Last month, I reviewed the Kanto REN and sub8 speakers. This time round, the Singapore distributor, JGS Global, sent a SUB6 subwoofer speaker to review and an opportunity to compare with the sub8 before I return all the loan units to them. The SUB6 retails at S$369 in Singapore.
Even though the SUB6 has been in the market for many years, the review unit I received seems to be a refresh version as the back panel layout and the specs are different from the older reviews online. This is a 200W Class D sealed subwoofer with 40 to 175 Hz frequency response. There are 2 knobs to adjust low-pass filter (between 40 to 120 Hz) and another volume knob. There is another switch for phase control and another to enable auto-standby. Finally, a pair of stereo RCA connectors to connect to your pre-amplifier.
Speaker reviews are highly dependent on the soundwave interaction with the room. Even if the test is done in an acoustically-treated environment, it will still not be representative of what you will get at home. So I will share how I feel when I listen to these speakers in my home living room and in my study.
In my living room, I paired the SUB6 with the Kanto REN. With a press on the REN remote control, I can easily mute the SUB6 and deactivate the high-pass filter for an accurate A-B comparison against the REN standalone. What I gather is that the SUB6 definitely delivers sub-bass extension to provide more lows. When listening to Billie Eilish “Bad Guy”, the deep bass confidently plays out with speed and intensity. In the coda section, the SUB6 plays the sub-bass tonal change accurately from a cleaner tone to a thicker tone over 3 & 5 beats.
With the volume knob, you can adjust the loudness that you want from the subwoofer, but it only increases the volume but it does not fill the room with stronger reverberation. It is hard to get the optimal tuning across different music tracks with different bass levels. So after getting the optimal tuning from Bad Guy, when I play Erich Kunzel’s audiophile-grade orchestral recordings, the sub-bass just lacks the satisfying punch and volume, that I have to adjust the volume to accommodate this genre.
When I tested with the sub8, I find it has better response and better accommodates music of different genres and intensities. For the electronic music, the sub-bass offers a better room-filling reverberations and the notes have little more decay compared to the SUB6. For pop genre, the sub-bass provides better subtle presence, which I find a little lacking with the SUB6 if the music has weaker sub-bass mix.
The observation is similar even when I tested in my small study room. The SUB6 was placed on the floor about 60 cm to my right while the KEF LSX speakers (4.5-inch cone drivers) are at eye level. Somehow I could not feel the sub-bass is blended with the two speakers. Music with intense sub-bass gets showcased, but standard pop mixes do not stand out as much. So it is a little challenging for SUB6 to have one setting across different genres.
It really is not the fault of the SUB6. Kanto has a wide range of desktop speaker models, and the SUB6 should pair better with the smaller speakers like YU2, ORA series. But thanks to this review, I now know that the SUB6 is definitely under-powered to handle more powerful speakers.
Verdict
The Kanto SUB6 elevates the sub-bass region of near-field compact speakers with fuller audio experience. The compact design allows it to be placed at small spaces, even on the desk itself to achieve a more intimate sound performance. But to be on the safe side, I would recommend getting the sub8 instead if your space allows, unless you have really small speakers that you want to reinforce with precise and prominent sub-bass.
