In this review, we will be comparing YU Passive 5.25-inch and YU Passive 4-inch, two Passive Bookshelf speakers by Kanto.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch and Kanto YU Passive 4-inch first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch | Kanto YU Passive 4-inch |
|---|
| Brand | Kanto
Canada · founded 2007 | Kanto
Canada · founded 2007 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.25" kevlar | 4" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-20k Hz | 60-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Weight | 4.00kg / 8.8lbs | 2.50kg / 5.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 10.7" x 6.9" x 8.1"
272.0 x 175.0 x 205.0mm | 8.7" x 5.5" x 7.5"
220.0 x 140.0 x 190.0mm |
|---|
YU Passive 5.25-inch and YU Passive 4-inch are members of Kanto's YU Passive series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Kanto YU Passive Series
History
What size room are the Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch and Kanto YU Passive 4-inch 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 5.25-inch |
Kanto YU Passive 4-inch |
| Near-field |
Average |
Good |
| Small Room |
Good |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
No way |
(* 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both YU Passive 5.25-inch and YU Passive 4-inch are 2-way speakers.
Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inchKanto YU Passive 4-inch
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch |
Kanto YU Passive 4-inch |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 4-inch
|
YU Passive 5.25-inch features a 1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" kevlar Woofer. On the other hand, the YU Passive 4-inch features a 1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 4" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
YU Passive 5.25-inch has a frequency range of 50-20k Hz whereas YU Passive 4-inch has a frequency range of 60-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the YU Passive 5.25-inch can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the YU Passive 4-inch's min frequency of 60Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
YU Passive 5.25-inch is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the YU Passive 4-inch which has a nominal impedance of 4 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 5.25-inch sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the YU Passive 4-inch's is rated at 86 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch a more sensitive speaker compared to Kanto YU Passive 4-inch, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
YU Passive 5.25-inch features post type posts and YU Passive 4-inch has a post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both YU Passive 5.25-inch and YU Passive 4-inch 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
The size of a speaker can sometimes be 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 5.25-inch's and Kanto YU Passive 4-inch's external dimensions. Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch has external dimensions of 272.0 x 175.0 x 205.0mm (10.7 x 6.9 x 8.1inch) whereas 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).
Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 35mm wider, 52mm taller and 15mm deeper than Kanto YU Passive 4-inch.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch and Kanto YU Passive 4-inch in scale.
Comparison image of Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch and Kanto YU Passive 4-inch 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 5.25-inch is approximately 358.8cm2 / 55.6inch2 and base area of the Kanto YU Passive 4-inch is approximately 266.0cm2 / 41.2inch2. The YU Passive 5.25-inch requires 35% more surface area than the YU Passive 4-inch which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Here is 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 5.25-inch and Kanto YU Passive 4-inch on a Media Console
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch weighs 4.00kg / 8.8lbs and the Kanto YU Passive 4-inch weighs 2.50kg / 5.5lbs. This makes the YU Passive 5.25-inch 60% heavier than the YU Passive 4-inch.
Here is a comparison of how YU Passive 5.25-inch and YU Passive 4-inch's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch
What's in the Box of Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of YU Passive 5.25-inch:
What's in the Box of Kanto YU Passive 4-inch?
Here are the items that come with the YU Passive 4-inch:
 Max Input Power |
100 watts
vs
70 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
5.25 inches
vs
4 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
50 Hz
vs
60 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
220mm
vs
272mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
266cm2
vs
358cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
200USD
vs
240USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch |
Kanto YU Passive 4-inch |
| Brand |
Kanto |
Kanto |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
86 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
50-20k Hz |
60-20k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
4" |
| Woofer Composition |
kevlar |
Kevlar |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
272.0mm (10.7") |
220.0mm (8.7") |
| Width |
175.0mm (6.9") |
140.0mm (5.5") |
| Depth |
205.0mm (8.1") |
190.0mm (7.5") |
| Weight |
4.00kg (8.8lbs) |
2.50kg (5.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
bass reflex |
bass reflex |
| Available Colors |
Black,White |
Black,White |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
2 years |
2 years |
| Labor Warranty |
2 years |
2 years |
Siblings in Kanto's YU Passive series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch digs deeper - 50Hz against 60Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch is more sensitive (89dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch takes more power (100W vs 70W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Kanto YU Passive 4-inch is easier to place; Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | B | Kanto YU Passive 4-inch is cheaper - $200 against $240, about 17% less. |
A Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch B Kanto YU Passive 4-inch
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch leads across most of the measured areas for a fairly modest premium, which makes it the easier pick if the budget stretches. Kanto YU Passive 4-inch is the one to take if it does not. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 60Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Kanto YU Passive 4-inch much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Kanto YU Passive 4-inch the better fit for near-field listening; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.