Kali Audio SM-8 Release - New Eight-Inch Studio Monitors

Kali Audio is expanding its flagship Santa Monica line of active studio monitors with the release of the eight-inch Kali Audio SM-8.

The monitor is reportedly equipped with an 8“ woofer as well as a 4” midrange driver with a coaxial 1” metal dome tweeter. It is stated that the woofer design has been modernized and now has minimal distortion. In turn, the midrange driver does extra work as the tweeter's waveguide, and the tweeter itself boasts a special geometry designed to reduce the ultrasonic resonances that are often evident in most metal dome designs. In turn, its switching capabilities are identical to the five-inch model, including a balanced analog XLR/TRS combo input, AES/EBU Thru inputs, and an RJ45 port.

Kali Audio SM-8 Specifications:

• Self-Powered: Yes
• Amplifier: 3-Channel Class D (discrete LF, MR, and HF)
• Amplifier Power: 300 W
• HF Driver: 1-Inch Metal Dome Tweeter | Midrange Driver: 4-Inch Optimized Profile Paper Cone | LF Driver: 8-Inch Optimized Paper Woofer
• Frequency Response: 37 Hz - 35 kHz (-10 dB) | 45 Hz - 21 kHz (±3 dB)
• Max SPL (Peak at 1 meter): 119 dB
• Loudspeaker THD: (90 dB SPL at 1 meter): <0.5%
• Crossover: LF-to-Midrange 280 Hz; Midrange-to-HF 2800 Hz
• User-Definable DSP (Per Loudspeaker): 8 Parametric EQs | 10 ms of delay | -12 to +6 dB trim
• DSP latency: <3ms
• Audio Inputs: Balanced XLR/TRS Combijack AES/EBU over BNC
• Control Inputs: Ethernet (RJ45) USB-A
• Other I/O: AES/EBU over BNC Thru AC Power Input
• Dimensions: 48.26 x 30.5 x 25.4 cm (19 x 12 x 10 Inches)
• Weight: 14.5 kg (32 lbs)

The product features D-class amplifiers with a total output of 300 watts and a built-in DSP chip. The chip allows users to edit parameters, including eight-band parametric equalization, delay, and other room calibration settings, via the supplied Kali Control Panel application for Mac and Windows. Users can also program DSP functions via a USB drive connected to the monitor's dedicated USB port on the front panel or by networking the monitors via Ethernet. When networked, changes to processing settings occur in real time, and users can quickly switch between multiple customization profiles.

The Kali Audio SM-8 will be available for purchase for around $2,500. More information on these studio monitors can be found on the official Kali Audio website.