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

Great pair of speakers, perfect for a desktop. When on sale these are definitely the best choice for a small desktop setup. A little bit on the pricy side, but the soundstage is pretty incredible from such a small speaker so it's worth it in the end, especially if you are limited on room. Great amount of bass even with out a sub I was genuinely surprised. However, connecting a sub does make them really come to life, but I wish I was able to turn the automatic crossover off and use an external unit to adjust it myself to really dial it in. They sounded best about a foot or more away from the wall, when up against the wall the mids get a bit veiled from the bass and the vocals lose the a bit of clarity. But once I pulled them away from the wall they really opened up and shined. Overall, it's a great pair of speakers for anyone with limited space.

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.

The media could not be loaded. I can’t say enough good things about these speakers. The price is great for what you get. These are the smallest yet most cleanest speakers I’ve seen, and after doing a ton of reviews, they definitely lived up to the expectation. I do music and video production, and these are a must to hear all aspects of the audio ranges you’ll want to hear. No muddy sound at all. Casual listening is amazing. They have great base, but the audio is so clean.Also, aesthetically the satin white is a nice touch, and the desktop stands are a must have in my opinion. Definitely look those up as well by Kanto.Get these!

I bought these for my office and couldn't be happier. Years ago I had a high quality 5.1 audio setup in my office, but it was way more than I needed and took up a ton of space. For the last decade I've used headphones exclusively, but recently I began to miss having sound filling up the room. I was considering waiting for the ORA4 to be released when I bought these, but I'm glad I didn't wait as they are the perfect size and the ORA4 would have been overkill for me.The audio quality is good and they are plenty loud, but a subwoofer is needed to make the most of them. I paired them with the Kanto SUB8 subwoofer. The sound is balanced and speech is easily understood. There are no types of audio I've encountered where the speakers struggle. Low quality cheap speakers often sound tinny and are grating. Not the case here.I did have some USB issues where the audio was cutting out randomly when I initially set them up, but after debugging, it turned out the USB-C port I was using on my motherboard was faulty. I only had the one port, so had to use a USB-C to USB-A adapter. No issues since then.