Do you think you don’t have enough space for floor standing speakers but then again the portable speakers aren’t that powerful enough? Then which speaker should you buy Fluance Ai60 vs Kanto Yu6? The answer is the bookshelf speakers. They are powerful than portable speakers and doesn’t take up space like floor standing ones.
Comparing Fluance Ai60 vs Kanto A6, we see that there are similarities as well as several differences. Both these speakers allow you to play music from turntables, TV, PC, smartphone. With these, you can easily set up a 2.0 or 2.1 setup.
The speakers are the most versatile in terms of functions including input options, remote, and build quality. They can easily replace your soundbar and generate even better audio with distinct vocal and instrument sounds.
Fluance Ai60 vs Kanto Yu6: Product Profile
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The Fluance Ai60 is the elder model of Ai40 with additional features like more amplifier power, bigger woofer, and more inputs and an output port for the subwoofer. Fluance manufactures its speakers in Canada and according to Fluance, they use the same design principles used in the floor standing speakers.
Kanto excels in CE products. They design speakers in Canada and build them in China. The Yu6 is the sibling speaker of the Yu4 and Yu2 and is the biggest in the family. It comes with a powerful amplifier than the others along with additional features.
Fluance Ai60 vs Kanto Yu6: Comparison chart
| Fluance Ai60 | Kanto Yu6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Amplifier power | Class D, 100 Watts Continuous Average Output (2x 50 watts) | Class D Amplifier 200W Peak Power (100 Watts Total RMS) |
| Driver size | 1” tweeter, 6.5” woofer | 1” tweeter. 5.25” woofer |
| Driver material | Silk Soft Dome Ferrofluid Cooled tweeter, Glass Fiber Composite Drivers with Butyl Rubber Surrounds woofer | Silk Dome Tweeters, Kevlar® Drivers |
| Input | RCA L/R, Digital Toslink Optical, Micro USB, Bluetooth® Reset Pairing | 3.5mm mini-jack AUX RCA with Phono Switch 2 x Optical (TOSLINK) Bluetooth™ 4.0 with Qualcomm® aptX™ |
| output | Subwoofer output | Subwoofer USB Charge 5V 1A |
| Crossover frequency | 2600Hz | 2.0kHz |
| Enclosure | Acoustic suspension | MDF |
| Sealed or ported | sealed | rear-firing bass-reflex port |
| Built-in phono preamp | no | yes |
| THD | <0.3% | <0.3% |
| Dimension | 13.1 H x 7.8 W x 9.2 D | 6.9” W x 8.1” D x 10.7” H |
| Price | Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon |
Fluance Ai60 vs Kanto Yu6: Differences at a Glance
- Ai60 has a larger woofer of 6.5” compared to a 5.25” woofer of Yu6
- Both deliver excellent audio quality for a small to medium-sized room
- Fluance deliver deeper bass and can get lower in frequency
- Both are well-known for their aesthetics and has the Wife Approval Factor (WAF)
- Ai60 has inputs including a turntable, Bluetooth, TV, PC. Yu6 has them all, along with phono preamp
- Ai60 or Yu6 is not for an audiophile who wants an excellent dynamic range.
- Ai60 makes a hissing sound at maximum volume.
- Both have a subwoofer output
Fluance Ai60 vs Kanto Yu6: Features Explained
Sound quality
The sound quality of speakers relies on several factors. The two speakers mainly differ in bass output and material with which they are designed.
Deep Bass
Fluance Ai60 has a frequency response of 35Hz-20 kHz and has a sealed enclosure which is responsible for tight bass. Music enthusiasts recommend lowering the volume to a moderate level so that it doesn’t clip or distort as it enters the speaker.
For instance, turn your PC volume to 50% and then adjust the volume from the speaker. The DSP plays a significant role in bass output. Since the speakers have sealed enclosure if you push speakers to produce bass too much it might affect the internal design. DSP compresses the audio so that the woofers are safe.
The Kanto Yu6 has a frequency response of 50 Hz – 20 kHz and a rear-firing bass port which will enhance bass as compensation to the frequency response. The specification between these two indicates that the Ai60 will have tighter bass compared to the Yu6.
To achieve more bass, you can connect to Kanto Sub6, Sub 8, or Kanto Yuri subwoofer. However, the bass and audio will vary vastly with room acoustics and placement. You can place them on Kanto stands that are 28 to 32”.
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Better drivers
The Fluance Ai60 has a 1” tweeter and 6.5” large woofer and these effectively work for treble and bass. The tweeter delivers waveguide for belter off-axis response.
Compared to Yu6, the woofer is larger which means it will deliver more bass and you might not need a subwoofer. Kanto Yu6 has a 1” tweeter and 5.25” woofer.
Powerful amplifier
The models differ in terms of amplifier power as well. The Fluance Ai60 has 100 watts RMS continuous power that gives 50W to each speaker.
Kanto has 100W total RMS power from the amplifier and after several tests, it can be said that both these speakers produce powerful and excellent audio that can get very loud.
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Design
Durable enclosure
The Fluance Ai60 has an Acoustic suspension cabinet made from wood that bends around the corners. It comes in different colors and is very classy in aesthetics. The cabinet design is made intentionally to enhance bass and mid-range.
Kanto Yu6 is made from MDF material which is well-known to eliminate resonance and it comes with rubber feet. The speakers don’t have grille included which might bother you if you have kids.
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Transducer material
The Fluance Ai60 has silk soft-dome Ferrofluid cooled tweeter. This helps to ‘liquid-cool’ the voice coils and ensure they remain in the middle of the tweeter. They help to minimize resonances and these effectively enhance the sound quality.
The woven glass fiber woofers are surrounded by Butyl rubbers. It has a break-in period that causes the rubber to expand and contract causing the cone to vibrate in a larger area.
The YU6 1-inch tweeters are made from silk to deliver a high-frequency range that is bright and refined. Their dome shape improves sound dispersion to ensure your ears capture every sound, regardless of where you are in the room.
They also have their patented Kevlar Drivers which are famous for durability and producing balanced audio even at an increased volume.
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Connectivity
Input
What makes these speakers so special is their versatility in connections. Both these speakers have several inputs and output ports which other smart speaker or soundbar usually don’t.
The Fluance speakers have several audio input options so that you can connect the speakers with TV, computer, or turntable. Fromm al the input option, the optical input produces clearer audio. It has Bluetooth aptX with 4.2 versions. Compared to Yu6 you will need a phono preamp to connect it with turntables.
- RCA: connect with Turntable, computer, smartphone
- Bluetooth with aptX: connect to smartphone or tab
- Optical: Tv, computer, gaming console
- USB: laptop/computer ( not for charging)
The Yu6 produces the best sound when they are given RCA analog or optical digital input. It has a built-in phono preamp and Bluetooth 4.0 version with aptX technology. The Yu6 will perform the best if you use the RCA analog or optical digital inputs.
- RCA input: phono preamp (moving-magnet cartridges in turntable) or analog line
- 3.5mm mini-jack
- Bluetooth: MP3 player, smartphone, tablet
- 2 optical input: TV
Output
The Fluance Ai60 and Kanto Yu6 both have subwoofer output which means you can easily connect a sub with them if you need extra bass. Along with that, the Yu6 has a USB jack which is for charging only and not for PC.
What features does the remote include?
The Fluance Ai60 remote is easy to use. It has different buttons for power on/off, input selection, mute, LED brightness, treble up/down, and bass up/down. You can adjust the EQ by adjusting the bass and treble of the speaker. It also has an IR button on the speaker so that the remote works fine.
The Kanto Yu6 has a similar EQ setting like Ai60. It has left and right balance channel control to tune the volume. There is also a knob in front of the speaker with which you can change the volume.
There are other options like power, volume, mute, and three transport keys. The remote has different sizes and shapes where volume buttons are given a larger size for convenience.
Are there any similarities?
There are some similar criteria found between Fluance Ai60 vs Kanto Yu6 speakers. To begin with, both these are 2-way powered bookshelf speakers that work without the need for an external amp, receiver, or preamp. They allow connection with vinyl turntables.
These speakers have Bluetooth, RCA, optical connections along with a subwoofer output. They both come with remote control with similar functions like volume up/ down, play/pause.
Should you buy one?
The Fluance Ai60 vs Kanto Yu6 are 2-way powered bookshelf speakers. Powered bookshelf speakers do not need additional amp or preamp. These are ideal for congested places or for a desktop that needs speakers.
They do not have any hassle of wires or power adjustments. This means you will get a wire-free room and don’t have to match amplifier power with the speaker. You can place the bookshelf speakers on open shelves, away from the wall or on stands.
These models will suit you if you love streaming via vinyl turntables. The Kanto Yu6 also has a built-in phono amp but for Fluance Ai60 you need to buy one. Although both the speakers can be connected to an external subwoofer, for Ai60 the bass is powerful enough to fill up a small to medium-sized space.
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FAQ:
Can I use Fluance Ai60 with voice controls?
Answer: although the speakers do not support voice assistants directly, you can add voice controls via Google Chromecast Audio.
After connecting, pair it with the Amazon Alexa device or Google Home device. For more details, you can look into the YouTube channel of Fluance.
How to use the Bluetooth pairing mode in Yu6?
Choose the Bluetooth option as the input. The light in front of the speaker should blink in white which denotes you are already connected to a device. If not, then disable all Bluetooth connections by selecting the reset button. You can also reset the speakers by switching them off and then turn them on again.
How to use optical input to connect Fluance Ai60 to TV or PC?
Follow the steps below:
- Use the optical table to connect one end to the audio source (TV, Computer, Gaming Console) and the other end with the speaker.
- Use the ‘control knob’ in the speaker to select Optical Input
- The connection is successful.
Fluance Ai40 or Kanto Yu6?
Fluance Ai60 and Kanto Yu6 speakers deliver lively and tuned audio along with several features that you will not find in other competitive speakers. While Kanto Yu6 will fit perfectly in a large desktop table, the Ai60 is better off on stands.
The Ai60 should be your choice if you want powerful bass and excellent room-filling audio. Kanto Yu6 also delivers decent bass but people who love smack-on-the- face bass will need a subwoofer. These speakers are often said to be the best-powered bookshelf speakers for audiophiles.
Although the price might seem on the upper scale, the engineering of the speakers with DSP, Kevlar woofer and build quality will definitely compensate the cost.
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