• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Genelec 8331 vs 8341, looking for a comparison and buying advice

Suggestion

  • 8331

    Votes: 7 17.9%
  • 8341

    Votes: 32 82.1%

  • Total voters
    39

potato

New Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2022
Messages
3
Likes
0
I've got an option to buy a pair of either 8331s or 8341s, after more than a year of dreaming about the Ones. Both are within my budget, at a price difference of 1150 euros in favour of the former. At least this year, since I'm open to the idea of adding a sub or even a stereo sub pair to either set up next year, depending on how it goes.

The pair would go onto my home studio desk:
  • Room – an irregularly shaped studio, with the “main rectangle” of it being ~5 metres wide and ~3.5 metres deep.
  • Listening positions – the desk in the middle of a wide wall of the “main rectangle” or a sofa right behind it, by the opposite wall. In other words, ~0.8 and ~2.9 metres. 80% of time in the closer position, and I'm fine with just switching between different GLM presets for desk and the sofa.
  • Room acoustics – crap. Besides geometry issues, there are some questionable surfaces, and limited options to get proper proofing, due to my living arrangement and not really being an audio professional to begin with. Consequently, a preference for Genelec with the GLM, as a presumably low fussiness option to offset the most glaring issues.
  • Use cases – hobbyist video editing, simple audio work included, and recreational listening. The PC's audio setup does have a digital out. I'm not a frequent film/series watcher, but I listen to a lot of EDM (drum and bass mainly), and use the computer for gaming both from the desk and from the couch.
  • Volume preference – haven't tracked this studiously, but I'd say that ~70-80 dB average is what I gravitate to at the desk, slightly louder at the sofa (maybe 80-90).
As far as I've researched, and read discussions here (thanks Amir and Erin for the reviews!) and on other spaces discussion audio gear, the two models should be quite similar. From my perspective:

8331:
  • Pros: Narrower than my current monitors, cheaper than 8341.
  • Cons: Shallower sub-bass extension than 8441.
8441:
  • Pros: Deeper sub-bass extension than 8331.
  • Cons: 2 cm wider than my current monitors (minor issue, can be negated by slightly re-planning the desk arrangement), more expensive than 8331.
In other words, I'm not particularly great at analysing subtleties of SPL or directivity plots, and would appreciate some advice on the finer details of how the two models compare, and any personal experiences in comparing the two.

As a side note, a question about the GLM Kit. For room correction to work, should it online at all times, or only when I mean to switch correction profiles or use a Genelec volume control accessory?

P.S. 8351s are too much of a jump for my budget, and physically larger than what's practical for me, to get ahead of a potential suggestion. Neumanns I have looked at, but I happen to be one of those weird folks who like the aesthetics of Genelec, and that is a factor here, if minor.
 

Sancus

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 30, 2018
Messages
2,923
Likes
7,616
Location
Canada
Realistically the 8331 will be completely adequate at the closer distance. The 8341 will provide a better experience at the farther listening position though, especially if you add sub(s) later -- it has 6dB more midrange capability than the 8331, which is quite a lot. Also, if you plan to keep these very long term, the 8341 have more flexibility for future use cases.

Personally I always recommend going as big as you are willing to go in the Ones range, especially for a stereo setup. You don't want to feel output limited later on with an expensive purchase.
As a side note, a question about the GLM Kit. For room correction to work, should it online at all times, or only when I mean to switch correction profiles or use a Genelec volume control accessory?

GLM can store a correction profile in the monitors, and it remains active even if the kit and software are not connected to the monitors. There's no need to leave GLM connected unless you want to change settings or use volume control as you mentioned.
 

Peluvius

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 5, 2021
Messages
513
Likes
543
The key noticeable difference is their performance at distance. There is an SPL/distance table on the Genelec website you can use as a guide. I would personally rather the 31's on my desk because they are smaller and at your general listening levels I would be surprised if you could tell the two apart under 3m.

GLM is good to set for different listening positions so you might have a profile for your nearfield setup and another one for when you listen at 2.9m.
 

hege

Senior Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Dec 25, 2018
Messages
466
Likes
819
Location
Finland
and at your general listening levels I would be surprised if you could tell the two apart under 3m.
The bass extension (45 -> 38hz) would surely be audible with EDM/drum'n'bass etc, not to mention the extra headroom at 3m. There's little sense going smaller as the price difference is so small.
 
Last edited:

Puddingbuks

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
May 31, 2020
Messages
588
Likes
987
I had the 8331a on trial. Fantastic sound, but the limiter came in rather early. Even with subbass routed to the subwoofers.

I would opt for the 8341a, more headroom, bigger waveguide, more power, more is more.

I’ve ordered the 8351b, because this is the 3rd generation ones. More is more.
 

Puddingbuks

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
May 31, 2020
Messages
588
Likes
987
Save up some more and get the 8351
If you would have spent all your time on this forum on work, you would have had a set of 8361 + W371 easily. :p
 
OP
P

potato

New Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2022
Messages
3
Likes
0
GLM can store a correction profile in the monitors, and it remains active even if the kit and software are not connected to the monitors. There's no need to leave GLM connected unless you want to change settings or use volume control as you mentioned.
Got it, cheers!

Thinking more about the ongoing discussion, it may make sense for me to jump up to 8341 purely as a long term consideration - this is a purchase I’d love to get a good decade out of, and both use cases and listening environments for them will naturally change over time.

Speaking of environments, what would you folks say about an appropriate placement in this situation? Off the cuff, I see 2 options:

1) Flat top stand that would the centre of the speaker below my head at the near position, within 15 degree limits indicated in the corresponding Genelec brochure.

2) Move the desk away from the wall (it’s flush at the moment) by about 30-40 centimetres, and set up the speakers on those Genelec floor stands with downwards tilting mounting plates.

The latter would probably sound a bit better, from verticality perspective, but it could also introduce additional reflection effects from the hardwood tabletop, screens on it, and the hardwood floor between the desk and the sofa.

In terms of horizontal positioning, it seems that I should just focus them at the desk position, and let GLM do its thing at the sofa, as only casual listening is planned from that position.

Edit:

I did the math with angles, and with (1) I would be 12 degrees off-axis at the desk and 7 degrees off-axis at the sofa, mounting 8341a into 8000-325B/W (0-degree tilt) vertically. That should be more than fine.
 
Last edited:

srrxr71

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jul 4, 2020
Messages
1,581
Likes
1,243
So I had 8341 - great for desktop listening.

Then I moved and got a couch setup. My couch is not even at the end of the room. I’m using only 40% of the room with 60% behind my sofa.

My monitors are 9ft from my listening position. About 5ft from the acoustic plane. The extra 4ft are for the wide soundstage.

The 8341 were inadequate. Even with 2 x 7360. They would be run on protection all day.

The 8361s largely solve this problem.

8341 were incredible and satisfactory on my old desktop setup. But moving to a sofa changed everything. You have to pick and choose which to prioritize.

I bought the 8341 also for a decade. I realized within one move in 8 months that they will not do. Now i’m going to take a hit on selling the 8341.
 

oversky

Active Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2021
Messages
182
Likes
178
8331A if you are sensitive to hiss.
Better check if this is a problem to you before making the choice.

Self-generated noise
8331A ≤0 dB SPL
8341A ≤3 dB SPL
Self generated noise level in free space at 1 m on axis (A-weighted).

Use case
 
Last edited:

Sparky

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Jun 9, 2019
Messages
802
Likes
370
Location
Manchester
@srrxr71 I'm interested in your post as you are using two 7360A's with a pair of 8341's.
How do you have the 7360's connected? In a stereo configuration pair with each L & R monitor or is it summed mono?

I have just placed an order for 2 x 7360A's and I too use a pair of 8341AWM's in a home hifi/movies set up.
Do you have any pics of your GLM calibration at all?

Part of the latest GLM update (4.2) includes the new "subwoofer grouping" which I assume you can use to pass the same signal to two subwoofers as a summed signal for GLM to adequately apply the necessary delays etc.

Does it work well??
 

srrxr71

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jul 4, 2020
Messages
1,581
Likes
1,243
@srrxr71 I'm interested in your post as you are using two 7360A's with a pair of 8341's.
How do you have the 7360's connected? In a stereo configuration pair with each L & R monitor or is it summed mono?

I have just placed an order for 2 x 7360A's and I too use a pair of 8341AWM's in a home hifi/movies set up.
Do you have any pics of your GLM calibration at all?

Part of the latest GLM update (4.2) includes the new "subwoofer grouping" which I assume you can use to pass the same signal to two subwoofers as a summed signal for GLM to adequately apply the necessary delays etc.

Does it work well??
Yes you will be very happy with stereo subs. I have posted GLM graphs for my 7360 setup many times. I’d you sit close mostly you will be wondering how it is possible to hear what you are hearing.
 

Sparky

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Jun 9, 2019
Messages
802
Likes
370
Location
Manchester
Yes you will be very happy with stereo subs. I have posted GLM graphs for my 7360 setup many times. I’d you sit close mostly you will be wondering how it is possible to hear what you are hearing.
Ah, I won't be using them as stereo subs I'm afraid. I'm hoping to send them the same signal and sum them as a dual mono.
I don't doubt that stereo subs sounds awesome but I'm not able to position the subs next to or below each left and right monitor.

I'm pretty certain that with the new GLM 4.2 where you can group subwoofers together, that'll enable me to treat them as a dual mono.

That's the plan anyway......
 

Senior NEET Engineer

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Jan 6, 2020
Messages
538
Likes
591
Location
San Diego
I wouldn’t spend so much. You said the room acoustics is crap. That means you will get crap sound.
 

srrxr71

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jul 4, 2020
Messages
1,581
Likes
1,243
Ah, I won't be using them as stereo subs I'm afraid. I'm hoping to send them the same signal and sum them as a dual mono.
I don't doubt that stereo subs sounds awesome but I'm not able to position the subs next to or below each left and right monitor.

I'm pretty certain that with the new GLM 4.2 where you can group subwoofers together, that'll enable me to treat them as a dual mono.

That's the plan anyway......
Yeah it will let you. Probably won’t make a real difference you just need those frequencies coming from a similar spread of space as the mains.
 
Top Bottom