It’s not unusual for a home studio owner to realize that it’s time to improve their monitoring, but not have the room for a larger speaker. When that happens, it’s still possible to stay in the 5 inch woofer range yet still jump up a few steps in playback definition. Such is the case with the new Kali Audio SM-5 3 way powered monitor, a speaker designed with high performance in mind without getting into a large package.
Kali Audio’s speakers of all sizes have been praised for their accuracy and price, and it’s surprising the number of top pros that use them, especially in immersive situations. That said, the SM-5 is the company’s attempt to develop its best monitor possible with every feature needed today in a modern studio.
The Basics
The SM-5 is a 3 way speaker system with a 5 inch woofer, a 4 inch midrange driver, and a 1 inch metal alloy coaxial dome tweeter powered by 225 watts of Class D power. Like most modern speakers, the speaker’s DSP plays a big part helping the unit provide an accurate response.
For instance, the SM-5’s adjustable DSP parameters lets you calibrate each speaker to your studio environment, and provides real-time control of the speaker’s EQ, delay, and trim functions. You can also access locate, mute, solo, and dim functions via an Ethernet network using the Kali Control Panel app. Not everyone uses an ethernet network, but any settings can be loaded into the speaker using a thumb drive and the SM-5’s built-in USB port on the front of the monitor.
Inputs include an XLR for analog, and digital via AES/EBU on a BNC connector. A standard RJ-45 ethernet input is also included for control.
Since an immersive setup is so important these days, the SM-5 has mounting points on the bottom and well as the rear of the speaker. Plus, the rear input panel is recessed allowing for flush wall mount.
The Kali Audio SM-5 retails for $1,699 each and is currently available for pre-order from most pro audio retailers.
You can find out more here, or watch the video below.
