Kali Audio IN-5 Studio Monitors Review | HiFi Without Breaking the Bank

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Buy: bhpho.to/3sfEJ6w (B&H Photo Affiliate Link) If you are interested in purchasing these monitors, please consider doing so through my B&H Photo Video affiliate link above. It earns me a (very) small commission at no additional cost to you which allows me to keep doing what I am doing. I really appreciate it.

[@donj6266]

LL Cool J, I'm going back to Cali

[@WackyJackyTracky]

As you are mentioning KEF doing a good job with their coaxials... would the Q300 be good as a studio monitor?

[@AKT1ONmusic]

This may be the most in depth speaker review I’ve ever seen

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I try.

[@joakimjespersen2019]

I just got the Kali IN5 for my tiny home studio and wow, just wow... These are the most expensive monitors I've ever bought and even though I know that by todays standards there are quite cheap it was a hefty price for me personally. But these monitors blow me away. Every detail is present and the soundstage is so good and precise. My Beyerdynamic DT990 has always been better than my monitors but they can't even begin to compete with the Kali's. Thanks for the great review. I was shopping for a set of new monitors for almost two months and researching them and this review gave me everything I needed to know I made the right choice. These work great in my really tiny room that is medium treated even though it's only 2.2m x 1.65m. Thanks again!😃

[@DJSoulbrother]

As a producer these are basically designed as monitors, meaning sweet spot equilateral triangle type affair, we also rarely go loud (unless to check for kicks, etc) of course because of ear fatigue. The off-axis thoughts are cool though, they do have pretty unusually wide sweet spots overall for cheapish monitors, thank you for the review, it's cool to see someone going this in-depth with speakers :)

[@LB-vn1lu]

I love that your reviews are in part objective/scientific, that you obviously have a great talent for hearing speakers, and that you are willing to take positions rather than just complimenting everything. It makes me trust you. I'm seriously thinking of buying the Kali in-5s in no small part because of you and if I do I'll use your link. Thank you for what you do.

[@markcayton6712]

Dude, your reviews are extremely informative, hands-down and without exception the best speaker reviews I've ever seen, whether in print, video or otherwise. Thank you very much!

[@kadiummusic]

I've had a smallish mixing room built in my garden. I have a pair of these Kali IN-5's strapped to a Kali WS-6.2 subwoofer and the sound is superb. I get a really tight bottom end and a fantastic sound stage. A superb 4-way system for about £1500, incredible! 😎

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Congratulations on your tight bottom end. 👍😂😜

[@ChicagoRob2]

One of the few channels with a perfect mix of objective/subjective information.

[@boonwong1]

This is the first time I am listening to Erin and I am very impressed. Such a thorough analysis, straight to the point with no bull. Great job!

[@L.Scott_Music]

The volume knobs are also for calibrating the two speakers level in their environment.

[@maidpretty]

Great video, great article. This should be a standard for reviewing speakers, because technical measurement data speaks for itself. I just ordered a pair of IN-5s.

[@maidpretty]

​@@soundbelch1600 Considering their size (most of my 3-way speakers are 50-100 liter boxes), their range really surprised me. Neumann KH80s have less range, but are smoother, then again, it depends on your room and sound field normalisation. I have no personal experience with JBL LSR series for comparison. Hiss is no longer an issue. Well, I can hear some hiss if I put my ear close to tweeter in isolated room, but definitely no problems in that department.

[@chinmeysway]

I’ve been brushing my hippos teeth with these while playing sic bass heavy tracks. Really gets the job done quick like.

[@sebastianhanzlik4644]

I bought IN5s about 2 yrs ago, that review helped me to make right decision. Thank you Erin. Should I add I dont regret? I do not. Cheers.

[@vipingkumar]

finally based on ur review i bought in5 and replaced my jbl lsr305s. im speechless about the soundstage and mid/highmid details. paired with my fluid fc10s sub and calibrated with sonarworks. woa i feel like i invested in a right equipment. Note that my studio space is kinda small and the in5s work great only after placing them horizontally. great great great buy and worthy for the money. Thanku Erin.

[@VictorLombardi]

Erin: "I'm not going for that "best speakers ever" clickbait crap... Me: *subscribe*

[@yojoono]

I'd love to see you review the Yamaha HS8 studio monitors. They're pretty popular for music production and I'd love to see how good they really are since your reviews are more in-depth than many other reviewers.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I'll check it out!

[@alanmartin5699]

The IN-8 has addressed the speaker hiss issue in the 'Second Wave' edition.

[@thxepsilon8292]

Excellent review. I've been reading audiophile reviews for years and this is right up there with the best in terms of data, detail, and explanation of how the measurements couple with the listening experience. The persistent caveats about expected listening position were very well stated. Something should be said about putting the amp inside the cabinet (typical studio thing). Look at all that glue on the components--necessary because of the vibrations that the amp is exposed to. Necessary, but circuitry does not like glue, trapping heat and making service yucky. So, bottom line, these may be nice speakers, but don't buy them used!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Well, thank you.

[@juanmillaruelo7647]

Regarding the electronics I've often wondered why pro audio doesn't put the amps "piggy back" behind the audio enclosure and close it off with an alloy plate or whatever. This would make quick swaps "in the field" easy, as well as aiding repairability in general without losing the advantages of "monolithic" packaging for pro applications.

[@chinmeysway]

Unpowered speakers using an amp is like this basically.

[@ChristianGoergen]

Thanks again for this serious review. Imagine Kali would offer this speaker in a more living interior friendly design. It could compete again the KEF R3.

[@MaashuCookiemonster]

Great video man, just got a pair of these today based on other reviews, but if I'd seen this one I would have picked them up much sooner! Total data nerd, your wife is amazing for letting you have that wonderful thing in the garage! Looking forward to checking out more of your stuff.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thanks for the kind words. :)

[@orryfishburne5326]

Thanks for making this thorough Analysis. Its interesting to see all the data. I own a pair of these speakers and i would have to say that i agree with everything u said in your final thoughts. Bass is phenomenal, especially for the driver size, and the high end "air" is lacking a bit, and i think the mid range is right on par for what i want, and the sound stage is fantastic. that being said, i love these speakers, and they were a huge upgrade from my roughly 10 year old KRK RPG Rokit 8s 2nd gen. They arent perfect, but they work really well for me.

[@chinmeysway]

Have owned these a while too now. The dip at around 10k keeps scratching at the back of my mind from first seeing this review while back. Wishing I could rely on high end a bit more so that the translation won’t equate to too high highs. Have you had luck with using setting on the back or perhaps sonarworks software? Curious what others are experiencing..

[@gregmiller3630]

I found this review to be unusually informative, especially in the part where you delve into the effects of cone movement and it's potential to induce doppler distortion. One of the worst offenders for this phenomenon is the Tannoy dual concentric as it's using the same cone to produce both the low bass and midrange up to about 1.0-1.8K (depending on model) before crossing over to the horn. I've had the opportunity to spend some quality time with a number of models ranging from the relaitively stiff 10" Kensington Prestige to the older 12 and15" HPD models which had very compliant suspensions and quite a bit of cone movement. I can't comment on how well these models "test" in the lab, but in listening tests I could only start to notice the supposed doppler effect at very high excursion levels, at which point the upper midrange and lower treble seemed to start smearing into each other. What I loved about the models that I listened to (the 10 and 12" models especially) was that they had a wonderfully rich and uncolored midrange, so maybe doppler distortion isn't that big of a deal.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Glad you got something out of it. And thanks for that information about the Tannoy. Generally, I would expect a larger drive unit to not have as much doppler distortion because it doesn't have to move as far to generate the same amount of SPL as a smaller-sized drive unit would. I would assume that translates to the HF modulation as well.

[@derekleclair8787]

Thank you! I am so glad you do these reviews it drastically raises my technical knowledge for both usage and from a speaker building stand point. I appreciate it.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Great to hear!

[@GusAndrade]

Amazingly detailed review! Thank you so much for putting this together.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I appreciate that.

[@rambotwin]

This review was so helpful. Seems like a bargain bookshelf/desk setup.

[@stevenswall]

The discontinuity may matter due to diffraction. Doppler distortion shouldn't matter in a three way. The LS50 may have some because the waveguide is moving too much. Might be better with their transition but the only company that has solved all known coincident coaxial drivers issues is Genelec.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I agree. Crossover is kind here.

[@WackyJackyTracky]

@@ErinsAudioCorner As you are mentioning KEF doing a good job with their coaxials... would the Q300 be good as a studio monitor?

[@L.Scott_Music]

Speaker design is a continuous exercise in compromise. That's what makes it an art. :-)

[@themastroiannis]

fantastic thorough review!! bravo! you really are providing priceless information! thanks so much!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I appreciate that!

[@arnoldhryciuk7091]

Great speakers for the money. I disagree about them being non suitable for home theatre. That’s exactly what I use them for and they work great for me , no complaints. I have Magnepan LRS for my left and right main channels or for just pure 2 channel audio, but I also use 3 in-5 speakers, one for centre and two for the rear surround channels. I don’t try to play them excessively loud, usually around 85 db and they work great for me. SACD music in surround if the recording is good sound phenomenal, clear, airy, and detailed. I’ve had people over and played Dire Straights, Brothers in Arms on SACD surround and they were all absolutely blown away.

[@modular7even]

I was looking at buying these speakers, but a bit worried about the dip in the high frequency, and now thinking about buying the dynaudio bm5 mkiii. I like the idea of having 3 way monitors, but missing frequencies would be a big no for me. Still deciding, thanks for you analysis.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I say find a place that has them and has a good return policy and give them a shot. If you have EQ you might be able to bring it up.

[@modular7even]

@@ErinsAudioCorner thanks, will try and get down to a store that has them, and if they're not up to expectations, I'm leaning towards the dynaudio bm5's..

[@chinmeysway]

What did you end up getting? I had this very concern initially, bought them anyways, still having concern months later after 😩 but thinking to try on some corrective software.

[@modular7even]

@@chinmeysway I almost got the dynaudio, but the guy at the shop recommended the eve audio sc 207's, very nice throughout the frequency range, very transparent. I think they might be the best speakers in the price range, but ye, try out some corrective software, if it works, your good, if not, you'll adapt to the sound already there😎

[@vipingkumar]

@@ErinsAudioCorner i think caliberation softwares like sonarworks wil fix this higher dip issue. Am i right erin?

[@user-xowo3vxy92b73h]

Surely the big companies are afraid of you🤣😁 Thanks for the honesty, my friend.

[@linadecaseleycarloss5838]

Nice review... could you possibly do the Neumann KH120A at some point??

[@bbfoto7248]

I have these and would be willing to ship them to Erin if he is interested in testing them. I've sent other drive units to him in the pastinto test on the Klippel Analyzer. I think that he could also source them from B&H as well. @Erin's Audio Corner

[@vipingkumar]

No doubt kh120 blows all 5 inch monitors in the market right now. Great sounding. Only one issue is they cant go much louder. So there would be problem with mixing some genre like metal, rock.. Etc.

[@henryssurfshowcase]

Good observation 3:50 I did not notice that about the tweeter..

[@spitfire9086]

Much appreciated review! Thank you very much!

[@dougg1075]

Z reviews just said they were now his favorite bookshelf.

[@DDF1408]

Hey Erin, If you want to measure the effect of the mid motion on the tweeter, run an intermod distortion test: - pick a lower frequency that best moves the mid in its passband (300 Hz) and voltage that causes the mid dispacement you care to test at - disconnect mid and woofer, measure intermod of the tweeter + its high pass alone using same 300 Hz and various high frequencies 5KHz plus (to avoid testing distortion from the mid later) - repeat test with mid and its filters attached, with tweeter - compare test results with and without mid. Focus on components at high test frequencies +/- 300 Hz, ignore HD off the mid. Way above and beyond the call of duty for a review, but hey, you asked. Keep up the good work boss, best audio reviews out there PS LL Cool J

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

You know, I actually did run some IMD tests but as I was doing it I thought... "is this really useful? Will I create all this data and still go "uhhh, okay, now what?" at the end of it?". So, I just stopped in my tracks. Frankly, I don't think a properly crossed-over midrange will create issues that we need to concern ourselves with. But me thinking is a mile away from me knowing, too. Thanks for the feedback, as always!

[@dingdong2103]

The crossover will prevent the midrange from doing this sort of excursions unless it's manipulated with the battery...

[@WackyJackyTracky]

@@ErinsAudioCorner measuring the speaker in an acoustically untreated garage, how is this the frequency response of the speaker and not the room? Can't you put it on roles and do the measurment outside?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

@@WackyJackyTracky watch this video. m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6SQg2R-eL6Ij9U

[@cschwacofer]

who the heck down votes this? Great work Erin! be sure to share on reddit.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Who knows... people do weird stuff. Ironically, any interaction is seen as a good thing by KZbin so I'll take it, I guess. 😅 Yep, this is linked on Reddit. I posted there earlier this morning. But thanks for the reminder!

[@tonygutermuth9347]

Looks like an excellent value. Thanks Erin.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

You bet, Tony!

[@TheKb117]

Kali released an IN-8 V2 or Wave 2.... no hiss, and improved dsp settings... as per some reviewers...

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Yep.

[@pichincho7]

Hello Erin: Thank you for your notable work. One question about the bass in the In-5.The LP-6 is equal quality more or less?

[@BlueMax333]

a very thorough review and more importantly unbiased. Thank you!

[@effebidi9677]

Seams the in-5 are made to be placed in a little room and near field , that's why their 5 inch cone. I wonder thou , in case the in-5 would be moved to a larger room , what kind of sub woofer could be recommended in terms of power and sound balance ?

[@kadiummusic]

Subwoofer - WS-12 Series, that's what I'm getting. 😎

[@tpn8402]

Do these seem any better or worse fit/finish quality than the LP6? Seems like in several pics I've seen of the LP6 the panel gap between the plastic baffle and cabinet looks kinda imprecise. Kind of a nitpick but just wondering if you've noticed/heard of any build quality differences between LP6 and IN5 or perhaps changes in V2 speakers in this regard? Thanks!

[@mc7843]

Thanks for your review. I have a pair of kali's LP6 and i am considering the upgrade.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Glad I could help

[@denniscameron5993]

Hey Erin, I looking at the Kali IN5 as a desktop application using a iMac USB output as my source. What did you use for an input signal to the IN5? Or How? I was hoping for XLR balanced, which would require a DAC or something to go USB input to XLR output to IN5. what would your recommendation be? Thanks

[@davelynne9237]

Great review I was sitting on the fence a bit; because of the variety of kali speakers and a few others adams,eve etc and different series and have been undeceided between adam a7x/5x and possibly eve and back and forth to kali lp6/8 2nd wave and finally deciding kali audio IN- series but which one finally going for the IN-5. i have just recently upgraded my converters fom beringer fca1616 to zen go and even with my basic old monitors Alesis m1 active mk2(I repaired them a few times) was a big wow differences in sound quality and latency so new speakers/monitors a must. I no this is not good practice but I watch tv in the same sweet spot as when I am attempting to mix with a 50 inch tv/monitor 4k so I heard the kali are pleasent to listen too as well. I like a bit of bass but not too much and I live in flats which are pretty solid so great for not disturbing the neihbours but subs are out so they tick another box for me and iv always prefered to listen to a good sound throught monitors for sound seperation, depth and placement. I know now I am making the right choice but it taken me about 4 months of reviews plus I was going to travel to listen to demos but a shop is not my space the only real test is to try them in my domane so thank you.

[@murraywebster1228]

Very good critique, well done!

[@TylerMarletteNY]

can you test the in-8 v2?

[@davefalk335]

I have had my IN-5's for a couple of months now and I have been flabbergasted at the reproduction of sound. I am in a small semi treated 11.6 x 10.6 room. I use these for home track recording. The wide sound, and depth is very impressive. Also like how they sound horizontal vs vertical.....wish I could tell you why l like them horizontal, perhaps you could explain this to me? And thanks for the tips on listening to some of your favorite tracks of artists. Lastly I replaced my JBL 305's with these and will be interested to listen to your thoughts on those rascals when you get them. Thank you for the time and energy in making this video.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thanks for the feedback. As for liking them turned on their side, I can't really say. I think that would have a good deal to do with your room and how that interacts with boundary reinforcement. Do you have the dip-switches set for horizontal? Are they mounted on a console horizontally? Some of that could play in to the effect of why you like them one way vs another.

[@davefalk335]

@@ErinsAudioCorner thank you for your response. I am using these on stands........regarding your incredible tests with the monitor vertical in seems to me if the monitor is used horizontal, all your data would be totally different? And of course all that matters is our ears and what we believe were hearing or not hearing.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

You’d just swap out the vertical for horizontal and vice versa. The story can still be pretty readily told by the data. I’d just have to provide you additional horizontal data (vertical) for that case. But there is plenty available in my data to provide anyone with what is important and that is to aim the speaker on-axis. 👍

[@rynev3392]

I’m looking to do 2.1 setup for movie watching and want good imagining so dialogue is clear, any bookshelf or towers that I should look into that you would recommend? My brother works for a company that sells home theater speakers from Focal, PSB, KEF, and some more at a decent discount if that can narrow down any suggestions. Great content, keep it up

[@ewcho8995]

Wharfedale Diamond 12.2, Polk Reserve r200, Elac Debut Reference or maybe even the Kali IN-5 are all good

[@MsSgent]

Kef Q150 or Q350 are great speakers at their price point without a discount, so if your getting a deal I would start there.

[@lmgindamix6996]

Great review. Do you have a review like this for hs5?

[@RGMDG]

Great review. Thinking about getting a pair of these.. BTW, I love the Sony MDR 7506 Headphones too. Inexpensive, but great in my opinion. Thanks for the great review Erin.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Glad you found it helpful. 👍

[@Big_Old_Bondy]

This is an amazing and detailed review. Please can you do a review of the Neumann KH 80 DSP's? Or even one of the KH line just to see how they hold up on those anechoic tests. Thanks!

[@makolly7770]

Second thing is .. i wanted to know if you had to choose bettewen kali in-5 and kali in-8 2°wave , what would be your pick .. if i saw the data correctly . The in-5 look a little better , in frequency response and on the dispersion . But maybe im wrong . Would live yo know your opinion 😁🙏

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I seem to recall leaning a little bit more toward the five. I don’t have the data in front of me right now because I’m looking for my phone and it’s hard to do direct comparisons but I think the 8 inch does get a little bit lower, but both still would need a subwoofer to reach the lowest octaves.

[@luxpiotr]

Is it realy bad to have studio monitors like this Kali at desk for casual nearfield music listen?

[@kiisseli1337]

No. These are ideal for that. The best ones might be Genelec 8331/8341 etc. The Ones SAM (room correction) series.

[@tradehut2782]

Hey Erin great review. I ,m using the LP6. Do you know if these IN5 are lacking in air compared to the LP6? Im thinking if I should buy a subwoofer or upgrade to IN5.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I don’t have any experience with the LP6 so unfortunately I can’t really comment on that.

[@RileytheBunny]

Are these worth the upgrade from LP-6 v2?

[@abbadon45]

How would these compare with Airpulse SM200? Any chance you'll review the SM200? Thanks!

[@c.s.herman860]

How would you add a subwoofer to these?

[@jaketanner109]

hopefully you're still monitoring this channel...Wondering if the new MKII has improved anything from your measurements?

[@AliArghavan]

Excellent review! Now do one for Eve Audio SC205 and I'll be forever in your debt!

[@pepe7drum]

Should I go for these or the IN-8 or the Presonus Sceptre S8?

[@viperracing2889]

I don't understand why anyone would choose this over the Kali LP-6. It seems to measure worse in every regard, yet it's much more expensive? 🤔

[@__8o8__]

IN5-vs IN-8V2: in normal loudness (85db) and 1.5m distance in a well treated room 2.5x3.5m - which of those would you recommend? And why? thx for your work, it's always a pleasure and i do learn a lot!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Either would be fine, honestly. The IN-8 is rather large so that may sway your opinion. But it has lower bass output.

[@__8o8__]

@@ErinsAudioCorner Thx Erin. I received the IN-5s and they sound amazing out of the box. Unfortunately the bass port of one IN5 makes anoying sound at 40-60hz, like something is vibrating/breathing inside... All over sound quality for the price is 5/5! Build quality and feel is cheap. Bass is more than powerful in my room, i had to low them 2db at the low end. in room measurement show almost perfect up from 1000hz, below there are my room modes.

[@WackyJackyTracky]

hm measuring speakers in an acoustically untreated garage? How is this the frequency response of the speaker and not the room? Can't you put it on roles and do the measurment outside?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Watch this: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6SQg2R-eL6Ij9U

[@MuzdokOfficial]

So even if its a 3 way that have superior midrange whats is your favorite overall vs lp-6.

[@user-oy1nt3zt1n]

What is the explanation for the sharp rise in the very highest frequencies at the far right of the frequency response graph? Could it pose an issue?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I can't say for sure. It could be the dome tweeter breaking up, it could be diffraction from the tweeter/midrange issue I mentioned in the video. As for it being an issue, it could be if your music has content that high. I've noticed most music seems to roll off above 10kHz to 12kHz, so in those cases it might not be "offensive". But, it isn't ideal.

[@user-oy1nt3zt1n]

@@ErinsAudioCorner Thank you for the response!

[@editorjuno]

Interesting that for this speaker you recommend on-axis listening, but for the 2nd Wave IN-8 you mentioned Kali's recommendation of 10 degrees off-axis and suggested trying 20 degrees, even though the two products share the same midrange-tweeter driver. I wonder where that difference originates -- something in the way DSP implements their respective crossover functions perhaps? Just curious -- I already own the Second Wave IN-8s and couldn't be happier, especially considering their astonishing price-performance ratio, which make them an irresistible buy.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I’d have to go back and look at the data. I would imagine I said +/-10 degrees but I don’t recall. In general, that is what most coaxial designs are best within and designed for. The on-axis is fine with some, though. For example, Kef’s tend to do very well on-axis.

[@editorjuno]

@@ErinsAudioCorner You wrote this about the IN-5: "In this case, however, the best listening axis appears to be directly on-axis, at 0° horizontal and vertical." You wrote this about the 2nd Wave IN-8: "You’ll need to be off-axis a bit. Kali recommends 10°. My data jives with this, though, I would also recommend trying them off-axis by about 20°."

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Well, there ya go. 👍😎 Also, worth noting is that while they share the same coaxial, they don’t have the same size baffle and that is what also contributes to the on/axis response anomalies.

[@editorjuno]

@@ErinsAudioCorner -- Makes sense, although if the IN-5's baffle is better on-axis and, one assumes, is the smaller of the two...well the implication is pretty clear I'd say given that the crossover frequency specs are the same. Anyway, I think I'll trust that Charles had his reason(s) and just continue enjoying my speakers.

[@siddantsharma3681]

Any update after 2 years?? How ur mix is translating?

[@spheresonores2318]

Like everyone here I congratulate you on such a thorough review. One question: is there any difference in response between the three inputs, especially digital vs analogue?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I didn't check the inputs. But, I wouldn't think there would be any difference whatsoever as it would be unneeded for monitor speakers.

[@bansheezbansheez]

“I’m going back to Cali” by LL COOL J showing my age there bro!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

👍

[@makolly7770]

Hey erin .. two questions . Do you have a thomman affiliate link ? Would like to buy my next speakers with one of your links since alot of the intell that i have is because of your videos

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

You can try this. Thomann: www.thomann.de/de/index.html?offid=1&affid=2577 I’m not sure if it’ll work but I appreciate you asking.

[@MrValentinique]

Is each of the 3 drivers amped individually ?

[@djalexia]

Amazing contents! Thanks! I am wondering. if you could do a test for the Yamaha HS7? It would be much appreciated. I am a mixed feelings in getting these speakers as on another channel a KZbin opened the IN 8 V2 and he was complaining about the "plastiquee" cabinet, knocking on it he showed that a typical sound was reproduced confirming a cheap material cabinet with a lot of resonance was used by the manufacturer, he opened the back cabinet & found out that very little treatment was used in the inside of the speaker, compare with yours that actually showed the inside of the Kali IN 5 with a decent damping material enough to prevent a resonance (?) That is why I am a bit hesitant to buy those Kali IN 5. Perhaps get them for a trial and check it myself & be the best judge" Judy"? LOL! Thank You again! :)

[@focuspixvideoaudioservices68]

could you have a look at Adams A7

[@aya_mixing]

Thank you for this review!!!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thanks for watching and replying.

[@KravchenkoAudioPerth]

I liked this review. Some good descriptions of the measurements and most importantly the why there are things happening. Regarding the tweeter differences with the cone in different positions. I'd have to argue that in real program use it would be masked. The time difference is tiny. So this is a form of modulation of the high frequency signal. That can be heard and quite annoying under the correct conditions. But in normal use My guess is that it will be totally masked.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thank, Mark. I agree with you that the issues are likely not really issues.

[@coreysiegel]

Question: Unless I missed it, did you do any testing with the HF and LF trim switches? I wonder if enabling the HF boost would have cured that upper end dip.

[@coreysiegel]

Update: tested myself and all that did was boost all the wrong ranges, giving everyone a lisp.

[@donnowak4304]

@@coreysiegel I just got the IN-5's. Was feeling the same lack in HF. The HF boost satisfied me. I'm using the Topping e70 velvet. What DAC are you using? Just curious.

[@The_Excellence_Channel]

I am using a Schiit hel for normal every day use and a Axe FX 3 for guitar. After about a week or two of use the issue of reduced high frequency appeared to go away after some break in. Please also note I am using this in an untreated room. The HF boost switch sounded really unnatural to me@@donnowak4304

[@38special4ever]

You should have Andrew Jones on, talking about coaxial driver and high frequency modulation.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I’ve actually talked to Andrew about having him on. Hopefully it will happen.

[@SacrificiaLamb.The.Gixxerator]

What's your Preferred Listening Distance with these speaker and How much did you set them apart?

[@dinogiolitti2844]

Are these significantly better than the Kali LP-UNF for desktop listening?

[@davidt1977]

how do they compare to the Adam Audio T5V

[@xntricity6446]

From what I read these Kalis are of a higher standard.

[@9YouthfulAdvisor]

I really appreciate this review.

[@jwiz1911]

Nice review, I'm new to your channel and really enjoying your approach to testing/reviewing speakers. I have the JBL 305P MkII's and absolutely love them, I'd be curious to see how they compare to Kali monitors.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Welcome and thanks for subscribing. I have a set of the JBL 305 Mk2 on their way from B&H Photo right now. I don’t know when they’ll be reviewed but it should be within a month.

[@michaelj.akaswifty]

@@ErinsAudioCorner I have both and prefer the Kali...

[@tumuto4457]

what do you suggest between kali in-5 and focal alpha 65 evo? thanks for all you work!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I have no experience/knowledge with the Focal so I can really say.

[@stevenswall]

Does the cone travel that much with audio content in its bandwidth? I don't think it has that much excursion. I just tested mine at 300hz, max volume for a couple of seconds, and repeated it a few times... Can't see excursion that comes close to the 9v. I think the issue of the waveguide changing isn't present in three way speakers.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

~±1mm is the max the cone would move with 9v across the coil; I assume suspension limited.

[@stevenswall]

@@ErinsAudioCorner Yeah, great idea to test the theory in a worst case scenario. I imagine an LS50 would perform like that since it doesn't have a separate woofer, or the Pioneer RM07, Fluid Audio monitors, Sceptre coaxial monitors, etc. Need companies to move away from 2 way monitors.

[@SecretFamilyMusic]

My Respect !!!! Wao usted si hace bien sus review. Muy importante no llegar a los 102 DB para mejor respuesta de sonido.

[@JuXuS1]

nice video. but why is it so quiet? strange for someone doin audio

[@mhnoni]

I just bought a pair of these speakers, but unfortunately, both have a resonance ~ 140hz to 153hz which I didn't see in your graph or you mentioning it, I wonder if they made any changes to these speakers.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

How do you know it’s the speaker and not the room?

[@mhnoni]

@@ErinsAudioCorner I hear it coming from inside the speaker, when I put my hand inside the woofer port and touch the plastic extension of the woofer, the resonance gets reduced. And I have other speakers and none has such resonance in such frequency. I even opened the backside of one of the speakers and everything looks clean, I thought maybe a cable was touching part of the cabin from inside.

[@mhnoni]

Extra info: play an exact frequency 134hz with 100db from one meter away to hear the resonance, the resonance has high frequency and you can hear it even with lower db but that 100db to show it clearly for testing, it's like a bee flying inside the cabin. its not very bad but its there and you can hear it. They should've gone with full MDF.

[@Grrrr3FKAGrrrrGrrrrGrrrr]

I just checked my IN-5s for the problem you described. I found a buzz coming from one of the speakers when I played a 134Hz sine wave, it started suddenly as I turned up the volume, I didn't check the level but it was way below 100dB. My IN-5s come from two different production runs, I can tell because the packaging is different. The seller only had one speaker in stock, my order was delayed for a couple of weeks so they could get the second one. The speaker that doesn't buzz came in two nestled boxes, the speaker with the buzz has a single box. When I received them my first thought was that the inner box was missing, maybe it was opened before and not repacked properly, but no, the brown boxes were different and the inner white box wouldn't fit in the other brown box. I think the two box speaker is earlier because KZbin videos from 3 years ago show that packaging. What type of box did your IN-5s come in? You could be right about changes.

[@Grrrr3FKAGrrrrGrrrrGrrrr]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nl6seniZpr6sl68si=9RDo9tiSFtPrTJSK This video shows the packaging of my non-buzzing IN-5

[@loejewis]

Great, authentic review. Thanks.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I appreciate the kind words.

[@catojrgensen8912]

Quick question - do they come with a powercord included?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Yes.

[@ActuallySettle]

You're killing it Erin. Did you ever listen to the IN-8?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thank you. I haven’t heard the IN-8 yet.

[@Gunmastercomua]

Thank you Erin!

[@TheKb117]

btw, any plans on measuring/testing/reviewing DML or BMR type of loudspeaker brands? Am just curious how this tech measures up against traditional cone... or does the current science of acoustic measurement designed to accurately measure the supposedly somewhat confusing diffusive radiation pattern... to be more precise, wanna see how these flat panel speakers stack up against the Klippel... hehehe... gotta rewatch that, hoping to comprehend all of it eventually :D PeaceV and Be Well

[@dee1458]

Rebelling and sneaking out (at night?) of the "Death Star" ------- legendary behemoth JBL ------- and deftly Euro-stepping the Superlaser. Then becoming Jedi-fied (?) and returning to fight the legendary behemoth! Popcorn Time! Saving up for a pair or so of IN-5, LP6v2 or MM-6.

[@PerryR1985]

Nice review. Pretty good speaker for the price. It might be wishful thinking, but it'd be awesome if you could do a review on the new Focal Alpha Evo. The driver on those is very distinctive.

[@pfritts3111]

Are there powered speakers that you would recommend for a small to medium home theater? There needs to be a KZbin channel just for this lol. I would start it, but I don't have the millions of dollars required to get the speakers 😂

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

These paired with a sub or two would probably do the job quite well. The recently reviewed JBL 305P MKii speakers might do well. Just depends on how loud, exactly, you plan to listen and what your budget it.

[@editorjuno]

@@ErinsAudioCorner -- The larger 2nd Wave IN-8 would be better than either for that application IMO.

[@st.thomas5802]

Get a matching trio of Kali LP6 for LCR, 2nd wave ideally, but 1st gen are great too and I don't have any amp hiss issues with either and own both. Then you'll need a mid-high end receiver with rca Preamp outputs and any set of speakers for surrounds if doing 5.1 surround. For a 2 channel setup you can hook a pair of LP6 or similar and get great sound or add a sub and do 2.1. Any of these options will sound incredible.

[@viperracing2889]

I thought these or the LP-6s were going to be the perfect budget speakers for home theater, but it turns out the Max SPL spec by Kali is completely fake. ☹

[@pulDag]

Max SPL is not continous SPL and also they do not say anything about distortion. So classical Tech-sheet nonsense.

[@StereoIntegrity]

Wow, that looks great!

[@michaeljarzy2837]

It is me again. I do not know but I cannot buy any of Kali's anywhere. Well, In5's ok to buy, but no other 2nd waves. I am patient.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

The IN-5 is a great speaker!

[@pulDag]

2nd wave is only for IN-8

[@tnargs57]

Why don’t any horn speaker manufacturers make a horn tweeter with a vibrating waveguide? One that vibrates at midrange frequencies. Apparently it’s a feature!

[@stevenswall]

Read the Genelec whitepaper about coaxial drivers. The "ever changing waveguide" issue is no longer transparent if you control the excursion of the midrange, which can be done by having a separate woofer.