Kanto Audio REN

REVIEW
Eric van Spelde
Dec 09, 2025

Want to add a soundbar to your TV set? Don’t. Buy the Kanto Audio RENs instead. These compact, powered speakers have all the connectivity you’ll ever need. They are as easy to install and operate as anything. They don’t take up much space and, for sound quality, blow the doors off any soundbar you name.

Suppose you want a no-fuss, do-it-all stereo system to stream music from your smartphone or laptop computer as well as to connect physical media readers like CDs or turntables, which is untypical for Kanto. In that case, the RENs don’t feature a built-in phono stage. In that case, too, the Kanto Audio REN constitutes a compelling option. It works well for the living room or as a desktop speaker.

The Essence

What we have here, then, is a remarkably straightforward product. It reduces the matter of high-quality domestic sound reproduction to its very essence. There is no app or network configuration to complete before you can use the speakers for their intended purpose—just one speaker to plug into a wall socket—the left speaker by default. However, you can easily reverse that by holding the ‘next track’ button on the remote for five seconds if the nearest wall socket is on the right.

The other one is connected to it with a length of speaker cable, about a gazillion feet of which is included in the box. I’m exaggerating, but not by much – just how far apart does the manufacturer reckon people will place these?

Digital choices

Plug in your digital device of choice via the USB-C input. It will automatically recognise the speakers. Plug in a powered subwoofer at the Kanto Audio REN’s dedicated output. It will automatically cut off the lowest frequencies (below 80Hz) from the main speakers. The remote does everything you want from it.

Additionally, the speaker that contains the amplifiers (there’s a generous 100 Watts RMS aside from a pair of Class D power amps) has a rotary control on its front baffle. Turn to adjust volume. Push to turn the speakers on or off.

You’d normally leave them on, anyway, as they’re configured to switch on and off depending on the presence of an input signal. It does take them a few seconds to turn themselves on. You can disable this feature, though.

This rotary control is probably the only control you’d normally use in a desktop setup. If the RENs were any more intuitive, you’d operate them by thought…

Nothing cheap

In addition to all this, there’s nothing about the Kanto Audio RENs that looks or feels cheap, either. Their design is neat so that it will work in pretty much any environment. The MDF cabinets feel solid. The matte finish is flawless. Unfortunately, Kanto apparently didn’t dare send the review samples in orange, blue or green. They settled for the matte black option, with matte grey being the fifth of five available finishes.

There are no visible screws or other hardware in sight on anything but the rear panels. For those who would desire to hide the drive units, there’s a pair of magnetic grilles included. A 25mm soft-dome tweeter and a 130mm aluminium-coned bass/midrange unit, both recessed into the front panels, with the high-frequency unit’s recess obviously shaped as a waveguide, do the driving. They are supported by a generously flared reflex port on the rear. The speaker wire terminals are smaller than we are used to, but they all feel sturdy enough.

Good news

Here’s where the really good news starts. The Kanto Audio RENs play music with exceptional clarity and separation, not just by modestly priced, powered speaker standards. You will hear pretty much everything going on. It will also be clearly laid out in front of you as part of a vast soundstage. The speakers’ bandwidth is also such that while adding a subwoofer can be a sensible option, depending on the setup, it is by no means mandatory.

In a nearfield desktop setup, there’s weight and dynamics that belie the speakers’ modest dimensions. While the bass ultimately can play a little fast and loose at times, it is more than happy enough to propel bass-heavy electronic dance tracks of any description. Most of all, the RENs play music with infectious enthusiasm. It keeps one’s attention for hours of digging into online playlists, without ever really getting ahead of themselves and into trouble.

Thoughtful addition

A thoughtful addition for the many who use a smartphone or tablet as their primary music source is the USB five-volt output on the rear panel of the ‘active’ speaker of the pair. It is for charging those devices and keeping them charged while listening. Another example of the laser-guided precision with which the Kanto Audio RENs have been engineered and aimed at their intended purpose(s) and audience is the provision of DSP modes such as ‘Vocal Boost’ and ‘Night Mode’. These are for those late-night movie viewings. When it’s less opportune to shake the walls with sound effects, you still want to be able to follow dialogues.

The Kanto Audio RENs work as intended, just like the whole package does. No fuss, no drama, no unnecessary tinsel, no special requirements – unbox, place to the left and right of your screen, wire them up and enjoy true, clear, stereo sound. At this price – not ‘bargain basement’ as powered monitors go, but far from being into ‘serious’ hi-fi territory either – one really can’t say fairer than that. These should fly off shelves anywhere in the civilised (well, as far as you can call any place ‘civilised’ these days…) world.

Technical specifications

Type: Two-way, stand mount/desktop, powered, DSP-controlled loudspeaker with HDMI ARC and CEC, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C optical digital, analogue RCA and 3.5 mm jack inputs; 5V USB power supply output
Driver Complement: 1 x 1-inch (25 mm) dome tweeter, 1×130 mm midbass speaker with concave aluminium cone
Amplification: 100 W/ch. Class D amplifier
Frequency Response: 50 – 22,000 Hz
Dimensions (H x D x W): 27.7 x 21.5 x 17.8 cm (10.9 x 8.5 x 7.7”)
Weight: 4.5 kg (active speaker), 3.9 kg (passive speaker)
Price: $599/GBP 599/EUR 719