Genelec 8331A Powered SAM Studio Monitor Review (by Erin)

[sweetchaos]

Thanks for another speaker review @hardisj

This is the smallest of the Genelec Ones.
Price is approximately $2250 USD for a single, or $4500 USD for a speaker pair (as of this writing).

Link to review:

Genelec 8331A Powered SAM Studio Monitor Review

Genelec 8331A Review

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

Erin's conclusion:

See video linked above for subjective and objective analysis. But just a couple notes regarding the compression testing because I know some will be perplexed by the results:

-The compression / limiting test results look crazy, don’t they? I thought so, too. So, I did some additional testing and I also reached out to Genelec to see if the results made sense to them. In my listening tests, when I ran the speaker well into clipping (solid red light on the front), the result was the speaker would mute itself. Not long term; just instantaneously. However, the only way I could get this to happen is when I was practically trying to break the speaker (good news, it didn’t break!). The data backs that up. When I performed the compression testing with sine sweeps what I saw and heard was this same thing. In other words, the protection system was designed to do this. And Genelec confirmed as much, per their reply below:

The protection system is designed to ensure long-term reliability. Allowing excessive temperature in the voice coils can significantly reduce lifetime and even cause rapid failure. Protection and driver characteristics have been selected so that for music and speech signals there is little or no need for protection. Other manufacturers may have different philosophy with protection, like lifting the low corner frequency of the woofer to slightly limit heating, resulting in thermal compression and ultimately failure. Some even boast of not using protection at all. We find that this may often lead to earlier than expected failure and harm for the user.

-In the room, I was able to push these to 100dB at 3m before the clipping indicator came on and began to mute the output to protect the speaker (per design). Realistically, this speaker will likely not be listened at this distance and likely will be listened to in the 1m to 2m distance. In this case, you would have higher dynamic range capability than I did at the 3m distance.
-The imaging of this speaker is superb. And in the nearfield, it’s even more noteworthy as most speakers with multiple drivers - not coincident - tend to not sum properly in the nearfield and you need to be further than a meter for that to occur (generally speaking, of course).
-F3 = 49Hz. F10 = 39Hz. The 8331A plays down into the 50Hz region just fine and in-room at 3m distance and 1 meter from each sidewall, they extended down to 40Hz before they rolled off sharply.

Discuss!

 

[dfuller]

I'm sorry, but the value of this speaker doesn't add up to me. It's small, sure - but it seems very limited in dynamic range capabilities and its competitors do better in that department.

 

[fieldcar]

Discuss!

Look at that directivity! It makes much more expensive speakers look like trash.

 

[nerdoldnerdith]

Another top performer from Genelec. No surprises here. It's expensive, but you get features that other monitors don't have. Hook these up to a GLM network with other Genelec monitors and you will have a system with every monitor being linear phase and all perfectly time aligned and EQ'd with 30 seconds of work. It's quite remarkable. I'm running an 4.1.4 multichannel setup with 2x8351B/2x8341A/2x8331A/2x8320A and GLM and the amount of effort it takes to get amazing sound is a joke.

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

This speaker include a high pass filter 80hz??
a pair of these with dual subs seems to be interesting idea

 

[tifune]

I'm sorry, but the value of this speaker doesn't add up to me. It's small, sure - but it seems very limited in dynamic range capabilities and its competitors do better in that department.

Could you give some examples? I can think of a few, but the speakers I'm imagining aren't quite apples:apples IMO so interested in other perspectives

 

[abdo123]

I'm sorry, but the value of this speaker doesn't add up to me. It's small, sure - but it seems very limited in dynamic range capabilities and its competitors do better in that department.

It can do 103dB @ 1m peak and 99dB @ 1m continuous what are you talking about?

 

[Sancus]

I'm sorry, but the value of this speaker doesn't add up to me. It's small, sure - but it seems very limited in dynamic range capabilities and its competitors do better in that department.

This isn't a value speaker, it's for the specific purpose you want a Genelec One that will fit in the smallest space possible. As far as I know, it's the smallest 3-way coaxial out there. It's even a bit smaller than the LS50, a 2-way.

Would an LS50 Meta/Wireless 2, or a Kali IN-5 be a better value? Yeah, obviously. There aren't very many small coaxials that are actually good and not afflicted with the typical coaxial problems, though.

 

[HooStat]

I think I saw a video where someone was using these as a portable monitoring solution.

 

[dc655321]

There aren't very many small coaxials that are actually good and not afflicted with the typical coaxial problems, though.

Those problems being...?

 

[kevinh]

This speaker include a high pass filter 80hz??
a pair of these with dual subs seems to be interesting idea

I believe if you purchase Genelec subs they can be integrated with the 8331's using their GLM software.

 

[FrantzM]

I respect what Genelec accomplishes almost routinely. These speakers may have their applications but $4500 for the pair is a brickwall. Other may disagree

Peace

 

[abdo123]

Those problems being...?

High frequency linearity and intermodulation distortion.

 

[Sancus]

Those problems being...?

2-way coaxials are prone to IMD and issues caused by the woofer excursion altering the tweeter response too much. Most coaxials also have a significant problem with high frequency diffraction caused by the midrange or mounting structure for the tweeter. Even the Kalis, which are otherwise quite well designed, have this problem. They have done a good job of minimizing it in the recent revisions, but the IN-5 still has very uneven directivity above 4khz compared to the 8331A. This is forgivable given the price difference, of course. The IN-8 is even worse in that respect but not directly comparable at this size.

Kef is the only non-Genelec coaxial manufacturer I've seen that also manages to produce relatively even directivity across the whole frequency range. And M.E. Geithain gets an honorable mention, they are pretty good. But extremely expensive and hard to actually buy outside Germany, so not very relevant.

Contour Maps IN-5, 8331A

Spoiler

 

[napilopez]

Ugh Genelec making another good speaker what a surprise, can't they come up with something new for a change???

Those problems being...?

SPL, IMD, presumably

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

I believe if you purchase Genelec subs they can be integrated with the 8331's using their GLM software.

Only if i bought a Genelec sub, right?
What about if I just buy a Rythmik f12 sub?

 

[kevinh]

Only if i bought a Genelec sub, right?
What about if I just buy a Rythmik f12 sub?

I believe they must be Genelec due to the GLM net connection.

 

[xpop]

Only if i bought a Genelec sub, right?
What about if I just buy a Rythmik f12 sub?

None of them can fill the gap under 500Hz, you need real medium.

 

[abdo123]

None of them can fill the gap under 500Hz, you need real medium.

The limiter triggered for some reason in the compression test but the speaker is well capable of 103dB @ 1 meter 100Hz to 3KHz.

Erin confirmed that he recorded 103 dB three meters away.

 

[dc655321]

2-way coaxials are prone to IMD and issues caused by the woofer excursion altering the tweeter response too much.

I'm not disagreeing, but are you aware of evidence that clearly shows these effects?
I see people routinely play the Doppler/IMD-card with little to nothing for evidence.

SPL, IMD, presumably

Size will affect SPL, sure.
Coaxial-ness, though? What's the connection?