Kali IN-UNF - new ultra nearfield speakers

[stevenswall]

I'm using them like that. And obviously I'm as biased as they come, but I'm REALLY liking it. I honestly prefer to listen to the IN-UNFs than IN-8s. The imaging is quite good.

Is the Kali team still working on CLF files and frequency response data?

 

[KaliAudio_Official]

Is the Kali team still working on CLF files and frequency response data?

As we speak.

 

[Dogen]

Not much to look at, but I can see these hitting some peoples’ sweet spot. Could be a very simple way to get decent sound at a reasonable price.

 

[Sancus]

I'm using them like that. And obviously I'm as biased as they come, but I'm REALLY liking it. I honestly prefer to listen to the IN-UNFs than IN-8s. The imaging is quite good.

Good to hear. My only other comment is that it would be nice to have some kind of round/cylinder height adjustable stand accessory for them, but there's plenty of small monitor stands out there that will work just fine.

 

[voodooless]

they have only accounted for the bass unit to be on desk. Why not on the floor?

Because the coaxes are not full range enough, so the box has to be close enough. The bass box has opposing woofers to augment the coaxes and can play in stereo. This setup also cancels vibrations.

I quite like the concept. Would be a neat replacement for the LS50’s I have now. I wonder how well it measures though..

 

[Somafunk]

Reviewed here

 

[Matias]

I always wondered why there are no "monitor stand subwoofers" available from studio monitor manufacturers. Not anymore. Kali's is just not standalone, but rather integrated with the satellite speakers. Really nice. And the price tag?? Great product. Hopefully the spin does not disappoint.

 

[AnalogSteph]

This is Nate. I wrote the manual, and 4.5-inch is correct. I’ll update the manual.

That last half inch still seems a bit optimistic though. Inspecting the pictures in bean pixel counter mode with the known 133 mm height and 16x24 mm IEC power connector, I find it hard to believe that frame OD would be more than 105-110 mm, or about 4.25".

Mind you, the industry is no stranger to taking some liberties in this regard... a while back I went through some 6.5/7" class monitors, and it turned out that some nominal 6.5" drivers were actually bigger than other 7" ones! So I guess some may call this a 4" and others a 4.5".

 

[staticV3]

Hopefully the spin does not disappoint.

How would you even spin it? I think this system is fundamentally incompatible with the Klippel NFS

 

[Matias]

How would you even spin it? I think this system is fundamentally incompatible with the Klippel NFS

I was thinking about it too. I would try to simulate a board with the base and the 2 monitors, and center the spin on the coax? I don't know.

 

[arthurprs]

Did anyone find reviews for this system? They showed up in the online stores in Sweden but I'm hesitant to buy before reviews are out.

 

[KaliAudio_Official]

Did anyone find reviews for this system? They showed up in the online stores in Sweden but I'm hesitant to buy before reviews are out.

We've sent units out to reviewers, but so far only Warren Huart has published anything, which we filmed while I was there. More reviews should come soon!

 

[TimW]

I really like the concept of this system. Typical monitors with a conventional speaker design can be placed in a non-ideal location like on a desk, and then the affects can be compensated for using EQ. This is how other Kali monitors work with their placements settings or how more advanced monitors work using automated room correction. The reality is that these conventional designs were not created specifically for desktop use, their ideal placement is on stands away from boundaries. Their performance is compromised when placed on a desk and the compensational EQ doesn't necessarily bring them up to their full performance potential.

In comes Kali with a monitoring system designed to take advantage of its desktop placement rather than compensating for it. That is why the bass module must be placed on the desk, it is not a subwoofer. That is why the satellites must be placed on their stands on the desk, not on stands of varying heights. In fact, as can be seen in the Warren Huart video, the system comes with templates for exact placement of the satellites relative to the bass unit. This is to get the correct frequency response. If the system components were not placed on a flat surface and with the correct orientation, the response would probably be very far from neutral.

For that reason, @KaliAudio_Official do you think this system can be accurately measured using the Klippel NFS system? It would have to be placed on a surface to get accurate measurements wouldn't it?

I'm seriously considering buying this system for mixing on my own desk but usually I would like to see 3rd party measurements first. I imagine this will perform much better than many conventional speakers on a desk but when measured with the Klippel it may look worse. If so, the question becomes is this system actually accurate? If it looks good with in room measurements but Amir or Erin can't get a good looking graph with the Klippel, which do we trust? The unconventional design of this system may make it better for its intended use while also making it hard to quantify performance.

 

[KaliAudio_Official]

Any single point measurement might look odd, and it will almost certainly look terrible if the system is measured in a setting other than what we've prescribed in terms of a desktop and the proper placement. We haven't run Klippel with it, and we're interested (to say the least) in the results that Amir or Erin might see.

The system is accurate, and we're working on presenting 3rd party data that backs that up so you don't have to take our word for it.

 

[whyfi]

hahaha, flashback. My first set of PC speakers were these Cambridge Soundworks cube speakers and I still use them. They sounded good for the 90s but now I'm not thrilled with the FR and looking for replacement. Best part of these is that the cubes consume so little desk space while the total system has generous bass response. If I can put that Kali sub on the floor I'll replace the CS cubes with this Kali unit.

 

[TimW]

hahaha, flashback. My first set of PC speakers were these Cambridge Soundworks cube speakers and I still use them. They sounded good for the 90s but now I'm not thrilled with the FR and looking for replacement. Best part of these is that the cubes consume so little desk space while the total system has generous bass response. If I can put that Kali sub on the floor I'll replace the CS cubes with this Kali unit.

 

[KaliAudio_Official]

hahaha, flashback. My first set of PC speakers were these Cambridge Soundworks cube speakers and I still use them. They sounded good for the 90s but now I'm not thrilled with the FR and looking for replacement. Best part of these is that the cubes consume so little desk space while the total system has generous bass response. If I can put that Kali sub on the floor I'll replace the CS cubes with this Kali unit.

Oh man look at those 90s beauties.

It's not a sub. Don't put it on the floor.

 

[TimW]

Any single point measurement might look odd, and it will almost certainly look terrible if the system is measured in a setting other than what we've prescribed in terms of a desktop and the proper placement. We haven't run Klippel with it, and we're interested (to say the least) in the results that Amir or Erin might see.

The system is accurate, and we're working on presenting 3rd party data that backs that up so you don't have to take our word for it.

Great to hear.

One more question I had just out of curiosity. Is the system firmware updateable through the USB connection? Even if you don't plan to, is there the possibility of adjusting the DSP of the system through a software update in the future?

 

[KaliAudio_Official]

Great to hear.

One more question I had just out of curiosity. Is the system firmware updateable through the USB connection? Even if you don't plan to, is there the possibility of adjusting the DSP of the system through a software update in the future?

Not on the current model.

 

[TimW]

Not on the current model.

See this makes me nervous to become an early adopter. If I wait a year will there be a new and improved model that can be updated? Will I be able to just buy the updated bass module if that happens?