Bookshelf Speaker Reviews

Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent clarity and detail
Three-dimensional soundstage
Supports HDMI ARC and CEC control
Full-featured remote
Attractive and compact
Available in various colors
Minus
Modest maximum volume when used without a sub
No phono input

The Verdict
If you’ve ever been burned by a soundbar that looked sleek but sounded like a tin can, the REN might just restore your faith in compact all-in-one systems.

I’ve spent a little over a month with a pair of Kanto REN active speakers in my living room setup, and I’ve enjoyed every single minute of it. Right away, I noticed how clean and detailed the sound is—almost shockingly so for speakers in this price category. In a world where flashy features and marketing can overshadow actual performance, the REN stands out as an all-in-one solution that doesn’t compromise on fidelity.

Let me cut to the chase: these speakers transform into total overachievers when paired with a subwoofer. Early on, I experimented with a Perlisten R18s—a high-fidelity subwoofer with a price tag around $5,000—and the results were borderline magical. Even a modest sub generally frees up the main speakers from the toughest bass duties, but when you throw a no-compromise sub like the R18s into the mix, it’s a whole different level of fidelity. That combination delivered a punch and depth typically associated with far larger (and costlier) speakers. And don;t get me wrong, if you need high volume or have a massive space, you might still look elsewhere. But if you’re after simplicity, maximum clarity, and a truly full-range sound—without a massive footprint—the REN-plus-sub approach is awfully tough to beat. Bonus points that you can buy it in a variety of colors including a fiery orange.

Yet what’s also striking about the REN is how well it performs even without a sub. It offers measurable, usable response down to around 40 Hz—which covers the majority of musical instruments aside from ultra-deep bass sources like pipe organs, some genres of electronic music, and certain percussion. But for a lot of music, the range of the system is perfectly satisfying. REN presents those lower notes with a surprising sense of weight—at least at moderate volumes. Where it runs out of steam is dynamic range; it simply can’t play as loud when handling the entire audio frequency spectrum on its own.

For background listening, apartment dwellers, or anyone mindful of neighbors, the modest output can be a feature rather than a bug. But once you connect a subwoofer, it frees the REN to really open up and play louder and deeper without straining.

The Numbers
Each speaker contains a 1-inch silk dome tweeter and a 5.25-inch aluminum concave cone woofer. A Class D amplifier provides 100 watts RMS (200 watts peak) of power, enough for typical living rooms, media dens, or home offices. The stated frequency response is 50 Hz to 22 kHz, and with a sub it crosses over at 80 Hz. In terms of connectivity, you get HDMI ARC, USB-C at 24-bit/96kHz, optical (TOSLINK), Bluetooth 5.3 with AAC, RCA, and 3.5mm AUX—plus a dedicated subwoofer output and a 5V 1A USB charging port.

Each speaker measures around 7 inches wide by 8.5 inches deep by 10.9 inches tall, with the active one weighing about 9.9 pounds and the passive about 8.6 pounds. It’s just enough heft to feel well-built but they are easy to handle.

Design and Aesthetics
The REN’s appearance is subtle but not dull. Build quality feels reassuringly solid. Available in several matte finishes—black, white, gray, orange, blue, and green—it features a recessed millwork design around the drivers that adds a modern twist. Magnetic grilles let you choose between a minimal, driver-exposed look or a more conventional style. Given how good they look without grills, that's how I ran the pair. Whether you place them on stands or a sturdy shelf, they’ll fit into most modern homes without an issue.

Audiophiles are not exactly fans of single-bar solutions, especially ones that promise a “surround” experience inside one elongated enclosure but can't even do stereo right. The Kanto REN is the antidote to that skepticism. It has the same simplicity soundbar shopper crave—meaning you don’t have to juggle a tangle of cables and a complicated receiver—while preserving true stereo separation.

Hook it up to a TV via HDMI ARC or optical, and suddenly you’ve got a legitimate entertainment hub for music, movies, sports, and gaming. If you’re someone who wants to keep the gear count low but still demands audio performance on par with real premium bookshelf speakers, this is your solution. You even get a full-featured remote, and when you connect to a TV with HDMI ARC, the system responds to volume adjustment from the TV remote.

Kanto includes DSP-controlled sound modes like Vocal Boost, to make dialogue pop without turning the entire system up, and Night Mode, to tame the low end so you don’t wake up the neighbors. Once you add a sub, the REN automatically reroutes everything below 80 Hz to that sub output, letting the main speakers focus on midrange and treble, which translates to greater clarity at higher volumes.

Music Listening
To give the REN a proper workout, I turned to Qobuz as my primary streaming platform, using a Google TV 4K connected to a Samsung S95B OLED as the source—paired with HDMI ARC and the Perlisten R18s sub. I threw a diverse playlist at these speakers: In Dub by KMFDM, The Seduction of Claude Debussy by Art of Noise, Answers Come in Dreams by Meat Beat Manifesto, Last Rights by Skinny Puppy, Femme Fatale by Britney Spears, The Music of Grand Theft Auto V, Vol. 2: The Score, Hot Sauce Committee (Pt. 2) by Beastie Boys, Vivaldi: The Four Seasons performed by Itzhak Perlman (Warner Classics), Album by Public Image Ltd., and Free by Negativland, among other highlights.

Each of these albums showcased a unique facet of the REN’s capabilities. Whether it was the atmospheric soundscapes and intense bass of Meat Beat Manifesto, the dynamic orchestral sweeps in Perlman’s Vivaldi recordings, or the rich, layered textures of The Seduction of Claude Debussy, I was struck by how effortlessly the combination of the REN speakers and a good sub rendered complex production and deep bass lines. The system’s three-dimensional soundstage and top-notch clarity often made even familiar tracks feel new again. It’s rare to encounter this level of performance without venturing into the realm of pricey, purely audiophile gear, but here it is in a compact, user-friendly form.

Movie Playback
My movie-watching has also been eclectic as of late. I covered everything from the brand-new releases like Dune Part 2, Oppenheimer, Gran Turismo, and Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 to classics like Notorious, Twelve Monkeys, and Demolition Man and gave X-Men: Dark Phoenix and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish a spin for good measure. I even sprinkled in some nature doc flair with Planet Earth 2.

At first, I set up a 4.1 system to take advantage of an AVR’s decoding and the Denon A1H's spatial audio virtualization. The result was powerful and enveloping, right up there with bona fide home theater experiences. But I also recognize that most people will use these speakers in a simpler 2.0 or 2.1 configuration, so I shifted to a more minimalist approach, just the speakers and sub in a 2.1 configuration. For many of the movies, instead of the Perlisten sub, I used my own sub (a dual-opposed 12" design).

The takeaway? These speakers leave any decent soundbar in the dust. They create a nearly holographic soundstage, with effects floating in the air and dialogue that feels anchored to the screen. The fact you get to choose your own subwoofer is a huge plus compared to soundbars. In my view, investing in fewer but higher-quality channels can deliver a more immersive experience than spreading your budget thin across more speakers.

Gaming
Gaming performance proved equally stellar thanks to the high fidelity sound. I’m biding my time for GTA VI by continuing to explore Grand Theft Auto Online. Hard to believe I've been playing that same game for almost a decade now. I also logged sessions in Gran Turismo, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Stray, and Snow Runner. When I felt the need for speed, I fired up Need for Speed Unbound just to see how the REN handled those roaring engines. All's well in the digital playground.

The stereo pair alone delivered an impressively spacious and precise soundstage, making environmental cues—footsteps, engine sounds, atmospheric details—crystal clear. Adding the Perlisten R18s sub introduced that extra low-frequency slam essential for modern gaming. Whether you opt for a more modest sub or something premium, it’s a massive improvement over the usual “gamer-focused” speaker packages out there. But if you can splurge, the REN plus a serious sub (like the R18s) gives you a world-class 2.1 gaming audio experience that’s tough to top without adding more speakers.

Further Testing with a Denon AVR
After playing around with the REN system in a straightforward configuration, I spent a couple of weeks feeding the speakers an analog signal using a Denon A1H AVR. I applied Audyssey room correction and standard bass management, treating the REN pair like conventional front left and right channels. What was fascinating is that Audyssey showed the REN measurements as incredibly smooth and linear—a level of consistency I rarely see, even from pricier passive speakers. This isn’t just about my ears telling me these things sound clear; there’s anecdotal data suggesting they really do measure as impressively as they sound. Bottom line, the REN doesn’t just deliver casual listening enjoyment; it has the performance envelope that appeals to those of us who value true audiophile territory.

Final Thoughts
The Kanto REN retails for $599, available at the usual suspects like Amazon and B&H Photo Video. For what you get—from the connectivity options to the actual sonic performance—it’s a bargain. Sure, that doesn’t include a subwoofer, but if you invest in even a moderately priced unit, you’ll reap huge benefits. If you go all-in and pair them with a powerful subwoofer, you’ll have a system that competes with dedicated separates costing far more.

In a sea of single-box systems that overpromise and underdeliver, Kanto’s REN stands out by offering legitimate stereo separation, robust connectivity, and a seamlessly easy day-to-day user experience. HDMI ARC with CEC keeps the setup simple, and the wide range of input options makes it versatile enough for almost any use case.

Add a sub—especially a top-tier one—and the REN morphs into a full-scale audio solution capable of surprising depth and clarity, easily bridging the gap between audiophile stereo listening and two-channel home theater. Even on its own, the REN digs deep enough for most music and smaller-scale movie nights while remaining polite enough for apartment life. And thanks to Audyssey’s measurements (and my own ears), I can confirm the system’s linearity is legit: the REN is a genuine high performer. Whether you’re in a living room, a smaller dedicated theater, or even a hybrid office-media space, the REN has what it takes to sound like a setup that's larger and costs more. It’s an all around winner.