Los Angeles, CA (August 1, 2025)—Kali Audio may be well known for its high-end studio monitors, but many listeners who hear the end results of mixes created on those speakers will be listening on headphones. With that in mind, Kali has now debuted the HP-1, an over-ear, DSP-powered headphone for mixing and QC that provides users with the ability to hear how their work will sound on popular headphone models in use today.
Using DSP, the headphones offer three different voicing for mixers to opt between—Studio, Bass-Heavy and Consumer. The first voicing, Studio, aims to provide a transparent, accurate sound that will translate faithfully to end listeners regardless of what they’re listening on. The second setting, Bass-Heavy, opts to replicate the sound of headphones that are popular with hip-hop and EDM creators and fans. Lastly, Consumer, the third voicing, emulates the sound of familiar headphones that are often sold alongside phones and computers.
Users can switch between the three voicings at the press of a button; a LED light on the right earcup changes color to indicate the selected tuning, and a voice prompt informs users of which setting they’re listening to.
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Providing as many options as possible to experience a mix in the same way that an end listener will, the HP-1 headphones offer a wired connection via a 3.5mm jack on the headphone and an included cable, but Bluetooth pairing is also available for casual listening on the go.
The DSP settings in the HP-1 offer more than mixing emulations, however; the headphones also sport casual listening offerings like active noise cancelling and wireless calling.
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The HP-1 is a closed-back, over-ear headphone with 40mm drivers that support a frequency response of 18 Hz – 22 kHz. The battery is said to support at least 40 hours of playback on a full charge and can be recharged using the included USB-C cable. The headphones ship in a zippered carrying case that will protect them for travel.
The Kali Audio HP-1 is available now, with an SRP of $199.
