What are passive speakers? What is a speaker amp? How do you know which amplifier to choose for your passive speaker?
No matter what questions you have about passive speakers, we're here to give you the complete guide and information on the best passive speakers that Kanto has to offer. Without further ado, let's get into it.
What are Passive Speakers?
Nowadays, most of the speakers we encounter have the technology and built-in functions to connect to your phone or TV with ease. These speakers are called active or powered speakers. Passive speakers need external support, as they won't play music or sounds without a little push.
In order to work, passive speakers need to be connected to an amp. Passive speakers, plainly put, are just a box with drivers inside of them. Without an amp, passive speakers are just there looking pretty.
What are Amps?
An amplifier (amp) takes an incoming signal and amplifies it. Pretty simple. Most amps that you'll see have other capabilities than just amplifying a signal. Generally, most people buy receivers or integrated amps that do more than just amplify speakers. Some can decode digital audio signals and have Wi-Fi streaming capabilities.
So How Do You Pick an Amp for Your Speakers?
To match a passive speaker to an amp, all you need to do is pay special mind to the specifications of both the speaker and the amp. There are only two specs that matter: ohms (Ω) and wattage (W).
Ohms
All electronics have resistance which determines how easy or difficult it is for electricity to travel through the electronic device. Measuring this electrical resistance is done so with ohms. The lower the number, the easier it is for the electricity to move through the circuit. The higher the number, the more difficult it is.
A low or high ohm rating on a speaker doesn't mean your speaker is either good or bad. The ohm rating helps you match the speaker correctly to an appropriate amp. If your speaker is rated for 4 ohms, you should match it to an amplifier of the same ohm rating. In some cases, you might not have an amp rated exactly the same as your speaker. In that case, choose an amp that is rated at a lower ohm rating. Doing this will help you avoid overheating and distortion.
Wattage
Most speaker manufacturers will give you a range or a maximum wattage you should use with their speakers. The Kanto YU Passive 4″ speaker is rated at 70 watts per speaker while the Kanto YU Passive 5.25″ is rated at 100 watts per speaker. Using more wattage than recommended can negatively affect your sound and actually burn out the voice coil.
The wattage rating on an amp is the maximum wattage pushed out on the highest volume setting. It is possible to connect a 200-watt amp to a speaker rated for 100 watts, as long as you don't crank it all the way sending the amp's full power to the speaker. There's no issue in overbuying an amp as long as you keep the volume at an appropriate level. You'll know what is too much when it happens. The sound will sound distorted and unpleasant. If you feel like you're hitting that point, just lower the volume a little and that will be as high as you can go.
In the end, choosing the best amp for passive speakers will depend on what audio sources you're going to listen to and the inputs that will support your speaker's ohm and wattage rating.
How to Set Up Passive Speakers
Follow these easy steps:
- Acquire speaker wire (pre-cut or in a roll).
- Connect speakers and amp together (positive to positive and negative to negative).
- Connect your audio source to the amp (wired or wireless).
- Turn on the amp, and switch to the correct input (if applicable).
Taking a Look at Some Passive Speakers
Now that you know what passive speakers and amps are, let's take a quick look at the best Kanto passive speakers available: the Tuk G2 Passive and Tuk Grand Passive.
The Tuk Grand Passive features a 6-inch aluminum woofer and 28 x 35mm air motion transfer (AMT) tweeter. It reaches as low as 40 Hz with a power handling of 80 Watts RMS per speaker into 4 ohms. Meanwhile, the Tuk G2 Passive has a 5.25-inch aluminum woofer with the same AMT tweeter, with a bottom end of 50 Hz and 65 Watt RMS into 4 ohms. Both models are perfect as part of high-quality stereo music or TV sound system, or as part of a home theater setup.
Each has the same high-quality drivers as their active counterparts. This allows them to deliver clear and powerful sound. They're available in a variety of finishes to complement any setup.
| Tuk Gen 2 Passive | Tuk Grand Passive | |
|---|---|---|
| Ideal For | Bookshelf & medium rooms | Large rooms, dedicated listening |
| Tweeter | 28 mm x 35 mm Air Motion Transformer (AMT) tweeters | 28 mm x 35 mm Air Motion Transformer (AMT) tweeters |
| Woofer | 5.25" Concave Aluminum Aircomb™ Driver | 6" Concave Aluminum Aircomb™ Driver |
| Frequency Response | 50 Hz – 22 kHz | 40 Hz – 22 kHz |
| Power Handling | 130W Peak Power (65W RMS) Per Speaker | 160W Peak Power (80W RMS) Per Speaker |
| Impedance | 4 Ohms | 4 Ohms |
| Speaker Sensitivity | 82 dB @ 2.83 V / 1 m | 81 dB @ 2.83 V / 1 m |
| Dimensions (each speaker) | 7.2" W x 10" D x 12" H (18.4 x 25.4 x 30.5 cm) |
8.6" W x 11.6" D x 13.8" H (21.8 x 29.5 x 35 cm) |
| Weight (each speaker) | 11.5 lb (5.2 kg) |
16.1 lb (7.3 kg) |
| Finishes | Matte Black Matte White Walnut |
Matte Black Matte White Walnut |
Explore the New Generation
Meet the latest evolution of Tuk. Available now in active and passive models.
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