Neumann KH120A vs Kali IN-5 for home studio

[elbenderman]

Hey all!

So this is probably one of those slightly dumb questions, but here it goes.

While I know the KH120As are much more well-regarded speakers, and are likewise twice the price, at what point would someone with a home studio, in a small, not well-treated room, meet a point of diminishing returns? I am talking a 10-6 room, speakers near the walls, etc...

Obviously the Neumanns are better speakers, and would outperform the Kali's by (I presume) a decent margin, but at what point do we reach diminishing return on an investment? As in, would I really notice a difference in performance equal to twice the purchase price?

Hoping for some ideas or opinions from people who have produced music on either (or both) speakers.

Thanks!

 

[MZKM]

Going to really depend on your "ear". I have a terrible ear, general tonal response is all I really care about. The Kali is partially a coaxial, which is great for near-field usage, as the relative angle difference are larger compared to a living room set. You can look the vertical directivity graphs for both and see how the Kali is better in this regard.

I would go IN-8 though if not having a subwoofer.

 

[elbenderman]

Going to really depend on your "ear". I have a terrible ear, general tonal response is all I really care about. The Kali is partially a coaxial, which is great for near-field usage, as the relative angle difference are larger compared to a living room set. You can look the vertical directivity graphs for both and see how the Kali is better in this regard.

I would go IN-8 though if not having a subwoofer.

That’s fair. My ear is pretty good and I am looking for clarity for audio production and mixing.

The speakers would be within 3-6 feet of my head. Thank you. I will look at those charts. Are there any other indicators I should look for?

I appreciate your help.

 

[ZolaIII]

Try the Kali LP 6 V2's.

 

[Pearljam5000]

Never heard the Kalis
But owned the KH120 and listened much cheaper monitors
None of them came close to the KH120 or Genelecs or high end Focals
I assume same will happen in this case too

 

[Ellebob]

We jut got in the LP-6 and LP-8 and I don't think they are as good as the Genelec G4 we compared them against but those are 6 times the price and not six times better, but the G4 is notieably better. Whether it is worth the extra money is for one to decide. The LP-6 are definitely one of the better values for speakers I have seen.

We are hoping to get the IN series soon and I will do some more comparisons. From other comments on here and other forum sources is that the Kali IN series are really close to the Genelec "ones" for a fraction of the price. If that is true they would be an incredible bargain. Here is a link to the thread with my quick review on the LP-6 and LP-8.

Which Kali monitors would you go with ?

I have one LP8 for now, for testing, need to buy the second one. I choosed it over LP6 because I though bigger woofer = more moved air in LF. More amplifier power... As I listen "far-field" meaning not from 50cm on desk but 2 meters in my living room, I choosed bigger. 6" look small for bass. I...

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