The Kanto YU4 is filled to the brim with features and one of them will be the subwoofer output. The question is if you should really connect to an active subwoofer and our answer is you should. Kanto YU4 are small and compact powered speakers, this also means they are unable to deliver really deep bass frequencies with prominence. Let us find out more about the YU4 strengths and limitations, so as to find the best matching subwoofers for them.
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The Strengths and Limitations of Kanto YU4
As they are active speakers, there is an in-built Class D amplifier powering them with up to 140 Watts (Peak). This allows you to save some space and money since you don’t need to get an external amplifier to drive the Kanto YU4 speakers. In addition to their compact size, the YU4s are ideal choices to be used as a pair of desktop speakers. Small cabinet size means small speaker drivers, and we are referring to their 4″ (100mm) Kevlar drivers. Due to this, the Kanto YU4 powered speakers are only capable of delivering down to 60Hz bass extension.
You will be missing a lot of sub-bass depending on the type of music you are listening to. Bass-heavy music can reach down to 20Hz bass extension, this is especially so for movie soundtracks. Furthermore, the Kanto YU4 seems to focus more on the upper bass frequencies and does provide a warmish midrange reproduction. For bass fanatics, the low-end performance is considered lightweight. The lack of bass output also does affect the music presence and the feeling you get in a live concert is missing.
More Details of Kanto YU4 at Amazon
These are not bad powered speakers, the Kanto YU4 has strong mids and is pleasing to listen to. There are plenty of music details being produced and they don’t sound overly bright in the slightest no matter the volume level. The Kanto YU4 speakers are more suited for nearfield listening distance or to be used inside a small room. This might affect the size of the subwoofer you can get. We suggest finding out how much available space you can spare. You might also want to work out a budget that you are comfortable with.
Usually, if you require a subwoofer that could deliver subterranean bass frequencies of down to 20Hz bass extension or below, you will need enough space to accommodate a sub with a 12″ driver. There are smaller subwoofers that can deliver these subterranean low frequencies but they typically cost a lot more than the Kanto YU4 speakers, so you might want to set your expectations. When it comes to subtle music details, the Kanto YU4 speakers are not really clear sounding in this area. You might want to get a sealed cabinet subwoofer to partner up with them so as to not further muddle the overall sound reproduction.
They are agile and fast active speakers, and this is another reason why a sealed subwoofer is a better option than a ported subwoofer. The closer you are to the Kanto YU4 speakers, the better they will perform and sound clearer as well. They will be good for home theater use as long there is an active subwoofer supplementing the bass. It is time for us to share with you a list of the best subwoofers which you can choose to match with your Kanto YU4 speakers. We have taken the prices into consideration when choosing these subwoofers as we don’t find it worthwhile to match YU4 with expensive models.
Kanto YU4 Specifications
- RMS Power Output: 70 Watts
- Drivers: 1″ (25mm) Silk Dome Tweeters, 4″ (100mm) Kevlar Drivers
- Frequency Response: 60Hz-20kHz
- Wireless: Bluetooth 4.0 with Qualcomm aptX
- Audio Inputs: AUX, 2x Optical, RCA with Phono Switch
- Audio Outputs: Subwoofer Output
Best Matching Subwoofers for the Kanto YU4
For listeners who are using Kanto YU4 as desktop speakers and want to put a compact size subwoofer under your table. You might want to take a look at the Kanto SUB6 powered subwoofer. This is a front-firing sealed cabinet subwoofer with a 6″ paper cone woofer and has a Class D amplifier that dishes out 200 Watts of Peak power. Even though it is small, the Kanto SUB6 still has an impressive frequency response of 35Hz-165Hz. The bass performance is agile and fits really nicely with the Kanto YU4 sonic characteristics.
More Info on Kanto SUB6 Subwoofer at Amazon
If you need a high-quality entry-level sealed subwoofer that could reach deeper into the bass extension than the Kanto SUB6, you should certainly check out the SVS SB-1000. The bass driver of the SB-1000 is twice the size and has a lot higher amplifier power than the Kanto SUB6. It can deliver tight and powerful bass performances which will match well with your Kanto YU4 active speakers. If you have a higher budget, we suggest going with the newer version, the SVS SB-1000 Pro.
More Details of SVS SB-1000 Pro Sealed Cabinet Sub at Amazon
The Polk Audio PSW10 is a highly rated subwoofer for listeners who have a tight budget and don’t wish to compromise the bass quality. The PSW10 is very well regarded not just because of its affordable pricing but also its above-average bass performance. This may be a budget ported subwoofer, it is still able to deliver taut bass frequencies though, and will be suitable to be with your Kanto YU4 speakers. The Polk Audio PSW10 could punch hard with its deep bass reproduction. We wouldn’t suggest pushing this sub too much.
More Info on Polk Audio PSW10 Ported Sub at Amazon
Another amazing ported subwoofer to go for will be the Yamaha HS8S. This is a studio subwoofer that is capable of producing accurate and agile low frequencies. Furthermore, the HS8S is compact in size and will be suitable to be part of a desktop sound system. The articulate bass performance of the Yamaha HS8S will be a suitable match with the Kanto YU4 and it could go surprisingly deep into the bass extension of down to 22Hz. Due to the precision of this Yamaha studio subwoofer, you can use it for audio mixing/editing.
More Information on Yamaha HS8S on Amazon
For listeners who prefer to match their Kanto YU4 powered speakers with a subwoofer made by the same company. The next better option will be the 2022 updated version, Kanto SUB8. It is slightly more expensive than the Kanto SUB6 but it is bigger and has more amplifier power, up to 300 Watts (Peak) to be exact. The Kanto SUB8 can fill a small room with presence and deliver agile bass performance, not to mention, seamlessly working together with the Kanto YU4 active speakers.
More Information on Kanto SUB6 Subwoofer at Amazon
If you require a subwoofer that could reach down to 19Hz bass extension and is priced rather closed to your Kanto YU4 speakers, then please take a look at the SVS PB-1000. This is an entry-level 10″ ported subwoofer with 300 Watts RMS power and peak power of up to 720 Watts which is enough to handle most music peaks in a small listening room. The SVS PB-1000 is great for listeners or bass fanatics who prefer bass quantity. If you want more versatility, we suggest going with the newer version instead, the SVS PB-1000 Pro.
More Info on SVS PB-1000 Pro Subwoofer at Amazon
To Conclude
All in all, the Kanto YU4 is a good pair of active speakers and they are worth their asking price due to their sonic performance and the plethora of features that come with them. With an addition of a powered subwoofer, the overall sound quality should level up. You might want to choose a few of the listed subs for an audition so as to hear the difference in sonic performance by listening to them together with your own Kanto YU4 speakers, preferably inside your own room. This would provide you with a more accurate test result.
