In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Focal. Focal Kanta No.3 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Kanta Center is a Center Channel speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Kanta No.3 and Focal Kanta Center first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Kanta No.3 | Focal Kanta Center |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Hard-Dome | 1.1" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Flax | 2 x 6.5" flax cone with TMD (Tuned Mass Damping) suspension |
|---|
| Frequency response | 33-40k Hz | 55-44k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-400 watts | 40-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 46.09kg / 101.4lbs | 18.00kg / 39.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 50-3/8" x 15-3/16" x 20-1/2"
1280.0 x 386.0 x 521.0mm | 9-11/16" x 22-1/8" x 15-1/2"
247.0 x 562.0 x 394.0mm |
|---|
Kanta No.3 and Kanta Center are members of Focal's Kanta series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Focal Kanta Series
History
What size room are the Focal Kanta No.3 and Focal Kanta Center 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.3 |
Focal Kanta Center |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
(* 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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Kanta No.3 is a 3-way design whereas the Kanta Center is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Focal Kanta No.3Focal Kanta Center
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.3 |
Focal Kanta Center |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Kanta No.3 features a 1.1" IAL3 Beryllium Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Flax Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 250 Hz - 2500 Hz. On the other hand, the Kanta Center features a 1.1" IAL3 Beryllium Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" flax cone with TMD (Tuned Mass Damping) suspension Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2400 Hz.
Frequency Response
Kanta No.3 has a frequency range of 33-40k Hz whereas Kanta Center has a frequency range of 55-44k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 33Hz, the Kanta No.3 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Kanta Center's min frequency of 55Hz.
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.3 and Kanta Center have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Kanta No.3 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Kanta Center's is at 92 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Focal Kanta Center a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal Kanta No.3, 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.
Kanta No.3 can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS, whereas Kanta Center has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the Kanta No.3.
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
Kanta No.3 features Binding post type posts and Kanta Center has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Focal Kanta Center's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Kanta No.3 has a Front firing port whereas Kanta Center 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.3's and Focal Kanta Center's external dimensions. Focal Kanta No.3 has external dimensions of 1280.0 x 386.0 x 521.0mm (50-3/8inch x 15-3/16inch x 20-1/2inch) whereas Focal Kanta Center has external dimensions of 247.0 x 562.0 x 394.0mm (9-11/16inch x 22-1/8inch x 15-1/2inch).
Focal Kanta Center is 1033mm shorter and 127mm less deeper than Focal Kanta No.3 but it is also 176mm wider.
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.3 is approximately 2011.1cm2 / 311.7inch2 and base area of the Focal Kanta Center is approximately 2214.3cm2 / 343.2inch2. The Kanta No.3 requires 9% less surface area than the Kanta Center which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Focal Kanta No.3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Kanta No.3:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Large grille
- Small grille
- Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Protective discs
- User Manual
What's in the Box of Focal Kanta Center?
Here are the items that come with the Kanta Center:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Slicone pads
- User Manual