Genelec 8341A SAM™ Studio Monitor Review

[Spocko]

I've just been using the analog input for ease of integration. Did Genelec fail to implement transparent analog to digital conversion?

No, I doubt people can tell the difference in a double blind comparison but it’s the principle of the matter right?

 

[Sancus]

No, I doubt people can tell the difference in a double blind comparison but it’s the principle of the matter right?

Agreed, there's no way anybody could tell, I think it just offends a "sense of neatness" to do unnecessary conversions. At least, that's why I would like to have digital outs for Genelecs. The sound quality doesn't concern me.

 

[Gnasherrr]

I have had several digital Genelec speakers and setting the volume is indeed not trivial. I currently use Matrix X-SPDIF with my PC and the GLM software volume setting with my mouse wheel. Works fine in the desktop use. Once I used ADI-2 Pro as well. In my living room I use Node 2i and a coax-AES converter from Neutrik.

What Genelec should do is to enable connect the GLM box to a LAN via wifi and/or ethernet so that one doesn’t need to buy several GLM boxes, which are quite expensive at the moment. Opening up the GLM sw APIs should also be done, so that volume adjustment could be done as simply as possible from many different players / setups.

Why not using the physical volume control module they make? I have one and it works wonders

 

[Gnasherrr]

Probably one of the best speakers available if coupled with a sub. A bit jealous, to be honest.

i have no subs ATM but they are indeed very nice. although i have doubts about the glm measurement microphones. I chose to use a third party microphone instead

 

[Gnasherrr]

Hope that I'm not hijacking this thread but I'm inspired by the predicted in-room response weighing and I am trying to figure out how much slope the raw FR of my listening spot represents from some measurements. So here are my attempts at figuring this out. Would love some inputs on which one looks more like the overall trend if my room is well treated.
Some background information. My speakers are ~1.1m apart tweeter to tweeter and my listening window is ~0.9m to the speakers. I have no room treatments done (pardon me). My room is about a 4x5, however the speakers are not centered in the room.

 

[BYRTT]

Hi @Gnasherrr,

Other members probably better experienced comment what the weighing really is but maybe it help for better overview overlay you listening position in room graphs together Toole's trained listener curve into Spinorama of amirm's nice anechoic scan, PIR for 8341 is the orange graph ...

 

[Gnasherrr]

Hi @Gnasherrr,

Other members probably better experienced comment what the weighing really is but maybe it help for better overview overlay you listening position in room graphs together Toole's trained listener curve into Spinorama of amirm's nice anechoic scan, PIR for 8341 is the orange graph ...

View attachment 52883

wow excellent work. this put things in perspective very well. My raw FR seem to follow this prediction very well. my question now would be, wouldn't the weighting be correlated with listening distance, room dimension, speaker placement etc?? I wonder how the predicted response matches mine so well

 

[Jon AA]

Keep in mind, the slope of the curve will change with listening distance quite a bit.

 

[BYRTT]

wow excellent work. this put things in perspective very well. My raw FR seem to follow this prediction very well. my question now would be, wouldn't the weighting be correlated with listening distance, room dimension, speaker placement etc?? I wonder how the predicted response matches mine so well

Yes looks good and nice see some coherence now that this model is not low cost, should i comment your curve it could look bit to bright side above 1kHz where all from a 0,1dB tilt can mean a tons with a high shelve soft say Q = or < 0,5, also if you have a system where Fabfilter Pro-Q3 or Sonarworks Reference 4 is available then those two have flat tilt EQ feature that is very handy on the subjective side of dial in tonality.

Keep in mind, the slope of the curve will change with listening distance quite a bit.

Thanks 8341 is covered in verticals using coxial mid/tweet plus woofers are symetric mounted so can you help teach the reason.

 

[soundwave76]

Why not using the physical volume control module they make? I have one and it works wonders

Mouse wheel is just better for me. I do have the physical volume control and a remote as well. Once I had a defect physical control wheel and the volume changed without touching the control. That was not good...

 

[onion]

What are the listening distances (range) for the 'ones' (8341, 8351a/b, 8361)?

I'm thinking of getting a pair for listening, not for studio work, coupled with a couple of subs. Listening distance around 2-3m.

 

[thewas]

What are the listening distances (range) for the 'ones' (8341, 8351a/b, 8361)?

I'm thinking of getting a pair for listening, not for studio work, coupled with a couple of subs. Listening distance around 2-3m.

See here https://www.genelec.com/correct-monitors

 

[onion]

Thanks - the trouble with their guide is it suggests the 8341A would be suitable at these distances. I don't believe their guide gives the full picture.

 

[Sancus]

Thanks - the trouble with their guide is it suggests the 8341A would be suitable at these distances. I don't believe their guide gives the full picture.

What leads you to believe otherwise? There are extensive specs from Genelec on what SPL you can expect at which frequencies, and the Sound and Recording tests of the 8351a too, which had very close specs to the 8341a(which is a later model, I believe, why the 8351a was replaced).

If you listen at 75db average, I don't see any reason to believe the 8341a would be insufficient at those distances. If you listen considerably louder, it might be, in which case you need to add a sub or go up to the 8351b.

I am likely purchasing some Genelecs later this year, and have decided to go with the 8351b for 2.1m, just to have lots of extra headroom for movie and classical listening at high volumes that I'll almost never use.

 

[Matias]

Hope that I'm not hijacking this thread but I'm inspired by the predicted in-room response weighing and I am trying to figure out how much slope the raw FR of my listening spot represents from some measurements. So here are my attempts at figuring this out. Would love some inputs on which one looks more like the overall trend if my room is well treated.
Some background information. My speakers are ~1.1m apart tweeter to tweeter and my listening window is ~0.9m to the speakers. I have no room treatments done (pardon me). My room is about a 4x5, however the speakers are not centered in the room.

Me too, let's discuss here:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...is-your-favorite-house-curve.2382/post-341190

 

[Jon AA]

Thanks 8341 is covered in verticals using coxial mid/tweet plus woofers are symetric mounted so can you help teach the reason.

Higher frequencies are attenuated in the air more than lower frequencies. The farther you sit from the speakers, the longer the distance not only the direct sound needs to travel to your ear, but all the reflections as well, so the highs will be sloped downward/rolled off more for an in-room response curve.

 

[onion]

What leads you to believe otherwise? There are extensive specs from Genelec on what SPL you can expect at which frequencies, and the Sound and Recording tests of the 8351a too, which had very close specs to the 8341a(which is a later model, I believe, why the 8351a was replaced).

I am likely purchasing some Genelecs later this year, and have decided to go with the 8351b for 2.1m, just to have lots of extra headroom for movie and classical listening at high volumes that I'll almost never use.

I'm completely sold on the idea of having a pair of subs that are 'room-corrected' along with the stereo speakers. This is the setup I have in my cinema room (MK 300s, MK X10s and Lyngdorf amp running RoomPerfect). So if I get the Genelecs, there will be two subs come what may. I guess the question then is will the 8341a + subs be OK for that music listening room. If so, there will be no need to get the 8351a's.

 

[Hephaestus]

Thanks - the trouble with their guide is it suggests the 8341A would be suitable at these distances. I don't believe their guide gives the full picture.

There is no trouble with their guide. Optimum listening distance in the guide for 8341A is roughly 0.4-2.1 meters. (85m3 room volume and 0.24s room reverb time)

Typical living room listening distance requires S360 or 8361 plus subs.

 

[JAP]

What are the listening distances (range) for the 'ones' (8341, 8351a/b, 8361)?

I'm thinking of getting a pair for listening, not for studio work, coupled with a couple of subs. Listening distance around 2-3m.

Between 0,6 and 5 meters will work fine with 8361A.

 

[onion]

It does not look that different the recommended differences for the 8341, 8351 and 8361. I'm basing this on the critical distance/ direct dominance chart. Am I doing it wrong? Does anyone know if/ how the distances change with the use of subs?