Excellent review, I got mine yesterday and I was blown away, these monitors sound way better than almost their entire competition on their price range, rivaling way more expensive monitors. Thank you for the video!
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.
@@siddantsharma3681 The newer N8s do not have any noise or hiss. "Their" or "They" refers to a person or persons. "There" refers to a place or event. But the hiss is NOT "THERE" in my new N8 speakers.
Subbed. I'm a filmmaker and I can find videos all day on camera gear but NO ONE is giving the proper attention to audio capturing and post work. Audio is seriously missing from the convo. Glad I found this channel and the help with knowing what to look for in studio monitors.
For those wondering, they do hiss. And if using them near field, it may be slightly annoying. Dialing in super quiet mix elements can be a little troublesome. Noise is audible up to 3m for me. That said, I finished my first mix on these over the weekend. Blown away. Translation was great, no fatigue, great imaging, large sweet spot, etc. I would have gladly paid $50-$100 more for no hiss. I came from HS-8s, which were near silent in this regard.
It came down to the HS8s and the in8s and I just chose the in8s... Based on your experience with both, was it a good idea going with these over the HS8s? The deciding factors for me was these being front ported vs back ports of the HS8s (I have to have them closer to my wall due to room size limitation), the 3-way coaxial design, and the fact that I already have the HS5s ... Just a bit nervous because it's a new company (Yamahas can be found in many many studios, as they have a proven track record), and I'm worried the hiss will be an issues I won't be able to deal with. I don't have that issue with the HS5s and I doubt I would with the HS8s either... Do you think I made the right choice going with the in8s?
I have suggested these speakers to a few friends based on this video and this generated a few sales of IN-8. Commenting here to bring attention to potential sponsors for this excellent channel.
I have a pair of white Yamaha HS 7’s at home, I only have my 6 x keyboards run in stereo and plugged into a mixer, then plugged into the Yamahas, I hate how the HS7’s sound, are the Kali IN8’s a massive improvement in all departments? I have my monitors on stands in the corners of my rooms (around 1.5 metres from the wall and around 50cm from the side of the walls, my room is not huge
I was still stuck between the LP series and Adam T series, leaning toward the Adams. Kali dropping the INs I think has pushed me over, especially with the coaxial design. Thanks, I think this review sold me :)
Funny, I'v been vacillating between these and the LP-8's in my Sweetwater wish list for the giveaway. After watching this, I just switched back to the IN-8's. :) Thanks for the info!
I do have one concern with going this route. Isn't it a better idea to keep the sub bass frequencies separate, such as using a dedicated subwoofer? This way the sub-low's don't interact/interfere with the mid's/high's produced by the other woofer and tweeter in a 3 way speaker? I'd think something like a 2 way 5 to 6" 2 way with a 10"/12" dedicated sub with proper crossover would be the ideal setup. I haven't done a side by side comparison, so I'm not sure. The IN-8's look awesome by the way. I just wish they would have changed the look a little bit more from the cheaper model they offer, the lp-8.
Excellent video. Good to see you compare to the underrated KRK 10-3 in the comments section below. (Also interesting to see that the M-Audio M3-8 had been trying this for several years prior...)
What I noticed in the measurements in the web and yt, is that they lack a bit of high end. They have a dip in the 9k region and I was wondering if it a problem. Is it noticeable? Does that dip push the engineer to bump everything up in that region and later the mixes would sound a bit harsh and maybe too bright? Thanks.
Hey Justin! Cheers very much for this review of these monitors. It's a bit hard to see, but can these monitors be connected by 1/4 jacks or are they just XLR inputs? Cheers!
Hi Justin, the video was great. Thank you for sharing. Would you recommend the 8in to a 15'x10' room? I am leaning towards the 8 in because of the range of frequencies it reproduces.
I'm glad I saw this. For my room which will be everything barring mastering rolled into one. Creative, production, vocal recording and sampling and mixdown. Would you pick these over a pair of G4 KRKs?
Thanks Justin; speaking of 3 way designs, I was sort of impressed (in terms of low price vs quality), by the KRK rokit 10-3 g3´s (same pricerange). Have you heard those and if these Kalis are better, what is it that you like more about them? In cheaper speakers, I often seem to gravitate to Krk´s midrange. Im a guitarplayer, and it seems I hear the "strings" in those pretty well, in sort of the same way as in many more expensive speakers I have used. Anyway, just curious what you´re thoughts are, as I am trying to figure out my "eq- curve- religion". :-) Cheers!
The KRKs are great too. Pretty much the only other thing close to this price range to really look at for a 3-way. They are a bit more expensive for the 3-way. About $1000 vs $800 here. I’d say the Kalis are shooting to try to be a little bit more neutral, where the KRKs are shooting to be just a little bit more “fun”, while still leading you to make great decisions. The KRKs have maybe a hair more “bite” and “sparkle”, in a nice way, while not overdoing it too much. They can go even deeper because of the 10” driver, and can get even louder because of the higher wattage amps. That’s where they get high marks. The Kalis get high marks for the extremely useful neutrality and precision of the top end and midrange, for really great soundstaging and stereo field detail and phase alignment because of the coaxial design, and for offering an even more affordable and compact package while doing it. Both have pretty ingenious and easy to use EQ if you need it. Both speakers are unlike anything else in this price range, and you’ve really got to hear them to get a sense for what might work best for your personality. In general, if you are primarily mixing, I recommend going for speakers that are kind of the inverse of how you want your mixes to end up. It’s a bit counterintuitive, but for mixing, erring on the side having speakers that sound a little more like the *opposite* of what you want out of your final mix can be helpful. For instance: If you want brighter, cleaner and more exciting sounding mixes than you’re getting, then having slightly darker sounding speakers can help steer you in the direction of brightening things up. If you want fuller, beefier mixes than you’ve been getting, then erring on the side of slightly brighter speakers can help lead you in the direction of smoothing things out and fattening things up a bit more. If you’re doing mostly music creation, music production, or listening mostly for fun, then that rule doesn’t apply as strictly. In that case, you can just steer it yourself more towards whatever speakers sound the most fun and inspiring to you-within reason of course! Longish answer, but most good ones are. I hope it helps!
@@JustinColletti That's an amazing and helpful answer Justin! Thanks you so much! Yes, Im mainly looking for at three way for mixing, as an alternitive "bigger" detailed 2nd monitor setup. And I will ponder on your philosophy on "reversing" the eq curve, as to where you want to end up. I think I may have the habit of having just a little less bass than I think I have in my mixes, generally. Which indicates why maybe I still like and get good results with NS10 with a sub not that loudly driven (the sub), or for example KRKs. Interesting, refering to your thoughts on that, makes sense... But I definetely have to hear these Kali's. Its a killer price. And I dig older Tannoys coax speakers so I get what you mean. Its a smart concept they have come up with on these. I've been having good results with the classic combo of ns10's, and Genelec 1032 for more detail and low end. But right now I only have the NS10's... hm, Kalis could be a very good other reference and replacer for the 1032- "thing"... . Have to check them out. Once again thanks, nice talking to you. 🙏 Cheers, Viktor
Don't get ANY studio monitors with Class-D amps, particulary Class-D for the HF high frequencies. From the KRK Rokit RP10-3, Generation 1 and Generation 2 models are the best by far. Generation 3 is a bit less so, and forget the all-Class-D Gen 4 of them. With the Kalis, there is zero track record.
@@JustinCollettiThank you Justin. I'm finally able to narrow down to just the Kali IN8 V2 and the Adam A7V, which is twice the price. If I have my Rokkit 10S sub take care of the low frequencies, would the difference between 2-way and 3-way be less apparent? I'm leaning 80% toward the IN8 V2 but just want to make sure I'm not being too unfair to the A7V. Thanks for your input!
Fluid Audios like the FX8 and FX80 are 2-way coaxials, so you are missing the mid-frequency driver. Will definitely hurt you in mid-range frequenci3es, such as human voice. Here with this Kali you have all three -- low, mid, high. The mid and high share the axis, the woofer below has its own. This Kali would not be too bad if at least the MF and HF would be amplified using Class AB amps. But all Class D for all 3 drivers? It's a non-starter for many folks.
I believe the shape has a passive radiator, not an actual additional driver, so it's a different kind of design, and not really a true 3-way. I'm sure it's an excellent 2-way and I believe it should be easier to place closer to wall without issue. But it's a different kind of design. I have not heard them at length or compared the two. I hope that helps!
You didn’t mention crossovers though, and how three-way monitors have two crossovers instead of just one. That’s a big issue for having as flat a response as possible. You also didn’t mention that room size and distance from monitors matter; three-way speakers are generally meant for mid-field monitoring rather than near-field monitoring. I hope anyone who watches this without doing research does research before buying these.
True. People too often forget the crossover. Having said that, the crossover in a 2-way usually contributs to the smeary midrange - particularly on 8" designs.
@@iqi616 You are probably right, it's a complicated conversation, but they (active crossovers with DSP) doing a GREAT JOB. Most of the time I'm working as live sound tech and I can't imagine my life without this technology. I was working before with full analog system (I'm not really young) and I really don't wanna go back. These speakers are great. I'm working with them for around 20 days and can't really find some major problem. They are MUCH better than some more expensive and famous brands. I finally found, thanks to Justin, what I'm going to keep for years.
@@mihailojocic I'm glad you're enjoying the new speakers. It's always a joy to hear familiar mixes through new speakers and hear nuances you'd not heard before. Yes, live sound has been transformed by digital technology.
KRK makes a pair as well. The RP-10. Not a coaxial design and a little more hyped up in frequency response, but also an option! These are pretty much the only two going that I know of. Hope that helps, Justin
How is the hiss level on these? I have a pair of Kali LP-6 which are excellent when playing but have a lot of noticeable hiss when silent. I'm told it has something to do with managing the associated self noise of class D amps (vs. class A/B).
There is some hiss when not playing but it hasn’t bothered me. When there has been no sound playing for a little while, they mute themselves automatically so any hiss disappears them. It wasn’t a problem for me, but if you’re very sensitive to it maybe you’ll feel differently. Most of the time they are effectively silent for hiss because either music is playing so you don’t hear it, or no music is playing and they’ve self muted. But there is some time in between where you could hear them. Hope that helps!
@@SonicScoop Thanks Justin! Just heard today that the new Kali IN-5 monitors will reduce hiss self-noise by 12dB (as compared to previous IN-8 and LP models). That's a huge reduction!
CMIIW...i remember watch you in your compression video with genelec 1031, how about this Kali IN8 to same 2way old.genelec 1031 in depth and detail they represent?
Would the new IN-8 V2 along with thier Kali subwoofers make a good mastering system for a well treated room at a fairly serious home studio? (room 8mtr x 9mtr and 9ft ceilings)?
that would be an excellent mastering system. The problem is properly implementing a subwoofer in such a small room. Alot of nodes, bass problems. If its acoustically treated, and you used some sort of room eq, then it should be fine
@@ewcho8995 Thanks for your reply and confirming this for me, Kali actually just replied and also and said only 1 sub is required, as one sub keeps up with up to 5 IN-5 or IN-8's so that's good... My room has Yamaha MSP7s and HS8S sub flat down to 25Hz and no real issues as the room is well treated, and using Sonarworks... Looking forward to stepping up to the Kali System.
KRK RP10-3 were good for Generation 1, 2, and 3. Now they have Class D amps for LF-MF-HF in their current Gen 4 models, so I would not get them for anything. This Kali here is the same exact 3-way monitor that M-AUDIO has been making for many years, the M3-8. They discontinued that one last year because "it was getting long in the tooth," or so they told me. Now it is KALI that is making them. In my view, a studio monitor where the mids are highs are driven by Class-D amps is a bad idea and a needles compromise. So, I would only get the M-Audio M3-8 or one of the previous generations of the KRK 3-way. M-AUDIO is better, it has coaxial mid-high drivers like the Kali replacemenet.
Define small! The room I did most of my listening in for these is about 20’ x 10’. Small by some standards large by others. A good happy medium I think.
The hiss noise is a compromise at this price point. If you hear the noise you're too close too monitors this big anyway. BTW, my Focal Solo 6BE hissed like a goddamn bitch and they're much more expensive.
are there three-way monitors better than these between 1000 and 2000 bucks? Between these and the dynaudio lyd 48 (which I don't know if and how much better they are than these) i know nothing
The Dynaudios would be more like $2300/pair which is almost 3x the price of these. Also very nice speakers. Not a coaxial design, so a bit different. There's also a pair of KRKs in this price range with the Kalis, but jut a little bit more. Also not a coax design. Hope that helps! -Justin
As written elsewhere, all class D amplifiers are going to exhibit some noise when nothing is playing. These do too. But they automatically mute when no signal has been playing for a little bit, so mostly you never notice it. But it is there, as with any similar amp design. it was nothing that alarmed me. But your tastes could be different. For super critical listening for extremely quiet noises and fade tails, headphones are a good complement. That's true in general too though :-) Hope that helps! -Justin
Funny how he talks about 2 ways making the mids go softer when cracked up while most the time the opposite is true. Thats why we have a loudness setting on amplifiers right?.. 🤔
Very informative Justin! Thanks! A thought: Your video would benefit from just using one camera .. the editing between the two was a bit distracting & unecessary.
It depends on your tastes. If I was spending significantly more money and my aim was mixing, I would probably look at ADAMs. If it was mastering and I had a lot higher budget, I might look at PMC. If I wanted something really fun sounding as mains, maybe Focal. There’s a lot of great stuff out there, each with it’s own personality. For under $1000 these Kalis are among the best options. If you were going to spend a bunch more and wanted a 3-way, they tend to start a lot higher in most cases. Here are some of my favorites: sonicscoop.com/2019/09/25/best-main-monitors-for-the-serious-project-studio/ Speakers are a deeply personal choice, and your tastes and biases matter a lot in picking the ones that are right for you. But hopefully some of my listening notes from that link can help.
*Better in the midrange.... WHAT ABOUT the **#Pioneer** SP-BS22-LR **#AndrewJonesDesigned** Bookshelf Loudspeakers? Does anyone have any VIABLE insight on a comparison between the Kali speaker line up and this Pioneer?*
The Pioneers you've mentioned are hi-fi speakers with 4" bass woofer with a 1" tweeter and are "colored" by design to sound exciting when listening to. The Kali IN8s are trying to be as flat as possible, to be good to mix on. Wouldn't compare the two.
M-Audio made coaxial 3-ways.... they were quite cheap, around USD $260. Still, they sold poorly, so M-Audio withdrew them from the market and provided no replacement for them. Hopefully Kalis will have a better longevity and staying power.
@@KeyLocs I also have the JBL 3-series. Amps are Class D there, same as here. The HF waveguide is superb with the JBL, theyx got that from their cinema speakers. I would say that the JBL 3-series with ther 8-inch woofer will sound a bit more robsut, but overall this Kali 3-way would perform smoother. There is only so much you can do with 2-ways.
Regarding the JBL 2-series. I purchased 6 of those soon after they came out. The original Mark 1 series with the pro-looking matte black cabinets. Amazing monitors. But the components were pricey, thus their profit margin low, so JBL Pro had killed that line quickly, and been peddling the garish piano lacquer Mark 2 units ever since then. I would not trade my 6 Mark 1 300-series units for 66 of the Mark 2's with that garish-looking piano laccquaer finish. Remember, there was nothing wrong with the Mark 1 edition of the 300s. It's jsut JBL could make the Mark 2s cheaper, is all. Capitalism at its finest.
The Hiss Masters! An $800.00 pair of speakers should not have any noise when powered up! My Mackie MR524's and HR824's have no noise. Kali Audio states that they have that noise to keep the cost down? My Mackie MR524' only cost $340.00 and have no noise when powered up! That's a line of BS that they can not produce a speaker for that price with out a noise filter that virtually cost nothing. Capacitors cost pennies!
All class D amplifiers are going to exhibit some noise when nothing is playing. These do too. But they automatically mute when no signal has been playing for a little bit, so mostly you never notice it. But it is there, as with any similar amp design. Hope that helps! -Justin
@@SonicScoop is it more than normal monitors? Would this interfere with working? It seems like it would be hard to tell if the recording had issues or if it was just your speakers.
Quality 2 way speakers wins against average 3 way. You get what you pay for, there's a reason why Neumann, Genelec, PSI and all the professional references are more expensive. You want a great 3 way studio monitor, try Neumann KH310. Best bang for the buck!
Why exactly is this "unique?" It is the same concept and sesign for 3-way monitors that M-AUDIO has been making for many years, the M3-8. They discontinued that one a few years ago because it was getting long in the tooth and did not sell in sufficient quantities. Now it is KALI that is making them. Also, a studio monitor where the MF mids are HF highs are driven by Class-D amps -- is in reality a bad idea. Which is why the better quaoity 3-ways use PWM Class-D amping ro the LF woofer driver(s) only, and Clas-AB amplifiers for MF and HF. Case in point: Adam Audio's new A-series 3-ways.
Frequency response is important and a good measurement for companies to releases. And they usually do! At least the +/- tolerance within a specified range. Frequency response *charts*, however, can be a little more specific to each unit. For instance, I owned two AKG 414 BULS. They both had the same frequency response tolerances of +/- “x” from “y”hz to “z”khz. But each one had their own specific charts which showed slight bumps and dips in different places. These are very well made mics. But that’s the reality of working with physical membranes. Those differences showed but as slightly different squiggles on a chart. But are they going to be differences you can really hear? It depends. But remember that our ability to measure is MUCH more refined than our ability to hear. Not every company or product has the budget to test every speaker or mic that comes off the production line in an anechoic chamber for its unique frequency response. They are very expensive to build or rent, and will increase the cost of the product significantly. With all that said, frequency response isn’t the only thing that factors into the sound quality of a mic or speaker. It is just one dimension of sound, though an important one for sure. Hope that helps! -Justin
@@SonicScoop..i haven't seen a single studio monitor 2 or 3 way with published frequency response. the so called frequency response from Original Mackies ( which i owned back in the day) was generic. the frequency response is most important because not many people have a perfect room so we have to measure the frequency response in the room and then make necessary EQ adjustment before our ears can make accurate mixes. speakers sounding good is worse way to pick studio monitors. as far as Kali publisded specs 45 Hz - 21 kHz for a 3 way is not good at all. many 8 inch 2 way monitors match that or go lower than 45 hz.
You cannot demonstrate speakers though a microphone, you have to be in the room with the speakers to listen to them... It would be like trying to demonstrate the smell of a perfume on youtube XD
thanks for that info. But please, in all your videos you are talking the things you are speaking about to death. keep it shorter on point or show more examples, diagrams whatever. thx.
Nope, just giving my honest opinion. They are certainly one of the most affordable 3-ways on the market, the midrange and stereo imaging is amazing for the price, the top end is as good as anything else for the price and the bottom end is on par for its class. Are they the only speakers I’d recommend at this price or another? No. There are plenty of other speakers I also think could be a great buy and am happy to talk about those too. There are also some speakers I really don’t like, but I try not to talk about them so often :) Hope that helps, Justin
Excellent review, I got mine yesterday and I was blown away, these monitors sound way better than almost their entire competition on their price range, rivaling way more expensive monitors.
Thank you for the video!
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.
What about hiss sound?? Is it their
@@siddantsharma3681 The newer N8s do not have any noise or hiss. "Their" or "They" refers to a person or persons. "There" refers to a place or event. But the hiss is NOT "THERE" in my new N8 speakers.
@@stevend984,whew🥴🥴🥴sharma was just asking (no caps).
Subbed. I'm a filmmaker and I can find videos all day on camera gear but NO ONE is giving the proper attention to audio capturing and post work. Audio is seriously missing from the convo. Glad I found this channel and the help with knowing what to look for in studio monitors.
You are not looking in the right place...
Just showing some love in the comments for these people and to help out with the RUclips algorithms. Always love all of Justin and SonicScoop's stuff.
For those wondering, they do hiss. And if using them near field, it may be slightly annoying. Dialing in super quiet mix elements can be a little troublesome. Noise is audible up to 3m for me. That said, I finished my first mix on these over the weekend. Blown away. Translation was great, no fatigue, great imaging, large sweet spot, etc. I would have gladly paid $50-$100 more for no hiss. I came from HS-8s, which were near silent in this regard.
in my experience you can deal with the hiss by preamping the speakers even though that's not ideal
Pit what is the frequency of the hiss?
who is buying a hiss monitor ?
It came down to the HS8s and the in8s and I just chose the in8s... Based on your experience with both, was it a good idea going with these over the HS8s? The deciding factors for me was these being front ported vs back ports of the HS8s (I have to have them closer to my wall due to room size limitation), the 3-way coaxial design, and the fact that I already have the HS5s ... Just a bit nervous because it's a new company (Yamahas can be found in many many studios, as they have a proven track record), and I'm worried the hiss will be an issues I won't be able to deal with. I don't have that issue with the HS5s and I doubt I would with the HS8s either... Do you think I made the right choice going with the in8s?
@@23Guitardood its a new company found by ex jbl employees so they know their shit. whats the hiss like on yours?
Thanks for this Justin - appreciate the explanations on the co-axial and three-way design elements.
I have suggested these speakers to a few friends based on this video and this generated a few sales of IN-8. Commenting here to bring attention to potential sponsors for this excellent channel.
Hello sir. Would you recommend these instead of the Yamaha HS8 for mixing? Thank you
Yes, I would.
-Justin
@@SonicScoop Thank you. Much appreciated. And How about the Adam Audio A7V? Thats my next struggle :)
Excellent video Justin. Thank you.
Thank you SonicScoop for the info, thumbs up! :)
I know this is far off topic but where did you happen to get your couch from
Haha nice
Hahaha!! That's the first thing my missus noticed lol
How do they compare with the KRK 10-3? That's the other 3-way that comes to mind.
I have a pair of white Yamaha HS 7’s at home, I only have my 6 x keyboards run in stereo and plugged into a mixer, then plugged into the Yamahas, I hate how the HS7’s sound, are the Kali IN8’s a massive improvement in all departments?
I have my monitors on stands in the corners of my rooms (around 1.5 metres from the wall and around 50cm from the side of the walls, my room is not huge
A really nice commentry on these speakers Justin, very informative and educational.Cheers
there is a big difference when you have a 3way bass, mid and tweeter with a good crossover there is no comparison it is something magical ...
Super transparent review, Justin! thanks!
I was still stuck between the LP series and Adam T series, leaning toward the Adams. Kali dropping the INs I think has pushed me over, especially with the coaxial design.
Thanks, I think this review sold me :)
Funny, I'v been vacillating between these and the LP-8's in my Sweetwater wish list for the giveaway. After watching this, I just switched back to the IN-8's. :) Thanks for the info!
That's the right choice.
@@kaliaudio Thanks :)
@@kaliaudio Would I need a sub with these? Within a medium hall sized home studio setting. These seem to handle the low end well.
If someone gave you a free pair of speakers would you go for those Kalies or Adam ax7's ?
I do have one concern with going this route. Isn't it a better idea to keep the sub bass frequencies separate, such as using a dedicated subwoofer? This way the sub-low's don't interact/interfere with the mid's/high's produced by the other woofer and tweeter in a 3 way speaker? I'd think something like a 2 way 5 to 6" 2 way with a 10"/12" dedicated sub with proper crossover would be the ideal setup. I haven't done a side by side comparison, so I'm not sure. The IN-8's look awesome by the way. I just wish they would have changed the look a little bit more from the cheaper model they offer, the lp-8.
Buying them now
Excellent video. Good to see you compare to the underrated KRK 10-3 in the comments section below. (Also interesting to see that the M-Audio M3-8 had been trying this for several years prior...)
Are these good for a living room? Do they have the right sound stage and imaging, not just transparency?
ive got the lp6 and realy like them alot, i just preordered the new kali ws 6.2 sub to go with them and cant wait to get it.
Curious as to what speaker stands you're using in the video. They look like they fit nicely.
Which speakers do you use in your mastering room? Probably not comparable with these speakers but I’m just curious.
What I noticed in the measurements in the web and yt, is that they lack a bit of high end. They have a dip in the 9k region and I was wondering if it a problem. Is it noticeable? Does that dip push the engineer to bump everything up in that region and later the mixes would sound a bit harsh and maybe too bright? Thanks.
Hey Justin. Lots of similar specs to the Dynaudio LYD 48s. Do you have any experience comparing to these?
Hey Justin! Cheers very much for this review of these monitors. It's a bit hard to see, but can these monitors be connected by 1/4 jacks or are they just XLR inputs? Cheers!
These speakers have 1/4", XLR and RCA inputs. So you're pretty much covered no matter what you've got!
Hey Justin, what would you recommend for a bedroom environment between the IN8 and IN5?
Hi Justin, the video was great. Thank you for sharing. Would you recommend the 8in to a 15'x10' room? I am leaning towards the 8 in because of the range of frequencies it reproduces.
I'm glad I saw this.
For my room which will be everything barring mastering rolled into one. Creative, production, vocal recording and sampling and mixdown. Would you pick these over a pair of G4 KRKs?
I have Gen4 KRKs, the Kalis are to big for my room, if I had the space this would be a no brainier, definitely get the Kalis
Beware!
Severely in depth review 🙏🏼
I wonder about quality of components used to build this speaker.
Thanks dude. I mix on Focal Twin6's at work. Wanted something for the house that wont empty the wallet. Buying a pair.
love the theory you present here. i mix off my ath m50x and a pair of mackie thumps, pa speakers will definetly tell u when ur mids are outa whack.
Thanks Justin; speaking of 3 way designs, I was sort of impressed (in terms of low price vs quality), by the KRK rokit 10-3 g3´s (same pricerange).
Have you heard those and if these Kalis are better, what is it that you like more about them?
In cheaper speakers, I often seem to gravitate to Krk´s midrange. Im a guitarplayer, and it seems I hear the "strings" in those pretty well, in sort of the same way as in many more expensive speakers I have used. Anyway, just curious what you´re thoughts are, as I am trying to figure out my "eq- curve- religion". :-) Cheers!
The KRKs are great too. Pretty much the only other thing close to this price range to really look at for a 3-way.
They are a bit more expensive for the 3-way. About $1000 vs $800 here.
I’d say the Kalis are shooting to try to be a little bit more neutral, where the KRKs are shooting to be just a little bit more “fun”, while still leading you to make great decisions.
The KRKs have maybe a hair more “bite” and “sparkle”, in a nice way, while not overdoing it too much. They can go even deeper because of the 10” driver, and can get even louder because of the higher wattage amps. That’s where they get high marks.
The Kalis get high marks for the extremely useful neutrality and precision of the top end and midrange, for really great soundstaging and stereo field detail and phase alignment because of the coaxial design, and for offering an even more affordable and compact package while doing it.
Both have pretty ingenious and easy to use EQ if you need it. Both speakers are unlike anything else in this price range, and you’ve really got to hear them to get a sense for what might work best for your personality.
In general, if you are primarily mixing, I recommend going for speakers that are kind of the inverse of how you want your mixes to end up.
It’s a bit counterintuitive, but for mixing, erring on the side having speakers that sound a little more like the *opposite* of what you want out of your final mix can be helpful.
For instance: If you want brighter, cleaner and more exciting sounding mixes than you’re getting, then having slightly darker sounding speakers can help steer you in the direction of brightening things up. If you want fuller, beefier mixes than you’ve been getting, then erring on the side of slightly brighter speakers can help lead you in the direction of smoothing things out and fattening things up a bit more.
If you’re doing mostly music creation, music production, or listening mostly for fun, then that rule doesn’t apply as strictly. In that case, you can just steer it yourself more towards whatever speakers sound the most fun and inspiring to you-within reason of course!
Longish answer, but most good ones are. I hope it helps!
@@JustinColletti That's an amazing and helpful answer Justin! Thanks you so much!
Yes, Im mainly looking for at three way for mixing, as an alternitive "bigger" detailed 2nd monitor setup. And I will ponder on your philosophy on "reversing" the eq curve, as to where you want to end up. I think I may have the habit of having just a little less bass than I think I have in my mixes, generally. Which indicates why maybe I still like and get good results with NS10 with a sub not that loudly driven (the sub), or for example KRKs. Interesting, refering to your thoughts on that, makes sense...
But I definetely have to hear these Kali's. Its a killer price. And I dig older Tannoys coax speakers so I get what you mean. Its a smart concept they have come up with on these.
I've been having good results with the classic combo of ns10's, and Genelec 1032 for more detail and low end. But right now I only have the NS10's... hm, Kalis could be a very good other reference and replacer for the 1032- "thing"... . Have to check them out.
Once again thanks, nice talking to you. 🙏 Cheers, Viktor
Don't get ANY studio monitors with Class-D amps, particulary Class-D for the HF high frequencies. From the KRK Rokit RP10-3, Generation 1 and Generation 2 models are the best by far. Generation 3 is a bit less so, and forget the all-Class-D Gen 4 of them. With the Kalis, there is zero track record.
@@JustinCollettiThank you Justin. I'm finally able to narrow down to just the Kali IN8 V2 and the Adam A7V, which is twice the price. If I have my Rokkit 10S sub take care of the low frequencies, would the difference between 2-way and 3-way be less apparent? I'm leaning 80% toward the IN8 V2 but just want to make sure I'm not being too unfair to the A7V. Thanks for your input!
IS time alignment an issue when putting them on their sides?????
I can't decide between these or, Fluid FX80? Please do a comparison, thanks.
Fluid Audios like the FX8 and FX80 are 2-way coaxials, so you are missing the mid-frequency driver. Will definitely hurt you in mid-range frequenci3es, such as human voice. Here with this Kali you have all three -- low, mid, high. The mid and high share the axis, the woofer below has its own. This Kali would not be too bad if at least the MF and HF would be amplified using Class AB amps. But all Class D for all 3 drivers? It's a non-starter for many folks.
Hello Justin How would you compare them with Focal Shape 65
I believe the shape has a passive radiator, not an actual additional driver, so it's a different kind of design, and not really a true 3-way. I'm sure it's an excellent 2-way and I believe it should be easier to place closer to wall without issue. But it's a different kind of design. I have not heard them at length or compared the two. I hope that helps!
You didn’t mention crossovers though, and how three-way monitors have two crossovers instead of just one. That’s a big issue for having as flat a response as possible. You also didn’t mention that room size and distance from monitors matter; three-way speakers are generally meant for mid-field monitoring rather than near-field monitoring. I hope anyone who watches this without doing research does research before buying these.
True. People too often forget the crossover. Having said that, the crossover in a 2-way usually contributs to the smeary midrange - particularly on 8" designs.
That was an issue before this modern age amplifiers, DSP's... I bought them and they are almost perfect.
@@mihailojocic DSPs help but they're only making better compromises to try to circumvent the laws of physics.
@@iqi616 You are probably right, it's a complicated conversation, but they (active crossovers with DSP) doing a GREAT JOB. Most of the time I'm working as live sound tech and I can't imagine my life without this technology. I was working before with full analog system (I'm not really young) and I really don't wanna go back. These speakers are great. I'm working with them for around 20 days and can't really find some major problem. They are MUCH better than some more expensive and famous brands. I finally found, thanks to Justin, what I'm going to keep for years.
@@mihailojocic I'm glad you're enjoying the new speakers. It's always a joy to hear familiar mixes through new speakers and hear nuances you'd not heard before. Yes, live sound has been transformed by digital technology.
Good info, thanks 👍
Thanks!
Great information. I was just nervous watching the speaker on the right getting bumped throughout the video. :-)
what are the other 3 way speakers in this price range?
KRK makes a pair as well. The RP-10. Not a coaxial design and a little more hyped up in frequency response, but also an option! These are pretty much the only two going that I know of. Hope that helps,
Justin
Great video!
Would love to watch one on the Tannoy Gold 8!
Great channel!
How is the hiss level on these? I have a pair of Kali LP-6 which are excellent when playing but have a lot of noticeable hiss when silent. I'm told it has something to do with managing the associated self noise of class D amps (vs. class A/B).
There is some hiss when not playing but it hasn’t bothered me. When there has been no sound playing for a little while, they mute themselves automatically so any hiss disappears them. It wasn’t a problem for me, but if you’re very sensitive to it maybe you’ll feel differently. Most of the time they are effectively silent for hiss because either music is playing so you don’t hear it, or no music is playing and they’ve self muted. But there is some time in between where you could hear them. Hope that helps!
@@SonicScoop Thanks Justin! Just heard today that the new Kali IN-5 monitors will reduce hiss self-noise by 12dB (as compared to previous IN-8 and LP models). That's a huge reduction!
hiss speakers are not acceptale sorry
Hey, |I didn't realize Poe Dameron was an audio expert??? :)
For me 3-Way Monitors is the best ...can not go back to 2-Way Monitors anymore
welcome to the 3 way hiss...much more
The JBL M2 Master Reference Monitor is one of the world's best speaker and it is a 2-way monitor. 😉
Can i use a bluetooth adapter for these ?
CMIIW...i remember watch you in your compression video with genelec 1031, how about this Kali IN8 to same 2way old.genelec 1031 in depth and detail they represent?
Would the new IN-8 V2 along with thier Kali subwoofers make a good mastering system for a well treated room at a fairly serious home studio? (room 8mtr x 9mtr and 9ft ceilings)?
that would be an excellent mastering system. The problem is properly implementing a subwoofer in such a small room. Alot of nodes, bass problems. If its acoustically treated, and you used some sort of room eq, then it should be fine
@@ewcho8995 Thanks for your reply and confirming this for me, Kali actually just replied and also and said only 1 sub is required, as one sub keeps up with up to 5 IN-5 or IN-8's so that's good... My room has Yamaha MSP7s and HS8S sub flat down to 25Hz and no real issues as the room is well treated, and using Sonarworks... Looking forward to stepping up to the Kali System.
@@ewcho8995 8 x 9 mtr is small? Lol.
@@TheMicrofox i didnt see he had used meters with feet. I thought they were all ft
where are you buying them at that price
Hi, KRK RP10-3 G4 VS KALİ İN8 ?
KRK RP10-3 were good for Generation 1, 2, and 3. Now they have Class D amps for LF-MF-HF in their current Gen 4 models, so I would not get them for anything. This Kali here is the same exact 3-way monitor that M-AUDIO has been making for many years, the M3-8. They discontinued that one last year because "it was getting long in the tooth," or so they told me. Now it is KALI that is making them. In my view, a studio monitor where the mids are highs are driven by Class-D amps is a bad idea and a needles compromise. So, I would only get the M-Audio M3-8 or one of the previous generations of the KRK 3-way. M-AUDIO is better, it has coaxial mid-high drivers like the Kali replacemenet.
Did you hear them in small studio?
Define small! The room I did most of my listening in for these is about 20’ x 10’. Small by some standards large by others. A good happy medium I think.
@@JustinColletti Would I need a sub with these? Within a medium hall sized home studio setting. These seem to handle the low end well.
Maybe you can’t review the new Tannoy Golds!? That be awesome
My Adam A5x are good but really dosent handle high SPl..it gets boomy ! @3:00
Boominess in most cases with monitor types speakers has more to do with room acoustics.
what about the hiss noise from the twitter? any solutions ?
The hiss noise is a compromise at this price point. If you hear the noise you're too close too monitors this big anyway. BTW, my Focal Solo 6BE hissed like a goddamn bitch and they're much more expensive.
are there three-way monitors better than these between 1000 and 2000 bucks? Between these and the dynaudio lyd 48 (which I don't know if and how much better they are than these) i know nothing
The Dynaudios would be more like $2300/pair which is almost 3x the price of these. Also very nice speakers. Not a coaxial design, so a bit different. There's also a pair of KRKs in this price range with the Kalis, but jut a little bit more. Also not a coax design. Hope that helps! -Justin
Wish they were available in white. The bigger they are, the more useful it would be if available in white to blend into room more aesthetically.
Nice.I would love to see over review of Kii Audio too.
Kali
In stuck between the focal alpha 6.5 and the kali in8s can someone help me out
I’m between the jbl 8 305mk2 and these IN8 I really like the front bass port on these and the 3 way speaker but I need to decide fast! Lol
Do these speakers have lots of hiss?
As written elsewhere, all class D amplifiers are going to exhibit some noise when nothing is playing. These do too. But they automatically mute when no signal has been playing for a little bit, so mostly you never notice it. But it is there, as with any similar amp design. it was nothing that alarmed me. But your tastes could be different.
For super critical listening for extremely quiet noises and fade tails, headphones are a good complement. That's true in general too though :-)
Hope that helps!
-Justin
Funny how he talks about 2 ways making the mids go softer when cracked up while most the time the opposite is true. Thats why we have a loudness setting on amplifiers right?.. 🤔
I first thought this was Sprockets on SNL.
Very informative Justin! Thanks! A thought: Your video would benefit from just using one camera .. the editing between the two was a bit distracting & unecessary.
What is the next step up monitor that you would get after these?
It depends on your tastes. If I was spending significantly more money and my aim was mixing, I would probably look at ADAMs.
If it was mastering and I had a lot higher budget, I might look at PMC. If I wanted something really fun sounding as mains, maybe Focal.
There’s a lot of great stuff out there, each with it’s own personality. For under $1000 these Kalis are among the best options.
If you were going to spend a bunch more and wanted a 3-way, they tend to start a lot higher in most cases. Here are some of my favorites:
sonicscoop.com/2019/09/25/best-main-monitors-for-the-serious-project-studio/
Speakers are a deeply personal choice, and your tastes and biases matter a lot in picking the ones that are right for you. But hopefully some of my listening notes from that link can help.
There's not much that has dispersion like this besidea Genelec "The Ones" speakers.
I swear by my pair of IN-8s.
This wouldn't be a commercial, would it ?
Now... should I sell my Genelec 1031A and get the Kali??
anybody check out the in-8 v2’s yet?
*Better in the midrange.... WHAT ABOUT the **#Pioneer** SP-BS22-LR **#AndrewJonesDesigned** Bookshelf Loudspeakers? Does anyone have any VIABLE insight on a comparison between the Kali speaker line up and this Pioneer?*
The Pioneers you've mentioned are hi-fi speakers with 4" bass woofer with a 1" tweeter and are "colored" by design to sound exciting when listening to. The Kali IN8s are trying to be as flat as possible, to be good to mix on. Wouldn't compare the two.
Kali audio lp 6 is a 3 way cuz he got a subwoofer too
I test this 8in
My opinion;
Coax👌🏻
Frequency response👍🏻
Mixing 👎🏻
Mastering 👎🏻
M-Audio made coaxial 3-ways.... they were quite cheap, around USD $260. Still, they sold poorly, so M-Audio withdrew them from the market and provided no replacement for them. Hopefully Kalis will have a better longevity and staying power.
Frank Farago I was thinking of swapping my jbl 8 mk2 for these? Would u say it’s not worth it?
@@KeyLocs Fluid FX80
@@KeyLocs I also have the JBL 3-series. Amps are Class D there, same as here. The HF waveguide is superb with the JBL, theyx got that from their cinema speakers. I would say that the JBL 3-series with ther 8-inch woofer will sound a bit more robsut, but overall this Kali 3-way would perform smoother. There is only so much you can do with 2-ways.
@@junglist1soldier If you need to get Class D amps, go with that one, although Fluid Audio still sells then Class AB amped model for about $50 less.
Regarding the JBL 2-series. I purchased 6 of those soon after they came out. The original Mark 1 series with the pro-looking matte black cabinets. Amazing monitors. But the components were pricey, thus their profit margin low, so JBL Pro had killed that line quickly, and been peddling the garish piano lacquer Mark 2 units ever since then. I would not trade my 6 Mark 1 300-series units for 66 of the Mark 2's with that garish-looking piano laccquaer finish. Remember, there was nothing wrong with the Mark 1 edition of the 300s. It's jsut JBL could make the Mark 2s cheaper, is all. Capitalism at its finest.
Do the coaxial speakers have coaxium inside them? HA!
The Hiss Masters! An $800.00 pair of speakers should not have any noise when powered up! My Mackie MR524's and HR824's have no noise. Kali Audio states that they have that noise to keep the cost down? My Mackie MR524' only cost $340.00 and have no noise when powered up! That's a line of BS that they can not produce a speaker for that price with out a noise filter that virtually cost nothing. Capacitors cost pennies!
Not I- N- 8 " Innate" in8..
Salesman !
Your voice sounds a lot like J.J. Abrams
I keep reading that these hiss really bad. Is that not the case?
All class D amplifiers are going to exhibit some noise when nothing is playing. These do too. But they automatically mute when no signal has been playing for a little bit, so mostly you never notice it. But it is there, as with any similar amp design.
Hope that helps!
-Justin
@@SonicScoop is it more than normal monitors? Would this interfere with working? It seems like it would be hard to tell if the recording had issues or if it was just your speakers.
*That guy is standing in front of a GREENSCREEN!*
Putting yall up on real game.....
and as always #UnLOCKyoURfOoL®
These is focal solo6 be
Quality 2 way speakers wins against average 3 way. You get what you pay for, there's a reason why Neumann, Genelec, PSI and all the professional references are more expensive.
You want a great 3 way studio monitor, try Neumann KH310. Best bang for the buck!
Kali does not recommend using them on their sides.
Why exactly is this "unique?" It is the same concept and sesign for 3-way monitors that M-AUDIO has been making for many years, the M3-8. They discontinued that one a few years ago because it was getting long in the tooth and did not sell in sufficient quantities. Now it is KALI that is making them. Also, a studio monitor where the MF mids are HF highs are driven by Class-D amps -- is in reality a bad idea. Which is why the better quaoity 3-ways use PWM Class-D amping ro the LF woofer driver(s) only, and Clas-AB amplifiers for MF and HF. Case in point: Adam Audio's new A-series 3-ways.
Class-D isn't what it used to be.
have you even heard them? 😁
why are manufacturers afraid of publishing frequency response. opinions don't mean a thing.
Frequency response is important and a good measurement for companies to releases. And they usually do! At least the +/- tolerance within a specified range.
Frequency response *charts*, however, can be a little more specific to each unit. For instance, I owned two AKG 414 BULS. They both had the same frequency response tolerances of +/- “x” from “y”hz to “z”khz. But each one had their own specific charts which showed slight bumps and dips in different places. These are very well made mics. But that’s the reality of working with physical membranes.
Those differences showed but as slightly different squiggles on a chart. But are they going to be differences you can really hear? It depends. But remember that our ability to measure is MUCH more refined than our ability to hear.
Not every company or product has the budget to test every speaker or mic that comes off the production line in an anechoic chamber for its unique frequency response. They are very expensive to build or rent, and will increase the cost of the product significantly.
With all that said, frequency response isn’t the only thing that factors into the sound quality of a mic or speaker. It is just one dimension of sound, though an important one for sure.
Hope that helps!
-Justin
@@SonicScoop..i haven't seen a single studio monitor 2 or 3 way with published frequency response. the so called frequency response from Original Mackies ( which i owned back in the day) was generic. the frequency response is most important because not many people have a perfect room so we have to measure the frequency response in the room and then make necessary EQ adjustment before our ears can make accurate mixes. speakers sounding good is worse way to pick studio monitors. as far as Kali publisded specs 45 Hz - 21 kHz for a 3 way is not good at all. many 8 inch 2 way monitors match that or go lower than 45 hz.
This video I am afraid is too long, some facts are repeated. BTW when is your next video on DEMONSTRATING these speakers?
You cannot demonstrate speakers though a microphone, you have to be in the room with the speakers to listen to them... It would be like trying to demonstrate the smell of a perfume on youtube XD
thanks for that info. But please, in all your videos you are talking the things you are speaking about to death. keep it shorter on point or show more examples, diagrams whatever. thx.
Your really selling these huh.
Nope, just giving my honest opinion.
They are certainly one of the most affordable 3-ways on the market, the midrange and stereo imaging is amazing for the price, the top end is as good as anything else for the price and the bottom end is on par for its class.
Are they the only speakers I’d recommend at this price or another? No. There are plenty of other speakers I also think could be a great buy and am happy to talk about those too.
There are also some speakers I really don’t like, but I try not to talk about them so often :)
Hope that helps,
Justin