Kanto YU Passive 4" Bookshelf Speakers - Pair

Packaging, Design & Build Quality

In the box, two protective bags cover and protect the speakers. Also included is a user manual and eight self-adhesive rubber feet that attach to the bottom of each speaker cabinet to help absorb resonances.

The YU Passive series is available in two color options. Our test units arrived in matte vinyl black finish— but a vinyl white finish is also available. When we removed them from their protective bags, we noticed the simple, modern look of the YU Passives. Both models feature rounded corners — there are no logos, branding, or insignia on the speakers — giving the YU Passive series an understated, minimalistic look that will blend in with any room’s style and decor. In fact, they could actually disappear entirely into the background if you really wanted them to.

The build quality is quite impressive, especially at these price points. Designed in Kanto’s Coquitlam, British Columbia headquarters in a suburb of Vancouver, the YU Passive series is constructed from solid MDF cabinets that feel sturdy, and well-braced. Each YU Passive 4” weighs 5 ½ pounds. Both models feature a bottom-mounted ¼-inch-20 threaded hole to securely bolt each cabinet to compatible Kanto speaker stands — and this will further reduce resonances through coupling. The YU Passive 4” is 2-inches shorter than the YU Passive 5.25”, and is 5 ½-inches across by 7 ½-inches deep — making a pair of YU Passive 4” speakers a more compact option for desktop and tabletops where space is limited.

Grilles do not attach to the front of the speaker cabinets, and this gives the YU Passive series a nice, clean professional studio monitor look with a view of the woofer and the tweeter. The YU Passive 4” consists of a 4-inch Kevlar® woofer — but both models are complemented with the same 1-inch silk dome tweeter. Both models also feature a tuned bass port on the back of each cabinet to produce tight bass with low distortion, and high-quality Knurled speaker binding posts that connect with an integrated amplifier or a home theater receiver.

Due to their compact sizes, we see the YU Passive speakers working great on a desktop with a dedicated DAC/amp combo or with a two-channel listening station and a turntable. You could even use the YU Passive 4” in a two-channel setup to enhance your TV’s sound by connecting them to an integrated amp.

Features & Technology

The YU Passive 4” is a set of passive speakers, meaning they need an amplifier or a receiver to supply enough power to drive them. Since you are free to use any integrated amplifier or receiver with enough power to drive them, a major advantage of passive speakers is the maximum flexibility they offer. Paired with a capable amplifier, both YU Passive models will present impressive sound for their size and their price-points — and this also minimizes the number of cables needed since you do not need to run power cables to each speaker — just a speaker cable. Passive speakers like the YU Passives allow you to tailor the sound by switching out amps. With passive speakers like the YU Passives, you can change out the DAC/amplifier to tailor the sound, since you are not tied to the amp inside a pair of powered speakers.