In this review, we will be comparing Kanta No.2 and R11, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Focal and KEF.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Kanta No.2 and KEF R11 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Kanta No.2 | KEF R11 |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | — | 12th Generation Uni-Q |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Hard-Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Flax | 4 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-40k Hz | 46-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-300 watts | 15-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 35.09kg / 77.2lbs | 37.70kg / 82.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44" x 12-5/8" x 18-3/4"
1118.0 x 321.0 x 477.0mm | 51-3/16" x 12-1/4" x 15-5/16"
1301.0 x 312.0 x 389.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Focal Kanta No.2 and KEF R11 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Focal Kanta No.2 |
KEF R11 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Average |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Kanta No.2 and R11 are 3-way speakers.
Focal Kanta No.2KEF R11
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Focal Kanta No.2 |
KEF R11 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
4 x 6.5-inch
|
Kanta No.2 features a 1.1" IAL3 Beryllium Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Flax Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 260 Hz - 2700 Hz. On the other hand, the R11 features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 4 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2900Hz.
Frequency Response
Kanta No.2 has a frequency range of 35-40k Hz whereas R11 has a frequency range of 46-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the Kanta No.2 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R11's min frequency of 46Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Kanta No.2 and R11 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Kanta No.2 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the R11's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Focal Kanta No.2 a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF R11, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Both handle the same maximum of 300 watts RMS, though Kanta No.2 is rated 40-300 watts and R11 15-300 watts.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
R11 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Kanta No.2 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Focal Kanta No.2's Binding post terminals
KEF R11's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Kanta No.2 has a Front firing port whereas R11 has a rear firing ports.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Focal Kanta No.2's and KEF R11's external dimensions. Focal Kanta No.2 has external dimensions of 1118.0 x 321.0 x 477.0mm (44inch x 12-5/8inch x 18-3/4inch) whereas KEF R11 has external dimensions of 1301.0 x 312.0 x 389.0mm (51-3/16 x 12-1/4 x 15-5/16inch).
KEF R11 is 9mm narrower and 88mm less deeper than Focal Kanta No.2 but it is also 183mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Focal Kanta No.2 and KEF R11 in scale.
Comparison image of Focal Kanta No.2 and KEF R11 Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Focal Kanta No.2 is approximately 1531.2cm2 / 237.3inch2 and base area of the KEF R11 is approximately 1213.7cm2 / 188.1inch2. The Kanta No.2 requires 26% more surface area than the R11 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Focal Kanta No.2 weighs 35.09kg / 77.2lbs and the KEF R11 weighs 37.70kg / 82.9lbs. This makes the R11 7% heavier than the Kanta No.2.
Here is a comparison of how Kanta No.2 and R11's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Focal Kanta No.2?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Kanta No.2:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Large grille
- Small grille
- Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Protective discs
- User Manual
What's in the Box of KEF R11?
Here are the items that come with the R11:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Foam port plugs
- 4 Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- Wrench
- Hex-key
- User Manual
- Warranty Information
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
46 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1118mm
vs
1301mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.2 ohms
vs
3.1 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
|
Number of Woofers |
4
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Base Surface Area |
1213cm2
vs
1531cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
6000USD
vs
14998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Focal Kanta No.2 |
KEF R11 |
| Brand |
Focal |
KEF |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-300 watts |
15-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.1 ohms |
3.2 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
35-40k Hz |
46-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
4 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Flax |
Hybrid Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
260 Hz - 2700 Hz |
400Hz and 2900Hz |
| Firing Direction |
Front |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1118.0mm (44") |
1301.0mm (51.2") |
| Width |
321.0mm (12.6") |
312.0mm (12.3") |
| Depth |
477.0mm (18.8") |
389.0mm (15.3") |
| Weight |
35.09kg (77.2lbs) |
37.70kg (82.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Multi-ply/Polymer/Veneer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
High-Gloss Carrara White, High-Gloss Black/Deep Black, Matte Walnut/Dark Grey,Matte Walnut/Ivory |
Black Gloss, White Gloss, Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Focal Kanta No.2 costs roughly 2.5x what KEF R11 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Focal Kanta No.2 digs deeper - 35Hz against 46Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | B | KEF R11: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | KEF R11 is cheaper - $6,000 against $14,998, about 60% less; arguably a different class. |
A Focal Kanta No.2 B KEF R11
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 46Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper KEF R11 much easier to justify. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $8,998 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.