Description

Kali Audio’s IN-5 is a 3-way studio monitor with a 5-inch woofer and a 4-Inch midrange with a coaxial 1-inch tweeter. The unique architecture of the Midrange and Tweeter eliminates off-axis lobing, giving the IN-5 an incredibly accurate, lifelike stereo image. The strength of the stereo image, combined with the clarity of the speakers overall, make it extremely easy to build a complete, detailed picture of your mix. Every aspect of your mix is presented with clarity and accuracy, allowing you to dial in precisely the sound you want.

The IN-5 features an 8-inch woofer, a 5-inch mid-range driver, and a 1-inch soft dome tweeter. The mid-range driver and the tweeter are coincident, meaning that they share the same acoustic center. You might have heard the terms “coaxial” or “concentric” to describe this arrangement. Those terms are technically correct as well.

Because of the coincident placement of the mid-range and tweeter, and the crossover of the woofer to the mid-range (280 Hz,) the IN-5 is an acoustic point source. This gives it an ideal directivity characteristic for a studio monitor. You will be able to hear a very lifelike stereo image, with details placed clearly and consistently. Off-axis lobing that is unavoidable in a 2-way system is virtually eliminated with the IN58.

Substantial work was done to optimize the mid-range driver not only for its own acoustic performance but also for its role as the waveguide for the tweeter. The shape is very precise to allow for controlled directivity at mid-range to tweeter crossover, ensuring accurate summing both on- and off-axis. Excursion on the midrange is limited to less than 1mm peak to peak so that the oscillation of the mid-range does not have a negative effect on the tweeter.

The first in Kali’s “2^nd Wave” of loudspeakers, the IN-5 features a Class-D amp with a 12 dB reduction in self-noise, an upgraded DSP section, and upgraded transducers for better reliability.

On top of this, the IN-5 incorporates all of the benefits of Kali’s Lone Pine series monitors. These include optimized woofers for powerful, clean bass, a front-firing port tube, and Kali Audio’s boundary compensation EQs.

IN-5 Features:

Coaxial Midrange Tweeter

The unique architecture of the Midrange and Tweeter eliminates off-axis lobing, giving the IN-5 an incredibly accurate, lifelike stereo image.

The midrange is profile optimized to act as the waveguide for the tweeter, and the entire system acts an acoustic point source due to the 280 Hz crossover between the woofer and the midrange.

The midrange is also specifically designed for very low excursion, eliminating air distortion from the interaction between the tweeter and midrange.

The 3-way design unburdens the 5-Inch woofer, allowing for high dynamic range with minimal distortion.

High-output 5-Inch woofer with 80W power amp

The IN-5 uses a high-output 5-Inch woofer with a dedicated 80W amp channel to realize deep low-frequency extension at full output with minimal distortion. Power to the woofer actually exceeds that of Kali’s larger designs, as this woofer has to do more work to keep up with the 4-inch midrange and 1-inch tweeter.

Bass power is comparable to much larger speakers, while still keeping the clean, spritely character of a 5-Inch monitor.

Upgraded 3-channel Class D amplifier

The integrated 160W power amp provides discreet, post-DSP power to each driver. System THD is comparable to much more expensive studio monitors. Amplifier self-noise is low enough that the speakers can be as close as 20cm to the listener, and self-noise will not be heard. Each of the 3 amp channels has its own DSP section, allowing Kali’s engineers to fine-tune the IN-5 for an ideal frequency response.

Low Noise Port Tube

On most port tubes, air leaves at different speeds from different points of the opening, creating noisy turbulence. This turbulence can be heard as “chuffing,” or an audible air sound coming from the monitor. This sound will add to the noise floor and obscure the details of the low end.

The port tube on IN-5 was designed to ensure that all of the air leaves the port tube at the same velocity. This helps add to the low-end response of the speaker, while keeping the bass clean, tight, and devoid of extra noise.

Boundary EQ

A speaker’s given position in a space can drastically change its frequency response. Happily, most of the common positions are fairly predictable and easily corrected.

Kali’s team came up with boundary compensation EQ settings at the Village Recorder in Los Angeles to help you get the optimum sound for where you need to put your speakers. Combined with the LF and HF trims, this will ensure that the speakers sound their best no matter what room you’re mixing in.

There are EQ settings for:
-Free Space
-Speakers on stands, against a wall
-Speakers on a desk, away from a wall
-Speakers on a desk, against a wall
-Speakers on a console meter bridge (vertical)
-Speakers on a console meter bridge (horizontal)

XLR, TRS, and RCA Inputs

The IN-5 features balanced XLR and TRS inputs, and an unbalanced RCA input.

The RCA input can be set to -10 dBu sensitivity when you’re using consumer devices like a laptop or smartphone’s headphone jack.