YU2 Powered Speakers

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Kanto YU2 Are Excellent – Audioengine A2+ Were a Big Disappointment The first desktop speakers I purchased were the Audioengine A2+, and honestly, they were very disappointing. Flat sound, weak bass, and nowhere near what I expected for the price — I returned them. I then bought the Kanto YU2, and the difference was immediate. The sound is clear, detailed, and well balanced, especially for nearfield desktop listening. Bass is tight (not muddy), mids are clean, and highs are crisp without being harsh. The built-in USB DAC sounds great straight from a computer. Build quality is solid and they look great on a desk. I liked them so much that I bought a second pair. The Kanto YU2 are a keeper. Highly recommended.

I'm running my YU2s with an an Audioengine S8 sub (crossed over at 80Hz). I'm mostly going to talk about how these are with a sub as I really don't find the YU2s adequate without one. If you want anything close to full ranged sound, you're going to need a sub. Out of the box, even with the sub, the YU2s have a tinny sound that is desperately in need of mid-bass boost. This is pretty normal as we're working with some pretty small 3" drivers. Fortunately this is easily taken care of with Equalizer APO (Windows) and the Peace UI for APO. This is a powerful PC EQ for audiophile use. I know there are Mac alternatives though I don't know them by name. Learn how to use these tools to avoid clipping and you can make a really squeeze performance out of your speakers. Don't let that inital tinny sound fool you, these speakers are capable of much much more. The YU2s are capable of putting out respectable and great sounding mid-bass for their size. They aren't going to replicate what larger drivers can, it's that simple. But are they great for gaming and music on a PC? Will they impress you with what they can do for their size? Absolutely. My last PC setup was a set of Klipsch Promedia 2.1. This setup is definitely a large improvement over that. The YU2's top end is detailed and clean. Nice sparkly highs, clear vocals and punchy mid-bass after tuning out the system. If you want a sub with your system for gaming, movies and music, I do recommend the Audioengine S8. I chose this to pair with the YU2 specifically because it is a ported sub with a small footprint and a good sized woofer for a small office room. If you want your explosions to go "BOOM" you need a port for the added bass extension. This particular sub handles music great too. If you're not into games or movies, you may want to try Kanto's SUB8 instead which is sealed. A sealed sub will provide an arguably tighter punch, but will be lacking for games and movies. I personally like the versatility of the long throw ported S8. Build quality and looks of the YU2 are fantastic on the enclosure, tweeter, driver, backplate and knobs. I got the flat white which is just perfect looking for me. Beautiful and quality finish. I did knock a star off on build quality due to a pretty garbage mini-jack cord that shipped with the system. It was flimsy and caused a really loud buzzing sound when moving the wires due to a bad wire connection near the connector. They should choose something with more reinforcement for a mini-jack. This was the only weak-point as the speaker wire, RCAs and power cord were fine. I chose to use a mini-jack instead of the USB as I want to use my keyboard to change volume. Sounds great this way. No complaints, no hiss, no hum, even with no music playing and the volume set to max. Very clean sound. Cord length is plenty long so getting the wires to the left speaker was not a problem. My PC hangs under the desk on the right, and the main speaker connections are on the left speaker. If your setup is similar, worry not. I got them with the matching stands which I do recommend. If you don't get stands, they do come with some felt stick on discs you can place on the bottom. The stands will angle the speakers to ear level, improving clarity. Worth it. The 5 star sound rating I chose takes their size into account. These are great for 3" computer speakers. If you are space limited on your computer desk, you're going to be hard pressed to do better at this price point. Their obvious competitor, the Audioengine A2+, is more expensive, and from what I've read, they can have a hiss and come more overly pre-colored from a sound signature standpoint. The A2+ has a 60watt peak, compared to the YU2's 100watt peak. The A2+ seems over-priced to me for being more or less the same thing and less powerful. Overall very happy with the purchase. Great speaker at a great price. -- Tweaked out the profile and I'm even more happy with these speakers. Attached image shows my Equalizer APO YU2 settings with the Audioengine S8. If I have one major complaint about the YU2 at this point it's the lack of a high-pass filter for use with a sub. If you try to achieve any really loud volumes the speakers distort. If they had added a high-pass filter these could achieve a clearer sound with less distortion by sending the low frequencies to the sub. Still goes plenty loud, so not a huge deal, but certainly a missed opportunity by Kanto.

I am no professional sound engineer, but I have always appreciated good sound and I know it when I hear it. And to me that standard was set a long time ago by a little company you might have heard of -- Miller and Kreisel. My father bought one of their first consumer offerings back in the late 80's. A pair of SB1 satellites and a 12" powered subwoofer. I inherited them from him when he died. My life has changed in such a way that having a big room with a great sound system was simply not possible. So, the SB1's got sold and I had sound through the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Certified Computer Speaker System (Black) computer setup for years. Anyone who's owned those knows that they are a nightmare of shoddy connections and the 2 sets I had for each of my computers finally were unacceptable -- blown subwoofers, faulty satellite connections. Good sound, but ultimately flimsy. And considering how much better these YU2's sound, insanely overpriced. I did a bunch of research and finally settled on a pair of these and the matching 6" Sub for one computer and a pair of the Kanto YU3GT Powered Bookshelf Speakers, Gloss Teal for the other (mine) with an Acoustic Audio PSW-8 300 Watt 8-Inch Down Firing Powered Subwoofer (Black) . These YU2's are simply fantastic, clear, crisp highs, powerful mids and tight bass. I've played everything from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens to From the Choirgirl Hotel to King Thrak Crimson to Goat Rodeo Sessions and was blown away by how well everything came alive. These are speakers so good they will reveal every mistake in the recording. And will likely make me reassess what in my library is not worth my time because of them in the future. It's like I'm getting to rediscover the music I've bought in the last ten years I thought I knew backwards and forwards. The YU3's are, of course, even better with deeper low end response and slightly wider dynamic range. But that's a different review. That's the first half of the story. The second half is about Kanto Living themselves. So, those YU3's I mentioned. Well, I bought those (supposedly) lightly used on Ebay. I got a good (but not great) price on them. They arrived I opened the box and the speakers were just thrown in their willy nilly. That was my first clue. The YU2's had arrived from Amazon two days earlier (new) and I knew that Kanto did a good job packaging them. So, something was not right. I picked up the remote and it rattled. Clue #2. Then I picked up the passive satellite. It also rattled. Clue #3. Now, I have a 9 year old. So the idea of something getting put down the bass port in the back was not out of the question. So I opened the speaker up and looked inside. And I saw a copper induction coil laying loose. Not good. I hooked everything up and the passive tweeter made noise but not the 4" woofer. Now, I know this isn't a tough repair but in no way is that acceptable condition for something that was supposed to be in 'Like New' condition. I contacted ebay, put in a dispute and fully expected to get my money back. Somehow to the customer support person 'Used (Like New)" Condition and "damaged with light scuffing but tested to work well" equals accurately described by the seller for the price paid. Not in my universe and not when I paid $210 for them and they list $289. Now, had the seller put them up for $100, I would have been hey, "Caveat Emptor" but not for that price. That's a price that says, these speakers work. Needless to say I'm just a little torqued off. So, I put in a dispute with PayPal (still pending) and have my fingers crossed. Next I called Kanto on the off chance they would be able to help me. I didn't expect much more than a very polite (their Canadian), "Sucks to be you, man." To my complete astonishment within 24 hours they had a solution for me. Even though I didn't buy these speakers from them and the damage was not covered by the warranty they sold me a refurbished replacement and a new remote for the cost of shipping ($25). Now, if that's not customer service I don't know what is. (Thanks Jason, you rock my man.) So, long story short, this is a quality company that respects their customers. They make an excellent product which they stand behind. I can't comment on how well they compare to other speakers in their price range, but given how good they sound, I sincerely doubt I will have a reason to find out anytime soon. And that counts for more than just a few dollars in my book. It doesn't hurt that their speakers are so good I'm happily re-engaging with my music library at an emotional level I haven't been able to in a loooong time. I'm seriously considering putting together a system based around their Kanto BENORG 5-inch Passive Coaxial Speakers - Pair (Orange Matte) and a SMSL SMSL MINI5 50W2 TDA7492 Digital Amplifier & Headphone with Power Adapter (Black) for my computer and moving the YU3's to the living room for bluetooth sound.

I was tossing between these and one of the smallest models of Audioengines. I decided on these because of the price at the time. For the placement I wanted, I needed small speakers such as the ones in this range. If I had more room, I wouldn't even consider these as there's a lot better for the money if you can go larger. That said, these are pretty great. Crisp and clear, plenty of treble and midrange. But the bass is almost non-existent and what's there gets distorted quick. So you will absolutely need a sub if you like bass at all. Since they're similar in size, I was expecting similar performance to the Sonos 1/One line of speakers - but they don't even come close. But what they can do, with or without a sub, is fill a room with sound. The sound stage is great and I really enjoy their sound for everything I do on my computer. I have them connected via USB as my computer has some nasty electrical interference on the built-in audio output. Now, with all the praise out of the way, I simply CANNOT believe that they didn't put a high-pass filter - either manual or automatic - that can be engaged when a sub is connected. It's really the only thing I DON'T like about these speakers. Why? Because even though the sub handles all the bass, the woofers in the YU2's still try their darndest to reproduce those low frequencies and when you crank it up, you can hear them distorting. No good, and a HUGE oversight on Kanto's part. I knew this was an issue going in based on other reviews and decided I would try it for the price point and integrated DAC. But it's still disappointing nonetheless. I did have one minor materials issue worth noting. On my passive speaker, There's some rogue glue from when the dust cap was put on. It doesn't affect anything, but since there's no grilles for these speakers, it's just something I see from time to time that shouldn't be there. Otherwise I find the materials to be very nice and aesthetically pleasing. But, as I said, overall I'm pleased and expect to use these for a long time. They've been pretty good so far!

I've only had these for a few days now, but WOW! These speakers are pretty loud and sound so good. I had some old crappy speakers that I was replacing with my new computer system. I purchased a cheap bluetooth speaker made in China for around $40. That thing was the biggest piece of crap. I returned that and got these Kanto YU2 speakers. I followed the reviews of others and took a chance on these. They really do sound amazing. I've played several genres of music like Rock, Reggae, Country, Pop, Electronica, Blues, and Jazz. These speakers are a great balance of mids and highs and moderate bass. The bass is not deep and low and not to be expected, however they do boom and will vibrate your desk. It's enough bass for me as you're sitting 20 to 24 inches from the speakers. Volume: This is a bit tricky for me to figure out. I've tried turning up the volume on the speaker and controlling volume through the apps like spotify, youtube, and the computer, but it's too loud. So I've dialed back the volume to about half way on the speakers and then controlling volume through the computer, youtube, spotify, etc. That seems to be better. Value: Are there better speakers for the money? Maybe, I'm not sure. Are they worth the money? I think they are slightly overpriced, but you get what you pay for. Construction: Top notch! These little speakers are amazing being so small. I got the Walnut version and I love them. They seem like solid wood as they do have some weight to them. The color is not as dark as pictured and I just love them over black or white or red or even bamboo. Dislikes: The blue light is annoying. They do not turn off when the computer goes to sleep or turn off the computer, so they are always on unless you turn them off manually. They have their own power. No grill cover. Would have been nice to have a grill as an option. Likes: Size, construction, choice of colors, built-in DAC, sound, value, quality, USB. Run these via USB vs 3.5mm jack. You can even get an EQ app to set your desired sound settings to your liking. Highly recommend these! I don't think you'll be disappointed but rather surprised.

These speakers are terrific. Spoken word on youtube is crisp and easy to understand, and these have plenty of bass for music. What's even better is the customer support at Kanto. The speakers I received had a faint static sound. Customer support at Kanto worked with me to quickly replace the speakers. I will definitely purchase from this company in the future.

I don't want to bore with self concentration, but I think it's a necessary evil in this case. While reading this review, it's important to note that I'm very obsessive person. My personality just sort of grabs hold to something, and can't let go. In my case, that very thing is music. I own a total of 6 audio systems and 3 Bluetooth speakers: all of which I did very serious research on before purchase. I would consider myself something of an audio head who certainly has a very trained ear. I love and listen to all types of music, which allows me to give this a more objective review. Ill begin with telling you to buy this product. It has far more strengths than weaknesses: the determining factor of any purchase. Out of the box, the speaker presentation is glorious. Extremely high quality of materials and great attention to detail. They're easy to set up, and easy to use. I will say, in person these speakers are very small. I was really shocked by the size upon opening. Nonetheless, build is flawless. As for the sound, it's easy to distinguish what these are good at. And that certainly isn't every genre. They are some of the most clear speakers I've ever listened to, however. They offer such a wide and sparkling treble that every time I turn them on, I smile. The mid-range is equally as clear, but is on the thinner side of high quality products. Considering the price, I am still extremely impressed with its presence. The bass is, as in other reviews, certainly a bit over-driven. It's very clean and well rounded at most suitable volumes however, and should keep a general audience happy if you're dealing with a quiet environment. So what genres are these best for and what can I expect? Upon purchase you can expect loud, high quality, hair raising sound that will put a smile on most faces. You should be able to enjoy most genres of music without any sort of uncertainty. In my opinion, I believe the speakers excel most in classical, jazz, and string/acoustic based music. They are decent for rock/pop and edm. Keep in mind they provided great definition of sound for all of these genres. I found them to struggle with hip hop/ rap most. They don't feel dominant and "in your face" enough to pull it off in a way that makes you feel alive. Don't get me wrong, they still sound defined and well rounded, but it's easy to feel the lack of power and punch in the low end. And that's why we can all thank Kanto for providing a sub out port. Let's wrap it up. Great set of speakers, easily one of my favorite audio purchases. It must be the treble: so sparkly. Hope this short review helps!

My Kantos just arrived about an hour ago. I am listening to Mike Stern through my iTunes library on my old iMac. Very good sound. These are solidly built, cool-looking speakers. Mine is the sea-blue or whatever. they are a bit greener than pictured. My wife said they are "adorable" and "my favorite color". In order to get them up an running I simply had to do the simple unpack (they were well packaged), and then hook up the supplied cords. First is the power line - a long, 2-piece affair that plugs into the wall socket and then ends up with the typical, small round,18 volt connector that goes into the right speaker. Then you need to attach the speaker wire that runs from the right speaker (which contains the DAC and amplifier) to the left speaker. They provide good quality wire ( which is too long, so you have to cut it and strip on end) and then hook them together. Lastly, I connected the USB out on my iMac to the right speaker in about 30 seconds. I used a USB hub and that works fine. The sound is very ,very good. I also have a set up using a Music Streamer DAC that runs into a vintage Dynaco Tube preamp, a 200 watt Onkyo stereo amp, and into floor standing NHT speakers. Guess what? That rig sounds fuller and has deeper bass and clearer high end. But not that much really. These little Yu2s sound great. The provide near-field listening which is right in front of me and while I am watching YouTube videos or using any other audio where I am facing my computer - they rock. I am anticipating they will sound even better after a sufficient break-in time. My only thought is that because they are so close, they would sound better elevated about 8-12 inches to align better with my ears. No rush to find a stand at this moment. I am just going to kick back and listen to some music.