The catch
Kanto REN
If the turntable cannot output line level, REN needs a phono stage.
Side by side
Kanto REN vs YU6: REN brings TV and laptop together, and YU6 keeps the phono stage
Quick verdict
REN suits a TV plus a USB laptop, particularly if other people in the household expect the TV remote to control volume. Original YU6 is the better pick when a compatible MM turntable needs a built-in phono stage and optical or analog audio covers everything else. HDMI ARC and USB-C audio on REN make the daily screen routine simpler, though its RCA input is line level. YU6 has no HDMI, and its USB only charges devices.
Before you buy
Why, and what it costs you
Whoever sets it up is not necessarily who watches TV
In a shared living room, the owner who is comfortable with technology might put up with a separate volume routine that irritates everybody else. With REN's HDMI ARC and CEC, a supported TV remote can control volume once setup is done. Original YU6's optical connection gives no such HDMI control path. When parents, guests or a partner watch television without opening an app, that everyday handoff can count for more than another music input. Look at the actual TV first.
Where this comes from
Verified HDMI control capability, applied to several people who share a television. It does not claim universal CEC compatibility or any disability benefit.
The catch
Kanto YU6
Neither HDMI control nor direct USB computer audio comes with original YU6.
Kanto REN
- Why pick it
- Mostly TV and laptop, with volume control from a supported TV remote mattering.
- Either your turntable already has a suitable preamp or records aren't part of the system.
- The catch
- If the turntable cannot output line level, REN needs a phono stage.
Kanto YU6
- Why pick it
- Your main source is an MM turntable with no preamp.
- Analog and optical connections you already have work fine, and you can live with another TV remote.
- The catch
- Neither HDMI control nor direct USB computer audio comes with original YU6.
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What this page compares
A shared living room with either Kanto REN or the original YU6: how TV remote control, laptop USB and a turntable you already own change the whole setup.
Kanto's powered pairs here are both sizable and suit a room with mixed uses. REN alters how sources are handled, so it is more than an original YU6 with extra connections.
Which one fits
Pick the situations that sound like you
Several people watch TV using its normal remote
If the TV supports HDMI ARC and CEC, REN does as well.
- Kanto REN
- Better fit
- Kanto YU6
- Caution
An MM turntable with no preamp
YU6 has the phono stage built in.
- Kanto REN
- Caution
- Kanto YU6
- Better fit
A USB laptop by day and the TV at night
REN gives each of them its own direct connection.
- Kanto REN
- Better fit
- Kanto YU6
- Caution
Optical and analog already handle every source
To justify upgrading, there has to be some benefit beyond a new model name.
- Kanto REN
- Good
- Kanto YU6
- Good
In practice
Differences you will notice
Whoever sets it up is not necessarily who watches TV
In a shared living room, the owner who is comfortable with technology might put up with a separate volume routine that irritates everybody else. With REN's HDMI ARC and CEC, a supported TV remote can control volume once setup is done. Original YU6's optical connection gives no such HDMI control path. When parents, guests or a partner watch television without opening an app, that everyday handoff can count for more than another music input. Look at the actual TV first.
How we worked this out
Verified HDMI control capability, applied to several people who share a television. It does not claim universal CEC compatibility or any disability benefit.
Which model saves you hardware depends on whether the turntable has its own preamp
When the record player already outputs line-level audio, YU6's phono stage is not needed for that source. In that case REN covers records on line input, the laptop over USB and the TV over HDMI. A turntable without a preamp changes things. REN then puts a phono box on your shopping list, while YU6 can take a compatible MM signal directly. Look at the small switch and the cartridge on your existing turntable before you put a value on either speaker feature.
How we worked this out
A conditional look at the source chain, depending on whether a preamp is built in and the MM cartridge is compatible. It does not assume every turntable can switch to line output.
Having a second screen-based source can make this upgrade worth more than the larger cabinet implies
Per cabinet, REN is only 0.1 inch wider and 0.4 inch deeper than original YU6. The change that counts more in a hybrid work room is that the TV and the laptop each get a dedicated input, HDMI and USB. Both can stay plugged in while you pick the source, so there is no unplugging an analog cable from the work dock every evening. That assumes the computer supports the USB audio connection. REN's separate charging socket is not the one for audio.
How we worked this out
7 − 6.9 = 0.1 inch of width and 8.5 − 8.1 = 0.4 inch of depth. The documentation lists separate USB-C ports for audio and charging.
Option A
Kanto, REN
REN
Mostly TV and laptop, with volume control from a supported TV remote mattering.
- Best for
- Mostly TV and laptop, with volume control from a supported TV remote mattering.
Facts we checked
- TV routine: HDMI ARC with CEC
- Work computer: USB-C audio input
- Vinyl: RCA line input, no phono stage
- Body depth: 8.5 inches
Option B
Kanto, YU6
YU6
Your main source is an MM turntable with no preamp.
- Best for
- Your main source is an MM turntable with no preamp.
Facts we checked
- TV routine: Optical, without HDMI
- Work computer: Charging-only USB-A
- Vinyl: Switchable MM phono/line
- Body depth: 8.1 inches
Spec by spec
Where they really differ
| Spec | Kanto REN | Kanto YU6 | In practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| TV routine | HDMI ARC with CEC | Optical, without HDMI | REN can follow a supported TV's volume control, so no separate step for controlling the speakers is needed. |
| Work computer | USB-C audio input | Charging-only USB-A | A compatible computer can connect to REN directly over USB. |
| Vinyl | RCA line input, no phono stage | Switchable MM phono/line | Whether REN needs another box comes down to the turntable's own preamp. |
| Body depth | 8.5 inches | 8.1 inches | REN's extra 0.4 inch is before cables and placement clearance. |
| Subwoofer filtering | Automatic 80 Hz high-pass and low-pass | Original-generation sub output | The newer filtering is a setup capability in its own right, and more than an output socket. |
Trade-offs
What each pick costs you
With Kanto REN
- How HDMI control works depends on the TV and its CEC settings, and you should not count on identical behavior across every television.
With Kanto YU6
- Once you add a USB audio adapter and a separate workaround for TV control, the old connection plan may no longer be the simpler one.
Change of plan
When the answer changes
The routine with the shared TV and the work laptop needs to be simpler
Go with Kanto REN. With REN you get direct HDMI control and USB audio.
Phono amplification is needed for a compatible record player
Go with Kanto YU6. Original YU6 does it with no extra box.
Decision guide
Before you buy
One system for TV, work and records, with no pile of remotes and adapters, is the aim. The newer TV connection arrives without the phono stage of the YU6.
What this page can’t tell you
- Sound has not been measured or ranked. Night and vocal modes are controls, and they don't prove any hearing or sound-isolation benefit.
By the numbers
What the data shows
What we found across the powered speakers we compare, plus the checked facts behind each finding.
Show the facts and the math
| Product | Needs it meets | Facts we checked | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanto REN |
|
| |
| Kanto YU6 |
|
|
Ready to buy
See today’s price and what owners say
Open either model on Amazon for the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Kanto REN
Mostly TV and laptop, with volume control from a supported TV remote mattering.
Either your turntable already has a suitable preamp or records aren't part of the system.
See price & reviews on AmazonKanto YU6
Your main source is an MM turntable with no preamp.
Analog and optical connections you already have work fine, and you can live with another TV remote.
See price & reviews on AmazonEach link opens in a new tab.
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