Kanto is stepping into vinyl with a deck that keeps things simple and the price low.
The Kanto Obi3 is a belt-drive turntable with a built-in phono stage and Bluetooth 5.3, designed to drop straight into a living room system or a pair of Kanto powered speakers.
It ships with an Audio-Technica AT3600L cartridge pre-fitted, a weighted aluminium platter, pitch control, and a J-shaped tonearm — not bad for $199 / £179.
With the phono preamp on board, Obi3 can run into any amp or powered speakers over RCA, or go wireless to headphones and speakers over Bluetooth.
Switch between 33⅓ and 45 RPM, close the clear dust cover, and you’re set. The footprint is compact, and the finish comes in black, white, or green, so it slots into a shelf without looking like a science project.
For a first turntable, the pre-installed cart and that rare-at-this-price pitch control take the faff out of setup.
A tidy first step into vinyl
Nothing here screams “audiophile trophy,” and that’s kind of the point. Obi3 is about getting a decent cartridge, a steady drive, and a clean signal path into a simple, good-looking box. The included Bluetooth transmitter angle is neat too, since it makes pairing with wireless setups feel less fiddly than on older budget decks.
The Obi3 reads like a sensible starter deck that respects the format without turning the setup into homework. At this price, it’s hard not to be curious.
