Short answer: the Airpulse A100 for better sound quality, the Kali Audio IN-UNF for the lower price. The Airpulse A100 ranks #17 of 60 powered bookshelf speakers at $999.99. The Kali Audio IN-UNF ranks #51 at $699, $300.99 cheaper.
What the Kali Audio IN-UNF offers: Ingenious ultra-nearfield system: a desk-mounted bass module uses two opposed 4.5-inch woofers below 280Hz, while the satellites use time-aligned 4-inch/1-inch coincident drivers. It is specifically engineered around the desk and, set up to Kali’s supplied placement template, sounded much better than it initially did to Erin; his moving-mic measurement at arm’s length closely matched the system’s predicted response. DSP provides placement, boundary and tonal trims, while USB-C, optical, 3.5mm and balanced TRS inputs cover desktop and studio sources. The round satellite enclosure avoids conventional baffle-edge diffraction, and the coaxial satellites image best aimed directly at the listener. Watch for: This is a very specialized system rather than a general desktop-speaker recommendation. The sizeable bass module must stay on the desk and prescribed satellite spacing can conflict with dual or ultrawide monitors; Erin and Joe N Tell both preferred Kali’s LP-6/IN-series alternatives for their own desks. A bump around 100-130Hz and a possible 1.2kHz diffraction feature appeared in Erin’s exploratory anechoic data, but he explicitly cautioned that those measurements do not replicate the required desk geometry. Bass falls away around 40-50Hz despite the separate bass unit. Erin did not publish comparable anechoic F3/F10, sensitivity or impedance figures because the system is designed around a fixed desk arrangement.
What the Airpulse A100 offers: Horn-loaded ribbon tweeter (inherited from Airpulse’s flagship 7001 monitor, designed by Phil Jones) paired with a 5” hard-anodized aluminum cone woofer - a distinctive, low-mass driver combination rarely seen below $1,000. Directivity spread is the widest and most controlled of this batch (directivity_spdi_stddev 4.26). A full input set for a desktop system: RCA, USB, optical, coaxial, and Bluetooth, plus a dedicated subwoofer output and an included IR remote. Watch for: On-axis deviation (aad_on_axis 0.498) trails the pricier options in this group, and there’s no app-based EQ or DSP - bass/treble trim is limited to physical rear-panel knobs not reachable from the remote. The compact 5” woofer caps sub-bass extension at 63.0Hz (-3dB) / 53.2Hz (-10dB), the second-shallowest in this batch, effectively expecting an external subwoofer for full-range use. No Wi-Fi streaming (AirPlay/Chromecast) - Bluetooth only.
Buy the Kali Audio IN-UNF if the price matters more than sound quality. Buy the Airpulse A100 if sound quality matters more than the price.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Kali Audio IN-UNF. It ranks near the bottom of the 60 powered bookshelf speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| Kali Audio IN-UNF | Airpulse A100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $699 | $999.99 |
| Ranked | #51 of 60 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #17 of 60 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Drivers | Bass module: two opposed 4.5" woofers; satellites: 4" coincident midrange with 1" textile-dome tweeter | Horn-loaded ribbon tweeter, 5" hard-anodized aluminum cone woofer |
| Output Power | 100W LF + 60W mid/HF per channel (continuous) | 100W total (40W+40W woofer, 10W+10W tweeter) |
| Inputs | USB-C, optical, 3.5mm, balanced TRS | RCA (aux), USB, optical, coaxial, Bluetooth aptX |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 47Hz (manufacturer specified; Erin did not publish an anechoic F3) | 63.0Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (manufacturer specified; Erin did not publish an anechoic F10) | 53.2Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Frequency Response | 47Hz - 21kHz +/-3dB (manufacturer specified) | 52Hz - 40kHz |
| Crossovers | 280Hz LF-to-midrange; 2.8kHz midrange-to-HF | - |
| Dimensions | Bass module: 11.6"H x 19.4"W x 5.25"D; satellites: 6.25" diameter | 6.3" x 11.1" x 10" (160 x 283 x 255 mm) (6.3 x 11.1 x 10.0 in) each |
| Max SPL | 103dB peak at 1m (manufacturer specified) | - |
| DSP | Yes (placement/boundary and tonal trims) | - |
| Bluetooth | No | Yes (SBC, aptX) |
| App | - | None (physical bass/treble knobs, IR remote) |
| EQ | - | Yes, rear-panel bass/treble trim knobs |
| Weight | - | 24.3 lbs / 11 kg (24.2 lb) each |
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Prices on this page were last checked August 24, 2026 at 6:53 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Kali Audio IN-UNF: $699 Kali Audio eBay
Pros: Ingenious ultra-nearfield system: a desk-mounted bass module uses two opposed 4.5-inch woofers below 280Hz, while the satellites use time-aligned 4-inch/1-inch coincident drivers. It is specifically engineered around the desk and, set up to Kali’s supplied placement template, sounded much better than it initially did to Erin; his moving-mic measurement at arm’s length closely matched the system’s predicted response. DSP provides placement, boundary and tonal trims, while USB-C, optical, 3.5mm and balanced TRS inputs cover desktop and studio sources. The round satellite enclosure avoids conventional baffle-edge diffraction, and the coaxial satellites image best aimed directly at the listener.
Cons: This is a very specialized system rather than a general desktop-speaker recommendation. The sizeable bass module must stay on the desk and prescribed satellite spacing can conflict with dual or ultrawide monitors; Erin and Joe N Tell both preferred Kali’s LP-6/IN-series alternatives for their own desks. A bump around 100-130Hz and a possible 1.2kHz diffraction feature appeared in Erin’s exploratory anechoic data, but he explicitly cautioned that those measurements do not replicate the required desk geometry. Bass falls away around 40-50Hz despite the separate bass unit. Erin did not publish comparable anechoic F3/F10, sensitivity or impedance figures because the system is designed around a fixed desk arrangement.
Full Kali Audio IN-UNF review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (manufacturer specified; Erin did not publish an anechoic F10) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 47Hz (manufacturer specified; Erin did not publish an anechoic F3) |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Crossovers | 280Hz LF-to-midrange; 2.8kHz midrange-to-HF |
| DSP | Yes (placement/boundary and tonal trims) |
| Dimensions | Bass module: 11.6"H x 19.4"W x 5.25"D; satellites: 6.25" diameter |
| Drivers | Bass module: two opposed 4.5" woofers; satellites: 4" coincident midrange with 1" textile-dome tweeter |
| Frequency Response | 47Hz - 21kHz +/-3dB (manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | USB-C, optical, 3.5mm, balanced TRS |
| Max SPL | 103dB peak at 1m (manufacturer specified) |
| Output Power | 100W LF + 60W mid/HF per channel (continuous) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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Airpulse A100: $999.99 Amazon B&H Photo eBay
Pros: Horn-loaded ribbon tweeter (inherited from Airpulse’s flagship 7001 monitor, designed by Phil Jones) paired with a 5” hard-anodized aluminum cone woofer - a distinctive, low-mass driver combination rarely seen below $1,000. Directivity spread is the widest and most controlled of this batch (directivity_spdi_stddev 4.26). A full input set for a desktop system: RCA, USB, optical, coaxial, and Bluetooth, plus a dedicated subwoofer output and an included IR remote.
Cons: On-axis deviation (aad_on_axis 0.498) trails the pricier options in this group, and there’s no app-based EQ or DSP - bass/treble trim is limited to physical rear-panel knobs not reachable from the remote. The compact 5” woofer caps sub-bass extension at 63.0Hz (-3dB) / 53.2Hz (-10dB), the second-shallowest in this batch, effectively expecting an external subwoofer for full-range use. No Wi-Fi streaming (AirPlay/Chromecast) - Bluetooth only.
Full Airpulse A100 review and specifications →
| App | None (physical bass/treble knobs, IR remote) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53.2Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 63.0Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bluetooth | Yes (SBC, aptX) |
| Dimensions | 6.3" x 11.1" x 10" (160 x 283 x 255 mm) (6.3 x 11.1 x 10.0 in) each |
| Drivers | Horn-loaded ribbon tweeter, 5" hard-anodized aluminum cone woofer |
| EQ | Yes, rear-panel bass/treble trim knobs |
| Frequency Response | 52Hz - 40kHz |
| Inputs | RCA (aux), USB, optical, coaxial, Bluetooth aptX |
| Output Power | 100W total (40W+40W woofer, 10W+10W tweeter) |
| Weight | 24.3 lbs / 11 kg (24.2 lb) each |
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