For the most part, elements like vocals and guitars really shone through, partnering with the highs instead of being shunted to the background. TUK features integrated digital signal processing (DSP), designed to optimize audio quality and provide greater accuracy in sound reproduction. What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. The integration between the TUKs 5 woofer and AMT tweeter is flawless, and they offer distinct separation of these voices, doing an excellent job keeping the tracks pace locked down. The e-journal of analog and digital sound, The PrimaLuna EVO 300/Floyd Design Integrated, The SVS PB-1000 Pro and SB-1000 Pro Subwoofers, The Rega P10 Turntable and Apheta 3 Cartridge, REVIEW: Naim ND555DAC and PS555 Power Supply. If you want to find out what on Earth RMS and peak mean, dont worry: weve got you. The woofer of the TUK is also pretty special. The soundstage was very wide. Everything you need to know about headphone specs. is supported by its audience. One of the advantages of the AMT tweeters is the increased soundstage, thanks to all that moving air. The RSS feed provided is for personal, non-commercial use only. Its certainly a significant improvement on remotes that come with more expensive speakers, like the aforementioned KEF LSX.
When a small woofer is not being asked to move as far, it can put out more midrange with less breakup on loud passages. They followed up the iPod dock with a line of powered speakers and other accessories. Thank you for signing up to What Hi-Fi?. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Theres also a headphone jack and a dedicated Sub Out RCA connector for integration with a separate subwoofer Kanto recommends the Kanto sub6 or sub8 but this isnt essential. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The prejudices against Class D amps are ridiculous, and are largely based on issues that the technology had when it was new in the 1980s. We adjusted the output of the Kanto Sub8 to match well and played most of the same tracks over again. Oh yeah, they even have a built-in headphone amp too. Controls are mostly handled via the remote, but theres also a simple volume knob and input selector on the front of the master speaker. It is available in two matte finish colors, black or white. Packed with functionality, TUKs remote allows you to make quick input, volume, tone, and balance adjustments, as well as control playback when streaming via Bluetooth. These powered speakers carry many of the features you'd expect of a complete music system, including aptX HD Bluetooth and both digital and analogue inputs. Although they are not inexpensive for powered speakers, they deliver sound far above their price point. See the Kanto TUK See the Best Bookshelf Speakers. Get real. Widescreen Explained: Whats With The Black Bars? We didnt use this much, but it worked well. Many new powered speakers give you an adjustable bass and treble control these days. The TUK is just flat out fun to listen to. Theres an argument that they are still better than the TUK, but when it comes down to it, we know which pair wed rather have. That is a really full slate of inputs, but there are a couple of other ports on the back. As we said at the beginning of this review, they make good stuff. What Hi-Fi? Read more about us. The aluminum cone woofers are super fast and low distortion. Editing a few upcoming YouTube pieces was a snap through the TUKs. Think of an accordion youll have to live with imagining the god-awful noise they make only on a very small scale. Again, the TUK was very impressive letting us hear harmonics of a clarinet and brush strokes on a cymbal. The problem is, moving air quickly requires a lot of movement. If you flip the master speaker around, youll be presented with a good range of inputs and outputs. Kanto has done a fantastic job of creating one of the most dynamic and engaging small powered speakers we have heard in a long time. Put these up against something like the Audioengine HD6 and its clear which speaker wins the design awards. These are very different from regular tweeters, and after having spent a couple of weeks with the TUK (say, tuck), we are very much in love. As the guitar and solo horn pipe up through the left speaker, Mick Jaggers voice joins us with a pleasing central placement. If you cant find the remote, the TUK has basic functions of on/off, volume and input selection built into the small knob on the front panel. And Its really good. Its an expansive mix where Mitchells vocal seems as close to our ear as she intended, but were missing her vocal strength through the lower registers. Much as I hate listening to the Eagles, their first album is well recorded and offers some great harmonies, most that get lost on so called, budget speakers.
The white finish of our model (also available in matte black) is highly likeable. They are more expensive than the $799 TUK, to be sure, but they boast effortless sound quality, particularly in the high-end. Their audio quality is weighty and clean, with a definite emphasis on the low-end. There's even a moving magnet phono stage. All of these work well, and theres nothing we wouldnt have expected to see here. AMTs change that. Gorgeous speakers, especially in white. The name also pays homage to the fact all Kanto products are designed in Canada. The powered speaker is designated left and the passive right, but should you need to place the powered speaker on the left due to proximity of your AC outlet, it takes a mere push of the button on the remote control to re-orient the speakers, so that left is left again. Discover our selection of Buyer Guides, Installation Videos, Smart Home Planning & Budgeting Tool, and more! They arent entirely biased towards the high-end, but if youre looking for a pair of speakers to replicate the highs accurately and completely, you really cant go wrong here. The disadvantage of this is a case where your power outlet and components are closer to the speaker without all the connections.
If you love great audio, a dedicated music streamer is essential. This little hamlet sits on the shores of the Arctic Ocean and is home to some spectacular Aurora Borealis displays. While we did find that slightly deeper male vocals had a little bit more energy than higher female ones, ironically, it was a very minor issue. The TUK have issues with volume that havent been fixed from previous speakers. They reach down quite deep for their size. The result is an ability to play much louder with less distortion. The KEF LSX (full review here) are stuck in an identical situation, and they cost $1,100 per pair a full $300 more than the TUK. It feels welcoming, warm, and engaging, and no matter what genres we played through these speakers, they came correct. This is a very nice touch, and something I havent seen on other powered speakers. Like the TUK, they come with Class D amplification, and we think the sound is very good. Kanto gives you a way to engage a DSP (digital signal processing) function that kicks in an 80hz crossover, sending only 80hz and above to the TUK and the tones below 80hz to your sub. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London and Bath. We love the detail, and the realism. The days of wires etc are done. They look incredibly cool. Copyright 2022 Audio Advice. AMT stands for air motion transformer. Class D Amps have a bad reputation, with listeners claiming that they come off as harsh, and that there are issues matching amps and speakers. Strings are agile, identifiable in their groupings and feel altogether part of a human orchestra. Plus the left-right swap for positioning is really cool. The blue LED panel on the master speaker moves through the input options to indicate that the desired set-up has been achieved. If you want a pair, they are currently available for $699, a hundred dollars short of the TUK. Theres a SUB button on the supplied remote for muting the sub output plus an 80Hz crossover filter that, when activated, sends bass frequencies to a connected subwoofer and lets the TUK focus on the midrange and treble. Another pretty neat feature the TUK has we have never seen on a powered speaker pair is the ability to flip channels. Thanks to an 80hz internal crossover, you can add one of Kantos subs, or anything else that has a high-level input. The TUK speakers take their name from Tuktoyaktuk, a remote hamlet in the Arctic Circle, where the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, can often be seen. Of course, we had to try out adding a sub.
On one level, this might be the most impressive feature of the TUK these speakers have a damn good phono stage built in! A stand-alone headphone amp is a much better option. From Tidal or even Spotify's hifi Premium option, with aptX bluetooth these rock across all music genres. For those hankering after a set of plug-and-play powered speakers offering connections to any external source your heart desires, the Kanto TUK speakers present a fully-featured and well-made proposition. The TUK uses an AMT tweeter for wide dispersion and crystal clear highs. The TUK is a very compact powered bookshelf speaker, that is just packed chock full of technology. To be absolutely correct, the TUKsare all you need if you dont want to listen to records. With an RMS wattage of 130, and a peak of 260, the TUK can really crank it out when called upon to do so. Youll only need sources to make a complete system with the TUK as it is self-powered with a built-in DAC and phono stage, plus some pretty cool DSP circuitry we will cover in the tech section. Another first is the ability to assign different bass and treble settings for each input. Youll be able to charge your phone up with a USB charging port built into the rear. This type of speaker combination with a small pair crossed over to a subwoofer gives you the ability to play things a lot louder as well. A note for audiophiles: the amplifier contained in these speakers is a Class D amp. It means that the sweet spot these speakers provide is wide and forgiving. Fortunately, we're here to help, with our full guide to this audio topic. Kicking our listening off with Bluetooth, we cue up Tidals Retroactive playlist on our iPad and find the youthful choir at the outset of The Rolling Stones You Cant Always Get What You Want clear, tonally convincing, spacious and with a healthy dollop of detail. My thoughts. Kanto Audio TUK (Black) at Amazon for $851.96, HDMI ARC and HDMI eARC: everything you need to know, PS5 restock news: where to buy a PlayStation 5 console in 2022, Best speakers 2022: budget to premium stereo speakers, The best home entertainment buying advice, Issues delivered straight to your door or device. Another Kanto goal, which is a little unusual in the audio space, was to create products that looked as good as they sound. They are extremely dynamic which pulls you into the music. The Kanto TUK speakers certainly look the part, and they offer a banquet of options for setting-up. For late-night listening, if you have neighbors or a sleeping baby nearby, this will let you still hear some music, without the deep bass. If you want something with a little more grunt, try the Audioengine HD6. Should you have further audiophile aspirations, the TUKs have you covered with a built in 24/96 DAC, accessible via the rear panel USB port, RCA/SPDIF port, or an optical input. Its totally fine in a good whiskey, a doorstop novel, a piece of modern art. There are plenty of things that make the Kanto TUK special, but theres one we want to talk about more than anything else: the Air Motion Transformer (AMT) tweeters. You'll be among the first to know about product launches, exclusive online deals, and the hottest audio trends. In this review, we break down the TUKs sound, design, packaging and accessories, specs, and more. You do have the option of turning this off should you wish with the remote control. That definitely needs to change. Like many small speakers, the TUK is ported, and in this case, the port is on the rear of the speaker.
It gives you full control over your EQ, inputs, outputs, as well as volume. You dont really need a subwoofer to get great sound either, but it will make a fun upgrade down the road. You can use the included remote to adjust the bass and treble. An amp should be the center of your hi-fi world. The TUK covers high tech and legacy vinyl and cassette. The weeping electric guitar at the start of Whitesnakes Now Youre Gone is delivered with both zeal and ease through the finessed high frequencies. We also had a Kanto Sub8 which is their 8 powered subwoofer to use for testing out how well they paired with a sub using their special DSP. Sure, you get full aptX, aptX HD and AAC, but its still a little disappointing. And we are pleased to award the Kanto TUKs the Audiophile Apartments first Product of the Year award. Each tap of the volume control results in a leap thats larger than we would have liked; youre going up an entire foot, as opposed to increasing the volume by inches. When enabled, TUKs active crossover filters out frequencies below 80Hz and sends them directly to a connected subwoofer. What more could you ask for? If you already have a turntable, or are thinking of starting to spin records, the TUKs are a perfect place to start. Actually, they work exceptionally well as a go everywhere party speaker. The main accessory here is the remote. The first thing we did, and weve learned this in the past from other small powered speakers, was to plug in a CD player, put it on repeat and let it run the TUKs pretty hard for a couple of days to break in the drivers. However, there are plenty of other wireless stereo speakers available, albeit more traditional ones, so lets take a look at some of those. Kanto gives you a way, by holding down a button on the supplied remote control to reverse the channels should you need to, very cool. Although its made from simple plastic and silicon, we think it gets the job done. Clarity makes a major jump forward, and if you have the opportunity to truly place the TUKs for optimum sound, a much bigger and deeper sound field awaits you as well. In the high-performance audio world, this is a big deal. The TUKs are full of nice touches, from their satin finish to the aforementioned remote. The bass is thin compared to the rest of the mix, and listening actually becomes wearing over time. It also helps that the build is excellent, with solid construction.
When a small woofer is not being asked to move as far, it can put out more midrange with less breakup on loud passages. They followed up the iPod dock with a line of powered speakers and other accessories. Thank you for signing up to What Hi-Fi?. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Theres also a headphone jack and a dedicated Sub Out RCA connector for integration with a separate subwoofer Kanto recommends the Kanto sub6 or sub8 but this isnt essential. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The prejudices against Class D amps are ridiculous, and are largely based on issues that the technology had when it was new in the 1980s. We adjusted the output of the Kanto Sub8 to match well and played most of the same tracks over again. Oh yeah, they even have a built-in headphone amp too. Controls are mostly handled via the remote, but theres also a simple volume knob and input selector on the front of the master speaker. It is available in two matte finish colors, black or white. Packed with functionality, TUKs remote allows you to make quick input, volume, tone, and balance adjustments, as well as control playback when streaming via Bluetooth. These powered speakers carry many of the features you'd expect of a complete music system, including aptX HD Bluetooth and both digital and analogue inputs. Although they are not inexpensive for powered speakers, they deliver sound far above their price point. See the Kanto TUK See the Best Bookshelf Speakers. Get real. Widescreen Explained: Whats With The Black Bars? We didnt use this much, but it worked well. Many new powered speakers give you an adjustable bass and treble control these days. The TUK is just flat out fun to listen to. Theres an argument that they are still better than the TUK, but when it comes down to it, we know which pair wed rather have. That is a really full slate of inputs, but there are a couple of other ports on the back. As we said at the beginning of this review, they make good stuff. What Hi-Fi? Read more about us. The aluminum cone woofers are super fast and low distortion. Editing a few upcoming YouTube pieces was a snap through the TUKs. Think of an accordion youll have to live with imagining the god-awful noise they make only on a very small scale. Again, the TUK was very impressive letting us hear harmonics of a clarinet and brush strokes on a cymbal. The problem is, moving air quickly requires a lot of movement. If you flip the master speaker around, youll be presented with a good range of inputs and outputs. Kanto has done a fantastic job of creating one of the most dynamic and engaging small powered speakers we have heard in a long time. Put these up against something like the Audioengine HD6 and its clear which speaker wins the design awards. These are very different from regular tweeters, and after having spent a couple of weeks with the TUK (say, tuck), we are very much in love. As the guitar and solo horn pipe up through the left speaker, Mick Jaggers voice joins us with a pleasing central placement. If you cant find the remote, the TUK has basic functions of on/off, volume and input selection built into the small knob on the front panel. And Its really good. Its an expansive mix where Mitchells vocal seems as close to our ear as she intended, but were missing her vocal strength through the lower registers. Much as I hate listening to the Eagles, their first album is well recorded and offers some great harmonies, most that get lost on so called, budget speakers.
The white finish of our model (also available in matte black) is highly likeable. They are more expensive than the $799 TUK, to be sure, but they boast effortless sound quality, particularly in the high-end. Their audio quality is weighty and clean, with a definite emphasis on the low-end. There's even a moving magnet phono stage. All of these work well, and theres nothing we wouldnt have expected to see here. AMTs change that. Gorgeous speakers, especially in white. The name also pays homage to the fact all Kanto products are designed in Canada. The powered speaker is designated left and the passive right, but should you need to place the powered speaker on the left due to proximity of your AC outlet, it takes a mere push of the button on the remote control to re-orient the speakers, so that left is left again. Discover our selection of Buyer Guides, Installation Videos, Smart Home Planning & Budgeting Tool, and more! They arent entirely biased towards the high-end, but if youre looking for a pair of speakers to replicate the highs accurately and completely, you really cant go wrong here. The disadvantage of this is a case where your power outlet and components are closer to the speaker without all the connections.
If you love great audio, a dedicated music streamer is essential. This little hamlet sits on the shores of the Arctic Ocean and is home to some spectacular Aurora Borealis displays. While we did find that slightly deeper male vocals had a little bit more energy than higher female ones, ironically, it was a very minor issue. The TUK have issues with volume that havent been fixed from previous speakers. They reach down quite deep for their size. The result is an ability to play much louder with less distortion. The KEF LSX (full review here) are stuck in an identical situation, and they cost $1,100 per pair a full $300 more than the TUK. It feels welcoming, warm, and engaging, and no matter what genres we played through these speakers, they came correct. This is a very nice touch, and something I havent seen on other powered speakers. Like the TUK, they come with Class D amplification, and we think the sound is very good. Kanto gives you a way to engage a DSP (digital signal processing) function that kicks in an 80hz crossover, sending only 80hz and above to the TUK and the tones below 80hz to your sub. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London and Bath. We love the detail, and the realism. The days of wires etc are done. They look incredibly cool. Copyright 2022 Audio Advice. AMT stands for air motion transformer. Class D Amps have a bad reputation, with listeners claiming that they come off as harsh, and that there are issues matching amps and speakers. Strings are agile, identifiable in their groupings and feel altogether part of a human orchestra. Plus the left-right swap for positioning is really cool. The blue LED panel on the master speaker moves through the input options to indicate that the desired set-up has been achieved. If you want a pair, they are currently available for $699, a hundred dollars short of the TUK. Theres a SUB button on the supplied remote for muting the sub output plus an 80Hz crossover filter that, when activated, sends bass frequencies to a connected subwoofer and lets the TUK focus on the midrange and treble. Another pretty neat feature the TUK has we have never seen on a powered speaker pair is the ability to flip channels. Thanks to an 80hz internal crossover, you can add one of Kantos subs, or anything else that has a high-level input. The TUK speakers take their name from Tuktoyaktuk, a remote hamlet in the Arctic Circle, where the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, can often be seen. Of course, we had to try out adding a sub.
On one level, this might be the most impressive feature of the TUK these speakers have a damn good phono stage built in! A stand-alone headphone amp is a much better option. From Tidal or even Spotify's hifi Premium option, with aptX bluetooth these rock across all music genres. For those hankering after a set of plug-and-play powered speakers offering connections to any external source your heart desires, the Kanto TUK speakers present a fully-featured and well-made proposition. The TUK uses an AMT tweeter for wide dispersion and crystal clear highs. The TUK is a very compact powered bookshelf speaker, that is just packed chock full of technology. To be absolutely correct, the TUKsare all you need if you dont want to listen to records. With an RMS wattage of 130, and a peak of 260, the TUK can really crank it out when called upon to do so. Youll only need sources to make a complete system with the TUK as it is self-powered with a built-in DAC and phono stage, plus some pretty cool DSP circuitry we will cover in the tech section. Another first is the ability to assign different bass and treble settings for each input. Youll be able to charge your phone up with a USB charging port built into the rear. This type of speaker combination with a small pair crossed over to a subwoofer gives you the ability to play things a lot louder as well. A note for audiophiles: the amplifier contained in these speakers is a Class D amp. It means that the sweet spot these speakers provide is wide and forgiving. Fortunately, we're here to help, with our full guide to this audio topic. Kicking our listening off with Bluetooth, we cue up Tidals Retroactive playlist on our iPad and find the youthful choir at the outset of The Rolling Stones You Cant Always Get What You Want clear, tonally convincing, spacious and with a healthy dollop of detail. My thoughts. Kanto Audio TUK (Black) at Amazon for $851.96, HDMI ARC and HDMI eARC: everything you need to know, PS5 restock news: where to buy a PlayStation 5 console in 2022, Best speakers 2022: budget to premium stereo speakers, The best home entertainment buying advice, Issues delivered straight to your door or device. Another Kanto goal, which is a little unusual in the audio space, was to create products that looked as good as they sound. They are extremely dynamic which pulls you into the music. The Kanto TUK speakers certainly look the part, and they offer a banquet of options for setting-up. For late-night listening, if you have neighbors or a sleeping baby nearby, this will let you still hear some music, without the deep bass. If you want something with a little more grunt, try the Audioengine HD6. Should you have further audiophile aspirations, the TUKs have you covered with a built in 24/96 DAC, accessible via the rear panel USB port, RCA/SPDIF port, or an optical input. Its totally fine in a good whiskey, a doorstop novel, a piece of modern art. There are plenty of things that make the Kanto TUK special, but theres one we want to talk about more than anything else: the Air Motion Transformer (AMT) tweeters. You'll be among the first to know about product launches, exclusive online deals, and the hottest audio trends. In this review, we break down the TUKs sound, design, packaging and accessories, specs, and more. You do have the option of turning this off should you wish with the remote control. That definitely needs to change. Like many small speakers, the TUK is ported, and in this case, the port is on the rear of the speaker.
It gives you full control over your EQ, inputs, outputs, as well as volume. You dont really need a subwoofer to get great sound either, but it will make a fun upgrade down the road. You can use the included remote to adjust the bass and treble. An amp should be the center of your hi-fi world. The TUK covers high tech and legacy vinyl and cassette. The weeping electric guitar at the start of Whitesnakes Now Youre Gone is delivered with both zeal and ease through the finessed high frequencies. We also had a Kanto Sub8 which is their 8 powered subwoofer to use for testing out how well they paired with a sub using their special DSP. Sure, you get full aptX, aptX HD and AAC, but its still a little disappointing. And we are pleased to award the Kanto TUKs the Audiophile Apartments first Product of the Year award. Each tap of the volume control results in a leap thats larger than we would have liked; youre going up an entire foot, as opposed to increasing the volume by inches. When enabled, TUKs active crossover filters out frequencies below 80Hz and sends them directly to a connected subwoofer. What more could you ask for? If you already have a turntable, or are thinking of starting to spin records, the TUKs are a perfect place to start. Actually, they work exceptionally well as a go everywhere party speaker. The main accessory here is the remote. The first thing we did, and weve learned this in the past from other small powered speakers, was to plug in a CD player, put it on repeat and let it run the TUKs pretty hard for a couple of days to break in the drivers. However, there are plenty of other wireless stereo speakers available, albeit more traditional ones, so lets take a look at some of those. Kanto gives you a way, by holding down a button on the supplied remote control to reverse the channels should you need to, very cool. Although its made from simple plastic and silicon, we think it gets the job done. Clarity makes a major jump forward, and if you have the opportunity to truly place the TUKs for optimum sound, a much bigger and deeper sound field awaits you as well. In the high-performance audio world, this is a big deal. The TUKs are full of nice touches, from their satin finish to the aforementioned remote. The bass is thin compared to the rest of the mix, and listening actually becomes wearing over time. It also helps that the build is excellent, with solid construction.