From Phono's Mouth To Speaker's Ear

Kanto YU6 Powered Speaker System

- Mark Fleischmann

WHY SHOULDN’T LIFE BE SIMPler? If there’s one thing your studio apartment, dorm room, bedroom, or guest bedroom doesn’t need, it’s an audio rack with a tangle of cables. But going without music would be barbaric. So how simple do you need to get? If a bare-bones Bluetooth speaker isn’t enough, a pair of powered speakers might make more sense. You’d have a stereo soundstage without the fuss of an outboard amp and rack. If you want something vinyl-friendly, that narrows the search dramatically. The Kanto YU6 is one of the few powered speaker systems with a built-in phono stage. Add line, optical, and Bluetooth inputs, and you’ve got an economical but versatile little music maker.

Born in Canada about a decade ago, Kanto offers three powered speaker systems, two powered sub-woofers, speaker stands, and audio cables. Along with the YU6 ($480 list, but widely discounted to $390), the systems include the smaller YU4 ($390) and YU2 ($249). (You can check current promotional pricing for all models with retailers listed at kantoaudio.com/authorized resellers.) The top two models include phono pre-amps and Toslink optical inputs, while the bottom model has a USB jack that accepts direct input from a computer. All have subwoofer outputs with 200-hertz low-pass filters. The idea is you dial down the high-pass filter on your sub until blending is achieved; the speaker always outputs a full-range signal, and the sub is simply filling in below the speaker’s capabilities.