Kanto is famous for making high-quality active speakers and you don’t need to bother about finding a matching amp to drive them. But if you are using Kanto YU Passive 5.25 then you will need an amp to power these passive bookshelf speakers. In this post, we will be sharing with you a list of the best amplifiers to go for and match with your Kanto YU Passive 5.25 speakers.
Before we start looking at the potential amps, we should learn more about the sonic characteristics of the Kanto YU Passive 5.25 and its strengths. This data can be useful if you decide to search for matching amps on your own.
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Sonic Characteristics and Merits of Kanto YU Passive 5.25
As the name suggests, this Kanto passive bookshelf speaker has a 5.25″ (133mm) woofer, and right above it, is a 1″ (25mm) silk dome tweeter. At the back of the speaker cabinet, you will find a rear-firing bass port and we should give it some distance away from the back walls. The Kanto YU Passive 5.25 is a pair of compact size stand-mounters and is ideal to be used as desktop speakers. You do need to allocate space for the partnering amplifier and if you find this to be an issue, you might want to look at their powered speaker models instead.
For a bookshelf speaker of its size and price, the Kanto YU Passive 5.25 is capable of reaching quite deep into the bass extension. The frequency response of the YU Passive 5.25 is from 50Hz-20kHz. The speaker sensitivity is surprisingly higher than expected which is at 89dB. These passive bookshelf speakers have a nominal impedance of 6 Ohms and can handle up to 100 Watts of power. They are aesthetically pleasing and won’t look out of place in most listening rooms. Rather good looking for a pair of entry-level bookshelf speakers.
More Details of Kanto YU Passive 5.25 at Amazon
They have amazing stereo imaging for bookshelf speakers with such an affordable price tag and the soundstage is pretty wide as well. There is ample depth and presence, providing us with a full-bodied music presentation. This is also partly due to the midbass reproductions which have weight and texture to it, delivering just enough impact. The bass response of the Kanto YU Passive 5.25 is not as agile and tight enough as we want it to be but overall, the low-end performance does not sound bloated or overly exaggerated. When it comes to deep bass reproductions, you can tell it is lacking in this department and this is as expected.
The midrange reproductions have clarity which allows us to hear the vocals clearly and sounded natural too. There are plenty of music details and at a nearfield listening distance, the subtleties can be heard clearly. It is easy to listen to the Kanto YU Passive 5.25 and we don’t find them to sound harsh. You probably would be able to listen to these bookshelf speakers for hours on end without feeling fatigued.
Kanto YU Passive 5.25 speakers are warm sounding and this also makes them ideal for turntable users. The midbass prowess of the YU Passive 5.25 does make them suitable for home theater use and you will just need to add an active subwoofer into the mix to help supplement the sub-bass performance. They fare better when it comes to music playbacks and at this price point, it is difficult to nitpick them. We have prepared a list of the best amps to partner up with the Kanto YU Passive 5.25 bookshelf speakers, please take a look.
Kanto YU Passive 5.25 Specifications
- Speaker Type: 2-Way (Rear-firing port)
- Drive Units: 1″ (25mm) Silk Dome Tweeter, 5.25″ (133mm) Kevlar Driver
- Frequency Response: 50Hz-20kHz
- Nominal Impedance: 6 Ohms
- Power Handling: Up to 100 Watts
- Sensitivity: 89dB
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 175mm x 205mm x 272mm | 6.9″ x 8.1″ x 10.7″
- Weight: 4kg (8.7lbs)
Best Amps to match with Kanto YU Passive 5.25
The Marantz PM6007 will be an excellent match with your Kanto YU Passive 5.25 bookshelf speakers. The RMS power output of 45 Watts/60 Watts into 8 Ohms/4 Ohms will be good enough to drive the YU Passive 5.25. More importantly, the musical refinement and warmth of the PM6007 work nicely with the Kanto passive speakers. This gives us a warmer and smoother music presentation, ideal for listeners who just want a relaxing and calm listening session.
More Details of Marantz PM6007 at Amazon
The Denon PMA-600NE is a swiss army knife, the plethora of features that comes with this integrated amplifier will be useful for most listeners. The PMA-600NE is powerful enough to drive the Kanto YU Passive 5.25 speakers and its neutral with a hint of warmth sonic characteristics will suit them as well. It comes with a built-in DAC, phono preamp, and Bluetooth connection for wireless music streaming. For an amp with so many features, the price point of the Denon PMA-600NE is considered really affordable.
More Details of Denon PMA-600NE at Amazon
Yamaha A-S301 is another solid entry-level integrated amplifier and is amazing for listeners who want a good MM phono input without spending too much. The Yamaha A-S301 has similar sonic characteristics as the Kanto YU Passive 5.25 but it is a bit more neutral. This Yamaha amp has more impact in its deep bass reproductions and can help add more weight to the low-end prowess of the YU Passive 5.25 speakers. To really make use of the A-S301 bass performance, we suggest integrating a powered subwoofer into your sound system.
More Details of Yamaha A-S301 at Amazon
The PS Audio Sprout 100 is another exceptional integrated amp with loads of features and would be able to accommodate almost every modern-day users’ demands. It has a built-in DAC which supports up to 24-bit/384kHz resolution and decodes up to DSD128 high-res audio files. Other notable features will be wireless Bluetooth streaming and a Phono preamplifier. With both channels driven, the PS Audio Sprout 100 can drive up to 100 Watts into 4 Ohms and is more than enough to make the Kanto YU Passive 5.25 speakers sing.
More Details of PS Audio Sprout 100 at Amazon
Looking for a compact size amplifier to be part of your desktop sound system and has enough power to drive the Kanto YU Passive 5.25 bookshelf speakers? The NAD D 3045 will be an excellent choice for you, it has a very small footprint due to its upright positioning and a DAC which supports MQA and DSD. NAD D 3045 has many more features and is sanely priced too. The balanced overall sound reproduction of the NAD digital amp will match well with the YU Passive 5.25 and its IHF Dynamic power enables the speakers to handle most music peaks.
More Details of NAD D 3045 at Amazon
For listeners who have very tight budgets, the Sony STRDH190 will be the choice for you and your Kanto YU Passive 5.25 speakers. For a budget stereo amplifier, the STRDH190 is rather powerful and even has Bluetooth connectivity as well as Phono input. You can play your music at high volume levels and it doesn’t sound shrill, thanks to the smooth sound quality of the YU Passive 5.25 stand-mounters. The Sony STRDH190 adds slightly more clarity to the treble, providing more detailed highs. The amp also gives the midbass delivery a bit more kick.
More Details of Sony STRDH190 at Amazon
To Sum It Up
We highly suggest you hear them out first before making your final decision on which amp to get and match with your Kanto YU Passive 5.25 speakers. You can easily shortlist the potential amplifiers for an audition by filtering them out based on your budget. During the auditioning of the amps together with your YU Passive 5.25s, you will be able to know if the overall sound quality is too dark or bright sounding or simply is what you are looking for in an amplifier.
