Same tweeter used in higher end Linn speakers
Extremely musical, very easy to listen to
Good bass extension for a small bookshelf

Price

I recently brought home a demo pair of Kans to audition at home to compare to my month old B&W 601 S2s and what can I say but wow! These speakers were great!

I must say that my 601s were good but I realize that I did not take enough time to listen to many other comparable bookshelves before I purchased them. If I had listened to the Kans, I would not have bought my 601s.

As soon as I swapped my 601s with the Kans, on the first track I played, I could immediately hear the difference. The sound was smoother, the highs were less harsh (due to the ceramic tweeter vs. the 601s metal tweeter I believe)... my system sounded alive! As I kept listening, I couldn't help but notice how easy on the ears the speakers were, they were simply pleasant to listen to. It seemed that everything the B&Ws could do the Kans could do better with the exception of bass. Don't get me wrong, for a speaker this size the bass extension is impressive, but the 601s could throw out more.

The soundstage was very large and the imaging was excellent. Sarah MacLachlan appeared to be standing right in front of me giving a personal concert while I was listening to Surfacing. Another plus is they are magnetically shielded so they can be used near monitors or TVs.

The only problem I can find with the speakers is their price. Some people may find it hard to believe these little speakers list for $800 CDN. The 601s list for $650 but I believe it is worth it to save the extra $150 for the Kans.

If you are looking for an excellent bookshelf speaker for under $1000 CDN, look no further. This speaker is great for music and can hold its own on movies. If you want more bass or body, add a sub or look to different speakers.

Similar Products Used:

B&W 601 S2