We’ve been wanting to try Kanto speakers for some time now. Ever since we first saw their tiny, brightly colored powered speakers, we’ve been looking for a chance to try them out. Though Kanto has been around since 2007, we didn’t come into contact with Kanto’s lineup until CES 2018, when we wandered into their suite at the Venetian hotel. In that room, we saw an amazing display — an array of powered speakers and subwoofers, all in compact cabinets with rounded edges, with drivers ranging in size between three inches and 5.25 inches, finished in traditional wood grain veneer, matte and gloss white, black, blue, white, red, and gray. Small form factor speakers are Kanto’s specialty — we often see their speakers flanking a desktop computer monitor or laptop. Today, we’re trying something a bit outside of the norm for this company — the new Kanto SYD, a two-channel active speaker with a range of inputs and powerful internal amplifier.
We’ve tried a lot of Bluetooth-compatible speakers that sound pretty good, but few have looked this good.
We’ll get to the sound, but first: the SYD is a sharp-looking speaker. It’s relatively compact, at 17.5” x 5.7” x 6.9”, and weighs 9.9 pounds. The SYD is available in four subtle colors; ours came in a classy matte medium gray that Kanto calls “off-black.” There’s no grille or branding — there’s nothing facing the user except for exposed drivers, a volume/power knob, and a small window hiding status LEDs and an IR receiver.
The SYD has a minimalist, modern look that we love, and its build quality is seamless and impeccable. A simple metal base is also included that angles the SYD upward in a way that makes the speaker appear to be floating. On the rear, on the SYD’s amplifier panel, are all the connections — RCA and 3.5mm analog inputs, an optical input, a subwoofer output. A turntable ground and switch for phono input are also included, as the SYD also features a built-in phono preamp for vinyl enthusiasts.
Bluetooth connectivity is also available, featuring support for aptX but not AAC. As a bit of a bonus, a USB-A charging port is also included. Perhaps best of all, a full-function remote with tone controls is included — a feature we would have very much appreciated in the active speakers we tested last week.
The Kanto SYD is — or at least it seems to be — essentially two of Kanto’s YU4 speakers stuck together. Like the YU4, the SYD features a pair of 4-inch Kevlar woofers and a pair of 1-inch silk dome tweeters. Inside is a class-D amplifier capable of 140W peak, 70W RMS power. The SYD has a claimed frequency response of 60 Hz — 20 kHz.
