Focal Kanta Loudspeaker Review w/ Upscale Audio's Kevin Deal & Kat Ourlian

upscaleaudio.com/products/foc...
Kevin and Kat dive into one of Focal's most popular speaker lines. Find out about Kat's trip to the Focal factory in France, and hear all the details about the amazing Kanta No1, No2, and No3. Complete with tuning forks and flying beryllium tweeters!

[@BADEAU011]

Kate and Kevin, the best duo for speaking about hi-fi stuff, you are fantastics,

[@maynardewm]

I just want to say I really appreciate how Kevin treats Kat. As an equal, respectful, letting her have ownership, letting her have plenty of room to speak and never talking over her. It’s like watching two friends. As a woman in hifi that’s very rare to see. Thank you 🙏

[@markallenster]

100% agree.

[@TheCharlesAtoz]

I love that Kat is so passionate about gear and music. 🤩

[@zuni1919]

Well, just bought some Kanta 3s from Upscale with Sean Smollon's support and some after love from Kat with my turntable purchase and I just can not wait to get them. However, beyond my system and excitement, I went through these guys for the no nonsense love, appreciation and care. I live outside of DC and southern Cal is where I will do business because around here, I was turned away because I wanted time and to look into other components. I guess Morrison was right, especially when it comes to badass people that just want to do what is best for you....."the west is the best"! Cheers

[@dreadpirateroberts4742]

I had the 6.5 inch bass/midrange with .75 inverted dome aluminum tweeter I love their clarity, presence and brilliance allowing the music alone to come through with a linear accuracy unrivaled in my estimate. When I traded in the car I had the old speakers back in and kept the Focals for my new car!

[@stevethetoolman2435]

Great video Kevin and Kat! I do love Focal speakers! Love your passion for audio!

[@mikez-ht7706]

I own the Kanta 2 in the white and black finish,and I absolutely LOVE them! Great video! They have always been my dream speakers and going on a year having them, and they give me the chills listening to them!

[@ridirefain6606]

Great overview of the product. Found it to be very informative.

[@davidcarter9156]

Thank you for the information Kate! Lol, as I have been listening to the No 1’s for about a year and found that without my hearing aids the “1’s” , with a strong amp like 350 w plus they sound awesome! The Hiromi “Seeker” Song just made me chill and show the grill .. If I had one. 😅 Bless you guys and I think about what you, Kevin (I admire your accomplishments) have done here on you tube, in great way, is now the standard for buying high end home audio “online“ with confidence

[@simbad307]

Love this, thank you so much, such passion ❤

[@lakiraly]

Very informative and enjoyable to watch, keep up the good work...

[@americana1544]

Excellent !! Thanks for the great info !!!

[@DigitalDonAV]

Love your videos, love the strait talk.

[@tech4life884]

Making drivers and making crossovers are totally different. Focal should be in every vehicle on planet earth. The car audio line is absolutely wonderful.

[@ivanfilatov7913]

Badass video, I love your passion for Focal. Indeed they're amazing speakers, beautiful looking and luxurious sounding!!

[@jeffreythurston1822]

Great conversation and review. A couple clarifications. I have a pair of Kanta 2 ( bought from you guys) and I love them. However, they do have ports both front and back just like the Kanta 3. Also, even though they are fairly sensitive, they have challenging impedance curves. They really do shine better with higher powered amps. I’ve tried many amps and the more powerful amps bring out the best in them.

[@americana1544]

Have you tried them with the Technics SU-G700M2 Digital Integrated Amplifier? I think they would match perfectly..

[@jeffreythurston1822]

@@americana1544 I’m using a McIntosh 452 and it’s heaven.

[@SirMountainpass]

Try them with the Yamaha AS 3200 or the Creek Destiny Voyage i20 😊

[@hamidrezahabibi8111]

Try them with Accuphase. As you may well know, as audiophiles we have to try every possibility if we have the chance.

[@adeadcrab]

gorgeous sound

[@Devil_Dog85]

😎👍🏼 bought the Kanta 3’s when Upscale Audio had their Focal sale, nice savings!

[@mmdusa]

I would love to see the Focal factory. So jealous!

[@fabricehaesendonck196]

love my focals too!thanks!

[@LuxAudio389]

I Love Focal❤I own black Focal Kanta No2s in our Family room and chameleon Sopra No3s in their own listening room; both have subs. ☘️ Kanta No2 are unbelievable good with essentially an open cabinet with little batting. I took an endoscope and took a peak inside through both Kantas' ports. Sopras are on a whole other level as they should be.

[@tgdtown]

Makes me want a pair!!!

[@technics-n-thuiast8346]

I was contemplating Kantas when was on the market for speakers. Also some cheaper Klipsch....ended up with Audiovectors. Pretty happy must say. Still, would love to listen to Focals too.

[@paulpaulzadeh6172]

Nice review,

[@karensparrow4488]

Love my Kanta 2’s….have a bit if a mixed system for movies/tv but 2 ch. listening for music with these is unreal!

[@suyashmoorpana9408]

Hello, I absolutely love your videos and this one is too good. You are one of the very best youtubers out there for HIFI gear. Very informational videos I must say. This one too you have explained it so so well. You being so experienced I wanted some help and guidance. I currently own the Choras 826 powered by a Nad C388 150w per channel Integrated amp, streamer being blusound node with the JL Audio E110 sub. I am planning to buy the Focal Sopra N2s and upgrade my amplifier later. Just wanted to know if the power on my Nad is enough to drive them at moderate volume? do not want to risk damaging them. Also, what amplifiers would you suggest with them when I plan on upgrading later. Thank you so much for your help in advance man. Cheers

[@steventing2074]

Hi Kevin and Kat. Thanks for the awesome explanation. Love the speakers but I’m worried if my current primaluna dialogue premium hp integrated amp is good enough for the k3?

[@DRWFJ40]

My Aria 948s are literally in transit and I already want these.

[@hamidrezahabibi8111]

You two 💎💎 are magnificent 🎶🎶

[@StagnantMizu]

Even the chorus 716S is still amazing cant imagine how the new models sounds

[@xray111xxx]

Focal is an amazing company, period! Would love to have a pair of Focals in my system some day. I can see why Kat loves them.

[@R3l3ntl3sss]

Great speaker

[@efrainpedroza6624]

Blessings you are great!👍

[@HailKingCeezer]

Kat's a rock star...I'm one of those who always heard that Focal is bright. My ears are super sensitive to the highs, and i always blamed ringing in both metal diaphragms and oversampling dac designs. I can see how beryllium would help after break in. I'm currently using 2 way semi omni directional with the omni ring tweeter at 2khz and up creating an ambience without fatigue so it was my best solution for my sensitive/tinnitus ears.

[@danielhenderson8316]

Classically, Focals were bright, but that was mainly when they were playing with Titanium tweeters at the upper end in the 90's. Those puppies, even after they "tamed" them with a layer of titanium oxide, could shave the hairs off your eardrum, especially in car audio. Once they ditched that for Beryllium and the Aluminum/Magnesium tweeters, you got the same level of detail without the tinnitus. What I'd really like to see on their home audio line is bringing their K2 (Kevlar) Inverted Dome tweeters. In the car audio line, those got the closest to having the detail of a metal dome tweeter with the gentleness of a soft dome tweeter.

[@HailKingCeezer]

@@danielhenderson8316 JBL uses aquaplas on their metal domes. I wonder how that compares to beryllium...though I've read some still describe beryllium as bright as well

[@blandondwyer4360]

How many days/hours do they need for Kant 3 are broken in?

[@scarabeo500gt]

We need a Upscale Audio out here in the Desert! Palm Springs/Rancho Mirage/Indian wells/Indio area... iF YOU NEED HELP doing that let me know.

[@TeressaWI8777]

How do they perform as home theater speakers

[@al5152001]

Oh! Yeah!! The speaker 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣❤️

[@photoipster]

Would love to know what amp kat uses to drive her kantas

[@terrywho22]

Its elsewhere in the comments, but to save you time, its a Naim Unity Atom.

[@user-xx2hj7xb6b]

The spec frequency response sheet for these speakers lists the high end as 40 Hz + - 3db. Impressive, except in most cases, the human ear can't hear beyond 20Hz.

[@d.w.96318]

Try take my Kanta 2 away from me, I dare you! Great Review!💯

[@ITWINGMAN]

You got a Winner, Correction a Champion I love your content and now even more Kat, she is Good no Great super knowledgeable and has a personality to match yours, here is to many years of making great content, can she visit the Magico Factory and review the M9 or any of the M-Series. She reminds me of Lord of the Rings with all the power she is a Knight in shining Armor the scene where she says if you want him come and get him.

[@sidkhandai]

What's the best amplifier to be paired with the Kanta 2?

[@ogthebog2381]

Any really but I have them paired with tubes

[@terrywho22]

In general, Naim amps work extremely well with Focal speakers. As Ogthebog suggests, most tube amps also do a great job.

[@barbouradam]

I'm running Parasound gear with my 3's and it sounds great, but they are part of a HT setup. Would love to try tubes one day

[@simplyhal]

I’m using a Primare i25 prisma with my Kanta’s 2. Sounds great.

[@SR2E5620]

I’m using an Arcam AV41 with a PA240 for my Kanta 2s.

[@99Duds]

Is the beryllium dome coated with something? Seeing how beryllium is toxic, I was wondering as you and your cohost are holding it.

[@danielhenderson8316]

It's toxic if ingested. As long as you don't breathe in beryllium dust or suck on it like a cough drop, you'll be fine.

[@sloboat55]

Alright

[@rachelnewyorktruth2564]

Girl Power

[@tubeman1355]

That kingdom royal is bitchin

[@seano218]

So, what is Kat powering hers with?!

[@nico3641]

she did a tour of her system during the covid days (check this channel) and she has a Naim Unity Atom (for amp + streaming) and a turntable.

[@seano218]

@@nico3641 cool, THX! I'm kinda new to their channel. I appreciate the info!

[@tech4life884]

The ringing between the two tuning forks actually doesn't even make sense in a tweeter because the tweeter doesn't actually have any movement to it. Sound just comes out of a tweeter without any parts physically moving so regardless of titanium or beryllium there isn't any ringing.

[@TheDanEdwards]

"Sound just comes out of a tweeter without any parts physically moving " - of course parts are moving. How do you think the tweeter makes sound?

[@danielhenderson8316]

And with the poron suspension, they're getting more excursion out of the tweeter than most other brands.

[@redstepable]

that voice

[@ldwahl6678]

Kat, are you wearing high heels? Or is Kevin shrinking?

[@harrisedgar]

I've allways sens that focal speakers are brigth..!!! 7:44 may be I've alway listened to unbrokend Speakers..!!? mmmmmm...!! even when I was at Upsacele with Kevin him self, my taste has always leand to Sonusfaber and Dynaiudio; Any tougths? Anyone?

[@danielhenderson8316]

When Focal broke into the market in the 90's, they were extremely bright and used titanium in their top lines. They've done a lot of work to sound neutral for the last 10 years. Compared to Dynaudio, their woofers won't dig as deep into the frequency range, but are much faster in the mid bass area. Think of it like the reverb from a large taiko drum vs a fast kick drum.

[@andrefortune8278]

The big Focals sounded lifeless in Bristol HiFi Show 😣🥲

[@jamestartaglia7686]

Huh?

[@bernardchesneau3091]

Kate's nervous hands tell the story

[@mikegoddard7354]

Kat: Shiii

[@phildirt3]

I thought music systems we’re getting smaller? My bad

[@musicbogany818]

Mcintosh 252 kanta 3 love the sound

[@winstonwolff]

I've never heard these before in person but I imagine they sound great it looks like they put a lot of Technology into their speakers. That being said you are smoking crack if you think I'm spending $30,000 on those speakers. Just like I'm not spending $270,000 on the grand Utopias. I'm shocked they are still in business. There are not that many people in the world that see value in this

[@terrywho22]

Well, these are $15k for the pair, but I get what you are saying. Focal used to make great bang for the buck speakers. In ~2005, you could buy a pair of Focal Electra bookshelves (one step down from the Utopia) that used their premium W composite cone drivers and had AMAZNG build quality for $2k (about $3k today.) Now you have to pay $8k for a pair of flax driver Kanta 1s. You do get the very expensive Be tweeters in their better speakers now, but I don't see that upgrade being worth the huge added cost. Some may disagree, but that's where we are with most manufacturers these days. Except for digital audio, your dollar is buying less and less and it's not simply due to inflation.

[@Johnny-te4rv]

Kate mentioned the workers are male and female. What about the non gender specific and non binary people who would’ve liked to work there?

[@KAISERKRAUT]

Every enclosure design is about compromise. The ported enclosure design is rife with issues. Every port has a resonance frequency. This is a problem. The extra bottom end or bass they are hearing is in part that resonance, it's fake bass, adding in at the lower end frequency ranges, that's not musical information you are hearing. When they pulled out those forks, I thought, alright, they are going to demonstrate just how much those cabinets ring, but it went on about baloney materials , oh well. Colored sound reproduction is what these boxes do best. There are better designs to experience.

[@jonnywishbone1342]

Looking to downsize my stereo gear led me to this channel to check out the Focal line of speakers....Making a trip to my closest Focal dealer to listen to a pair of Sopra No2 and Kanta No 3....wish I was in the USA to visit your establishment........

[@silviosarunic3234]

Kanta on my language means “ Shit can” … can for shit disposal 😂😂

[@blandondwyer4360]

@Kat O c