In this review, we will be comparing YU Passive 4-inch and BW 606, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Kanto and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Kanto YU Passive 4-inch and B&W 606 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Kanto YU Passive 4-inch Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 4" Kevlar Woofer
- 60-20k Hz Frequency Response
- 86 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Weight:2.50kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 220.0" x 5.5" x 7.5"( 220.0 x 140.0 x 190.0mm )
B&W 606 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Continuum Woofer
- 52-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:30-120watts
- Weight:6.90kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 345.0" x 7-1/2" x 12-13/16"( 345.0 x 190.0 x 324.0mm )
What size room are the Kanto YU Passive 4-inch and B&W 606 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Kanto YU Passive 4-inch |
B&W 606 |
| Near-field |
Good |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Kanto YU Passive 4-inch and B&W 606 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both YU Passive 4-inch and BW 606 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Kanto YU Passive 4-inch |
B&W 606 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 4-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
YU Passive 4-inch features a 1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 4" Kevlar Woofer . On the other hand, the BW 606 features a 1" Decoupled Carbon Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Continuum Woofer .
Frequency Response
YU Passive 4-inch has a frequency range of 60-20k Hz whereas BW 606 has a frequency range of 52-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 52Hz, the BW 606 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the YU Passive 4-inch's min frequency of 60Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
YU Passive 4-inch is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the BW 606 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the YU Passive 4-inch can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. YU Passive 4-inch sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the BW 606's is rated at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the B&W 606 a more sensitive speaker compared to Kanto YU Passive 4-inch, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
BW 606 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. YU Passive 4-inch has a post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
B&W 606's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both YU Passive 4-inch and BW 606 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Kanto YU Passive 4-inch's and B&W 606's external dimensions. Kanto YU Passive 4-inch has external dimensions of 220.0 x 140.0 x 190.0mm ( 8.7 x 5.5 x 7.5inch) whereas B&W 606 has external dimensions of 345.0 x 190.0 x 324.0mm ( 13.5 x 7.4 x 12.7inch) .
B&W 606 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 50mm wider, 125mm taller and 134mm deeper than Kanto YU Passive 4-inch.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Kanto YU Passive 4-inch and B&W 606 in scale.
Comparison image of Kanto YU Passive 4-inch and B&W 606 Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Kanto YU Passive 4-inch is approximately 266.0cm2 / 41.2inch2 and base area of the B&W 606 is approximately 615.6cm2 / 95.4inch2. The YU Passive 4-inch requires 57% less surface area than the BW 606 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Here is an another comparison that shows both speakers on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet, next to a standard size amplifier and turntable in scale:
Size Comparison image of Kanto YU Passive 4-inch and B&W 606 on a Media Console