Kali Audio LP-6 2-Way 6.5" Powered Studio Monitor
This studio monitor delivers accuracy and power beyond its price, thanks to Kali Audio's proprietary waveguide, and 1.5" voice coil behind a 6.5" LF driver.
Overall User Ratings (based on 13 ratings)
Submitted December 4, 2018 by Zachary L in Bloomington, IL
"Quality at a remarkable price"
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I recently purchased these to use in a home studio and I made this purchase off of pure hype and affordability. I normally get burned going this route but I kept hearing that these were the truth from people I trust so I bought em. I wasn't prepared for what I was getting. First things first: These are made with care and a quality that seem to be reserved for more high end models. They're solid and have weight to them. I was also surprised just how big the cabinet was but again - pleasantly surprised. Second: The positional guides printed directly on the back of these are so thorough and abundant that you'd be hard pressed to find any situation you might place these not listed. And they're extremely helpful to getting that accurate reproduction you'd be looking for. Third: The sound is brilliantly flat. Nothing seems cut or boosted in any way. It's remarkable. However... They SLAP. At a reasonable listening level, they have low end that rumbles, mids that sit snug in the mix and highs that aren't harsh or washed. It's simply amazing how even these sound across the frequency spectrum and without a sub. If you want to get surgical, you'll obviously need a sub but so far, I'm not running into any situation of use where I've even felt I needed one. Simply put - they sound like monitors that would normally cost you a helluva lot more than $300 a pair. I'll end this by simply saying that if you're in the market for monitors - and especially if you're creating Rap/Trap/R&B/Pop or virtually any other kind of music - give these a serious consideration/chance. You won't be disappointed.
Sound
"low end that rumbles, mids that sit snug in the mix and highs that aren't harsh or washed"Follow the guides in the instructions and on the back of the cabinets and you'll get the best sound possible from these!
Features
The room guides. They're extremely helpful and make a huge difference.
Quality
"These are made with care and a quality that seem to be reserved for more high end models. They're solid and have weight to them."
Value
Extremely affordable monitors for the sound and quality.
Musical Style:
Rap/Trap/R&B/Neo Soul/Ambient/Soundscape
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Submitted February 14, 2020 by Russell
"Best bang for the buck in this price range"
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Written by one of our gear experts!
Budget monitors is a crowded category that is hard to sift through. I think these are probably the best value out of anything under $250 a speaker, but there are tons out there that should be great that I haven't heard. These were an upgrade from my Rockit Gen2 5 inchers, so take that into consideration.
Sound
The most important category. They definitely have better bass imaging than my KRKs, but I think that's because of the larger bass driver more than anything else. I'm still getting used to balancing my overall bass levels with these but I can heard differences down into the 35 Hz range, where with the smaller speakers anything under 45ish Hz was just a mooshy guessing game. The midrange overall was emptier than the KRKs- they made my mixes sound worse but that's a good thing. The KRKs have a tendency to smooth out the edges and make what you're putting through them sound better than it really is. Which is why those speakers sell quite well, but it leads to mixes having a lot of the same "blind spots" so to speak. Kali 6s definitely don't have that issue, although it takes time to really notice to what degree. i will also say the high end I am also not used to. The crossover on these is pretty steep, and sitting up straight I get a way different impression of the high end than with slouching slightly. This might be a good thing? I don't like it personally. I've taken to using headphones to criticize the high end after switching to these. I'll get to more comparisons and the dip switches below.
Features
Ah yes, the dip switches. I will say that the room treatment ones are worth having- they pretty much do what they should. I tried a lot of different settings because my room is a little nonstandard but the right setting ended up being what the recommendation was. I would like to know if you have different room situations going on with each speaker if you can set one one way and the other another way. I'm thinking no and I didn't try. These room switches I think are a large part of why people find these effective. I wouldn't think these were as well balanced (especially low mids) if not for those.The EQ switches I found useless though. 2db is way too much. I definitely need to treat the low end on these and the EQ switches are severe. Same with the high end. I need like half a db on the high end reduced, not 2 db which is massive. Since these are just blanket settings with just one curve, I would think 1 db would be the way to go. However, anyone serious about this will get an RTA mic (the Behringer one is pretty good) and some halfway decent software to fix things the right way.
Ease of Use
If you follow the room switches you are good to go. I'd call this a necessary feature for amateur studios these days since so few of us have room treatment.
Quality
As good or better than any other speaker in this price category
Value
These really beat out anything else I've heard, dollar for dollar. The larger driver is such a difference maker I think, and at $300 a pair there isn't anything decent except the M-Audios, and I think the Kali have those beat. They smoke any KRK I've ever heard. I think they're probably a push against the Yamahas or JBLs, but they are less than half the cost of the comparably sized Yamaha and the 8" version of these is the same price as the JBL 8". I'd love to hear a head to head between those, but I'm imagining it'd be pretty close. Fluid, Presonus, Tannoy, and Adam all have new, strong entries in this price range (which I haven't heard), but they are all smaller and after experiencing the upgrade I think the bigger bass driver is more important than most anything else. 8" is probably only necessary for those with a large space and hiphop/EDM people who should probably just get a subwoofer anyway at that point.
Manufacturer Support
n/a
The Wow Factor
Honestly, I was impressed by these but I think they are a little over-hyped. They are without a doubt the best value for under $300 a pair, and sound unbelievable compared to speakers from ten years ago, but at the end of the day I think the biggest thing they have going for them is the 6.5" bass driver vs the typical 5". I probably would have been just as happy with the JBLs or Adams but I got more for my money with the Kali.
Musical Background:
Longtime musician, home recordist/mixer for about ten yrs
Musical Style:
rock, experimental electronic
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Submitted December 7, 2018 by Kerry G in Columbia, SC
"No Fatigue help for the weary Mixer"
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Kali's first monitor is very comfortable. Nice separation. I've experienced fatigue with a few other "higher end" brands but these sing with the track and allow me to lean into the mix. I like em'.Mixes translate. I'm currently using them with IK Micro's which I also purchased from zZounds.
Sound
Open and non fatiguing.
Features
Dip switches are unheard of at this price point.
Ease of Use
Made a few adjustments and Im good to go!
Quality
I had an issue with one (low driver). I returned it and received a replacement quick fast and in a a hurry. It takes a lot of volume to get the bass port to chuff . Surprisingly descent low end for a 6.5" woofer.
Value
Great value! Get em' if you can. These take alot of guess work out of mixing. Easy to learn and trust in short time.
Manufacturer Support
Unnecessary.
The Wow Factor
The wow factor for me is the price of these.
Musical Background:
Keyboard since 1975, production since 1986, engineering since 1990
Musical Style:
Christian, rock, hip hop, country, jazz
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Submitted June 12, 2019 by a customer from gmail.com
"Simply amazing speakers"
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I was shocked when I started to play songs on these speakers. They are my first pair of studio monitors and I couldn't be happier with the sound they produce. None of the frequencies seem hyped up at all, and they definitely pointed out flaws in my mixes which I have already begun to correct. My father who has 20+ years of experience in music around professionals in studios, venues, etc. said he hadn't heard speakers that sounded this good in a while. The only downside to these speakers is they aren't that loud on max volume although I'm sure there is a way to boost it as there is absolutely no distortion at the max volume. The settings on the back are easy to use and took about 2 minutes to set up correctly. Overall I would recommend these speakers to anyone who is looking for an outstanding pair of studio monitors on a budget.
Musical Background:
Produced hip-hop and EDM for the past 3 years, played bass, piano, and trombone in bands for the past 7
Musical Style:
Hip-hop, EDM, Chillwave, Electronic
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Submitted December 29, 2019 by Calvin Durham in Portland, TN
"Affordable doesn't always mean lacking ..."
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Affordable monitor speakers that sound amazing. The dip switches allow you to 'fit' the speakers to your particular setup and make a noticeable difference in the sound. I've thoroughly enjoyed listening to some of my favorite genres of music on these breaking them in. Nice clear sound quality and more bass than I was expecting. In fact just more than I was expecting in general for a monitor that costs $149 a speaker! You are definitely getting a lot of bang for your buck with these monitor speakers. Overall they are wonderful speakers for the budget minded person who also is looking for features and quality as well.
Sound
The speakers simply sound wonderful. I've been listening to various genres of music through them since I've got them to break them in.
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Submitted October 18, 2020 by a customer from gmail.com
"Amazing quality at an affordable price"
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These monitors are the best deal you’re going to find. They are bigger than I expected, which was a good thing. The stereo field is amazing. When you listen to a mono track panned center, it sounds like there’s a third speaker in front of you. To me the speakers sound very transparent and have enough bass to mix without adding a subwoofer. They are perfect for my home studio and feel like they’ll last a long time. If you have been going back and forth trying to decide which monitors to get in this price range, stop searching and go with these. You won’t regret it.
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Submitted July 21, 2020 by a customer from gmail.com
"Best Value, Hands Down!"
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I purchased a pair of these monitors to replace a pair of old Roland DS7s. I did a lot of research before making the final decision and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by how great these monitors sound. They weren't heavy, which concerned me during the unboxing but don't let the lack of weight fool you. They have a nice round bottom end with more than enough punch to fill a small to medium room.The quality of the cabinet is what I would expect for the price. They don't look cheap, in fact, they look great. However, there's plastic around the housing so don't plan on moving these very often without protection.
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Submitted March 13, 2019 by Eric M in Brandon, FL
"Awesome Monitors for the price"
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Bought these on reviews and not price. Great low end and clarity. Owned a professional studio for almost 25yrs and these are great monitors for the money. What I mix on these sounds awesome on my bigger studio monitors.
Musical Background:
25yrs
Musical Style:
All genres
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Submitted August 12, 2019 by Juniir Pineda in Gaithersburg, MD
"This monitor speakers rock!!"
You won't be disappointed with these amazing speakers. I mean talk about the price and then the sound. These are the best sounding speaker for it's price range! The bass on them are amazing! Beating out the adam audio 5.
Musical Background:
Piano drums guitar bass, and for 12 years.
Musical Style:
Christian/jazz
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Submitted October 24, 2019 by shamene l in Fort Lauderdale, FL
"only monitors you will ever need!"
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I got these about a month ago and wow. these should be industry standard. very neutral so what you hear is what you get. meaning these are flat and detailed.
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Submitted October 25, 2018 by Brandon Skeens in LEES SUMMIT, MO
"Befriend the dip switches"
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For me, I found these speakers to have a very hyped low end in their stock setting, in comparison to my Focal CMS 65's. Using the -2db low end trim reduced this greatly and made the speaker feel more "realistic" in the low spectrum. I also ended up using the +2db high shelf to open up the presence a bit. Overall, I'm pretty impressed a $300 pair of monitors sounds as good as these do. Upper mids are lively with good separation, the low end is quite good once tamed. They really produce pretty well under 100hz which is saying something for a small front ported speaker. Only weak spot for me is the lower mid range is a little scooped sounding. All in all for the dough, these are a very solid buy.
Musical Background:
28 years of guitar playing, 20 years in recording and music production
Musical Style:
rock
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Submitted September 27, 2018 by Jason W in Nashville, TN
"Unmatched Audio Quality"
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These new Kali Audio Monitors are amazing! They blow away every other company in this price range and higher! Right out of the box they give such simple instructions for the best setup depending on the room. I’ve been working in studios in LA & Nashville for years, and never found monitors I completely love until now! Thank you Kali!!!
Musical Background:
Professional Artist, Songwriter, & Producer
Musical Style:
Pop, Rock, & Blues
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Submitted October 18, 2020 by a customer from gmail.com
"Amazing quality at an affordable price"
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These monitors are the best deal you’re going to find. They are bigger than I expected, which was a good thing. The stereo field is amazing. When you listen to a mono track panned center, it sounds like there’s a third speaker in front of you. To me the speakers sound very transparent and have enough bass to mix without adding a subwoofer. They are perfect for my home studio and feel like they’ll last a long time. If you have been going back and forth trying to decide which monitors to get in this price range, stop searching and go with these. You won’t regret it.
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