In this review, we will be comparing Sopra No.2 and Kanta No.2, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Sopra No.2 and Focal Kanta No.2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Sopra No.2 | Focal Kanta No.2 |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Inverted Dome | 1.1" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 7" W sandwich | 2 x 6.5" Flax |
|---|
| Frequency response | 34-40k Hz | 35-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-300 watts | 40-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 55.00kg / 121lbs | 35.09kg / 77.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 46-7/8" x 14-1/8" x 21-1/4"
1190.0 x 358.0 x 540.0mm | 44" x 12-5/8" x 18-3/4"
1118.0 x 321.0 x 477.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Focal Sopra No.2 and Focal Kanta No.2 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 Sopra No.2 |
Focal Kanta No.2 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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 Sopra No.2 and Kanta No.2 are 3-way speakers.
Focal Sopra No.2Focal Kanta No.2
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 Sopra No.2 |
Focal Kanta No.2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 7-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Sopra No.2 features a 1.1" Beryllium Inverted Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 7" W sandwich Woofer. On the other hand, the 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.
Frequency Response
Sopra No.2 has a frequency range of 34-40k Hz whereas Kanta No.2 has a frequency range of 35-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 34Hz, the Sopra No.2 can go slightly deeper then the Kanta No.2's min frequency of 35Hz.
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
Sopra No.2 and Kanta No.2 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 91 dB.
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.
Sopra No.2 and Kanta No.2 have the same power range of 40-300 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
Sopra No.2 features Binding post type posts and Kanta No.2 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Focal Kanta No.2's Binding post terminals
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 Sopra No.2's and Focal Kanta No.2's external dimensions. Focal Sopra No.2 has external dimensions of 1190.0 x 358.0 x 540.0mm (46-7/8 x 14-1/8 x 21-1/4inch) whereas 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).
Focal Sopra No.2 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 37mm wider, 72mm taller and 63mm deeper than Focal Kanta No.2.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Focal Sopra No.2 needs about 26% more floor or shelf area. Focal Sopra No.2 is 63mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Focal Sopra No.2 is 72mm taller.
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 Sopra No.2 is approximately 1933.2cm2 / 299.6inch2 and base area of the Focal Kanta No.2 is approximately 1531.2cm2 / 237.3inch2. The Sopra No.2 requires 26% more surface area than the Kanta No.2 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 Sopra No.2 weighs 55.00kg / 121lbs and the Focal Kanta No.2 weighs 35.09kg / 77.2lbs. This makes the Sopra No.2 57% heavier than the Kanta No.2.
Here is a comparison of how Sopra No.2 and Kanta No.2'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 come with the Kanta No.2:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Large grille
- Small grille
- Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Protective discs
- User Manual
 Woofer Size |
7 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
34 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1118mm
vs
1190mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1531cm2
vs
1933cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
14998USD
vs
22998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Focal Sopra No.2 |
Focal Kanta No.2 |
| Brand |
Focal |
Focal |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-300 watts |
40-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.1 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
34-40k Hz |
35-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
7" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
W sandwich |
Flax |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1.1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Inverted Dome |
Hard-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
260 Hz - 2700 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
Front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1190.0mm (46.9") |
1118.0mm (44") |
| Width |
358.0mm (14.1") |
321.0mm (12.6") |
| Depth |
540.0mm (21.3") |
477.0mm (18.8") |
| Weight |
55.00kg (121lbs) |
35.09kg (77.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
Multi-ply/Polymer/Veneer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
High-Gloss Carrara White, High-Gloss Black/Deep Black, Matte Walnut/Dark Grey,Matte Walnut/Ivory |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
Both are Focal, from different ranges - so the house sound is shared and the differences are mostly in scale, engineering and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (34Hz vs 35Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 91dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | Focal Kanta No.2 is easier to place; Focal Sopra No.2 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | B | Focal Kanta No.2 is cheaper - $14,998 against $22,998, about 35% less. |
A Focal Sopra No.2 B Focal Kanta No.2
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. Match it to your room: we rate Focal Sopra No.2 the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and Focal Kanta No.2 for a large room and a very large room. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $8,000 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.