The Kanto Ora desktop speakers first disappointed me with their appearance, then overwhelmed me with their sound. When it comes to visuals, I don't know if I could pick the Ora out of a hypothetical speaker setup (or what kind of crime they might have committed to be put there), but once I start cranking up the bass and letting out some tunes sound, it's starting to matter less and less.
There's a certain confidence in the aesthetics of the Kanto Ora speakers. They don't have to be packed with RGB, or have angular architecture to catch the eye; all the Kanto Ora has to do is catch the eye, and it does that very well.
By default, the Ora's just need to be plugged into a wall socket, connected to each other and then connected to an audio source. Unfortunately, the box only comes with the power cord and cable to connect the two speakers together, so you'll have to purchase your own USB-C or RCA cables to get it online.
If you miss either of these, it has a pretty great Bluetooth mode, but this can be somewhat limiting as Bluetooth doesn't support lossless FLAC audio. No auxiliary jack means it's a challenge to get very high quality audio out of your phone, but this is admittedly a bit of a niche use case.
Ora specifications
Connectivity: Bluetooth, RCA, USB-C
Speakers: 2 x 0.75 inch tweeters, 2 x 3 inch subwoofers
Weight: 2kg
Frequency Response: 70Hz - 22,000Hz
Price: $350 | £309
As someone who throws my spare cables into a miscellaneous bag, like a sitcom character trying to clean his apartment before a date, this meant a few minutes of searching for wires before I could get everything set up properly. However, once you get your cables together, everything works perfectly. And with the ability to switch between Bluetooth and wired mode by simply clicking on the front of the right speaker, I often found myself passively swapping audio sources in seconds.
This is a real privilege that ties in with what makes the Kanto Ora speakers work so well: they feel designed to fit unobtrusively into a space. They are not the center, but a supporting role. They are the bassline that holds the groove while my RGB-laden PC shreds all over it.
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You pay quite a lot for that support, especially when you consider that you can get many of the best PC speakers for less. However, this is not only reflected in strong build quality and connection options, but also in great sound. Without any extra additions, the Ora can get very bassy, especially if you boost it and make the speakers boom.
Fortnite's eclectic mix of emote sounds, Fortnite Jam songs, and the hail of gunfire all stand out, highlighting the annoyingly fun overstimulation that's at the core of the gameplay. Dead By Daylight, with a litany of scratch effects and vaguely awful squelches, also feels full and real - the only time I've been pleasantly surprised that a wet clap sound feels lifelike.
Due to the Ora's almost comically small size, my partner thought it would be funny to test out the Kanto Ora on Rebecca Black's terribly catchy Friday hyperpop remix. As the bass connected and completely rocked her little PC stand, we both sensed that the eerie silence of worry would be accompanied by a noise complaint the next day. Luckily the neighbors didn't seem to care about the small earthquake we had summoned.
Some bassy setups can fall into the trap of neglecting the rest of the soundscape, so my next test was The Hotelier's wonderfully dynamic and mournful "Home, Like Noplace is There." It passed with flying colors, with the sharp jingle of an overdriven guitar and the warmth of harmony placed effortlessly. By the time I got to "Housebroken" halfway through the album, I was captivated by the sound, and that's only partly because of how great the song is. At lower volumes the mids can feel a little hollow compared to everything else, but not so much that I felt like I was missing something massively.
Buy as...
✅ You want a neat, no-nonsense interior: Thanks to a fairly understated appearance and small form factor, these speakers work great on my desk, which is admittedly too small for most audiophile setups.
✅ You also want something for a phone: Since the speakers support USB-C connectivity as well as Bluetooth and RCA, you can easily connect them to your phone and desktop. You'll lose lossless FLAC audio if you're connected to Bluetooth, but the USB-C connector means you can connect it to most phones.
✅ You want great sound: These simply sound great, with a surprising bass offering even without the subwoofer. Because of their stature, you can turn on the sound and get something that sounds excellent.
Don't buy if...
❌ You have a limited budget: These are a good choice, but since they cost over $300, and even more if you want the perfect setup, they are quite expensive. You can get a decent experience with a cheaper set of speakers, even if it won't be as good.
❌ You want something eye-catching: Although the audio quality amazes me, the appearance certainly does not. They function decently, but if you want a gaming setup worthy of a Zoomer TikTok, you might be better off looking elsewhere.
❌ You want a dedicated gaming speaker: The Kanto Ora are at their best as multimedia speakers for gaming, listening to music, watching movies and more. For a similar price you can get speakers with dedicated gaming features, but these are perfect for general use.
Being over six inches long and four inches wide and mine being all black, the Kanto Ora looks understated on a desk, and this is only made better with Kanto's speaker stands. While $60 for what are essentially metal brackets seems quite expensive for a job that a few books can do almost as well, it's hard to deny the quality on offer here. The brackets come in different sizes and this may affect the reproduction of the sound from the speakers given their size and placement in the room.
This brings me to the most expensive yet best add-on out there: the Kanto SUB8 subwoofer. This subwoofer, which costs $80 less than the speakers themselves, can be connected via the sub-out output on the back of the speakers and separately connected to the mains.
Like the speakers, the SUB8 has a sleek, effective design language without much flash. It offers structured and clear bass and offers a larger soundscape in online shooters, for a real rumble when you pull the trigger. For most people, the SUB8 is probably overkill for their sound setup, but it's still an excellent addition for anyone with both the inclination and the extra cash.
The Kanto Ora lacks some of the features you'd want in gaming speakers, like spatial audio compatibility or a dedicated app to mess around with EQ settings on the go, but this can still be done via third-party apps and software. Out of the box the speakers sound great, even if you sometimes want to turn the bass down a bit.
While calling something a "reference speaker" can sometimes be a bit of a marketing gimmick, the phrase seems appropriate when it comes to the Kanto Ora. Traditionally this is used to describe speakers that provide an accurate representation of a studio speaker, with neutral EQ. If you want to produce music this is almost a must, so you don't create a track specifically for your speakers, but find it incredibly bass boosted in a natural set of speakers.
This can be more brutal on poorly produced audio, but also gives the 'purest' version of a song when fine-tuned. As someone who uses my PC for gaming, producing music, listening to movies, editing videos and much more, I enjoyed my time with these speakers, and it's not just because they fit easily on the desk, but they do.
