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Charles Sprinkle's Kali Audio LP-6
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restorer-john
Grand Contributor
Actually (and I'm not a Paul McGowan fan), he is 100% spot on. Have you ever heard the Infinity IRS V? I have, and there is nothing like it.
"Studio Monitor" is a term that has been abused, exploited and had its meaning changed over many decades.
Yamaha NS10Ms (mentioned) are horrible sounding speakers. AuraTones (Horror Tones) are the ultimate in putrid 'monitor'* speakers. Infinity RSMs (reference studio monitors) are really only a classic party speaker with a fragile emit tweeter. Even Yamaha NS1000Ms are not exactly speakers you enjoy listening to on a daily basis. These are/were all so-called 'studio monitors' and couldn't sound any different to each other. I know, I've had (or have) them all and many other 'classic' big and small 'monitors'.
Each one is just a reference point- not good or bad, just a repeatable position and certainly they don't excel in all areas.
If you think a 'studio monitor', powered or not, is a good basis for a home replay system, which one are you going to buy? The one used at what studio and by whom? Are you going to set up your room to replicate the acoustics of that mix room and what about the next piece of music, from a different engineer and studio?
B&W speakers impress on first acquaintance, then they become tiring. A bit like Wilson Audio speakers. They are clearly designed for affluent older audiophiles with compromised high frequency hearing, as they have a piercing, laser-like top end 'sear' to them.
* surely only for the worst sound possible in the consumer space.
I did for many years
The one with a flat frequency response, low distortion, smooth polar patterns, high dynamic range, and low resonances. I.e., good measurements.
These days, "studio monitor" is more about form factor and interface than anything else. And like any other speaker category, there's good ones and bad ones, with popularity not necessarily being a correlate to neutrality. And with modern EQ software, a good neutral monitor can be a chameleon as well.
McGowan made some idiotic comments. After buying audiophile oriented speakers for four decades for my listening room I was blown away at the value represented by the LSR305, and now the Kalis. They do just fine in a home environment, at least in mine. I'm not sure what the IRS has to do with this discussion of a $400/pr speaker.
I did for many years
Ditto NS10Ms, especially for Live jazz. But, I like the West Coast sound, too. And horns.
restorer-john
Grand Contributor
When I was selling Yamaha, the NS10M were still available, never sold any, but we had the odd trade-in 10M to play with. We sold the NS-5X, 30X, 100X, 300X, 700X and 1000X as well as the NS1000Ms. We had a cool cut-in-half 1000M in the store done by Yamaha Japan for dealers to show the innards. I picked up a few pairs of NS-10Ms just because 2nd hand. They were different to the NS-5X (ported) but not remotely as good as the NS-100X (sealed). Both were better than the odd-one-out, the NS-30X. The NS-5X retailed for AU$699pr and the NS-10Ms were also AU$699pr. The NS-1000X sold in Australia for $4999pr when the NS-1000M was $3499pr.
The X series speakers were infinitely better speakers IMO than all that came before from Yamaha. I still have a few pairs of NS-100X I picked up at bargain prices, but they are no fun to listen to if you actually want bottom end. Neither are the NS-1000Ms. We have a very rare pair of 10th anniversary NS-1000Ms on Japanese home market stands brought over from Japan. Midrange is without peer.
I'll dig out my old dealer price lists and brochures if anyone is interested.
restorer-john
Grand Contributor
McGowan has a set and mentioned it...
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Oh this took so long, Sorry! We have curves: https://www.kaliaudio.com/lp6-technology-frequency-response
You beat me to it. Well done, I'm loving my Kalis.
Just curious, how do you have them mounted and placed?
Kudos to Kali for putting such a comprehensive set of measurements out. When my AX review appears, mine will look rather dull and pedestrian in comparison.
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2018
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Just curious, how do you have them mounted and placed?
Kudos to Kali for putting such a comprehensive set of measurements out. When my AX review appears, mine will look rather dull and pedestrian in comparison.
Ask Pat: [email protected]
Just curious, how do you have them mounted and placed?
Kudos to Kali for putting such a comprehensive set of measurements out. When my AX review appears, mine will look rather dull and pedestrian in comparison.
After living contently with JBL LSR305 monitors in my music room (no home theatre), I replaced them with the Kalis. They sit on sand filled B&W stands 2.5 feet away from the walls and 10 feet from the listening position. Bass duty shared with a JBL LSR310s sub.
I don't have the 305s, but I have several other small and similarly priced speakers on hand. Closest active competition I have is the Vanatoo Transparent Zeros (which are excellent little monitors), but I have several passive units as well.
Active with DSP is definitely the way to go in 2018.
Active with DSP is definitely the way to go in 2018.
Looking forward to your review. Are you able to compare them to something priced simirarly? Or the JBL 305's?
Much more refined bass response than the 305 which I used previously.
Kyle / MrHeeHo
Active Member
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The only thing about these that isn't incredibly appealing to me is the power switch is on the back. I currently use the LSR 305 in a spot where I would benefit greatly from front ported speakers and having to turn them around every time I want to turn them off isn't ideal
Ok, I never turn them off so hadn't occurred to me. You could turn them on and off with a smart plug and your phone if you wanted to.
Just picked up a pair of the LP-6 today and I'm listening right now.
To answer your question YES. I'd say every bit as bad as the lsr305 - maybe even worse.
The speakers themselves sound great. But with the residual noise with no input plugged in and the input adjust set to 0db on the back there is a lot of noise from the tweeter. So much so it would prevent you from using them on a desk if there was no music playing most of the time.
I actually bought them for my desk and they can't be used there with the noise.
Really a shame because they sound really good. I'd easily pay $100 more for these if they were near silent without music playing.
I guess when you're building to a price point something has to give but it's a shame that's where corners were cut.
Probably shipping them back.