Bookshelf Speakers — Kanto Audio YUP4

The Kanto YUP4 comes as a pair of passive two-way bookshelf boxes, each combining a 4 inch Kevlar woofer with a 1 inch silk dome tweeter. As a passive design it needs an external amplifier or receiver.

Key specs that matter

Frequency response is listed as 60 Hz to 20 kHz. Sensitivity is 86 dB at 2.83 V/1m, and nominal impedance is 4 ohms. Kanto rates power handling at up to 70 W. Each cabinet measures 14 x 22 x 19 cm wide, high and deep, at about 2.5 kg.

Engineering and use context

Solid MDF is used for the enclosures to limit cabinet vibration. A threaded insert on the base (1/4 inch, 20 threads per inch) lets the speaker be bolted to a compatible Kanto stand, which couples the cabinet firmly and further reduces resonance.

Pairing

A low-impedance load combined with middling efficiency calls for an amplifier that is stable into such loads and comfortably delivers a few tens of watts per channel, without exceeding the rated power handling.