Kali Audio IN-8 Studio Monitor Review

[carlob]

Anyways for Genelecs with 114 dB @1m specs you need the 8260 (3-way 3.390€ each) or the 1032 (2-way, 1.990€ each) or the Neumann KH 310s (1.739€ each).

Ouch.

 

[Hephaestus]

^ FYI Genelec 8260 is not in production anymore - it has been replaced with 8361.

 

[maty]

When I make the calcs to estimate the watts needed for a passive loudspeakers of a certain sensitivity and true impedance value:

* Music: peak of 15 dB -> 95 dBSPLmax

* Film: peak of 20 dB -> 100 dBSPLmax

https://www.doctorproaudio.com/content.php?2273-calculators-proaudio-sound-dmx&langid=1#calc_spl

80 dBSPL continuous in a typical European room is loud.

Last time I made the calcs, with 88 dB/W/m and true 8 Ohms. At 2, 3 and 4 meters. With true 4 Ohms, like KEF Q100 or LS50, you need double watts.

Amplification ideas to GR Research Studio Monitor
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=167210.msg1775094#msg1775094

If you listen modern commercial recordings, with DR < or << 10 dB you need much less watts.

Home speakers at 95 dBSPL have a lot of distortion! It is advisable not to exceed 85 dBSPL continuous.

 

[thewas]

Anyways for Genelecs with 114 dB @1m specs you need the 8260 (3-way 3.390€ each) or the 1032 (2-way, 1.990€ each) or the Neumann KH 310s (1.739€ each).

Ouch.

Hifi speakers which similarity make undistorted 114dB above 100 Hz (below 100 Hz the max SPL drops on all) are usually also not very cheap, plus you often need also some not too cheap amplifiers.

 

[napilopez]

There is a difference in typical mastering levels/dynamic range.

It's unfortunate the film industry has better standards for audio recording than the music industry. Even if some of these are outdated, at least they have standards

 

[thewas]

It's unfortunate the film industry has better standards for audio recording than the music industry. Even if some of these are outdated, at least they have standards

So true, according to Toole the biggest remaining problem in audio are the recordings which are still part of the circle of confusion.

 

[carlob]

Hifi speakers which similarity make undistorted 114dB above 100 Hz (below 100 Hz the max SPL drops on all) are usually also not very cheap, plus you often need also some not too cheap amplifiers.

Yes, was comparing with the Kali Audio IN-8 (399€ each here). All these monitors are ugly in a living room though

 

[MZKM]

So true, according to Toole the biggest remaining problem in audio are the recordings which are still part of the circle of confusion.

The biggest "problem" is mastering for the most common listening medium, aka AirPods and car radios.

 

[Jmudrick]

Yes, was comparing with the Kali Audio IN-8 (399€ each here). All these monitors are ugly in a living room though

A matter of priorities. Looks I don't really even notice. Perhaps being divorced helps.

 

[Costas EAR]

Most living rooms are ugly, even without any speakers.

For a beautiful living room, i can find many beautiful active speakers, even from genelec (home active series).

 

[Frank Dernie]

Most living rooms are ugly, even without any speakers.

For a beautiful living room, i can find many beautiful active speakers, even from genelec (home active series).

Funnily enough the current sparse and simplistic architectural fashion in interior design pretty well guarantees awful sound however much you spend on speakers and equalisation.

 

[MattHooper]

The difference between music and movies, doesn't really exist. There is no spoon...
......
There is no difference...

For you, sure.

There's "no difference" for my wife and kids either as they seem just as happy watching movies on a laptop as listening to music on a laptop.

Depends on what someone wants out of their music, vs their movies, and their overall personal criteria.

For my projection-based home theater, my speakers can generally handle loud peaks and high dynamics for watching movies. (Even though I don't listen to movies at home terribly loud). For music I can listen happily for long periods of time through speakers that could never do what I want them to do for movies. For instance for the last few days I've been loving listening to music on my tiny Spendor almost palm-sized S3/5s.

I also enjoy listening to music through my home theater surround set up, sometimes. My surround system is was selected specifically from a speaker brand I found to produce music beautifully. However, overall, I much prefer listening to music through my dedicated 2 channel set up and dedicated speakers (usually Thiel or Joseph speakers). I have that system dialed very well for how I like music to sound, and it produces a sense of refined tone and especially dimensional and precise imaging that is far harder to achieve in a surround set up.

 

[carlob]

Funnily enough the current sparse and simplistic architectural fashion in interior design pretty well guarantees awful sound however much you spend on speakers and equalisation.

That's true, minimal design is made of empty spaces and reflective surfaces, sometimes massive windows. That doesn't help but you can't have everything in life.

 

[hardisj]

... but you can't have everything in life.

Psht. Tell that to my wife. She married me, after all.

 

[Sancus]

Anyways for Genelecs with 114 dB @1m specs you need the 8260 (3-way 3.390€ each) or the 1032 (2-way, 1.990€ each) or the Neumann KH 310s (1.739€ each).

Ouch.

Genelec provides multiple SPL specs and honestly I suspect the 114 db for the IN-8 is more comparable to their peak max for transients, which is higher than that(123db SPL in the case of the 8260a). After all, the 8260a has a bigger woofer and midrange and more than 2x the amplifier power. So while the IN-8 plays pretty loud, the high-end Genelecs can play a lot louder especially in bass. The 8351b is what I've been looking at personally, which goes to 113/118.

Of course, based on the sound and recording max SPL tests(8351a 121/111 by spec), the real maximum without high distortion is probably 5-10db less than all of these specs.

It's hard to directly compare passives, but, the Revel F208 seems like a fair hi-fi comparison($5K/pr but no amplifier). Revel recommends 350W maximum. Assuming you can safely double that to 700W, I calculate 117db SPL @ 1m.

It's good you generally don't need more than 95-100db peak for music, only for HT reference levels, because achieving HT reference levels(105db peak) at 2-3m without high distortion, assuming you still want an accurate speaker, requires some seriously expensive stuff.

 

[Mnyb]

Some questions about the actual Kali in8 , sorry if they been asked but tread is a bit spammed now by other stuff

It has 3 amplifiers so I assume the xover is an done in analog electronics before each amp to each driver ?
I assumed this speaker was analog active with one amp per driver no passive xover .

But some posts buried here talks about DSP or do I misunderstand this ?
In that case the input goes to an ADC then xover and eq is done in DSP ? In that case why no digital inputs ?

 

[SIY]

Some questions about the actual Kali in8 , sorry if they been asked but tread is a bit spammed now by other stuff

It has 3 amplifiers so I assume the xover is an done in analog electronics before each amp to each driver ?
I assumed this speaker was analog active with one amp per driver no passive xover .

But some posts buried here talks about DSP or do I misunderstand this ?
In that case the input goes to an ADC then xover and eq is done in DSP ? In that case why no digital inputs ?

For speakers in this class, crossover is universally done using DSP, a technically superior solution.

 

[LTig]

Anyways for Genelecs with 114 dB @1m specs you need the 8260 (3-way 3.390€ each) or the 1032 (2-way, 1.990€ each) or the Neumann KH 310s (1.739€ each).

Ouch.

I never thought of Neumanns as a bargain ... but there you go.

 

[digitalfrost]

I've looked at Genelec recently, because of this thread and since I like the LS50 and coaxials in general, but man everything they make is really expensive. Especially the coaxes. I wonder if it's worth the money. You're easily looking at 4k for a pair and then you haven't bought stereo subs yet.

 

[LTig]

A matter of priorities. Looks I don't really even notice.

Closing your eyes while listening helps ...

Perhaps being divorced helps.

Finding a matching wife is the way to go.