Kanto ORA4MW Bluetooth Powered Reference Speakers - 140 Watts (White)

Great Speakers! I have a lot to say so I will break this out in categories. For context about me, I am a hobby musician. I’ve dabbled in music production, so I feel I have a relatively trained ear. I am no “audiophile” because I know that is an endless money pit for diminishing returns.1) Sound QualityChefs kiss, these sound really good for the size.I don’t know the exact rolloff frequency, but it seems below around 120hz is where they start to get quieter. For the size, I can’t really complain, it’s impressive for these 4” woofers.I did buy the Kanto Sub8 to pair with these which really completed the setup. I would definitely consider pairing these with a sub at some point if you feel that is missing.When setting EQ for these in my room, I did have to notch down the 400hz range as it was a touch muddy there on some songs. -2/3db at 400hz really let the upper mids sing more. Overall a very neutral sound though.Also, definitely get some stands of any kind. Will help sound quality.Volume is adequate for a 12’x12’ room too.2) AppearanceI was a little worried about them looking cheap from the photos, but I can confirm that in-person they look really good despite being plastic. The only thing I don’t like is the seam in the assembly is pretty noticeable and towards the front. Small nit pick though.3) I/OIt’s a little lackluster in this area. There is no standard aux, optical, or turntable input.Definitely look at other Kanto speakers if you plan to buy turntable speakers because some of their other speakers have a turntable amp built in.So for a PC speaker(my use case), the USB-C is great. RCA is good for pairing with other sound equipment.4)PriceI definitely think the current MSRP of $450 is a little high for these. If paying $450 I’d definitely spend more time comparing to other speakers to see if these are right for you. I’d be a little more critical of these at $450.However, I got them for $330 which definitely tips these into a very competitive and compelling option. They seem to go on sale for $350 very often.5)MiscThe only thing I wish they had was a variable cutoff frequency for the sub out. It’s set to 80hz, but I wish I could play around with it more. However, I don’t think this speaker is for the “True Audiophile” and the 80hz sub out works well with the Kanto Sub8.Also, the power supply is external… which if that’s the trafeoff for how nice they look, I won’t knock it. Would’ve been nice to not have to worry about a power brick. Not too big of a brick.6) ConclusionOverall, I love these, I am very happy with them. They are just pleasant to listen to.My very first listen I was telling myself “Oh, alright, they sound decent, noting crazy. I’ll listen for a while and see if I want to return them”Then I just kept wanting to listen to them more and more and more. I love them! They are just nice to listen to. I don’t get listening fatigue like I do with other speakers and headphones I own.If you are a casual music enjoyer who thinks $350 isn’t expensive to you, you’ll be very happy with them!

I kept saying, "wow" the first time I listened to these speakers. The clarity, range and response is highly enjoyable. Impressive. A few downsides however: (1) the speakers are white, but all the cables are black; (2) they are not loud, even at maximum volume. So if you like to listen to your music loud, you should buy another set of speakers.

I waited a long time for these to upgrade my speakers. As an audiophile with a $3k headphone setup the time came when I wanted to invest in great sound for my desktop speakers too. I have mine on the angled stands, there isn't much to say other than I couldn't be happier, they sound incredible and clean, being near field they also don't travel through the entire house but when you're in the listening position in front of them they're loud and powerful with a sound which wraps around you and doesn't sound directional at all. I do not understand why people pair them with a sub, the bass is perfection, it vibrates my chest, I don't need it to vibrate the walls too. Even those lucky enough to live in a standalone house (certainly not an apartment/unit) on their own with distant neighbours, why ruin perfectly good music by drowning it in excessive bass? It makes no sense. I've also started using them for music production rather than dedicated monitors, as stated by Kanto they are perfectly suitable for that too, really they can do anything and do it better than anything else in the price range while being smaller too.

The sound quality is great. The volume is loud enough to listen to in a medium-sized room, but as someone who likes listening to music on high volume, I wish it were louder.

They sound really good. Recommended