Kali Audio’s reference headphones replace three sets of over-ears for a surprisingly low price

Kali Audio has devised a clever solution to a problem most audio and video pros often face – ensuring that what they produce sounds good on multiple different types of headphones.

Different models of headphones can often have very different sonic characteristics, and that means making sure tracks and mixes will sound great on Beats workout headphones, AirPods 4 and also high quality over-ears can be tricky. Engineers might need to beg, steal or borrow all those different kinds of headphones to find out.

However, Kali claims to have the answer in its new Audio HP-1 studio pair.

The HP-1 use digital signal processing in a really interesting way. They change the sonic signature of your headphones so they sound like the headphones your listeners might be using, and you can move between the different signatures with the press of a button.

Kali Audio HP-1 headphones: key features and pricing

The HP-1 headphones are closed-back over-ears with 40mm drivers and a frequency range of 18Hz to 22kHz.

Their default mode is studio mode, which is designed to deliver a clear, transparent and accurate sound that doesn't flatter audio – it's for noticing the little details and necessary tweaks that consumer headphones may not reveal.

The next mode is for beats. Suitably bass-heavy, as you'd expect from the name, it gives the low end the same kind of boost you'd get from headphones marketed to hip-hop and EDM musicians and fans. Think Beats Audio.

And the third mode, consumer, "replicates the sound of popular headphones sold alongside phones and computers". So, AirPods.

Connectivity comes in the form of a 3.5mm cable for studio use and Bluetooth for more casual listening, and the battery delivers up to 40 hours of listening time.

The thinking here is very clever, and if the different modes do a good job of replicating everyday headphones then the HP-1 also represent good value for money. They are priced at £199 / $199 / €199 (about AU$407) and available now from kaliaudio.com.