2,5k for 2.x do-it-all. Kali vs Dynaudio vs Cabasse
Hey; I'm in need of an upgrade. I have dual purpose stereo. 60% just listening on the couch at 2-3 meters(vinyl & spotify) and 40% DJ use (nearfield 1m, not too loud) Music is a mix of house, techno, metal, jazz, pop, you name it. Current setup is way too big and loud for my needs (Martin Audio PA)
Budget max 2,5k euro. Due to furniture constraints an active/self powered setup is what I'm looking for. They'd be placed on a large desk, about 2 meter apart. However due to many reasons I'm not in a position to actually listen to these before purchase.
I narrowed it down to 3 choices. Looking for advice or other choices. These choices may seem wildly different but there's a reasoning behind it.
1: Kali Audio IN-5, (maybe with a Thomann DSP unit?) All-in less than 1k so well under budget which is nice. However they don't look good so I might need to make a grill (frame with fabric) to make them less hideous in my living room. However they get great reviews, size wise they are about the max what I can fit and connections are dead easy with my mixer.
2: Dynaudio Lyd-5 with Sub 9. Will be under 2k all-in. Now, this is a bit of a different choice. The subwoofer won't have perfect placement which is whats holding me back, and there are some concerns about hissing noise from the LYD-5s. However Thomann assures me this is not an issue and there's also people who say they have no issue when using XLR. Sound quality wise the reviews are great. Like the Kalis very easy to connect. some extra bass extension down low with the sub and I love the size and looks of the Lyd-5. Plenty of EQ adjustments as well to make it sound to taste. Size is a big plus for placement.
3: Cabasse Rialto. Open box/B-stock for like 2,2K. Now this maybe a weird choice considering the studio monitor setups before. But they have an analogue in, a streamer built in that is nicer than what I have now. They look less utilitarian, which I like. They have stupid amounts of power. DSP with room correction build in. The loudness setting I really like for low volume listening. However I'm wondering if sound quality wise I'm paying for fluff
Any advice is appreciated!
Posted Aug 4, 2025, 4:33 PM UTC · locked