quote:
What do Kans actually sound like?
Like very small DBLs!
Kans are very fast, a damped bass note or synth bass note with no release stops absolutely dead. Kans tell you within seconds of listening that the vast majority of speakers suffer appallingly badly from overhang, the bass speed feels like that of a full range electrostatic. Because of this amazing speed they can reproduce rhythm with a finesse that most box speakers completely miss. Kans groove big time. They are also incredibly detailed throughout their range - they don't shake the floor with bass, but they tell you exactly what is happening down there. The Kan has a refreshing freedom of cabinet noise, so the bass is very free from box coloration. Bass playing techniques are accurately revealed, you can tell how the bass is set up, and how it is being played, same with bass drums, hard or soft beater? Where is the mic? Kans will tell you.
This clarity is not confined to the bass, the mid is equally open, clear, and detailed. The mid is too far forward if we are being honest, and as a result a bit of care in positioning and system setup pays off to flatten the response down a little. Up at the top there are few problems, the tweeter is very well behaved indeed (noticeably better on the Mk II. This clarity can be a double edged sword at times, I have heard Kans sound truly horrible, they are merciless at revealing upstream nasties and bad setup. Definitely do not think of them as a budget speaker even though they can be found cheaply, stick them on the end of a cheap CD player and amp at your peril!
The downside to Kan ownership is simple physics. Kans are tiny speakers, a true miniature identical in size to the LS3/5a from which they are descended, regardless what anyone says you can't get 20Hz out of a 5" unit in a tiny sealed box. Don't get me wrong, Kans totally belie their size, often you end up looking at them in stunned disbelief, but don't expect SBL levels of bass or scale.
The bass roll off is very even, there is no sign of the warm one note lump and then nothing at all that typifies small reflex speakers, Kans go very deep, but they go there without weight. They also don't go very loud, turn them up and the bass doesn't keep up, eventually the B110 hits its backstop with a loud crack. Kans are both inefficient and have a very low power handling - IIRC they are about 82-84db and will handle 50 watts peak music (not RMS). Definitely not for volume freaks or parties. They ain't at their best in large rooms either, moving large quantities of air isn't within their scope, this has the advantage of making them one of the few speakers that really work in small city centre apartments, it is a hell of a job to make a Kan boom even in a tiny room.
The bottom line is that they are obviously a compromise, but they are a really unusual one in that the areas that they get right are the domain of a very few cost no object designs, and the bits they get wrong can actually be lived with after a small period needed to adapt to their slightly different presentation. If you think of SBLs as sounding radically different to the normal hi-fi speaker, then think of Kans as being similar but smaller and more extreme.
Tony.
PS I have never heard Royd Minstrals.
Have a good one!