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.
Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 5.25" kevlar Woofer
- 50-20k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Weight:4.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 272.0" x 6.9" x 8.1"( 272.0 x 175.0 x 205.0mm )
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 )
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch and Kanto YU Passive 4-inch compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both YU Passive 5.25-inch and YU Passive 4-inch are 2-way speakers.
| 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.
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
Kanto YU Passive 5.25-inch
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 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
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
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 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 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 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:
8 x Rubber Feet Manual
What's in the Box of Kanto YU Passive 4-inch?
Here are the items that come with the YU Passive 4-inch:
8 x Rubber Feet Manual
 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 |