The back of a Kali LP-6 has a row of eight tiny DIP switches. Each group does one job. Switches 1 to 3 tell the speaker where it sits, 4 and 5 trim the bass, 6 and 7 trim the treble, and 8 turns the RCA input on. The LP-8 uses the same switches, and Kali prints a picture chart of them on the back of every speaker.
Switches 1 to 3: where the speaker sits
Pick the row that matches where the speaker sits today, not where you plan to move it:
| Where the speaker sits | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| On stands, 0.5 m (20 in) or more from walls | Down | Down | Down |
| On stands, closer than 0.5 m to a wall | Up | Down | Down |
| On stands, against a wall | Down | Up | Down |
| On a meter bridge above a console | Up | Up | Down |
| On a wall mount | Down | Down | Up |
| On a desk, 0.5 m or more from walls | Up | Down | Up |
| On a desk, closer than 0.5 m to a wall | Down | Up | Up |
| On a desk, against a wall | Up | Up | Up |
Kali calls the first row, on stands and away from walls, the ideal spot. Most home studios end up in one of the last two rows. "Against a wall" means as close as the cables on the back allow.
Each setting makes up for the extra bass that a wall, a desk or both add in that position. Kali's team tuned them at The Village, a studio in Los Angeles.
Switches 4 and 5: bass trim
| 4 | 5 | Bass |
|---|---|---|
| Down | Any | Flat (trim is off) |
| Up | Down | 2 dB less bass |
| Up | Up | 2 dB more bass |
Switch 5 does nothing while switch 4 is down. Set switches 1 to 3 first, and only use the bass trim if the low end still sounds too heavy or too light. If your room already booms, skip the boost.
Switches 6 and 7: treble trim
These work the same way. With 6 down the trim is off. With 6 up, switch 7 picks a little less treble (down) or a little more (up), 2 dB either way in Kali's LP-6 manual. Try less in a bare, bright room and more in a soft, dull one. Otherwise leave 6 down.
Switch 8: RCA input
Leave it down unless you plug something into the RCA input. Down turns the RCA input off, which keeps it from picking up noise. If you use XLR or TRS cables and hear a hum, check that switch 8 is down.
The volume knob
The volume knob has a click in the middle at 0 dB. Kali recommends leaving it there and setting your level from your audio interface. The two exceptions it gives: a lopsided room where one speaker needs to be a little louder, and a source with no volume control of its own.
Check it by ear
Play a song you know well with a steady bass line, at your normal volume. If some bass notes jump out while others fade, try the next placement row up or down the chart and play the same part again. Keep the setting where the bass line sounds most even.
The free Room Bass Test plays a slow bass sweep in your browser, so you can hear exactly where the bass swells.
What the switches can't fix
The LP-6 has its port in front, so it's less fussy about the wall behind it than speakers with a port on the back. The switches handle the wall and the desk. They can't touch the boom that comes from your room's size, where one or two bass notes get much louder where you sit. Every placement setting turns those notes down by the same amount as everything around them, so they keep sticking out.
Unboom is for those notes. It plays a quiet sweep, listens with your Mac's microphone (or lets you pick the boom by ear), and turns down just that note in your music and video apps. It only cuts, never boosts.
FAQ
Do the LP-6 V2 switches work the same way?
Reviews of the V2 describe the same row of switches on the back, and the chart is printed on every speaker. If the chart on your speaker ever differs from this table, trust the speaker.
Should both speakers use the same switches?
Set each speaker for where it sits. If both sit on the same desk the same distance from the wall, they'll match. If one is near a side wall and the other isn't, they can differ.
Are DIP switch settings the same on the LP-8?
Yes. Kali's manual covers the LP-6 and LP-8 together, with the same eight switches.