Some time ago, I finally added a pair of speakers to my desk, the LP-UNF from Kali Audio. This choice put a pause on my long-standing dilemma of choosing desktop speakers. To be honest, as a novice in the world of desktop speakers, even after studying a lot of Hi-Fi theory and dabbling with headphones and microphones, I still felt a sense of “all skills lost” when it came to speakers.
When I opened e-commerce platforms and searched for “desktop speakers,” I was met with a chaotic scene: various shapes, different sizes, from flashy desktop ornaments with RGB lights to black boxes that looked like they came from a laboratory in the last century. But after researching, stripping away those fancy marketing terms, the real deciding factors for the user experience are always just three things: sound performance, functional configuration, and usage scenarios.
Based on this understanding, I started my selection process. Below, I’ll follow this purchasing path and discuss why I ultimately chose the LP-UNF, and its real-world usage experience over this period.
Thinking Behind Choosing Speakers
If you care about the sound of the speakers themselves, then whether it is categorized as audio-visual entertainment or work monitoring, it must first be a proper speaker. Sound is essentially the vibration of air, which means that the speaker must have sufficient internal volume (matching the driver size and stroke) to allow the low frequencies to unfold naturally, while also having sufficient cabinet rigidity to avoid the cabinet itself from resonating and producing noise. This is the basis of cabinet design. Suitable sound drivers and reasonable crossover logic are also key to making the speaker sound good. And standardized interfaces and power supply design are directly related to the stability of the speaker system and the reliability during long-term use.
Only when these prerequisites are met can you buy sound that is “worth the price,” even if it’s just a little more, within a limited budget – and this is the first step to avoiding “just making a sound.” This often means that you need to compromise on the appearance of the speaker, or increase the budget to gain more freedom – but for new players, I do not recommend raising the budget too high at the beginning. After all, most high-priced speakers have a significant depreciation in the used market, and the liquidity is not as good as other digital products.
Regarding the budget, even professional-looking monitor speakers are no longer out of reach in terms of price; however, there are still not many truly reliable choices within 1000 yuan (per pair). The reason is not complicated – the cabinet, drivers, amplifier, and power supply all consume real costs, and there is almost no room for “compression.” Within the thousand-yuan range, I personally recommend more common domestic multimedia desktop speakers. Being able to provide a complete cabinet structure, clear driver configuration, and relatively standardized power supply and interface design at a cost of a few hundred yuan is itself a great test of supply chain integration capabilities. In this regard, domestic manufacturers who have been deeply involved in the PC multimedia speaker market for a long time have unique advantages.
My budget is 2000-3000 yuan (per pair), this price range can buy some brands of entry-level models, and it is also the price range that I think is more suitable for starting to dabble in speakers. To be honest, in this price range, every competitor is very persuasive.
This includes newcomers like Adam D3V, which has been frequently recommended on various content platforms in the past year and has quickly gained popularity; professional players like IK iLoud Micro Monitor, which are known for their portability and extreme volume control; and gatekeepers like JBL LSR305P MkII, which have been tested by the market for a long time.
But after repeated weighing, I finally purchased this pair of white Kali Audio LP-UNF for about 2100 yuan.
Frankly speaking, I hesitated before placing the order. Compared to a group of big brands, the name Kali Audio sounds too unfamiliar. But after in-depth understanding, I realized that this young brand is not “of unknown origin.” It was founded by Charles Sprinkle and Nate Baglyos, former core members of JBL, and the team was deeply involved in the research and development of flagship studio monitors such as the 7 Series and M2. So Kali is more like a branch differentiated from the JBL monitoring system.
It is also because of this that although Kali’s products appear rough and casual in design: naming product series with place name abbreviations (such as LP Lone Pine, IN Independence, SM Santa Monica), and the appearance is so straightforward that there is almost no modification. But I still have high expectations for their product strength, after all, they have a famous teacher, which is one of the reasons why I finally chose LP-UNF.
Next, I will combine my desktop environment to verify what value a desktop speaker should provide in this price range from three aspects: sound performance, user experience, and appearance design, and why I finally chose it.
Sound Performance
If I could only choose one of the most direct and core reasons, the most impressive thing about LP-UNF is undoubtedly its sound performance. Overall, as a proper monitor speaker, the LP-UNF’s three-frequency orientation is relatively restrained and balanced, and the mid-frequency performance is undoubtedly the best.
Vocals and most instruments are in a natural, coherent, and moderately dense position, without being deliberately protruding or obscured by low or high frequencies. Sounds with extremely strong transients and obvious dynamic fluctuations, such as snare drums or various percussion instruments, will leap out of the speakers crisply, but this “impact” is not based on exaggerated edge or stimulating high frequencies, but a clean, fast, and controllable presentation. It does not pursue gorgeous or pleasing listening experiences, nor does it deliberately render texture, but truthfully explains the onset, intensity, and decay process of the sound itself in its entirety. Regarding low frequencies, almost all content mentioning LP-UNF does not hesitate to praise its low-frequency extension capabilities. Objectively speaking, this evaluation is not groundless – whether it is the frequency response parameters given by the official or the actual listening experience, the performance of LP-UNF in low-frequency diving does exceed my conventional expectations for desktop speakers.
Another advantage in sound is the noise floor. Kali’s early products (such as the first generation) had a bad reputation for noise floor control, which also became my concern. However, thanks to Kali’s continuous research and iteration in Class D amplifiers and overall circuit design in recent years, the noise floor problem has been greatly improved since LP-6 V2, and the noise floor of LP-UNF is also very low, even lower than some small speakers I auditioned in offline audio stores. Not to mention the JBL LSR305P MkII, which was originally on my shopping list. Admittedly, as a classic entry-level speaker, its listening impact and transient performance are very good, but its noise floor is still relatively obvious after getting close.
In terms of soundstage, the most common problem in a desktop environment is that the “speaker feel” is amplified. The soundstage is not really spread out in the space, but more like it is directly “pushed” out from a certain cabinet or a specific driver. LP-UNF can still construct a fairly open soundstage in desktop near-field listening conditions, and the control of imaging and soundstage integration is quite good. Even when listening closely, there is no obvious speaker feel. However, if we talk about whether there are more powerful players in this size and price range, I have auditioned a set of DALI KUPID (丘比特) systems before, which is more shocking in this regard. However, as a passive speaker, its user experience belongs to a completely different category, and the budget is estimated to be doubled.
After briefly discussing the sound performance, let’s talk about its appearance design.
Appearance Design
In terms of styling, compared to compact desktop speakers that take the exquisite and compact route, the design of LP-UNF can be said to be quite rough. It is difficult to make a good impression at first glance in the white background display pictures on the e-commerce page – the shape is simple, and the plastic feel is almost overflowing the screen. The all-black front panel, the large waveguide structure, and the layout of the indicator light and touch area are all repeatedly emphasizing the “function first” orientation.
However, after actually getting it and putting it into the desktop environment, this pair of speakers gradually revealed some design details worth seeing.
As a 4.5-inch speaker with a front-facing bass reflex port and does not pursue a compact design, the LP-UNF is a “big guy” among desktop speakers. Taking the size of common books as a reference, the width of a single speaker is close to two 16-open books side by side, and the height is about equal to a thick magazine standing upright, but the LP-UNF does not appear clumsy on the desktop.
The side of the speaker adopts a continuous curved transition, and the top and bottom are also slightly inwardly convergent. This geometric “inward contraction” visually weakens the sense of volume, and from the front, the cabinet appears to be slimmer than the actual size. On the back of the main speaker, the interface and EQ adjustment panel are integrated, and the instructions for use are silk-printed above, which is very intuitive and easy to use.
What really caused my emotional fluctuations was mainly the front of the speaker.
On the driver panel, Kali outlined two concave curves that highlight the “graceful” waist. Perhaps it is intended to emphasize the existence of the driver itself through visual guidance, or it may be an attempt to regain a little “design sense” as a desktop speaker. As for the effect, it is up to the individual. Between the tweeter and the woofer is a spindle-shaped LED light bar. In normal working conditions, a blue dot will stand in the center of the light bar, and plus and minus symbols are printed on both ends of the light bar, corresponding to the multi-function touch area on the front panel. Operations such as volume adjustment, mute, Bluetooth pairing, and left and right channel switching will be intuitively reflected through the changes of the light bar.
Compared to its predecessors, this light bar is not only bigger and thicker, but also has more functions. From a usage perspective, this design is indeed intuitive and practical. Common operations are concentrated on the front panel, so you don’t have to reach behind the speaker to fumble; compared with the traditional front knob, the touch solution is not absolutely superior, but it is convenient enough in the desktop scene. It’s just that if you expect it to add much aesthetic value to the desk setup, you might as well imagine such a picture – when you sit in front of the monitor, that blue “eye” is quietly watching you. What comes to my mind is probably only the laser eye in X-Men that is ready to go, or the electronic eye in Terminator that is ready to lock the target at any time.
Moving the line of sight down along the woofer, you will encounter Kali’s proud “family design” – the iconic smiling bass reflex port. The practicality of the front bass reflex port in the desktop environment is beyond doubt, and it is friendly to placement. However, compared to the slit-type front bass reflex design that brands such as Audioengine deliberately weaken, Kali chose the opposite route – the size is not small, the shape is straightforward, so that you will unconsciously fall on this “smiling” opening again and again during use, and even produce a feeling that it is showing off: “Hey, my bass reflex port is very big.” I can almost imagine the undisguised smugness of the designer when he finalized this “iconic” shape.
Seriously, staring at this bass reflex port for a long time will indeed inexplicably produce an impulse to reach into it. Perhaps humans are born with a nearly suicidal desire to explore caves, and this “smile” happens to be as deep as the secret passage to the spider’s nest in Coraline, or the Mouth of Truth in Roman Holiday that cuts off lies. A curved channel used to eliminate port noise and compression has created a fear of staring into the abyss.
The Kali brand nameplate is embedded at the bottom of the panel. The three-dimensional electroplated characters reflect slightly in the light, showing a restrained sense of coldness against the matte white panel. This is probably the only design on the entire pair of speakers that attempts to show identity through decoration. It’s just that Kali’s icon design is really “techie” enough. The two intersecting waveforms look like phase diagrams taken from a certain oscilloscope, with the four capital letters KALI underneath, square and unadorned.
Forget it, let’s talk about the more important user experience – including the points that satisfy me and the uncomfortable complaints.
Advantages and Disadvantages
As a monitor speaker, the biggest advantage of LP-UNF in use is the convenience of connection. Whether it is directly connected to the computer via USB, or connected to professional equipment via TRS or RCA, or connected to mobile phones and tablets via Bluetooth, it can be easily handled. The design of the main and auxiliary speakers is also very intuitive: almost all interfaces and adjustment functions are concentrated on the main speaker, and the auxiliary speaker only needs a four-pin cable to work, and the power supply is only connected to the main speaker. If you have been deeply involved in the Hi-Fi metaphysics of selecting amplifiers, choosing decoders, and worrying about signal cables, then LP-UNF can almost be said to be completely immune to these troubles. The active design means that there is no need for an external amplifier, the built-in DAC saves the cost of messing with the decoder, and the USB direct connection allows the digital signal to directly enter the processing link of the speaker, avoiding unnecessary analog conversion – and there is no need to buy any single crystal copper silver-plated or alloy audio cables, an ordinary USB data cable is enough. You can put more energy on the actual listening experience and desktop layout, instead of being overwhelmed by complex hardware combinations.
As a desktop speaker, its acoustic performance is also very solid. Whether it is paper parameters or the actual near-field listening experience, it is worthy of the word monitor. If you are here for sound, LP-UNF will never disappoint you. It provides a very cost-effective balance between professional monitoring capabilities and diversified connection methods. It is really difficult for you to buy a pair of players with such a balanced configuration and “worry-free” in the 2000 yuan price range.
So, what is the price?
to control costs and volume, the cabinet of LP-UNF does not use the fiberboard or solid wood board commonly used in traditional monitor speakers, but chooses injection-molded plastic. Of course, with the progress of manufacturing technology, plastic cabinets are not necessarily equal to “cheap” – by using high-density engineering plastics, increasing the wall thickness, and strengthening the internal rib design, you can also obtain quite good rigidity and resonance control. But unfortunately, LP-UNF does not belong to this type of product. Although the white paint visually conceals a lot of cheapness, when tapping the cabinet, you can clearly feel a relatively crisp and empty feedback, rather than the relatively stable dull sound of a good cabinet. For cheap entry-level models, such a cabinet trade-off is itself understandable.
But the problem is that LP-UNF is quite “greedy” in sound performance. Larger drivers and longer strokes allow it to push more and heavier air; at the same time, in near-field desktop environments, these low-frequency energies are more likely to couple with the desktop and walls, and the plastic cabinet does not have enough density to reduce resonance. The result is that in small rooms or with poor placement, the low frequencies will appear thicker, slightly muddy, and even produce buzzing in certain frequency bands.
From this point of view, the low-frequency capability of LP-UNF is more like a double-edged sword: in a suitable placement and environment, it can provide much more diving and volume than ordinary desktop speakers; but if the space is limited and the acoustic conditions are poor, it is also easier to expose the problems in the low-frequency design.
These problems are not impossible to improve. By reasonably adjusting the acoustic environment of the room, optimizing the speaker placement, or using EQ adjustment appropriately, these low-frequency problems can be alleviated to a certain extent. But in the end, this is a design flaw. But since you want to spend less money to get better sound, you will inevitably have to toss around a bit.
Summary
If you are like me, have a small budget, don’t want to mess with the front-end system, and want to get solid sound, then Kali Audio’s LP-UNF is definitely one of the excellent choices in this price range.
On this basis, if you have higher requirements for appearance design, messing with entry-level passive speakers such as DALI KUPID may be another more comfortable path. If the budget is increased and you have higher pursuit of sound, I privately recommend the Focal studio series. Compared to its well-known and expensive civilian Hi-Fi series, its professional monitoring line is not well-known in China, but the sound-to-price ratio is definitely worth it, and it is an excellent choice on the advanced road.
Finally, although I complained a lot in the previous article, even if time goes back, I would probably still bring it back to the desktop. Kali doesn’t dislike me for being poor, so I naturally have no reason to dislike it for being “plastic.” What’s more, in this audio market where metaphysics is rampant, it is a kind of romance to have such a simple and even down-to-earth brand.
Of course, this romance has a prerequisite, as long as it doesn’t raise the price.
