Kali LP-6 Review: Studio Monitor

[AnalogSteph]

It looks like the weaknesses found are quite typical for a cheap, front-ported monitor:
Internal resonances escaping out the port are always a problem for those. It's not too bad here.
Distortion <1 kHz can have a fair bit to do with the cabinet, which owing to cost restrictions, won't be as dead, well-braced and well-damped as it could be. (Not to mention that damping always means losses and hence reduced efficiency, reflecting in maximum output.)

The distortion peak between 1 and 2 kHz is owed to tweeter excursion, I think, that seems to be crossed over quite low. This is always a compromise between dispersion, woofer distortion and tweeter distortion. Would you rather have 1% of H3 than 2% of H2? Decisions, decisions... (Presumably they did their multitone testing.)

It's interesting that newer shipments of the Kalis seem to have more well-behaved hiss levels. I've read some statements that the JBLs were actually noisier, whereas it used to be the other way round. (Also, it looks like the first shipment to Europe last year contained a lot of duds.)

Overall, I'm not sure whether you can do much better in a dirt cheap monitor. Tackling the resonances would require diverging from a conventional rectangular box shape (and none of them are doing that), and better cabinet build is never cheaper.

 

[bennybbbx]

I have to admit I am skeptical. Transients are fine.

can you compare with a speaker that have only a 4 or 5 zoll bass ?. then put it on top on Kali and hear a live song with reverb. for example

on my canton it sound as i sit in the room. on Kali it sound as i hear it through the door.

look in the thread https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...li-lp-6-defect-canton-look-much-better.17854/ , transient and phase i measure is not so good on kali. Can see from amirm measurement the direction is wide on kali. I dont think the canton is so much better. That the reverb come from more direction of canton i dont think. maybe @amirm can do a phase measure of kali too ?

 

[JaredRad]

Too bad they implement a DSP crossover and don't expose a digital input. I fully believe all of the anecdotal evidence and engineering arguments that a A/D-D/A conversion is (or at least can be) totally transparent, but I still don't like it. Whatever DSP is used likely has a S/PDIF interface on it, why not expose that, save the A/D chip on the BOM, and let a user put an external A/D on it if they like? It just seems like adding extra components and doing a whole additional analog section for at best little reason, and at worst *some* distortion.

 

[Jmudrick]

can you compare with a speaker that have only a 4 or 5 zoll bass ?. then put it on top on Kali and hear a live song with reverb. for example

on my canton it sound as i sit in the room. on Kali it sound as i hear it through the door.

look in the thread https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...li-lp-6-defect-canton-look-much-better.17854/ , transient and phase i measure is not so good on kali. Can see from amirm measurement the direction is wide on kali. I dont think the canton is so much better. That the reverb come from more direction of canton i dont think. maybe @amirm can do a phase measure of kali too ?

Seen the thread. As I've said my Kalis sound fine.

BTW the performance should sound like a hall , that's where it was recorded, not in your room.

 

[bennybbbx]

Seen the thread. As I've said my Kalis sound fine.

BTW the performance should sound like a hall , that's where it was recorded, not in your room.

I mean with room the recording place (Hall or room) and not my room. if you are happy with the kali ok. Its a matter of taste. I only want know if you can compare with a small bass speaker. maybe it is possible for kali that they make a phase correction plugin as the hedd 05 or 07 get. here can see there phase response(without correct). look better as my measurements. maybe somebody with a kali can too measure the kali. on page 29 you can see there phase measure with and without linearizer pkugin. https://www.hedd.audio/wp-content/downloads/HEDD-Lineariser-Manual.pdf

 

[Berwhale]

I recently purchased a pair of iLoud MTM(for much higher price) would love to see how that compares.

Me too, I have a pair on order. Some stands arrived today...

 

[stevenswall]

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.

I'd look at the bass response of the IN-8 which has an identical woofer, just crossed over different.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/.../kali-audio-in-8-studio-monitor-review.10897/

 

[Bruce Morgen]

I'd look at the bass response of the IN-8 which has an identical woofer, just crossed over different.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/.../kali-audio-in-8-studio-monitor-review.10897/

Unfortunately, that review doesn't address how the LP-8's midrange would sound -- due to a much higher crossover point, the woofer would have to handle about two more octaves in an LP-8 than it does in an IN-8, which is a very significant difference.

 

[Robbo99999]

I'd look at the bass response of the IN-8 which has an identical woofer, just crossed over different.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/.../kali-audio-in-8-studio-monitor-review.10897/

If that's the case then praps the LP-8 will have low distortion in the bass if it follows the more expensive IN-8:

I'd say that's impressively low distortion from the woofer in the bass area. LP-8 could be pretty good then.....but perhaps the cabinet & "everything else" could throw a spanner in the works, I don't know [shrug].

 

[LTig]

can you compare with a speaker that have only a 4 or 5 zoll bass ?. then put it on top on Kali and hear a live song with reverb. for example

on my canton it sound as i sit in the room. on Kali it sound as i hear it through the door.

Could it be that the Canton has too much level in the heights? If yes you are used to lots of highs (too much of course) and then a more neutral speaker like the Kali sounds dull.

 

[The Jniac]

Damn. It is stunning how good a $150 speaker can be. I think a pair of these and a MiniDSP to correct the minor issues in the response would be a very difficult setup to beat without spending significantly more.

 

[Robbo99999]

Damn. It is stunning how good a $150 speaker can be. I think a pair of these and a MiniDSP to correct the minor issues in the response would be a very difficult setup to beat without spending significantly more.

You don't even need a miniDSP if you're playing music from your PC/laptop - use EqualiserAPO (it's free) for unlimited number of PEQ filters. I do use miniDSP 2x4 with my TV though because my TV can't do EQ.

Yes, these are good value speakers on the strength of this review, the Kali.

 

[azzy_mazzy]

You don't even need a miniDSP if you're playing music from your PC/laptop - use EqualiserAPO (it's free) for unlimited number of PEQ filters. I do use miniDSP 2x4 with my TV though because my TV can't do EQ.

Yes, these are good value speakers on the strength of this review, the Kali.

can you do a XO to a sub with a EqualiserAPO ?

 

[dfuller]

The distortion performance from this is really not particularly outstanding even in this price range. Somewhat disappointing compared to the T7Vs.

 

[Francis Vaughan]

Too bad they implement a DSP crossover and don't expose a digital input. ... Whatever DSP is used likely has a S/PDIF interface on it,

Unfortunately it doesn't have a S/PDIF internally, and there is a fundamental issue, which is why these speakers cannot expose a digital input.
The issue is that you need to manage the sample clocks, and adding a digital input means you need a sample rate converter. Internally the DSP runs with its own clock and you need to match to that. The nice thing about analog is that it provides a universal sample rate converter.
Internally there is an ADC that is slaved to the clock in the DSP over an I2S interface.

 

[Jmudrick]

The distortion performance from this is really not particularly outstanding even in this price range. Somewhat disappointing compared to the T7Vs.

If you want to compare, compare the Adam with the LP8, not LP6, and throw in the Kali bluetooth module to get you to the same price point.

 

[The Jniac]

You don't even need a miniDSP if you're playing music from your PC/laptop - use EqualiserAPO (it's free) for unlimited number of PEQ filters. I do use miniDSP 2x4 with my TV though because my TV can't do EQ.

Yes, these are good value speakers on the strength of this review, the Kali.

Good point, but I am not sure if you can get bit-perfect input and output from EqualizerAPO. I know that it is not really important from a real-world audibility perspective, but it would probably bother me since I am the kind of obsessive madman that will be spending a few hours later this year looking for the optimal way to downsample high-res music.

 

[dfuller]

If you want to compare, compare the Adam with the LP8, not LP6, and throw in the Kali bluetooth module to get you to the same price point.

Yeah, it's a $200/pr difference - but still. Not impressed with that 2% THD in the midrange at 86dB SPL. That's ugly.

 

[Xyrium]

This was a long anticipated review, thanks!
I wonder why Kali didn't make a 5" model?

Good question! It may even resolve some of that ugly distortion in the 2-4k range.

 

[amirm]

Hi Amir,

If you had to pick between the LP-6, 306 mkII, and the KH80 for your desk, which one would be your choice?

KH80 DSP just doesn't have enough power for me so I wouldn't buy that. I have a 306P in for review. Let me get that test done and then I will answer that part. For now, the LP-6 is very satisfying if the hiss is not a problem for you.