About the Kanto YU4

Versatile powered stereo speakers

Kanto YU4 speakers feature a built-in phono preamp, so you can enjoy records without a receiver or power amplifier (stands not included).
Versatile powered stereo speakers
I'll admit, the first thing I noticed about the Kanto YU4 speakers is how beautiful they look. But of course they're built to sound sweet, too, with a pair of 4" Kevlar® woofers and 1" silk dome tweeters, powered by 70 watts of amplification built into the left-hand speaker.
I'd recommend adding a pair of Kanto S4 stands (pictured on the right). They elevate the speakers by 16 degrees for optimum performance.
Handy wired connections
I love being able to plug all of my gear into my powered speakers, and the YU4 delivers on that score. There are two Toslink digital optical inputs on the back — useful for connecting a CD player and your TV. The stereo analog RCA input is ready for a turntable or other analog source, and there's a 3.5mm aux input for making a quick connection with a mobile device.
And if you want — or even need — a little more bass, there's a subwoofer output on the back.
My hands-on experience with Kanto YU4 bookshelf speakers
I got a chance to audition a pair of Gloss Black Kanto YU4 speakers at home, and I really enjoyed them. I decided to use them in my bedroom, where the 4" drivers could really fill the available space. I thought they sounded nice when I played my "speaker test" playlist the first time, but each track really came alive when I added a matching Kanto SUB6 to round out the low end. Jaco Pastorius and James Blake, in particular, benefited from the punchy, musical bass.
When I'm in my room, I watch Netflix and movies more often than I listen to music, and the YU4s had me covered there, too. I used the optical input on the back to connect my TV, and everything got better — I could hear dialogue better, soundtracks were more present, and the sub made sound effects more immersive.
If you're looking to rock out in a larger family room or living room, the YU6 with a SUB8 will do a better job, but this setup looks elegant and sounds great in a small- to medium-sized space.
Turntable-ready
Vinyl is making a comeback, but for some folks it can be difficult to find room for a receiver or amplifier. The YU4 speakers have their own built-in amp and switchable phono preamplifier, so you can directly connect a turntable and save space.
If your turntable has its own preamp built in, set the switch to "Line" and you're ready to go. If not, the "Phono" setting engages the speakers' built-in preamp.
Smart power saving
You can engage the speakers' standby mode, and they'll remain active in low-power mode waiting for input. When you start playing music again, the system automatically returns to full power and starts to play.
Product highlights:
- Bluetooth® 4.0 with high-quality aptX™ audio streaming
- switchable phono preamp built in
- each speaker features:
- 1" silk dome tweeter
- 4" Kevlar® woofer
- rear-firing bass-reflex port
- built-in Class D amplifier provides 70 watts total RMS power
- frequency response: 60-20,000 Hz
- remote included
Connections:
- gold-plated binding post speaker terminals (16-foot speaker wire included to connect left and right speaker)
- dual Toslink optical digital audio inputs
- optical digital inputs support up to 24-bit/96kHz input (two-channel PCM only)
- analog stereo RCA input with phono switch
- analog 3.5mm auxiliary input (6.5-foot cable included)
- mono RCA subwoofer output
- USB Type-A charging port (5V/1A)
Dimensions and warranty:
- speaker dimensions: 5-9/16"W x 8-3/4"H x 9-11/16"D
- weight: 6.9 lbs. (left speaker), 5.5 lbs. (right speaker)
- warranty: 2 years
- MFR # YU4BAMBOO
What's in the box:
- Wireless powered speaker (left)
- Passive speaker (right)
- 6' AC power cord
- Remote control (YU/SYD)
- 2 "AAA" batteries
- 16' Speaker wire
- 6.5' Stereo minijack cable
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- User Manual
- "Thank You" note
Featured video:
Customer reviews for Kanto YU4
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Average review:
5.0 out of 5 starsCustomer photos
This review was collected as part of a promotion
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More details on the Kanto YU4

Features & specs
Connections | ||
---|---|---|
Ethernet Port | No | |
USB Port | Charge only | |
3.5mm Aux Input | 1 | |
RCA Input | 1 | |
XLR Input | 0 | |
Phono Input | Yes | |
1/4" Input | 0 | |
Digital Input | Optical | |
HDMI Input | No | |
Headphone Jack | No | |
Subwoofer Output | mono-RCA | |
Wireless Features | ||
Bluetooth | Built-in | |
Wi-Fi | No | |
Wi-Fi Bands | No | |
Driver Details | ||
Tweeter Size (Inches) | 1 | |
Tweeter Type | Soft-Dome | |
Tweeter Material | Silk | |
Midrange Size (Inches) | --- | |
Midrange Type | --- | |
Woofer Size (Inches) | 4 | |
Woofer Type | Kevlar | |
Audio Specs | ||
Watts RMS (Continuous) | 70 | |
Watts Maximum (Peak) | 140 | |
Frequency Response | 60-20k | |
Max. Digital Audio Bit Depth | 24-bit | |
Max. Digital Audio Sample Rate | 96 kHz | |
Control | ||
Handheld Remote | Yes | |
Control by app | N/A | |
Amazon Alexa | No | |
Google Assistant | No | |
Other Specs | ||
Width (Inches) | 5.5625 | |
Height (Inches) | 8.75 | |
Depth (Inches) | 9.6875 | |
Parts Warranty | 2 Years | |
Labor Warranty | 2 Years |
Product Research
Features
Two-Way Driver Design: The Kanto YU4 powered speaker system features a two-way driver design with a 1" silk dome tweeter and 4" kevlar cone woofer for clear high and detailed midrange/midbass frequencies.
- 1" Silk Dome Tweeter: The 1" tweeter is made from silk to deliver a high-frequency range that's bright and refined. The tweeter's dome shape improves sound dispersion to ensure your ears capture every sound, regardless of where you are in the room.
- 4" Kevlar Cone Woofer: The 4" woofer cone is made of a kevlar material and features a rubber surround for long-lasting performance. The woofer provides surprisingly controlled and accurate low frequency response.
Class D Amplifier: The 1" tweeter and 4" woofer are powered by a built-in 35 watt (RMS) / 70 watt (Peak) x 2 channel amplifier for dynamic sound reproduction. The built-in amplifier is located in the YU4's "Left" powered speaker. The binding-post output terminals on back of the "Left" powered speaker and the included 16' speaker wire provide connection to the "Right" passive speaker's binding-post input terminals.
Note: The included 16' speaker wire can be replaced with a long speaker wire (sold separately - see Accessories Tab), if your setup requires that the speaker's be placed further apart.
Bass Reflex Cabinet: The Kanto YU4 powered speaker system utilizes a bass reflex enclosure design with a rear-firing port for greater efficiency and bigger bass response. The speaker cabinet is available in black, white, walnut, and bamboo finishes.
Note: The Kanto YU4 powered speaker system does not come with grilles.
24-Bit/96kHz DAC: The Kanto YU4 powered speaker system utilizes a 24-bit/96kHz resolution DAC (digital-to-analog converter) for high-quality sound reproduction.
Bluetooth Audio Streaming: The Kanto YU4 offers built-in Bluetooth 4.0 with support for wireless audio streaming (A2DP) and control (AVRCP). You'll be able to wirelessly stream your music libraries, music apps, and other audio content on your Bluetooth source device (such as your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or computer) to the YU4 speaker system. You can pair multiple Bluetooth source devices with the YU4 powered speaker system, but only one device can be connected and used for playback at a time.
- Music Codecs: In addition to supporting the standard Bluetooth SBC codec, the YU4 system offers support for Qualcomm's aptX codec. Qualcomm's aptX codec provides even better sound quality with lossless, "CD-quality" (16-bit/44.1kHz) streaming for aptX-compatible source devices, such as many Android smartphones and tablet with OS 4.0 or newer.
- Playback Control: You'll also be able to control basic playback functions (such as Play/Pause & Previous/Next Track) from the included remote control. Advanced music playback and song/artist display will still be done from your Bluetooth source device.
Note: The Kanto YU4 powered speaker system does not support Bluetooth hands-free communication for making and answering phone calls.
Line or Phono Input: There is a 3.5mm Aux input (located on the "Left" powered speaker) for connecting a portable digital audio player with a headphone jack output. The YU4 also comes equipped with a stereo audio RCA input (located on the "Left" powered speaker) and built-in phono preamp, allowing you to connect a line-level source or phono turntable. You can toggle between line-level and phono with a simple flip of a switch that is located on the rear-panel of the "Left" powered speaker. In addition, there is a ground-terminal to reduce noise.
Optical Digital Inputs: The YU4 is equipped with two optical (toslink) digital audio inputs (located on the "Left" powered speaker) for connection to your TV, satellite/cable box, Blu-ray player, or game console. The optical digital inputs support 2ch PCM only, up to 24-bit/96kHz (not compatible with Dolby Digital/DTS).
USB Charging Port: Use YU4's USB charging port (located on the "Left" powered speaker) to conveniently power and charge your smartphone or tablet device. The USB charging port is rated at 5V/1A.
Note: This USB port does not support audio playback.
Sub Out: The Kanto YU4 is equipped with a mono-RCA subwoofer output (located on the "Left" powered speaker) for connecting a powered subwoofer (sold separately - see Accessories Tab) to add deep, low bass to the speaker system. The YU4's sub output is full-range, so you'll need a powered subwoofer with a built-in low-pass crossover.
Simple Control: The included IR remote control provides wireless operation of the Kanto YU4 speaker system (the IR receiver is located on the "Left" powered speaker). From the wireless remote you can control Power On/Off, Source Selection, Volume Up/Down, Mute, Bass/Treble, Balance, Play/Pause, and Previous/Next Track. There is also a rotary Volume/Source control knob on the front-panel and a Power on/off switch on the back-panel of the "Left" powered speaker.
Mounting & Placement Options: The YU4 powered speaker system is designed for either bookshelf or stand mounting (see Accessories Tab for desktop and floor stands - sold separaetely). The speakers come with self-adhesive rubber feet to protect your furniture (the feet add approximately 0.125" to the overall height of the speakers). The space between the two speakers and the distance from the listener is important. If the speakers are positioned too close or too far apart, stereo imaging will not be fully developed. Room characteristics and positioning also have a profound effect on the performance of the speakers, so time and effort devoted to achieving the optimum positions will be rewarded.
- YU4 is designed to perform optimally at ear level and positioned at least 8" from the rear wall in an average listening room. However, it may not be possible to install the speakers in this position since rooms vary in shape, size, and furnishing. A certain amount of experimentation may be necessary to determine the most suitable position.
- Moving the speakers very close to the rear wall will enhance the bass frequencies, but will tend to reduce soundstage depth, while moving the speakers away from the rear wall will tend to have the opposite effect. Avoid positioning the speakers close to or in the corners of the room, as this will excite undesirable room coupling in the low and middle frequencies. If the width of the rear wall is limited then toe-in the speakers slightly to reduce reflections.
Note: The Kanto YU4 does not offer brackets, threaded inserts, or key-hole slots to wall-mount the speakers.
Power Requirements: The Kanto YU4's "Left" powered speaker includes a detachable 6' AC power cord that will need to be plugged into an AC power outlet or surge protector (sold separately - see Accessories Tab). The "Right" passive speaker does not require AC power.
Note: The Kanto YU4 speaker system is not battery powered.
Auto Power On/Off: The Kanto YU4 speaker system features Auto Power On and Off functions to save power. When no audio signal has been detected for 15 minutes, the YU4 system will put itself into Standby (Off) mode. If the audio signal returns via the same input that the YU4 was playing when it entered standby, the system will wake up and resume playing. It can also be woken up manually by pressing the "Power" button on the remote or pressing the rotary control knob on the front-panel of the "Left" powered speaker.
Note: The Automatic Power On function will not work if the YU4 system is manually switched to Standby (Off) mode using the remote or control knob.
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Customer Q&A
12 questions already asked
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I really enjoy the sound that these speakers produce! I'm using optical sound from my PC, and RCA from a turntable that I recently picked up. So far, I'm enjoying these without an added subwoofer, but with the option to add a Kanto Sub8 or similar in the future!
Evelyn Grace from Issaquah, WA