Kali LP-6 Review: Studio Monitor

[LTig]

I think the small bass droop we see here (and in a few preceding measurements) is caused by low temperature. Here it really looks like KH80DSP #1.

 

[astrex342]

Use a subwoofer,

So they fixed turbulence but not resonance?
View attachment 96562

It seems resonances are much harder to control than chuffing, especially in ports that are not round shape.

 

[Juhazi]

So, basically sound of 650-1100Hz comes from the pipe, not the driver... I'd like to see impulse and step responses (on-axis)

 

[ROOSKIE]

Not sure if this speaker has internal ADC + DSP, but if it does, I would expect the manufacturer to do the EQ for me. If it doesn't then, perhaps they should consider that if its the more economical way towards better response.

Well I suppose with all due respect you can expect whatever you wish.
Reality is that they are $298 and decent DSP software programs are free and additionally a basic MiniDSP physical unit is $100usd.
Great way to have excellent sound and get to play with DSP which IMHO is fun.
Plus you will need that DSP/PEQ for room correction anyway.

 

[Francis Vaughan]

+ another measurement review with high-res PCB photo

Well the really interesting part of that review is the photos comparing the PCB with that from an LSR 306. Apart from a small amount of tweaking of the layout the PCB, the Kali is identical to the JBL. Really, they would appear to contain essentially the same electronics.

 

[napilopez]

Seems like a fantastic choice for the price! The horizontal beam width is one of the very best we've seen, I think. The only thing that really seems to need EQing is that resonance at 1 kHz that I doubt would show its face too often.

I've not seen measurements of the 306p, but compared to the 305P at least, there appear to be far fewer significant resonances:

The Kali also has a more neutral tonal balance.

The caveat being that this was one of the very first speakers amir reviewed and I'm not 100 percent sure if some of the treble bumps are from the speaker or the rig. But looks like the speaker.

 

[3125b]

Considering the price, 300$ including the amps, this is pretty impressive. Of course you can get better speakers for more money, but then again, you can certainly get worse for way more money as well.
I haven't heard these Kali irl, but from what I have heard I'd really like to see the Focal Alpha 65 measured, see how they stack up against some of the other choices. They are unusually bulky for theis small woofers and I think they sound excellent for their price.

 

[Robbo99999]

Nice speaker for the money for sure! Doesn't seem too far off character from the JBL 308p Mkii which was reviewed here (https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ds/jbl-308p-mkii-studio-monitor-review.17338/), although 308p is 8" woofer vs the 6.5" of the Kali, but the reach of the bass is quite similar. Also the distortion levels and patterns are similar (at least at 86dB) with it having a peak between 1-2kHz:
Kali:

JBL 308p Mkii:

However my in-room measurements at a broadly equivalent 86dB/1metre show a lot lower distortion in my 308p speakers:

I also think the 308p has slightly better directivity if you look at the spinoramas, but they're both good on that front. Kali wins on price here in the UK though, 308p is about £200 (although I got mine for £150 in March) whereas Kali is £135. I think I'm leaning towards the 308p as being a better speaker though because the spinorama is better with a smoother frequency response & directivity, and I think distortion is similar although my particular sample of 308p doesn't seem to suffer from it as bad......I also don't like 1kHz sharp resonance peak in the Kali which is in like the most sensitive to our hearing part of the frequency response. This Kali is a nice speaker though, and probably slightly better value than the 308p in the UK.

EDIT: Kali LP-8 might be a better/fairer contender against JBL 308p as LP-8 is 8" woofer:
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Kali-Aud...eywords=Kali+Audio+LP-8&qid=1606729365&sr=8-1 and is also about £15 cheaper than the 308p here in the UK. Would quite like to see the LP-8 reviewed here.

 

[Bruce Morgen]

I'd love to see how much of an improvement the LP-8 -- with its larger woofer and 20 watts more power to drive it -- provides for only $50 USD more.

 

[Hayabusa]

@amirs:

The directivity plots indicate r=10meter.
Most listening distances are much shorter that that.
The closer you get the more irregularties you would expect to happen in the directivity plots.
So would a more 'typical' r=(3-4 meters?) be use full in showing what happens at the listening position directivy wise?

 

[tuga]

So, basically sound of 650-1100Hz comes from the pipe, not the driver... I'd like to see impulse and step responses (on-axis)

I'd like to see the step response of all measured speakers, and the CSD.

The Kali LP-6 despite its ridiculously low price produced excellent performance.
Excellent performance?

Directivity perhaps, but what else...

 

[MZKM]

Preference Rating
SCORE: 5.2
SCORE w/ sub: 7.1

Frequency response: +/-2.7dB 47Hz-20kHz

All graphs/data

 

[MZKM]

the above measurements have extended response to 30 kHz.

Is this going to be standard moving forward? If so, that’s good as many metal dome tweeters have a ~27kHz resonance that may get activated with ultrasonic issues during vinyl playback (which will cause IMD in the audible range; and while an IMD test would be awesome, just seeing THD distortion ~27kHz is fine).

 

[Bruce Morgen]

I'd like to see the step response of all measured speakers, and the CSD.

The Kali LP-6 despite its ridiculously low price produced excellent performance.
Excellent performance?

Directivity perhaps, but what else...

I think what's clearly implied by the sentence you cited is the product's excellent price/performance ratio rather than "excellent performance" in some sort of absolute sense of that phrase, e.g. when compared to cost-is-no-object-monitor designs like the $20k USD Kii Three system.

 

[tuga]

I think what's clearly implied by the sentence you cited is the product's excellent price/performance ratio rather than "excellent performance" in some sort of absolute sense of that phrase, e.g. when compared to cost-is-no-object-monitor designs like the $20k USD Kii Three system.

Perhaps it would make more sense to write that then, "excellent price/performance ratio".

Soon people will be writing in forums that these Kali speakers are the Topping of the speaker world, like David, able to knock down the speakers costing 10x as much...

Meanwhile small desktop speakers are listened to nearfield, where directivity quality is often a negligeable or at least minor parameter.

 

[Bruce Morgen]

Perhaps it would make more sense to write that then, "excellent price/performance ratio".

Soon people will be writing in forums that these Kali speakers are the Topping of the speaker world, like David, able to knock down the speakers costing 10x as much...

Meanwhile small desktop speakers are listened to nearfield, where directivity quality is often a negligeable or at least minor parameter.

Amir's clear implication suffices for yours truly, but I take your point.

 

[Maiky76]

Hi,

Here is my take on the EQ.

Some data for the LP8 is available here
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...orama-and-eq-design-inside.16689/#post-539358

The raw data with corrected ER and PIR:

Score no EQ: 5.18
With Sub: 7.06
Spinorama with no EQ:

• Too bad for the resonances in the 600 - 1500Hz range
• The directivity is excellent, good candidate for EQ
• Decent LF for the size without large boost in the 100-200Hz range, may be temperature dependent.

Directivity:
Better stay at tweeter height
Horizontally, almost perfect 0 t0 +/-20deg maybe toe-in the speakers by 10deg and have the axis crossing in front of the listening location could help dosing the reflexions .

EQ design:
I have generated two EQs. The APO config files are attached.

• The first one, labelled, LW is targeted at making the LW flat
• The second, labelled Score, starts with the first one and adds the score as an optimization variable.
• The EQs are designed in the context of regular stereo use i.e. domestic environment, no warranty is provided for a near field use in a studio environment although the LW might be better suited for this purpose.
• It would be great if we had some measurements of the built in controls, they may make additional EQ redundant as we saw with the JBL 308p mkII

Score EQ LW: 5.72
with sub: 7.66
Score EQ Score: 6.24
with sub: 8.12

Kali LP6 APO EQ LW 96000Hz
November302020-180916

Preamp: -1.3 dB

Filter 1: ON HPQ Fc 45.7 Hz Gain 0 dB Q 1.01
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 126 Hz Gain -0.79 dB Q 3.48
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 326 Hz Gain -0.84 dB Q 6.08
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 991 Hz Gain -3.14 dB Q 13.5
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 1759 Hz Gain -2.1 dB Q 3.85
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 2302 Hz Gain -1 dB Q 4.73
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 14756 Hz Gain -1.11 dB Q 6.59

Kali LP6 APO EQ LW 96000Hz
November302020-175738

Preamp: -1.3 dB

Filter 1: ON HPQ Fc 45.7 Hz Gain 0 dB Q 1.01
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 130 Hz Gain -0.71 dB Q 2.42
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 331 Hz Gain -1.06 dB Q 3.7
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 983 Hz Gain -4.4 dB Q 14.3
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 1777 Hz Gain -2.6 dB Q 2.85
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 2448 Hz Gain -1.62 dB Q 7.22
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 3533 Hz Gain -0.95 dB Q 5.88
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 6973 Hz Gain -1.3 dB Q 0.84
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 14813 Hz Gain -2.26 dB Q 4.85

Spinorama EQ LW

Spinorama EQ Score

Zoom PIR-LW-ON

Regression - Tonal

Radar no EQ vs EQ score not night and day

The rest of the plots are attached.

At 300USD/pair including the amps go find something better...

 

[thewas]

Also the distortion levels and patterns are similar (at least at 86dB) with it having a peak between 1-2kHz:
Kali:

JBL 308p Mkii:

Interesting that the smaller 6,5" Kali woofer is quite superior to the 8" JBL woofer in the mid and upper bass distortion at 96dB, am curious how then the Kali LP-8 will do.

 

[Robbo99999]

Interesting that the smaller 6,5" Kali woofer is quite superior to the 8" JBL woofer in the mid and upper bass distortion at 96dB, am curious how then the Kali LP-8 will do.

True!

 

[Robbo99999]

Hi,

Here is my take on the EQ.

Some data for the LP8 is available here
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...orama-and-eq-design-inside.16689/#post-539358

The raw data with corrected ER and PIR:

Score no EQ: 5.18
With Sub: 7.06
Spinorama with no EQ:

• Too bad for the resonances in the 600 - 1500Hz range
• The directivity is excellent, good candidate for EQ
• Decent LF for the size without large boost in the 100-200Hz range, may be temperature dependent.

View attachment 96583
Directivity:
Better stay at tweeter height
Horizontally, almost perfect 0 t0 +/-20deg maybe toe-in the speakers by 10deg and have the axis crossing in front of the listening location could help dosing the reflexions .
View attachment 96592
View attachment 96584
EQ design:
I have generated two EQs. The APO config files are attached.

• The first one, labelled, LW is targeted at making the LW flat
• The second, labelled Score, starts with the first one and adds the score as an optimization variable.
• The EQs are designed in the context of regular stereo use i.e. domestic environment, no warranty is provided for a near field use in a studio environment although the LW might be better suited for this purpose.
• It would be great if we had some measurements of the built in controls, they may make additional EQ redundant as we saw with the JBL 308p mkII

View attachment 96579

Score EQ LW: 5.72
with sub: 7.66
Score EQ Score: 6.24
with sub: 8.12

Kali LP6 APO EQ LW 96000Hz
November302020-180916

Preamp: -1.3 dB

Filter 1: ON HPQ Fc 45.7 Hz Gain 0 dB Q 1.01
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 126 Hz Gain -0.79 dB Q 3.48
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 326 Hz Gain -0.84 dB Q 6.08
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 991 Hz Gain -3.14 dB Q 13.5
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 1759 Hz Gain -2.1 dB Q 3.85
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 2302 Hz Gain -1 dB Q 4.73
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 14756 Hz Gain -1.11 dB Q 6.59

Kali LP6 APO EQ LW 96000Hz
November302020-175738

Preamp: -1.3 dB

Filter 1: ON HPQ Fc 45.7 Hz Gain 0 dB Q 1.01
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 130 Hz Gain -0.71 dB Q 2.42
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 331 Hz Gain -1.06 dB Q 3.7
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 983 Hz Gain -4.4 dB Q 14.3
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 1777 Hz Gain -2.6 dB Q 2.85
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 2448 Hz Gain -1.62 dB Q 7.22
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 3533 Hz Gain -0.95 dB Q 5.88
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 6973 Hz Gain -1.3 dB Q 0.84
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 14813 Hz Gain -2.26 dB Q 4.85

Spinorama EQ LW
View attachment 96580
Spinorama EQ Score
View attachment 96582
Zoom PIR-LW-ON
View attachment 96577
Regression - Tonal
View attachment 96578
Radar no EQ vs EQ score not night and day
View attachment 96581
The rest of the plots are attached.

At 300USD/pair including the amps go find something better...

LP-8 definitely looks like an excellent contender given the impressive Preference Score you gave it in your link (6.24 Preference Score).....yeah would be great to see LP-8 measured here.