Kali Audio LP-8V2 8" Powered Studio Monitor - 100W Speaker System with Boundary Compensation EQ Settings - for Mixing, Recording, Audio Production - XLR, TRS, RCA Input Ports, Single, Black

18-month update: I am sitting in my studio just listening to music while working and I was, once again, struck by how great these monitors sound. I felt like I had to come back and do another update. I have been working on these monitors 5-6 days a week for a year and a half. I probably average 6 hours a day listening critically on them. I remain in awe at how great they are - not just compared to other speakers at this price, but compared to every professional studio monitor I have ever heard. These things are amazing!6-month update: My impression of these speakers has only improved. I have used them very heavily for over 6 months now and they have not let me down. They are extremely accurate, yet very comfortable to listen to for long periods. I have done dozens of critical mixes on them and they translate perfectly. I would very happily buy these monitors again, and likely will.Original review: Wow. These things are so great I almost can't believe it. I have worked in professional audio and video production for over 20 years and I have owned a lot of very high quality audio gear. I needed to set up a new small video editing suite and needed a pair of accurate near field monitors with the ability to reproduce deep bass. I had heard good things about these monitors, so I figured I would give them a try. For the price, I couldn't go wrong. I AM SO HAPPY I DID!These monitors sound like much more expensive monitors. I had a pair of JBL LSR-28Ps that I loved and these have a very similar sound. They have a deep but tight low end, mild mids, and accurate but pleasing highs. Like the JBLs they are very pleasing to listen to for long periods of time, but are accurate enough to do critical mixing on.The only slight (and I mean very slight) negative to consider with these speakers is that they are ported and if your speaker placement isn't ideal they can sound a bit tubby. Because of my room layout, when I first set them up they were a bit higher than they should have been and the ports were right at ear level (about 40 inches away from my ears). Using my speaker pads to aim them down a bit and moving them a bit further back completely fixes this. The dip switches allowed me to get the speakers sounding flat in my room very quickly and easily (they print the instructions on the back of the speaker for easy setup).Even if you have the budget for more expensive monitors, unless you know exactly what you want,I highly recommend these speakers. I promise you won't be disappointed.

These monitors are, in a word, SUPERB! They far exceeded my expectations for near-field monitors priced at $500/pair. The overall sound quality is marvelous, with a natural transparency and tonal balance that is just delicious. The low end response is tight and punchy without being over-hyped. To my ears, the LP-8’s sound consistently linear across the entire frequency spectrum with astonishingly good detail and minimal coloration.As shown in the photo, I have mine sitting on my desk (on Auralex’s MoPAD monitor pads), with the LP-8’s spaced about 43” apart, and with my listening/keyboarding spot located at the apex of the 43” equilateral triangle. I can work for hours and I have yet to experience any listening fatigue. (One reviewer mentioned unacceptable hiss coming from the LP-8’s, but I did not experience that). Also, Kali’s tech support was very responsive.One disappointment, and this has nothing to do with the monitors themselves, is the way Amazon packaged them for shipment. As you can see in the accompanying photos, Amazon simply took Kali’s original packaging for the monitor and just put it in a bigger Amazon box, with NO packing material! Pretty lame…luckily my pair was undamaged, but that’s no way to ship/handle a sensitive, expensive piece of audio gear.So, in closing, I highly recommend the LP-8’s. They sound magnificent and are a superb value.

The Kali LP-8s are excellent studio monitors for the price. These are 8 inch speakers and may be a little larger than you're expecting. I would consider them midfield monitors rather than nearfield monitors.The frequency response is great, and there are dip switches so you can tune the tonal balance to work for your room depending on monitor placement.They sound plenty loud, but they also work well at low volumes.There is a hiss, though. A noise that comes from the speakers whether anything is playing or not. It's a little louder than most studio monitors. If this is a concern for you, the Kali LP-6s hiss is 2dB quieter than the LP-8s.There's also the IN-5s and the hiss is 12 dB quieter, apparently. The SECOND generation of IN-8s also got the hiss reduction update, but these are considerably more expensive.The hiss is quieter than a computer fan, and it's fine for a typical home studio environment. You don't notice it when music is playing, but you can tell they're on. I would plan to keep them at least 4 feet from you though, so you don't hear it as much.I don't know how "flat" the frequency response actually is. When I calibrated them with Sonarworks SoundID Reference, it made a significant difference. SoundID Reference did make them sound clearer, but it added too much high end and I actually prefer to use the speakers without it.Bottom line -- these are excellent speakers for the price, but most home studio users who are looking for nearfield monitors would probably be better off with the LP-6s since they're a little smaller and have 2dB quieter hiss.These are perfect second monitors -- midfield monitors. Further away, bigger, deeper sound. The frequency response goes low enough that I don't feel like I need a subwoofer.I'm happy with my purchase and would probably buy Kali again.