Kali Audio IN-8 monitors review
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- This short video is part of my epic 3 hr 20 minute tutorial video entitled ‘Setting Up A Professional Home Recording Studio & Publishing Your Music On Spotify & iTunes’ see link below:
Full video: • Setting up a home Reco...
Kali Audio: www.kaliaudio.com
After weeks of research & shopping I bit the bullet and popped for a pair of these IN-8's. They arrived yesterday and I spent all day & night playing with them. I don't have anything to compare or gauge them to but after spending the night working with them I just have one word...WOW! That's it! Now if they hold up...I'm set for life.
Glad you are happy with them, Steven. I could not find any other 3-way monitors this good at this price. All I could find in the 3-way near field monitor arena cost £3,000 a pair.
@@tecraven Ditto!
Hi Nigel. Thanks for a great video. I totally agree with everything you say. I'm using the IN-8 2nd waves and the WS-12. I've also calibrated the speakers with Sonarworks, and it sounds absolutely great. This setup helps me immensely to tweak my mixes and masters to sound as they're supposed to sound. Best wishes to you and greetings from Sweden. / Daniel Vållberg
Hi Swedish. Thanks for posting. Yes, 2nd waves are supposed to be better. I have first wave and don't feel the need to change them for second wave. If I was to change them I'd pay a lot more for a worthwhile upgrade - probably a different brand and model. IN-8's are superb for the money and I suspect you'd have to spend double that for even a 'little' sonic advantage.
Kali recommends a 10 degree toe out for their coaxial tweeter/midrange design, rather than a toe in. That gets rid of a hump in the frequency response in the upper region. Erin's Audio Corner discussed this in their review of the 8's. The Klippel measurements confirm this.
Sounds a bit nuts to me. I've never heard of any speaker sounding better toed out as that would send the sound away from the listener. I used my 'ears' when setting mine up and got the toe just right where they are, toed in.
@@tecraven Some have said these sound better aiming them at your shoulders with tweeters at ear level rather than your ears. As I mentioned, the Klippel measurements show that the toe out smooths over some of the raggedness in the upper frequency response window on the 8's rather than having them firing directly at you.
@@dan_hitchman007 Kind of makes sense, but I've had mine like this for over a year and I'm used to the way they reproduce sounds now. If I changed the angle I'd have to spend a few months getting used to that and I'm not sure I want to be messing up mixes in the meantime.
@@tecraven Fair enough, but if you get a chance, check it out. Also, take a look at the Erin's Audio Corner review and Klippel data on the 8's. Erin did a test of the v1's and then did one for the v2's with the improved, quieter amp. He's one of the better speaker reviewers (not acting as an influencer shill) on CZcams and knows his stuff.
I have those same iso pads def getting these speakers
You won’t be disappointed.
@@tecraven just got em today I love em so far
@@tecraven I bought them the same day I love these speakers so much
thank you for this. These have been on the purchase list for a few months now. Stepping up from Tannoy Reveal Actives (Blue) with a TS10 Sub
Funny, I actually owned some Reveal Active monitors about 20 years ago. They were pretty decent, but the Kali IN-8 are a big fat upgrade.
@@tecraven Nigel thank you. Yeah. I found that the Tannoys sound better with the sub and with the bass ports plugged provided we don't run them like that too long on a warm day as it's how the internal amps disperse heat.
@@RadiAsian I never plugged the ports. From what remember the Tannoy's came with foam bungs to plug them up though.
Great video….I’m a new subscriber 🤝👍 after having 3 sets of KRK I’m going for these….heard so much high praise for them…
Thanks!
2 squash balls cut in half make excellent, very cheap isolation platforms.
Do not place anything on top of your monitors! or you will start to hear the resonate properties of whatever is on top :)
Good tip!
Great video! I'm thinking on getting a pair of these for my MacBook side of the studio where I usually master and work on video. I have KRK Rokit 7 G4 audio monitors with a s8.4 sub on my iMac - audio system and have to say KRK have improved the Rokits a lot with the newer G4 series over the older models. The Kali monitors would be replacing 2 Fostex PM.05s that I've had since around 2008.
The second gen version of these Kali's are improved slightly also. Definitely an upgrade on the Fostex. I haven't heard the latest Rokit monitors, not convinced about the digital stuff on the back and how reliable that is, but if they sound better it might be worth sticking with another pair if you are used to the sound and you know how to compensate for any slight lack of a flat frequency response.
@@tecraven Thanks for the reply! I've thought about just adding 2 more Rokit 7s for the MacBook side of my room but the arrangement is such on that side that I can space the audio monitors about 5 or 6 feet apart and that in itself changes the stereo image quite a bit since my iMac (audio) setup is actually a double rack for analog gear acting as a rack and a table for the iMac and the audio monitors. I'm only getting around 3 feet apart with them there and the S8.4 sub sit's on the bottom left side of the rack space. The Fostex PM.05 MKIIs I have are good but lack mids and bass response for serious work. I find myself using my KNS 8402 headphones a lot for working on the MacBook with video because of this. Those headphones are very good btw, glad I have them!
@@goodearthrecordings1989 Might also be worth checking out the Yamaha HS8, not three-way, but fantastic monitors for the price.
With regard to mixing and mastering with headphones the ultimate, for me, are the Neumann NDH30. They are the equivalent to £30,000 ATC near field monitors and this is exactly what Naumann designed them to be: for mixing and mastering. At £550 they are not cheap, but cheaper than £30,000 near field monitors which is how much you would have to spend to get the equivalent of these. I used Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro at £130 and I thought they were the best headphones around for the price, but when I use the Naumanns it makes me realise just how bad they are in comparison.
All this talk about hifi speakers and coloured monitors.
The Yamaha ns10 was a home HiFi speaker, and it's coloured, but look at everyone using it in studios lol
Agreed, and we all know the story behind the Yamaha NS 10 monitors, how they came about and ended up in studios, and the real reason professional studios just happen to have a pair there to use alongside their other professional monitors :-)
Might as well have headphones with those big 8inch monitors so close to your ears. They need space.
I have headphones too, Neumann NDH-30 - I use both. Remember, these are 'near field' monitors, designed to be listened to from a closer distance to regular Hi-Fi speakers, 8-inch or no. When I'm mixing and mastering they are on the triangle to my ears and sound just fine. When evaluating I lean back a little too.
What a wonderful comparison presentation. May I ask, what is that computer keyboard stand you are using?
It's actually a Laptop stand made by a company called Awavo. I bought mine on Amazon but the front top support arms were too long and had bits that curled up at the front (to stop laptop falling forward) so I cut them off with a hacksaw (it's only light alloy) to fit the depth of my Apple keyboard. The rubber parts on top of the stand grip the bottom of the keyboard so it does not slip. This is the exact one I have (it has an ASIN model number: AWAVO M6 : www.awavotech.com/laptop-stand/awavo-laptop-stand-ergonomic-adjustable-computer-stand-for-desk/
This one is made by BoYata, but looks like a re-brand of the identical one I have, available in different finishes too: amzn.to/2Zlnh8c
Or if you're in the USA: www.amazon.com/dp/B08JD7FN44
Wow. Thanks for such a quick response. I thought it may have been a modification. Much appreciated.
Great Review
Thanks, Cortney.
HI can you tell which isoacoustic (iso 155 or 200) stands you are using for the IN8v2s?
ISO ISO-200 stands. Cost about £140 At 8:32 into the video I say what they are and talk about them.
hi Nigel, have you tried the Eve audio monitors...i'm thinking SC207?
Hi Sanley. No, not tried them. They are only 2-way, unlike the Kali IN-8, which are 3. Also the Eve bass driver is 6.5 inch so expect a little less bass extension. The tweeter looks like the Adam audio tweeter so if it sounds like the Adam, I'd expect the higher frequencies to be a bit on the bright side too. I don't like the Adam's as I find the higher frequencies too bright.
Are the KALI a good solution as a monitor for a good digital piano?
Not the way I'd go to be honest. A 'good' digital piano, and I personally own a Roland HP603A, will have a decent built in speaker/amp system already.
I usually listen to music at 1,5-2m from speakers. Could I use the Kali's as an "hifi" speaker? I really enjoy accurate speakers
I you mean between 1.5 and 2 meters then, yes, that's within 'near field' monitor listening distance and they will be great. Typical near field listening distance is 2 to 6 feet, 3 to 5 feet being the average. Definitely no more than 6. Near field monitors and near field listening is designed to not pick up 'reflections' hence by listening close. But even then you have to avoid reflections off a desk if they are mounted on the desk etc. Not sure I'd personally be happy listening to my regular 'hi-fi' music through studio monitors though as they would be just too flat. Hi-Fi speakers differ from studio monitors in that Hi-Fi speaker manufacturers always introduce their own 'flavour' of sound and bring something to the party, but this is what Hi-Fi speakers are supposed to do, they are not supposed to be flat. Folk typically buy Hi-Fi speakers based on the music they listen to, or their preference in sound. Mine is a deep bass with plenty of slam and a smooth rounded top end that sounds like it's had warm melted chocolate poured over it - that vinyl Linn Sondek, Naim amp, Linn Isobarik speaker sort of sound. Others prefer light bass and a 'crisp' top end for example, but most people audition Hi-Fi speakers to get something that suits them. By all means, if you like a flat neutral sound go for it, but also remember that the guy that mixed and mastered the CD would have done so according to a brief, or the style of music also.
@@tecraven Thank you so much for your thorough reply. I always enjoyed listening to music in the most "neutral" way possible, if that's even a thing, so coming across with speakers with these specs and performance got me very interested. Cheers
What would you pick between theses and the neumann kh120 ? I can get both at the same price...
Several reasons. They only have a 5,25" Woofer, while the Kali IN-8 (clue in the model) have 8" Woofers which means there is way more bass on the Kali. The Kali are a 3-way design, way better than the 2-way design of the Neumann. I've heard the Neumann and the plastic cabinets have 'ringing' and they are just nowhere near as transparent in any department, bass, mid, high end and the stereo separation on the Kali's are way better. I know they are Neumann, but, in this instance the name does not really mean anything and I suspect they are made by another company, or at least majority of the parts are. I don't see these as 'proper' Neumann as in the U87 Ai mic for example. Kali all the way.
I had to place my LP6 4 to 5 ft apart to get a proper stereo image from them. I think your IN8 which is even bigger may be sitting too close to each other
They sound just about right to me. They’re not perfect because of the room size and one being too close to the corner but I know how that sounds and I’ve got used to it so I can mix with them perfectly.
Too close, and too much toe-in. With these monitors, you should be able to have almost no toe-in if you put them back just a little. Also, sand (bagged, duh) is the best isolator.🙄😎
Isn't the recommendation from Kali Audio 2,8m of distance between the IN-8's to avoid hissing? Have you noticed any hiss from them at that distance?
I seriously doubt it, that’s a hell of a distance. Besides, if you want to form a standard triangle that would suggest that the monitors would need to be 2.8m away from your ear as well.
@@tecraven yeah, it’s probably up to 2.8m.
@@soulchorea I've heard, from Kali direct, that there are few small improvements on the second wave model, but nothing that would make me sell mine to buy them and I have no hiss coming from mine.
There is no hissing
Great video thanks
Still can’t decide between the in 5 or 8
My room is relatively small 2.5 x 3 meteres
However I got it treated and the bass frequency are under control
I mainly play rock
What are you tough regards the IN 8 in a small room ?
Thanks
My room is 10 feet by 7 feet and 8 are perfect in there. I'd go for 8 as the bass in them is not as much as Yamaha HS8 or Rokit equivalent. Also, bass might only be an issue if you monitor at ear-shattering volumes, which no professional would do anyway. Studio rule is if you can't have a conversation with the guy sitting right next to you your monitors are too loud.
@@tecraven thanks very useful Information
I normally sit around 1 meter away from the monitors so should be ok
Yes correct I mix normally at my voice level
Thanks
@@tecraven are u measuring .5 (20 inches) from back of speakers to the wall or from the front of speaker to wall
@@teedesigns9022 My speakers are angled so the inner rear corner is just 1 inch from the wall and the other corner about 5 inches from wall and the speakers are 1 inch away from my computer screen edge, which is a 27-inch iMac. Far from ideal (very bloody far in fact) but it's the space I have to work in and using the dip switch on the back I have got them sounding pretty decent. I know what the sonic limitations are, but I can compensate now when mixing as I know what they are. It's more important to set the monitors up best you can and get used to how they sound, mix half a dozen track, play those mixed tracks out on other systems (Hi-Fi, Sonos, Car, mates house) for a few projects and you'll soon figure out if your monitors are lacking or being weird in any area which will allow you to compensate. Ideally, for me, I'd need a studio four times the size of the one I have, but I don't, and can't afford a bigger house, so...
@@tecraven thanks for quick response and appreciate the info on your setup but I was asking trying to figure out if Kali recommend measuring .5 from the rear of speaker to wall or measuring from the front of speaker to wall thanks again
What is the sand that is holder your computer keyboard?
It's actually a Laptop stand made by a company called Awavo. I bought mine on Amazon but the front top support arms were too long and had bits that curled up at the front (to stop laptop falling forward) so I cut them off with a hacksaw (it's only light alloy) to fit the depth of my Apple keyboard. The rubber parts on top of the stand grip the bottom of the keyboard so it does not slip. This is the exact one I have www.awavotech.com/laptop-stand/awavo-laptop-stand-ergonomic-adjustable-computer-stand-for-desk/
This one is made by BoYata, but looks like a re-brand of the identical one I have, available in different finishes too: amzn.to/2Zlnh8c
Or if you're in the USA: www.amazon.com/dp/B08JD7FN44
That is so Awesome!! I have been wanting to ask you about for a long time!! Thank for all you do! God bless you!