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Genelec M040 Review (Studio Monitor)

Rate this speaker:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 6 3.4%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 90 51.7%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 75 43.1%

  • Total voters
    174

Pearljam5000

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It isn't. I think it came out in 2013 or 2014. I see a lot of reviews from that era. And as late as 2018 they were saying they are still available.
Is there any chance for a 1237A/1238A review ?
Thanks
 
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OP
amirm

amirm

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Is there any chance for a 1237A/1238A?
I can ask. But I have to return the S360 first. Summer vacations is making it hard to get things done.
 

GWolfman

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So close! Very nice, especially for the year and without GLM (like their newer gear).
 

thewas

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Wonderful review! Wonderful speaker! Why did they discontinue manufacturing it?
I used to own them as I bought them new much cheaper than their alu enclosure siblings the 8040, indeed very good loudspeakers and I even liked their looks more. Many people said they were discontinued (same as their 5" M030 counterpart) because they didn't sell well, possibly as they were marketed as kind of cheaper online creator content monitors which is a pity. The enclosure was made from recycled fibres and even the packaging was fully recyclable.
 

Olius

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These were the first studio monitors I owned. I bought them way before I knew about speaker measurements. I had read subjective reviews online and I thought they sounded amazing in store but in retrospect it does seem like pure luck that I ended up with a pair that was as good as they have now been measured to be. I know several people who visited over the years commented on how good they sounded.

As @thewas said, this one is from the M-series (music creation) that were manufactured over a period of only a few years. They were made as a lower cost alternative to the 8000-series with basically the same components in a cheaper molded plastic cabinet with Finnish birch fibers mixed in. It was marketed (like most of Genelec's speakers) as being very environmentally friendly with no toxic chemicals in any component. I remember some Genelec representative saying that "you could set this speaker on fire, and the fumes won't be toxic and nothing of what remains will be dangerous to nature".

@Pearljam5000 The M040 has the same woofer as the 8040 but the dome tweeter is larger on the M040.
 

sweetchaos

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This just proves that it doesn't matter what Genelec speaker you buy...older generation perform just as well, excluding modern technology (DSP).
You can rest assured that you're always getting your money's worth.
If you find a good deal on an older generation Genelec, just take it.

Thanks for the review!
Looking forward to seeing 1032C and 1237A reviewed next.
 

thewas

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Here are the official Genelec measurements which as always match the NFS ones well:

M040_horizontal_response.png


M040_tone_controls.png

1660631991034.png



Frequency Response
48 Hz - 20 kHz (± 3 dB)

Low cutoff -6dB
44 Hz

High cutoff -6dB
21 kHz
SPL
Short term max SPL
≥107 dB

Maximum sound output (Short term sine wave output on axis in half space, averaged 100-3000 Hz at 1 m).

Here an interesting Audio Express article about them https://assets.ctfassets.net/4zjnzn...0f90edc089/2014_anet_audioxpress_magazine.pdf

Also Sound & Recording had measured them (the main reason I had bought them) but the review unfortunately isn't online anymore.
 
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pierre

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I tried an EQ but I am not sure it is doing the right thing.

Code:
                    w/EQ
Score    5.6  6.2
w/sub    7.7  8.4

It tried to remove the small peak caused by resonances but if that works well, I don't know.

Code:
EQ for Genelec M040 computed from ASR data
Preference Score 5.6 with EQ 6.3
Generated from http://github.com/pierreaubert/spinorama/generate_peqs.py v0.16
Dated: 2022-08-16-08:32:12

Preamp: -2.0 dB

Filter  1: ON PK Fc   826 Hz Gain +1.58 dB Q 3.00
Filter  2: ON PK Fc   697 Hz Gain -1.71 dB Q 3.00
Filter  3: ON PK Fc   518 Hz Gain +1.48 dB Q 3.00
Filter  4: ON PK Fc  2754 Hz Gain -1.25 dB Q 0.99
Filter  5: ON PK Fc  1362 Hz Gain +1.14 dB Q 2.98
Filter  6: ON PK Fc   769 Hz Gain +1.00 dB Q 2.99
Filter  7: ON PK Fc   670 Hz Gain -1.28 dB Q 2.96
Filter  8: ON PK Fc  1075 Hz Gain -1.03 dB Q 2.98
Filter  9: ON PK Fc   775 Hz Gain +0.97 dB Q 2.88

And here are the results, LW and PIR are a bit flatter.
filters_eq.png


As always, you can find all the graphs here. You can compare this one with any others.
The similar feature find 3 speakers very close to the Genelec M040: without a surprise 2 other Genelec (8330A, 8331A) but also the Adam T5V.
 
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Maiky76

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This is a review, and detailed measurements of the Genelec M040 powered studio monitor (active speaker). It is on kind loan from a member. It has been discontinued but cost US $895. I see a few available still for $600.
View attachment 224404
I like the more traditional look of these speakers. They have their curves but not as pronounced as the current series. Back panel shows the usual connections:
View attachment 224405
I misread the labels and measured it first with -2 dB bass. :( Had to do it over again. Power connection is a figure-8 cable which is easier to plug into the back than larger traditional IEC. It was nice to see RCA input as well.

Speaker feels very solid but not overly heavy for its size.

A front LED indicates power and clipping/limiting.

Genelec M040 Measurements
Let's start with our usual dashboard of frequency response and directivity:
View attachment 224406

Overall response is quite good. The only exceptions are a peak due to cabinet/port resonance around 650 Hz. And bass level being somewhat shy of treble. Here is the near-field response to show the former:
View attachment 224407

The resonance is very clear. On the other hand, the woofer response is impressively smooth out of band.

Early reflection shows what we already know about the resonance:
View attachment 224408

Combining with sound power, we get our predicted in-room response in far-field listening:
View attachment 224409

Horizontal beam width shows the nice control in that axis:
View attachment 224410

Ditto for our contour plot:
View attachment 224411

Typical 2-way design shows the usual two "eyes" in the vertical domain:
View attachment 224413

Distortion is impressively low at 86 dBSPL. It was also just as clean at 96 but clipping light came on toward the end and levels lowered:
View attachment 224414

View attachment 224415

I lowered levels to 90 dB and while the clipping light still came on, there was no limiting:
View attachment 224416

Notice how the left side hugs the near 0% distortion line where our hearing is most sensitive (2 to 5 kHz).

Waterfall basically highlights what we know about the port/cabinet resonance:
View attachment 224417

Finally, for fans of step response, here is that graph:
View attachment 224418

Genelec M040 Listening Tests and Equalization
I listened to the M040 monitor in my near-field setup. Without EQ, the overall sound was good but it was not until I applied EQ that I realized more bass was better:

View attachment 224419

The small notch filter for the port/cabinet resonance as usual improves clarity (although it is very subtle). Once there, the M040 was a delight to listen to. While there is no sub-bass to speak of, the rest of the spectrum sounds wonderful. I especially liked male vocals with the above EQ applied.

I am usually able to clip smaller Genelec speakers but could not do so with the M040. No matter how loud I made it, the clipping indicator did not come on and I could not hear any distortion.

Conclusion
I don't know why but I went into this review thinking the older generation Genelecs don't perform. But I was wrong. Other than one port resonance and small matter of bass output, performance is classic Genelec: great attention to design, construction and overall fidelity. With two simple filters, sound reaches upper echelons of performance ladder. With their more traditional look, the M040 could even be a better fit than some of the newer generation!

I am going to recommend the Genelec M040. With EQ, my recommendation goes up as some of the best bookshelf speakers out there.

-----------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/

Hi,

Here is my take on the EQ.
Please report your findings, positive or negative!

The following EQs are “anechoic” EQs to get the speaker right before room integration. If you able to implement these EQs you must add EQ at LF for room integration, that is usually not optional… see hints there: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...helf-speaker-review.11144/page-26#post-800725


The raw data with corrected ER and PIR:

Score no EQ: 5.4
With Sub: 7.6

Spinorama with no EQ:
  • Port
Genelec M040 No EQ Spinorama.png


Directivity:

Better stay at tweeter height
Horizontally, better toe-in the speakers by 10/20deg and have the axis crossing in front of the listening location, might help dosing the upper range.
Genelec M040 2D surface Directivity Contour Only Data.png

Genelec M040 LW data.png



EQ design:

I have generated two EQs. The APO config files are attached.
  • The first one, labelled, LW is targeted at making the LW flat
  • The second, labelled Score, starts with the first one and adds the score as an optimization variable.
  • The EQs are designed in the context of regular stereo use i.e. domestic environment, no warranty is provided for a near field use in a studio environment although the LW might be better suited for this purpose.

Score EQ LW: 6.2
with sub: 8.3

Score EQ Score: 6.4
with sub: 8.5


Code:
Genelec M040 APO EQ LW 96000Hz
August162022-143107

Preamp: -1.7 dB

Filter 1: ON PK Fc 675.17,    -5.28,    5.59
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 745.70,    3.76,    2.20
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 989.85,    -1.95,    3.99
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 2182.94,    -1.55,    2.10
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 3750.55,    -1.32,    3.23
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 5585.20,    -0.69,    4.89

Genelec M040 APO EQ Score 96000Hz
August162022-142656

Preamp: -1.2 dB

Filter 1: ON PK Fc 664.65,    -5.48,    5.45
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 697.95,    3.45,    1.89
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 1018.67,    -1.95,    4.22
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 2299.52,    -1.55,    2.06
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 3721.60,    -1.40,    2.94
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 5947.59,    -1.19,    2.06

Genelec M040 EQ Design.png


Spinorama EQ LW
Genelec M040 LW EQ Spinorama.png


Spinorama EQ Score
Genelec M040 Score EQ Spinorama.png


Zoom PIR-LW-ON
Genelec M040 Zoom.png


Regression - Tonal
Genelec M040 Regression - Tonal.png


Radar no EQ vs EQ score
Improvements?
Genelec M040 Radar.png


The rest of the plots is attached.
 

Attachments

  • Genelec M040 2D surface Directivity Contour Data.png
    Genelec M040 2D surface Directivity Contour Data.png
    250.4 KB · Views: 49
  • Genelec M040 3D surface Vertical Directivity Data.png
    Genelec M040 3D surface Vertical Directivity Data.png
    474.6 KB · Views: 46
  • Genelec M040 3D surface Horizontal Directivity Data.png
    Genelec M040 3D surface Horizontal Directivity Data.png
    466.2 KB · Views: 48
  • Genelec M040 Reflexion data.png
    Genelec M040 Reflexion data.png
    132.3 KB · Views: 37
  • Genelec M040 APO EQ LW 96000Hz.txt
    341 bytes · Views: 46
  • Genelec M040 APO EQ Score 96000Hz.txt
    345 bytes · Views: 37
  • Genelec M040 No EQ Spinorama.png
    Genelec M040 No EQ Spinorama.png
    163.8 KB · Views: 28
  • Genelec M040 Vertical 3D Directivity data.png
    Genelec M040 Vertical 3D Directivity data.png
    387.8 KB · Views: 39
  • Genelec M040 Horizontal 3D Directivity data.png
    Genelec M040 Horizontal 3D Directivity data.png
    378 KB · Views: 41
  • Genelec M040 Normalized Directivity data.png
    Genelec M040 Normalized Directivity data.png
    295.6 KB · Views: 24
  • Genelec M040 Raw Directivity data.png
    Genelec M040 Raw Directivity data.png
    430.2 KB · Views: 39

polmuaddib

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I strongly vote YES to reviewing older products!
First, it is a valuable data point and other, maybe more important aspect, is that there is a used market to think of!
That used market is very big in some undeveloped parts of the world.
 

SoundGuy

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I have the 8020. I am not surprised M040 measures so well. I do find Genelec port designs have audible issues but then again the bass extension is impressive for their size. (a trade off) Without question great speakers.
 

tifune

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I strongly vote YES to reviewing older products!
First, it is a valuable data point and other, maybe more important aspect, is that there is a used market to think of!
That used market is very big in some undeveloped parts of the world.

I agree, especially in cases of long-running support paradigms. For example, current rev GLM still supports the 82xx and 72xx series. There are limitations of course (negative EQ only, IIRC), but depending on your case they may not be deal breakers or even relevant at all.

And, as others have noted, for posterity it's great to have data showing what each gen brings to the table compared to prior revisions. Some landmark units, as well, would be fun. I don't know I've ever seen a comprehensive spin for original NS10's
 

Tangband

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Are they using the same drivers as the 8040?
Yes It looks like it.

The M040 can play 3 dB less loud than one 8340 according to spec.
There are different poweramps inside, this is probably the main reason.
Newer M040 , before they where discontinued , had class D amps inside , 80 watt and 50 w.
This is an analog active speaker.

 
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Tangband

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In my experience, the older Genelecs have considerably more power on tap than newer ones. Why this is, I couldn't tell you.
This is not true. Its the opposite.

Compare the 8340 (dsp model ) with 8040b.

A single 8340 can play 5 dB louder and have two 150 watt amplifiers inside, when the 8040b has two 90 watts inside, according to Genelecs spec.
 
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Zaireeka

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I can ask. But I have to return the S360 first. Summer vacations is making it hard to get things done.
I'd personnaly like to see how the 8351A measures and compares to the B version you already tested.
 
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Zaireeka

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Let me save you the time..."Endgame level of performance". ;)
For now... ;)

More seriously I've only read subjective comments on the differences between A and B models so far, and I wonder how its translates on measurements.
 

Sancus

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I'd personnaly like to see how the 8351A measures and compares to the B version you already tested.
There is an S&R review. The biggest problem with the 8351A is it has a first gen Ones woofer design that had very poor output at some frequencies, particularly the dip at 40-70hz where it performs comparably to the later generation and much smaller 8331a.

The 8351B also has a larger midrange and tweeter as well as more refined performance overall. If you are getting 8351a at a very big discount and planning to use subs it may still be worthwhile. The overall sound isn't going to be that much different.
 

thewas

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Here are the official Genelec measurements which as always match the NFS ones well:

M040_horizontal_response.png


M040_tone_controls.png

View attachment 224513


Frequency Response
48 Hz - 20 kHz (± 3 dB)

Low cutoff -6dB
44 Hz

High cutoff -6dB
21 kHz
SPL
Short term max SPL
≥107 dB

Maximum sound output (Short term sine wave output on axis in half space, averaged 100-3000 Hz at 1 m).

Here an interesting Audio Express article about them https://assets.ctfassets.net/4zjnzn...0f90edc089/2014_anet_audioxpress_magazine.pdf

Also Sound & Recording had measured them (the main reason I had bought them) but the review unfortunately isn't online anymore.
One of the reasons I had bought them was also that the directivity was smoother than on its more expensive 8040B sibling:

M040_horizontal_response.png

8040A_horizontal_response.png

It seems they fixed those issues though on its latest GLM variant 8340A:

1660640709160.png
 
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