Kali IN-8 Second Wave || Masterful Music on a Budget 

Ultimately, those businesses that don't raise prices will suffer greatly or fold. Simple economics.

Big ups & respek to them 🔥🙏

They increased the price of the WS-12 subwoofer from $599 to $799.

Timbre is a French word and that might be why it looks and sounds funny to you :) Most French words that end with re - metre, filtre, lettre, theatre... are changed to er in American English - meter, filter, letter, theater but once in a while, a word remains in it's original English form and confuses the heck out of us Americans! :)

Well it's two years later and they didn't fold or go under. They are still making new products ​@@CC-xu2yz

If someone seeing this has a KH120 they want to send I’d be happy to test it. 👍😎

The KH120A (a) at $729 apparently sells for *almost double* the price of the latest IN-8 each and, (b) with its smaller woofer, is probably more comparable to the IN-5. If the latter surmise is true, that would mean it would cost you *more than twice* the price of the most directly competing Kali Audio product even though it's a two-way design.

@@ErinsAudioCorner @abdo 123 Erin, I've got a pair of the little Neumann KH 120-A's that I could send to you that I've been using in the home studio since shortly after they were released. I believe that B&H stocks them as well, so that might be a better/faster option if you still have the test/review shipping arrangement with B&H and would like a "fresh" pair to test. But LMK? IMO the KH 120-A are impressive in all regards, especially for their size. You wouldn't think that they could provide such bass response in such a tiny form factor. And with the adjustable frequency trim levels, the bass response remains clean and detailed. Impressive even for acoustic upright double bass. Of course, as with any other tiny 2-way, you will want to pair them with a good subwoofer for true low-end impact. I think it's safe to say that the Kali IN-8 would probably win in terms of pure output capability. The KH 120 are *TINY* and are a 2-way design meant for NEARFIELD monitoring, whereas the IN-8 are 3-way with a significantly larger woofer and can pull-off midfield duties as well. For reference, the KH 120-A dimensions: H 10.875 x W 7.125 x D 8.625 (277mm x 182mm x 220mm)...i.e. true bookshelf size! I will know soon enough regarding the output capability as I was just informed that I actually won 1 of 3 pairs of IN-8s in a giveaway from another RU-vid channel. :-) The KH 120-A also have built-in Limiters that operate independently for each tweeter and midwoofer. The front panel Neumann logo glows White to indicate its "Power On" state, and it blinks RED when the Limiter engages. The front panel LED logo can be dimmed or turned off if desired. @Bruce Morgen With the Neumann's, the extra cost is due to their incredible build quality and unit-to unit-consistency & QC. Even though they are sold individually, Neumann guarantees "matched pair" performance levels out of the box. The entire enclosure is a robust cast aluminum shell and one-piece front baffle, and they have integral protection grills over both drivers. The KH 120-A's waveguides are designed to provide Wide Horizontal Dispersion BUT fairly Narrow Vertical Dispersion in order to minimize reflections off of the mixing console surface and/or floors & ceilings. So it's important to remain within their narrow vertical listening window and on-axis to the tweeter. But their horizontal sweet spot is decently wide. These things are built like tanks as they are intended to be a small, but high-quality PORTABLE monitoring solution for traveling/touring FOH mix engineers and for use in mobile live-event broadcast trucks, as well as your typical studio environment. Erin, you had perfect timing for this Kali IN-8 review, as now I'll most likely use your results to guide my corrective EQ decisions and/or see what DL applies and see how it correlates. :-) 👍 I'd be willing to ship my KH 120-A's to you after I receive the IN-8's and have at least a few days with both of them. Unfortunately, at this point I can't tell you when I'll be receiving the IN-8's as they are shipping direct from Kali Audio. So perhaps I could go ahead and send you the KH 120-A's and do my own comparison later on. Let me know, mate?

@@bbfoto7248 -- I wasn't implying that there was no justification for that big price differential, just that the performance differential between the KH120As and the (roughly equivalent in size) IN-5s might be too small to be significant in most applications that don't require "built like tanks" durability. I'm a big admirer of Neumann (and Genelec) stuff, BTW -- but they're strictly pro products that lack such home user niceties as an RCA input jack option and appear to be way behind the newest Kali three-way models in terms of price/performance ratio. Peace.

@@editorjuno No worries, Bruce. I was moreso stating that information for anyone who might read these comments and may not be familiar with Neumann products, and why there might be such a large price delta between them and the Kali's. Before I got lucky by winning a free pair of Kali IN-8's, I was seriously contemplating ordering the IN-5's just to see how they would compare in terms of overall SQ & Soundstage/Imaging to the KH 120-A's at roughly half the price. I did listen to them at a dealer and was impressed, but it's not the same as my room. Thanks to Erin's research, we have both had success in the past using other raw concentric MF/HF transducers such as the KEF UNI-Q's and 5" BMS 5CN162HE in DIY applications, so I was curious to know how well either of the off-the-shelf Kali offerings performed, especially at their price point. When the IN-8 v2/2nd Wave monitors were released, it made me somewhat indecisive and I hesitated on which one to go with, IN-5 or IN-8 v2. But luckily someone made that an easy decision for me. :-) Ideally, I would really still like to do a direct comparison between the IN-5 & KH 120-A rather than the IN-8. Beggars can't be choosers, though! My offer still stands if Erin wants to test my well-used KH 120-A's. I've sent him drivers to test in the past. - Billy B.

same boat here

@@vipingkumar They've already released v2 of existing speakers which fixed noise issues, etc. I'd rather they focus on just improving as much as possible in their current price range and price speakers 2x the cost out of the market.

@@GSP-76 yah.. They released v2 almost one year ago. Now waiting for something new innovations

Sadly their sound reflects the “budget to mid range” quality.

So only for mid range.. 😅

My right KRK RP7 G4 just died for the second time, thinking of replacing them with a pair of these which come bundled with sonarworks for 780 euros or something on thomann

Awesome! Glad to have helped.

Ethan was right -- "10-15yrs ago." Nowadays, it seems Kali has changed the game by offering suitably inexpensive three-ways.

@@editorjuno the red district of Amsterdam did it way before Kali though haha

@@LaidbackSounds -- :-)

Project Santa Monica coming soon. They are passive speakers, $1,000 each.

Glad to help.

You can say that. 👍

I'll say the sky is blue.

@@ErinsAudioCorner -- Definitely. I think the last non-floorstanding speaker about which you raved so hard was the $3k/pair (plus a decent amp) Selah Audio Purezza with the high-tech Purifi mid-woofer. I was actually saving up for a pair of those, but after seeing the reviews the IN-5 was getting I jumped on the 2nd Wave IN-8s like a duck on a June bug as soon they became available. My only issue with them is that I can't low-pass my sub quite far down enough, so as soon as Kali offers a sub that's a bit smaller than the (12" 1kw!) monster that's the only one they currently make, I'll be ready to whip out the plastic again.

​@@editorjunowhat have you decided about the sub? The crossover point doesn't need to be at the speakers' lowest audible frequency. Try aroynd 50-60Hz.

Tambgh

Why not pronounce it as it really is in French, then? TainbRe, certain not "T-I-M", nor "-ber".

Nice! They're killer speakers.

After 1 year what's ur Review How many mixes u have done and How well they translate?

The frequency this occurs at is high which means it is a short distance away. It’s not so much the air gap. It’s the portion of the former that sticks up a few millimeters.

What are you using as a surround sound processor? If you're using an A/V receiver, I'd stick with passive speakers.

@@hienvu1714 nothing ATM, but I envisage marrantz AV7706 processor

Imo KEF are the only ones that come close. You are right there should be more competition instead of focussing on expensive tweeter materials and stuff.

Yep. Kef is really good at this.

@@steakhoux Agreed. Need them to make an active r3, or something better than the new LS50w II which I'd rather have a Kali and Chromecast.

@Clinton Stewart Depends what you want. The A77x has a little higher SPL but poor vertical dispersion. Likely poor horizontal dispersion too with a horizontal MTM design like that.

@Clinton Stewart You'd have to compare measurements if you've heard one or know the spec you're looking for, or listen to them both.

Superbestaudiofriends is an antiscience forum full of shills

@@frosty6845 Is that so. Would you mind providing a few examples for the community?

Glad you liked it.

Could you develop the link between the 160Hz resonance and the boundary setting, please?

Not sure what you mean?

Well, you talk about a resonance at 160Hz at 16min30. Then about the boundary settings a few seconds later. It might just be a cut and no relation.

@@daftcombo4402 no relation between those two.

The performance profile indicates they are designed as near-field monitors where you would listen to them at a closer range at a lower overall volume in a small mixing studio room than you typically would for home music or home theater use.

That would be cool for sure. Killer speakers. Definitely worth a try.

"The best" will depend on your room, your listening distance, your availability space...

I really like both. The IN-5 is smaller and makes it more practical for a desk but the IN-8 has deeper bass.

Off axis is when the speakers are NOT pointed directly at the listening position (or microphone, if taking measurements). They're pointed at a point substantially in front of you or behind you.

I just meant in terms of high output from a far distance. If you are within a few meters it shouldn't be a problem, especially when you use a subwoofer. But they aren't going to provide tons of output volume if you are sitting pretty far away and also want to have them play relatively low.

@@ErinsAudioCornerwhat would you recommend for that

The Kali folks are still talking up their only existing sub, so I think it's a pretty safe bet that its IN-8 low-pass setting will work fine with the 2nd Wave IN-8s.

Did you end up buying the IN8 V2 and if so, did you end up getting a sub? I was going to order a pair of IN7 V2 after Christmas but they were out of stock so i bought a pair of used Adam Audio A8H instead but those came damaged so I'm back to the Kali. I may pair them with the Adam SUB10 (mostly for listening to pre-recorded music in my living room.

Yes and yes.

If I had enough space in my office. They are rather large and I don’t have the desk space.

How do these compare to the Yamaha's?

@@DinkyBoo these have some on axis brightness inherent to all coaxials (that can be easily addressed with EQ), but nothing in comparison to the harshness in treble from the directivity error around XO point in the Yamahas. These are two whole classes above the Yamahas. A much more fair comparison would be the LP6 v2, which I'd pick over the HS.

The only downside to the IN-8 v2 is just they are rather large. But if you have the space, I’d get those. The extra bass extension is worth it.

There's no such thing as too large unless you literally are close enough for the drivers not to sum correctly. At 3 metres even 150+kg main monitors should be fine

That depends on how close you are. I'd say if you're within about 2-3 meters of the speakers then they would probably be fine. But further away, and that's gonna be a "no".

Why the aversion to active? It skips a lot of the bullshit

I used to say exact the same thing... 10 years ago. It all depends on what you're using them for!

Having a tough time deciding between these two as well, in addition to the KH 120 (would later add a sub). Tough decisions without all in your space, right? What did you decide?

Good question. Because someone sent me a v1 when they thought it was a v2. But yep, the back is clearly labeled “Second Wave”. The cones are also more paper-grained and a bit lighter in color IIRC.

I don't think I reviewed those.

@@ErinsAudioCorner no worries, thought you mentioned it in this video. Must have misheard. Cheers 👍

Which monitors did you end up getting? I almost always recommend "go big" but in your case - on a computer desk - the IN5 V2 might be a better choice. The IN8 v2's are quite large. I would strongly recommend using isolation pads/feet under either model.

@@hienvu1714 I tried the LP6V2 and the IN5 and stuck with the IN5. Had no desire to go bigger. I couldn't be happier. I made custom isolation stands for them to get them at the perfect height.

I've been going back and forth between the Adam Audio A8H, A77H, A7V and Kali Audio IN8 v2 & IN5 v2 with a 8" or 10" sub 50% for my digital piano/microphone and 50% for music listening. The Kali INs don't look nearly as nice as the Adam As but it's tough to beat the Kali!

​@@hienvu1714what about the sound?

​@@vor946Of course 8" will give you fuller sound if you have the space. For music listening, I'd use the 8" plus a sub :)

yeah it would be great

Hmmm. The Kali has lower frequency extension so for the reason I am tempted to say get that. The Arendal would need to be used with a subwoofer to get even midbass out of it if memory serves me correctly.

@@ErinsAudioCorner So, I' ll go for the Kali without the need for adding a subwoofer and an amp! Thank you very much!

What did you end up getting and how do you like it?

No idea.

If you’re within about 12 feet or so then you’re most likely ok. But they still need a sub to cover the low frequencies.

I might in the future. I didn't test short-term peak with continuous peak noise. For more info, read the review on my site on how and why the tests are conducted the way they are.

@@ErinsAudioCornerNot sure what I was thinking when I wrote that. 102dB continuous pink noise would of course have destroyed many of the speakers you've tested.

That info is on the back of each speaker.

👍

Either would work but I'd get the IN-8 v2.

@@ErinsAudioCorner ​ Thanks for that. I did always plan for the IN-8s, but the Spinorama data swayed more towards the LP6s.

I don’t think it’s huge. I’d have to go back and look at the data, but if memory serves, I think I remember being surprised it wasn’t a bigger difference. I imagine the limiter is a little bit less aggressive on the larger one.

@@ErinsAudioCorneryep just rechecked both your videos and they seem alike... disturbing... with a sub in a small medium room I guess im better of with the 5s, also ampwise the 5s are more powerful (8 inch is probably more efficient). Also money is not so much a concern so if you have the time to tell me which one is the best it would be nice ! Thanks for the fast response !

@@Desanusor -- I own both: IN-8s for L+R, IN-5 for the center channel. The IN-8 is superior in SPL before limiting as Erin suspected, and to my ear sounds smoother way down low. I was able low-pass my sub at about 60-65Hz and got an excellent sub to/from IN-8 transition that way, but with the IN-5 the more usual 80Hz worked better in that regard. It takes a lot of EQ -- and thus amp power -- to make the IN-5's little woofer get as close to the IN-8's low end as it does, hence the apparently more aggressive limiter. It should be noted that Oscar at Kali recommends 80Hz as the sub low-pass frequency for both models, with a a corresponding 80Hz high-pass on the input of the Kali if available -- quite a few subs, including my SVS and Kali's own, having that 80Hz high-pass feature built in. I might even try it some day! 😎

@@editorjunoits for a desk setup in my case thats why I still consider the 5s but yeah sub integration is allways better imo the less it has to do... anyway thanks for your input I may buy both and send back the ones I like the less !

I kind of doubt it, to be honest.

@@ErinsAudioCorner How come? Not worth it ?

@@TexasCorgiGun honestly, not a lot of personal interest because I reviewed the LS50 Wireless II (which I love) and there are other things I am more interested in spending time on.

@@ErinsAudioCorner Thanks man btw, happy holidays !!!

The 4kHz was the issue I noticed. EQ’ing it with a standard graphic EQ resolved the issue. Otherwise a shelf filter would have been needed. 👍

What a ridiculous take. A flat response would not cause the shrills Erin described, the measured peak at around 4kHz, however, does

Do you have any idea what you're talking about?

I know... and I still don't like it! LOL

No issues that I noticed.

they lowered the noise levels by -12db so that’s supposed to be resolved.

@@nine27 I heard the first version and it was terrible way too much hiss /noise so I am not sure I would purchase site unseen

@@roymindmybusiness6908 I hear ya. but everyone including them has said it’s resolved

I just got the IN-5 and the hiss is greater than I expected. I also noticed a slight dullness in the higher frequency range compared to my other monitors, and when I tried to correct by boosting +2db with the dip switch it matched my other monitors, but substantially increased hiss, which I was hoping would not happen. I listen to them at 3 to 4 feet. On the fence regarding sending them back.

Kali makes one. Not sure how good it is

😂😂😂

Is the source of that contention personal experience or hearsay? The only Kali failure I've ever encountered was the previous model IN-8 that Amir at ASR tested several years ago, and IIRC that turned out to be from shipping damage.

@@editorjuno I was checking them out compared to the similar Adam T8V and Adam claims 5 year warranty (with registration - 2 without) while Kali says 1 year.

@@FEDUP-xx -- Not familiar with the Adam product, so no comment from here other than to note that it's not even close to "similar," being as it's a two-way model with a rear-firing port.

@@editorjuno When the measurements of their 3 way isn't really that noticeably better than their own 2 way speakers, I don't think 3 way matters. Similar meaning large desktop monitors from each company close enough to the same price. The point of the post isn't to compare the speakers sound quality, its to compare the fact 1 company gives you 5 years warranty and the other 1. 1 company believes in their product, the other doesn't.

@@FEDUP-xx -- Kali's IN series is measurably better than their LP models. Whether that difference is significant or even audible in any particular application is another matter -- but all the Kalis are performance leaders at their price points. That said, point taken on the warranty issue -- sometimes, long warranties are an honest expression of the manufacturer's confidence in a product's long-term reliability, but just as often they're just marketing moves to gain the exact competitive edge you noticed.

Virtually all active speakers priced below $1K/pair are made there.