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Do aluminium Genelecs have a particular "house sound"...

Waxx

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When the 80xx series got introduced I had a chance to listen to several models side by side and they all sounded quite similar (a good thing) but distinctly different than others, definitely on the "crisp" side of things, probably prone to give ear fatigue earlier than others, say, Geithains which have a reputation for being very listenable for extended duration.

I think this cannot easily be nailed down to some specific properties isolated as every detail of an actual implementation will count, to varying degrees. As does, of course, the acoustic properties of the listening environment.

For this I'm in the camp of those who say specs and measurements of speakers are important and welcomed but it is close to impossible to predict if you will actually like the sound or not, especially in the long term.
If you know enough about how speakers behave and know your own preference you can. You can find out what deviations of technical perfection you like, and learn how the recognise them in measurements. But personal preference is by definition subjective so you can't predict that from a stranger.

But as occasional freelance audio advisor for rich people, i take time to discuss with my clients what they want and don't want, and out of their stories i can mostly know what they will like (or at least the direction). But it takes time to study the preference of the person, and a lot of knowledge about speakers, technically and hands on. And it's not cheap as i need to spend a lot of time on that, so only rich people can afford me for that.

Harman tried to study that subject, and their team found out some general tendencies (low distortion, even dispertion and mostly flat with a very soft slope down towards treble) that most people like, and based their Harman Curve and the Olive score on it. But it's most people, not everybody. It's the standard that is used here to judge speakers. It may not tell it all, but it tells a lot, and most other things can be deducted from it.

And for long listening sessions, i'm more fond of (of commercial brands) Harbeth, or if you insist on clean neutral sound, Neumann. Not Genelec or Kii or Geithain or so. But at the end i'm mainly listening to own diy builds, mostly single driver fullrange systems. Very unpopular on ASR because they meausre bad, but they sound very good to my ears and i enjoy listening to them for days. And at the end that is what matters...
 

kongwee

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Genelec sound better to me on the top end. Lots of detail for my DAW work. All my studio monitor have metal tweeter.
 
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Tangband

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Genelec sound better to me on the top end. Lots of detail for my DAW work. All my studio monitor have metal tweeter.
Its not just the good tweeter they use.
My very subjective take : Compairing with my Hybrid DIY dsp project made of braced MDF, the cabinet in my Genelec 8340 has less released and delayed energy in the lower frequencies, making it easier to hear what the pianists left hand are playing.

Its a very clear effect to hear , at least for me, and it makes to much of a difference that I believe there is something good using a very stiff cabinett like aluminium. Maybe it also takes a good building execution , and this would be more important than the material used ?

Or is it the better 6,5 inch driver in 8340 than the Hybrids seas er18rnx that Im hearing ?

Anyway, the measurements of the cabinet resonanses in Stereophile of Genelec G3 shows outstanding results , so there is some objective evidence that the cabinet is good constructed.


”I investigated the enclosure's vibrational behavior with a plastic-tape accelerometer. It was extremely inert. The only resonant mode I found was on the sidewall, at 637Hz (fig.1), but this is vanishingly low in level, even at SPLs >90dB.”



B8B33F03-79C0-425B-A673-F75AAF2BE53D.jpeg
 
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Waxx

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The material is not that important, it's the execution. And Genelec does it right with their aluminium cabinets. Not all are like that, some ring like hell...

Look at Neumann, some of their speakers are made out of aluminium, some out of wood and/or platic, and all measure among the best in their class.
 

Marc v E

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Imo the start of this thread looks a lot like my own experience of several times in the past, where I thought that studio monitors just sounded cold, sterile and indifferent.

The thing is, whether or not you belong to the average group that experiences a flat on axis frequency response as better, a flat measuring speaker can easily be eq-ed. While a speaker with an irregular on- and off-axis frequency response cannot.

I have the Genelec 8030a's and think they are one of the, if not the best hifi purchase(s) ever. The only thing I would change is adding eq by either buying the 8330 or the minidsp flex.
 
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Rja4000

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Harman tried to study that subject, and their team found out some general tendencies (low distortion, even dispertion and mostly flat with a very soft slope down towards treble) that most people like, and based their Harman Curve and the Olive score on it. But it's most people, not everybody.
Although that is correct, it doesn't change anything.

The problem is the methodology.

Either you spend a life trying to find "the perfect match" (That does not exist, anyway. Not in a world of compromises like we live. Even if we are rich).

Either you start from a common base (Harman curve) and add nuance to taste.

In the second scenario, as you are starting from a very close match, you just need nuance. That's where a good EQ is handy. And enough for 99.9% of the cases, IF the base is close enough.

That's what we promote here.
 

Absolute

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The Genelec sounds more sibilant and annyoing to me.
 
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Digby

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Imo the start of this thread looks a lot like my own experience of several times in the past, where I thought that studio monitors just sounded cold, sterile and indifferent.
How so? This is a comparison of two studio monitors, both considered among the best in their size range, both considered accurate, yet with rather different sound characters, this when EQ'd to be very close to similar response in room.

So you said it all here.
Don't let perfect be the enemy of the good. I didn't say it was the last word in fidelity, but I do think it has value as basis for comparison.
 

Marc v E

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How so? This is a comparison of two studio monitors, both considered among the best in their size range, both considered accurate, yet with rather different sound characters, this when EQ'd to be very close to similar response in room.


Don't let perfect be the enemy of the good. I didn't say it was the last word in fidelity, but I do think it has value as basis for comparison.
All imo. Ymmv. What would be really interesting to me is a real life blind comparison of a Genelec with sub and a Neumann with sub.

In real life the Genelecs are amazing ime. Haven't heard the neumanns yet.
 
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Ze Frog

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There is a difference between these, Neumann does seem to have a slight edge down low. As for top end, really both are very clear, however the Genelec does have a touch more energy there, but to be honest, it's really so slight you have to wonder if it actually really makes a difference.

If I wasn't running a subwoofer I'd almost definitely take the Neumann's. However running a subwoofer I think either is good, although actually I'd be ever so slightly leaning more towards the Genelec in that instance just because if a subwoofer is involved the extra low becomes irrelevant. Actually making me think wether I actually want the Neumann KH 150, or do I want the Genelec 8340's. I know they are different, but same tweeters at least, plus GLM does seem a bit more advanced in regards to playing around. Plus not going to lie, the Genelec's look far nicer and being in living room for Hi-fi use they are really starting to appeal.

I'm coming from ribbon tweeters in my D.I.Y build, implemented sensibly and not in a 'hey, look I'm a ribbon' kind of way, just that ever so slight sparkle that a lot of tweeters can leave out. Because of this, I think the Genelec will give me that bit extra, then if I don't like I can just fix in GLM. To be honest, either of these speakers effectively can be EQ'ed, so really anybody should be able to get a sound they desire from either. I'd rather have the top a bit brighter though to EQ down rather than up, or if I need it up higher there's less EQ needed. The KH 150 is awesome, but if running subwoofer I'd almost feel like I'm wasting one of it's major strengths. Even saying this though, if the KH 150 was the cheaper and also better looking, I could happily take that instead.

I'm amazed some are so polarised by the sound of either, they really do seem so near to eachother really that really to me it's finally boiled down to price and looks. Really is a testament to both companies really that either or is effectively perfection. Wish I'd looked at monitors years ago.
 
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