Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch Bookshelf Speaker Review

4 Mixed Usages
3.9 Dialogue & Vocal Accuracy:
4.1 Treble Accuracy:
4 Bass Accuracy:
4 Imaging & Soundstage:
4 Dynamic Range:
Release year: 2021 Rating: 4.5 Warranty: 2 years 1" silk dome tweeter 5.25" Kevlar woofer Desktop monitors stereo speaker home theater Usage: music

Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch is a 2-way bookshelf speaker that has a wide soundstage and energetic sound. These speakers can disperse sound in the whole room resulting in room-filling experience. We love how the standard, yet classic looks can blend in any environment: living room, kitchen, or office. It has good instrumental separation and is great for music. Overall, the speakers sound clear, warm, and neutral.

Our Verdict

Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch speaker has good imaging and soundstage. They are great for compact spaces and sound ‘bigger’ than its size. The YU passive 5.25” are open and full sounding speakers. With a sensitivity of around 90dB, the speakers can get quite loud. When connected to your PC, you can play games and enjoy audio via the speakers. They are suitable for movies, TV shows, YouTube videos, and music as well.

In terms of aesthetics, we love the minimalist design and sturdy built. The speakers have natural highs and can play modern music or live streams very well.

PROS
  • Non-fatiguing performance
  • Good looking with vinyl wrap
  • Sounds clear and accurate at high volumes.
  • Affordable
  • Solid bass
  • Clear and detailed sound
CONS
  • Need additional amplifier or AV receiver
Where to buy
Amazon Buy on Amazon
Specification

GENERAL:

Speaker Type Bookshelf Speaker
Number Of Channels 2.0 way speaker
Amplification Type Passive Speaker (External Amp)
Power Source AC Powered

DRIVERS

Drive Unit 2x2
Tweeter Type Silk Dome Tweeters
Tweeter Size (inches) 1
Midrange Size (inches) N/A
Midrange Type N/A
Woofer Size (inches) 5.25
Woofer Type Kevlar® Drivers

SPECS

Power Range 100W
Sensitivity 89 db (2.83 V/1m)
Impedance 6 Ohms
Frequency Range 50 Hz – 20 kHz
Crossover Frequencies 60Hz

CONNECTIVITY:

Speaker Wire Input: Yes
Speaker Level Input N/A
Line Level Input N/A
Digital Input (Optical) N/A
Digital Input (Coaxial) N/A
RCA Input N/A
3.5mm Stereo Analog Input N/A
Aux Input N/A
Bi-amp Input: N/A
HDMI Input N/A
USB Port N/A
Subwoofer Output N/A

WIRELESS FEATURES

Bluetooth N/A
Wi-Fi N/A

CONNECTOR:

Connector Type Knurled Binding Post
Compatible Connector Types bare wire, pin-connectors, spade-lugs, and banana plugs (single or dual)
Speaker Wire Compatibility 16-12 gauge

AUDIO QUALITY ( TESTED )

Bass Accuracy: Smooth, even and tight bass
Dialogue & Vocal Accuracy: Loud vocals
Treble Accuracy Clear and well-defined highs
Imaging & Soundstage: Great imaging
Dynamic Range: Good dynamic range
Power Handling: Good power handling
Frequency Response: Broad frequency response
Transient Response: Good transient response

BUILD MATERIAL

Enclosure Ported
Finish MDF
Color Black, white

SIZE & WEIGHT

Height (inches) 10.7
Width (inches) 6.9
Depth (inches) 8.1
Weight (pounds) 8.7lb
Recommended Stand Height (inches) 26-32

CONTROL

Handheld Remote N/A
Control by app N/A
Amazon Alexa N/A
Google Assistant N/A

IN THE BOX

Accessories: 2 bookshelf speaker, 8 x Rubber Feet, Manual
User manual: Yes
Where to buy
Amazon Buy on Amazon
Details Review

Design:

Unlike other bookshelf speakers, the Kanto YU Passive 5.25-Inch speakers don’t come with speaker grille. This might be because Kanto wants you to ‘show off’ while your friends praise them. They are made of MDF and seem durable. The YU Passive 5.25-Inch speakers are compact in size and will easily fit on tables or desktop spaces. They are also ideal for small office spaces. Rubber feet are included and that will give extra stability both in terms of placement and performance.

Performance:

Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch speaker has 1” tweeter and 5.25” woofer. The integration between the drivers is good. This tweeter with dome shape will spread sound uniformly throughout the room. It will deliver bright and clear highs. Low ends from the 5.25” driver is clean, even and packs a punch. It is adequate for listening to music in compact spaces. For more bass, you are free to add a sub via an amplifier.

The woofer driver has rubber surround that is durable, and it is designed to produce well-controlled bass. On the back side of the speaker, there is a port to boost the low ends. This also means the speaker is placement sensitive and you need to leave a gap between the speaker and rear wall. The manual suggests leaving a gap of 8” from the wall. You can begin by placing the speakers forming an equilateral triangle.

Then toe-in to find the best spot where you will receive good stereo imaging. Elevate them so that they are at ear level. Kanto suggests using Kanto SP6HDW and S6 speaker stands to angle them upwards. In case you feel the mids are muddy, allow them to play for long hours. This will help the drivers to play with full potential.

They can handle music quite well. With decent mid-bass, you won’t need an additional subwoofer in most cases. However, they are not suitable for large rooms so for that, you need to add additional speakers via the amp. Overall, the speakers have a balanced and pleasing tone. They are designed to be used as front, rear, side, or surround setups.

Connectivity and control:

Connectivity and control options of the Kanto YU Passive 5.25” speakers will vary on the amplifier you choose.

Use case:

While you can connect any audio source to Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch speaker, they are suitable to connect to PC, laptop or turntables. This is because if you connect them to TV and listen to this 2.0 system, the sound might ‘feel’ weak. For that we suggest creating a 3.1 or 5.1 system.

However, if you place your TV in small spaces, then you can use them as an upgrade over built-in TV speakers. They are best for small to mid-sized rooms. You can play different music genres via the YU Passive 5.25” speaker.

Compatible device:

We have listed some popular amps that match with the Kanto YU Passive 5.25” speakers: Audioengine N22 amp, LOXJIE A30, Sony STR-DH190 2-Channel Stereo Receiver, Cambridge Audio AXA35 Integrated Amplifier, Cambridge Audio AXR 100, etc. You can also look for other brands like Yamaha, Onkyo, Marantz, Denon, etc. You can pair them with floorstanding speakers, center channel and subwoofers from any brand like Klipsch, Polk, etc.

Cost:

Kanto YU Passive 5.25-Inch speakers are affordable and available at a low cost.

FAQ

How to get rid of effects due to room acoustics?

Kanto suggests placing the YU Passive 5.25” speaker at different positions to find the optimum location of speakers. Room acoustics and layout will have an impact on sound performance. For that, you can use the EQ feature of the amplifier.

Is Kanto a good brand?

Kanto is a well-known and popular brand for delivering affordable music. They have great speaker design, decent engineering in drivers and impressive performance. Small and compact speakers are a need in this modern times and Kanto focuses on that. Although they are compact in size, the performance is powerful.

Where to buy
Amazon Buy on Amazon

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