Short answer: the Kali LP-UNF. It ranks #8 of 64 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $349; the Sigberg Audio SBS Gen 2 ranks #24 and costs $18043.20, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Kali LP-UNF offers: 1” dome tweeter on a waveguide crossed unusually low at 1.9kHz to a 4.5” ported midwoofer, giving wide vertical dispersion (about ±30-40° off the tweeter/mid reference axis) for a two-way design - well beyond the typical ±10-15°. Extensive dip-switch tuning covers desk vs. free-standing placement, near-wall (<0.5m) compensation, and ±2dB treble/bass adjustment. Distortion stays below 3% at 86dB; the reviewer calls it the best-measuring powered desktop monitor he’s tested, ahead of competitors like the PreSonus Eris E3.5 2nd Gen and Fosi SP3, which he describes as having one-note bass and roughly a 7dB midrange suckout. USB-C, RCA, TRS, and Bluetooth inputs; the secondary speaker is powered through a link cable from the primary unit rather than needing its own separate power connection. At $300/pair, called a no-brainer recommendation for a compact desktop monitor. Watch for: F3 of 54Hz and F10 of 39Hz mean bass rolls off quickly below about 40Hz, bottoming out around 50Hz in-room. No dedicated subwoofer output - pairing with an outboard sub (routing its own crossover back through the mains) is the only way to extend bass further. A built-in limiter caps real-world maximum output around 91dB/1m per speaker, about 5dB below the 96dB target used in compression testing, and distortion climbs past 3% beyond that point. Designed strictly for near-field use (about 0.8m recommended listening distance), not for filling a larger room at volume.
What the Sigberg Audio SBS Gen 2 offers: The best-measuring of Sigberg’s three active systems, with a 6.74 Spinorama preference score with a perfect subwoofer versus 6.26 for the SBS.1 and 5.91 for the Manta. This is the appropriate apples-to-apples comparison because all three are designed for use with companion subwoofers. Unlike the other two measurements, the SBS Gen 2 data includes its subwoofer and verifies 24Hz bass extension. Its updated asymmetric 1st/3rd-order linear-phase crossover also delivers the best on-axis linearity and in-room and sound-power smoothness of the three. Active 3-channel Hypex nCore Class D amplification (350W per speaker) includes a 9-band parametric EQ. Watch for: Slightly wider directivity variation than the Manta (spinorama directivity index standard deviation 3.27 versus 2.50), though broadly comparable to the SBS.1’s 3.19. Sold only as a complete speaker-and-subwoofer system with pricing well into flagship territory. Built to order with a lead time of several months.
Buy the Kali LP-UNF. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Sigberg Audio SBS Gen 2 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Kali LP-UNF | Sigberg Audio SBS Gen 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $349.00 | $18,043.20 for the full system (2 speakers + 2 dedicated subwoofers, built to order) |
| Ranked | #8 of 64 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #24 of 64 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | - |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 54Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 24Hz (measured, spinorama.org, with companion subwoofer) |
| Inputs | Bluetooth, USB-C (digital), RCA, TRS | XLR, RCA, Optical, Coaxial/SPDIF, AES |
| Drivers | 4.5" woofer, 1" Textile Dome tweeter | 5.5" midbass, 5.5" coaxial mid/tweeter with 1" silk dome |
| App | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | No |
| EQ | No | Yes (9-band parametric, factory presets) |
| Weight | 17.2 lbs / 7.8 kg | 20.9 lbs / 9.5 kg each |
| Sensitivity | 88.1dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) | - |
| Enclosure | - | sealed |
| Dimensions | - | 16.1"H x 7.5"W x 9.1"D (410 x 190 x 230 mm) |
| Output Power | - | 350W per speaker |
| Max SPL | - | 116dB |
| DSP | - | Yes |
| Country | - | Norway |
| Measurement Source | - | Manufacturer |
Related Speaker Comparisons
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Prices on this page were last checked August 25, 2026 at 6:19 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 LP-UNF: $349.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: 1” dome tweeter on a waveguide crossed unusually low at 1.9kHz to a 4.5” ported midwoofer, giving wide vertical dispersion (about ±30-40° off the tweeter/mid reference axis) for a two-way design - well beyond the typical ±10-15°. Extensive dip-switch tuning covers desk vs. free-standing placement, near-wall (<0.5m) compensation, and ±2dB treble/bass adjustment. Distortion stays below 3% at 86dB; the reviewer calls it the best-measuring powered desktop monitor he’s tested, ahead of competitors like the PreSonus Eris E3.5 2nd Gen and Fosi SP3, which he describes as having one-note bass and roughly a 7dB midrange suckout. USB-C, RCA, TRS, and Bluetooth inputs; the secondary speaker is powered through a link cable from the primary unit rather than needing its own separate power connection. At $300/pair, called a no-brainer recommendation for a compact desktop monitor.
Cons: F3 of 54Hz and F10 of 39Hz mean bass rolls off quickly below about 40Hz, bottoming out around 50Hz in-room. No dedicated subwoofer output - pairing with an outboard sub (routing its own crossover back through the mains) is the only way to extend bass further. A built-in limiter caps real-world maximum output around 91dB/1m per speaker, about 5dB below the 96dB target used in compression testing, and distortion climbs past 3% beyond that point. Designed strictly for near-field use (about 0.8m recommended listening distance), not for filling a larger room at volume.
Full Kali LP-UNF review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 39Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 54Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Drivers | 4.5" woofer, 1" Textile Dome tweeter |
| EQ | No |
| Inputs | Bluetooth, USB-C (digital), RCA, TRS |
| Sensitivity | 88.1dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 17.2 lbs / 7.8 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner Review Measurements More from Erin’s Audio Corner →
- Erin’s Audio Corner: The Perfect Desktop Speaker? Kali LP-UNF.
- Erin’s Audio Corner: The Best Budget Desktop Speakers, Tested & Rated
- Erin’s Audio Corner: My Absolute Favorite Products of 2024 Revealed
- Erin’s Audio Corner: 10 Great (and Terrible) Speakers Under $300!
- Erin’s Audio Corner Measurements (spinorama.org)
- Reddit Search for Kali LP-UNF Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Sigberg Audio SBS Gen 2: $18,043.20 for the full system (2 speakers + 2 dedicated subwoofers, built to order) Sigberg Audio eBay
Pros: The best-measuring of Sigberg’s three active systems, with a 6.74 Spinorama preference score with a perfect subwoofer versus 6.26 for the SBS.1 and 5.91 for the Manta. This is the appropriate apples-to-apples comparison because all three are designed for use with companion subwoofers. Unlike the other two measurements, the SBS Gen 2 data includes its subwoofer and verifies 24Hz bass extension. Its updated asymmetric 1st/3rd-order linear-phase crossover also delivers the best on-axis linearity and in-room and sound-power smoothness of the three. Active 3-channel Hypex nCore Class D amplification (350W per speaker) includes a 9-band parametric EQ.
Cons: Slightly wider directivity variation than the Manta (spinorama directivity index standard deviation 3.27 versus 2.50), though broadly comparable to the SBS.1’s 3.19. Sold only as a complete speaker-and-subwoofer system with pricing well into flagship territory. Built to order with a lead time of several months.
Full Sigberg Audio SBS Gen 2 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 24Hz (measured, spinorama.org, with companion subwoofer) |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Country | Norway |
| DSP | Yes |
| Dimensions | 16.1"H x 7.5"W x 9.1"D (410 x 190 x 230 mm) |
| Drivers | 5.5" midbass, 5.5" coaxial mid/tweeter with 1" silk dome |
| EQ | Yes (9-band parametric, factory presets) |
| Enclosure | sealed |
| Inputs | XLR, RCA, Optical, Coaxial/SPDIF, AES |
| Max SPL | 116dB |
| Measurement Source | Manufacturer |
| Output Power | 350W per speaker |
| Weight | 20.9 lbs / 9.5 kg each |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Sigberg Audio SBS Gen 2 vs KEF LSX II LT
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- Sigberg Audio SBS Gen 2 vs KRK Classic 5
- Sigberg Audio SBS Gen 2 vs Kali Audio IN-5
- Sigberg Audio SBS Gen 2 vs Yamaha HS5
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- Sigberg Audio SBS Gen 2 vs Adam Audio T5V
- See all 10 comparisons