Product highlights
What's in the box
- Wireless powered speaker
- 6' AC power cord
- Remote control (YU/SYD)
- 2 "AAA" batteries
- Pedestal stand
- 6.5' Stereo minijack cable
- User Manual
- "Thank You" note
About this item
Written by Crutchfield's Eric A.
The Kanto SYD features a built-in phono preamp, so you can enjoy records without a receiver or power amplifier.
Stereo sound from a single speaker
The Kanto SYD is compact and versatile enough to let you listen to just about anything you want to hear.
The speaker's horizontal layout helps it deliver full, clear stereo sound from a single speaker. Its dual 4" Kevlar® woofers and twin 1" silk dome tweeters are powered by a built-in Class D amplifier, so there's no need for a receiver or amp. Bluetooth is built in for quick, convenient pairing with your mobile device or laptop.
Turntable-ready
Vinyl is making a comeback, but it can be difficult to find room for a receiver or power amp. The SYD has a switchable phono preamplifier, and since it also has a built-in amp you can directly connect a turntable and save space.
If your turntable has its own preamp built in, set the SYD's RCA input switch to "Line" and you're ready to go. If not, the "Phono" setting engages the speaker's built-in preamp.
My hands-on experience with the Kanto SYD
I was excited to get a chance to audition the burgundy version of this speaker at home. I live in an apartment, and I like the idea of an attractive self-contained speaker system that can handle multiple wired and wireless sources.
The SYD's design fixed a problem I'd had with other systems — its horizontal layout allowed me to put it in front of my television (rather than one speaker on each side) so I could hear dialogue and sound effects from a perfectly centered position. It gave a real boost to anything I watched.
I'm also a vinyl lover, so the built-in phono preamp was a big deal for me. I dug the accurate stereo soundstage I got when I played a remastered Bill Evans live set, but I really sat up and took notice when I spun a 2016 Tribe Called Quest release. The bass from this small speaker is solid. Not enough to make a neighbor bang on my floor with a broomstick (which is a good thing), but it definitely gives full support to a groove.
One last note: the included stand is a simple but delightful piece of hardware. It's made of solid metal, and angles the speaker so it's pointing at your ears when you set it on a low piece of furniture. Nice touch!
Other convenient connections
Versatility is the name of the game with the SYD. There's a Toslink digital optical input on the back, for connecting a gaming system or CD player, or augmenting TV sound. There's a 3.5mm aux input for making a quick connection with a mobile device.
And if you want — or even need — a little more bass, there's a subwoofer output on the back.
Smart power saving
You can engage the speaker's standby mode, and it will remain active in low-power mode waiting for input. When you start playing music again, it automatically returns to full power and starts to play.