno de los aspectos más impresionantes de las Kanto ORA es su respuesta en graves (consideremos el tamaño de sus driver, obviamente). Para bocinas tan pequeñas, es sorprendente cómo manejan las frecuencias bajas sin comprometer la claridad y el detalle. Este equilibrio en el rendimiento de graves es algo que rara vez se ve en bocinas de este calibre. En comparación con sus predecesoras, las YU2, las Kanto ORA representan una evolución significativa. Se nota una mejora palpable en términos de calidad de sonido y rendimiento general. La compañía ha logrado hacer ajustes y mejoras que realmente elevan la experiencia auditiva a un nivel superior. Otro punto a destacar es la excelente separación instrumental y la representación de la escena sonora. Las ORA tienen una manera impresionante de dispersar el sonido, creando una experiencia inmersiva que te hace sentir como si estuvieras en medio de una actuación en vivo. Ya sea para escuchar música, ver películas o jugar videojuegos, estas bocinas crean una atmósfera sonora rica y envolvente. Para aquellos que buscan lo mejor, conectar las Kanto ORA a un subwoofer es una recomendación que no puedo dejar de hacer. Esta combinación mejora aún más la experiencia, amplificando la profundidad y la riqueza de los graves, y llevando la calidad de sonido a un nivel excepcional. En términos generales, las recomiendo muchísimo. Quizá el precio… esté algo elevado.