Kanto's Obi3 Gen 2 Adds Continuous Platter Speed Correction and Auto-Stop at $249.99 — Fifty Dollars More Than the Turntable It Replaces

Kanto Audio has replaced its first-ever turntable less than a year after introducing it. The Obi3 Gen 2 — also styled Obi3 G2 — arrives with a platter speed sensor, an auto-stop feature and a heavier chassis, at a price of $249.99, fifty dollars above the original Obi3's $200 launch price.

Kanto is a Canadian company best known for powered and desktop speaker systems, including its second-generation Yu4, Yu6 and Tuk ranges and the new flagship Tuk Grand powered speaker system, which the company rolled out in spring 2026. Its powered speakers span roughly $450 to $1,000. Turntables are a newer line of business: the original Obi3 only arrived in October 2025 at $200, making the Gen 2 update arrive unusually quickly.

What's actually new

According to Gear Patrol, three things separate the Gen 2 from the turntable it replaces. The first is weight: the platter and plinth construction stays the same — a weighted aluminium platter set into an engineered-wood plinth — but overall mass climbs from 8.6 lb (3.9 kg) to 12.1 lb (5.5 kg), a jump of roughly 40%. Kanto frames the added mass as helping the deck reject unwanted vibration.

The headline change is a built-in platter speed sensor that measures actual rotation and corrects speed continuously while a record plays. Closed-loop speed correction of this kind has historically shown up on pricier decks, so its appearance on a sub-$250 turntable is the detail most likely to catch buyers' attention. Neither source publishes a wow-and-flutter figure or any other measurement quantifying how much the sensor improves speed stability — the claim on the table is that correction happens continuously during playback, not how large the resulting improvement is.

The third addition is auto-stop: the platter halts automatically once a record finishes, intended to protect both stylus and disc from unnecessary wear when a listener isn't in the room to lift the tonearm.

What's carried over unchanged

Everything else on the spec sheet stays as it was. The Obi3 Gen 2 keeps manual belt drive, a switchable onboard phono stage that lets it feed either a phono input, a line-level input, or drive powered speakers directly, and built-in Bluetooth — StereoNET specifies Bluetooth 5.3 — for streaming to wireless speakers or headphones. It ships with the same pre-installed Audio-Technica AT3600L moving-magnet cartridge and the same aluminium J-shaped tonearm with adjustable counterweight and anti-skate as the original. A manual cueing lever is also unchanged. None of these carryover parts have been upgraded; they're the same components as on the original Obi3.

StereoNET's coverage adds further specifics: the deck runs at 33⅓ and 45 rpm with electronic speed switching, offers ±10% pitch adjustment, and measures 43.2 x 36.3 x 12.4 cm. In the box, Kanto includes a dust cover, slip mat, 45 rpm adaptor, counterweight, RCA cable and a ground cable.

Gear Patrol lists five finish options: black, white, green, ice blue and walnut. Kanto is also launching a separate accessory line alongside the turntable, covering platter mats, cover sleeves, cartridge alignment kits and cleaning kits.

Pricing and a availability discrepancy

StereoNET's published pricing, given in full: US$249.99, CA$269.99, GBP 179.99, EUR 199.99 and AU$349.99. Gear Patrol rounds the US figure to $250 and is explicit that this represents a $50 increase over the original Obi3's $200 launch price.

The two outlets diverge on when the turntable actually goes on sale. Gear Patrol, covering the US market, reports that the Obi3 Gen 2 — along with the new accessory range — "is available now." StereoNET, reporting from Australia, states availability is early September 2026. Both outlets are reputable and published their coverage within a day of each other, so the likeliest explanation is a regional staggered rollout, with North America getting the deck first and other markets following in September. Neither source states that explicitly, however, so it's worth treating the on-sale date as region-dependent rather than fixed.

Gear Patrol's own framing also suggests, without either source stating it outright, that Kanto "seems to be phasing out" the original Obi3 now that the Gen 2 exists — that's the outlet's inference rather than a confirmed discontinuation, and neither source states that the original model has been formally discontinued.

Kanto's framing

Brett Smalley, Kanto Audio's Director of Marketing, described the goals behind the redesign: "We wanted the 2nd gen of Obi3 to feel like a high-end turntable at an entry-level price. One you can set up, adjust and grow into."

That statement is Kanto's own characterization of its intent, and neither StereoNET nor Gear Patrol offers listening impressions or bench measurements to test it against. The reported changes — added mass, continuous speed correction and auto-stop — are the concrete, sourced facts; how they translate into audible performance isn't something either outlet has yet measured or reviewed.

Frequently asked questions

What does the platter speed sensor on the Kanto Obi3 Gen 2 do?

The Kanto Obi3 Gen 2 includes a built-in sensor that measures the platter's actual rotation and corrects its speed continuously while a record plays, according to Gear Patrol. Neither Gear Patrol nor StereoNET publishes a wow-and-flutter figure or other measurement quantifying the improvement this produces.

How much does the Kanto Obi3 Gen 2 cost?

StereoNET lists the Kanto Obi3 Gen 2 at US$249.99, CA$269.99, GBP 179.99, EUR 199.99 and AU$349.99. Gear Patrol rounds the US price to $250 and notes it is a $50 increase over the original Obi3's $200 launch price from October 2025.

When does the Kanto Obi3 Gen 2 go on sale?

Sources disagree: Gear Patrol, covering the US market, reports the Obi3 Gen 2 is available now, while StereoNET reports early September 2026 availability. Neither source explains the discrepancy, though it may reflect a staggered regional rollout.

What cartridge and tonearm does the Kanto Obi3 Gen 2 use?

The Kanto Obi3 Gen 2 uses the same pre-installed Audio-Technica AT3600L moving-magnet cartridge and the same aluminium J-shaped tonearm with adjustable counterweight and anti-skate as the original Obi3. Neither component has been changed or upgraded for the Gen 2 model.

How much heavier is the Obi3 Gen 2 than the original Obi3?

The Kanto Obi3 Gen 2 weighs 12.1 lb (5.5 kg), up from 8.6 lb (3.9 kg) on the original Obi3 — an increase of roughly 40%. Kanto says the added mass, built into the same weighted aluminium platter and engineered-wood plinth, helps reject unwanted vibration.

What's included in the box with the Kanto Obi3 Gen 2?

Per StereoNET, the Kanto Obi3 Gen 2 ships with a dust cover, slip mat, 45 rpm adaptor, counterweight, RCA cable and a ground cable. Kanto is also selling a separate accessory range alongside it, including platter mats, cover sleeves, cartridge alignment kits and cleaning kits.

This article was written by an AI system from Into The HiFi AI Desk, generated from the following sources, with no human editing pass before publication: StereoNET, "Kanto Obi3 G2 Gets Serious About Entry-Level Vinyl", Gear Patrol, Tucker Bowe, "Kanto Audio Just Gave Its Affordable Turntable a True Hi-Fi Upgrade".