Genelec 8351B Review (Studio Monitor)

[Rja4000]

Genelec states:
"Long term max SPL ≥103 dB
Maximum long term RMS acoustic output in the same conditions with IEC weighted noise (limited by driver protection circuit) at 1 m."

@amirm : Does it sound realistic ?

It's not clear what "IEC Weighted noise" means.
"A" or "C" weighting ?

 

[Grotti]

Thank you very much @amirm for putting another another speaker on my list. And now for the Barefoot Footprint 01, PLEASE

 

[Martigane]

What is up with the poor CSD below 500Hz?
This is very high as usually long resonances are seen below 100Hz around bass reflex tuning frequency.
I'd be curious to see the same measurement but with one bass slot closed.
Interesting that subjectively bass was not good while THD still looked decent.

 

[GWolfman]

*drool* Anyone feeling generous enough to drop ship me a pair of these and I'd be in heaven.

I am trying out 8330a at the moment, and they sound great. But I've heard many times that this coaxial series (the "ones") are just unbelievable.

 

[Senior NEET Engineer]

What is up with the poor CSD below 500Hz?
This is very high as usually long resonances are seen below 100Hz around bass reflex tuning frequency.
I'd be curious to see the same measurement but with one bass slot closed.
Interesting that subjectively bass was not good while THD still looked decent.

I think it's from the slots resonating.

 

[Sancus]

Interesting that subjectively bass was not good while THD still looked decent.

THD sweeps and listening tests aren't performed at the same levels, so that doesn't follow.

 

[Purité Audio]

Excellent review as always Amir, coincidentally I have a pair here and they are superb, but I think you have to sit pretty close for an immersive sound.
Off to hear the W371’s this week, I will ask about ‘critical’ listening distances for the combination.
Keith

 

[Pearljam5000]

Excellent review as always Amir, coincidentally I have a pair here and they are superb, but I think you have to sit pretty close for an immersive sound.
Off to hear the W371’s this week, I will ask about ‘critical’ listening distances for the combination.
Keith

How do they compare to the Kii three and 8C from?
Thanks.

 

[MZKM]

Note: Rating is for far-field listening.

Preference Rating
SCORE: 7.1
SCORE w/ sub: 8.4

Frequency response: +/-2.7dB 38Hz-20kHz (spec: +/-1.5dB)

 

[Senior NEET Engineer]

Reserved.

Lagged?

 

[staticV3]

I reset the speaker to factory settings and left all the dip switches off as you see.

It looks like you scaled down the image by quite a bit to save bandwidth.
That makes it pretty difficult to read the switches' labels and positions.
Could you please try keeping your photos at, or close to the original resolution and instead use this web tool for image compression?
https://squoosh.app/
It is very user friendly and should allow for much more efficient compression than just downscaling.

 

[MZKM]

Lagged?

Amir hit me with a sneak attack, usually he sends it to me a few hours ahead; I was sleeping and just woke up (5am my time).

PS: Sad to see the show end, but at least Simu is starring as lead actor in Marvel’s Shang Chi (I just hope Awkwafina doesn’t ruin it).

 

[MZKM]

SCORE: 7.1
SCORE w/ sub: 8.4

2nd place without sub (loss to D&D 8C, mainly for bass), 3-way tie for 2nd-4th place with sub (8030C is top place; D&D not in top 10).

Due note that the formula isn’t designed with near-field speakers in mind and not with such bass heavy speakers in mind (I doubt any towers used in making the formula where close to 30Hz). Also, this is a tonality preference, says nothing about max SPL.

 

[Sparky]

Preference Rating
SCORE: 7.1
SCORE w/ sub: 8.4

Frequency response: +/-2.7dB 38Hz-20kHz (spec: +/-1.5dB)

View attachment 129987View attachment 129988View attachment 129989View attachment 129990View attachment 129991View attachment 129992​

WOW!!

 

[MZKM]

The Salon 2 quickly showed its difference in taller image that was not so focused and centered as the Genelec. This of course could be an optical illusion of the Genelec pulling your eye toward its tweeter. Still, I stand by this observation.

Genelec Sound Power DI is 5dB at 800Hz and 8dB at 10kHz.

Sound Power DI is 5dB at 1500Hz, 7dB at 10kHz.

So the Salon2 indeed has a wider soundstage.

________

I fear you’ll have a even smaller soundstage on the Directiva project developed by Rick & Ctrl:

Sound Power DI of 5dB at 650Hz and 9dB at 4500Hz.

But I‘m hoping their calculation is wrong, can’t believe that it is right, the Purifi woofer is not that directional, here is the SPK5 (Purifi plays up to like 3000Hz if I recall)

 

[Absolute]

@amirm Nice review, thank you! Especially the comparison with Salon 2.

I have one wish, though.. For this level of speakers (perfect tonality) I would really like to see IMD and compression measurements at loudish and loud spl just so that we can zoom into other factors that separates speakers at the highest levels.

We don't need those measurements when the tonality isn't near perfect and/or when the speakers show massive distortion at 96 dB, but I think we would benefit from it when we look into perfect small speaker vs perfect bigger speaker - or even two perfect small speakers that for some reason sounds different.

One question; Sound & Recording has a different approach to IMD distortion than a set SPL. They just increase the speaker level until the distortion reaches -30 dB and then registers the IMD.
That way we as users get a reference point as to how loud the speaker is comfortable playing. Is that something you could look into or is it too much of a hassle?

For large speakers such as the JBL M2 you'll hate your life. 91 dB Leq is an error, should read 94 dB. 94 Leq/106 dB peak measured at 8 meters before distortion reached the -30 dB with the noise crest factor at 12 dB translates to 112 dB Leq/124 dB peak at 1 meter if I'm not mistaken.

The reason I'm asking is because this type of graf shows us the spl output needed to reach a defined limit without harming the speakers and is easier to read the IMD vs frequency compared to the one usually shown.

 

[q3cpma]

First time I've seen a bookshelf speaker with such low LF distortion; I mean, you usually always see rising H5 at 96 dB SPL, but here, we only have H3 going haywire and H4 reaching a modest 1.5~2% at 35 Hz! Wonder how good the 8361A would be (S&R shows 3% THD at 100~105 dB in the deep bass territory, but I'd like to see this without H2 being counted). Rest of the spectrum is also quite clean. We can see the slot/waveguide long (but smooth) decay again, wondering if it matters or not; and that the decay graph isn't standardized =(.
Now, the only dilemna is: these or the 8341A if using subs?

By the way, for those comparing with the 8341A spin, the vertical scale is a tad larger (95 - 35 = 60 vs 88 - 37 = 51), favouring its visual smoothness a bit.

@amirm Nice review, thank you! Especially the comparison with Salon 2.

I have one wish, though.. For this level of speakers (perfect tonality) I would really like to see IMD and compression measurements at loudish and loud spl just so that we can zoom into other factors that separates speakers at the highest levels.

We don't need those measurements when the tonality isn't near perfect and/or when the speakers show massive distortion at 96 dB, but I think we would benefit from it when we look into perfect small speaker vs perfect bigger speaker - or even two perfect small speakers that for some reason sounds different.

One question; Sound & Recording has a different approach to IMD distortion than a set SPL. They just increase the speaker level until the distortion reaches -30 dB and then registers the IMD.
That way we as users get a reference point as to how loud the speaker is comfortable playing. Is that something you could look into or is it too much of a hassle?

View attachment 129994

For large speakers such as the JBL M2 you'll hate your life. 91 dB Leq is an error, should read 94 dB. 94 Leq/106 dB peak measured at 8 meters before distortion reached the -30 dB with the noise crest factor at 12 dB translates to 112 dB Leq/124 dB peak at 1 meter if I'm not mistaken.

The reason I'm asking is because this type of graf shows us the spl output needed to reach a defined limit without harming the speakers and is easier to read the IMD vs frequency compared to the one usually shown.

Gotta show the 8361A, too:

 

[restorer-john]

Maybe in the fall.

Fall. Let's hope it isn't an actual fall when you hoist those heavyweights up onto the Klippel rig.

Be careful.

 

[LTig]

Great!
Thanks a lot @amirm for the review and comparison with the Salon2.

How would you compare them to the Neumann KH 310 which are also a 3-way with top panther and laudative review?

+1 regarding @amirm's subjective opinion.

 

[Absolute]

Gotta show the 8361A, too:

Comparing that to the M2 we see that the M2 has significantly lower IMD below 1 kHz even when played 8 dB louder than 8361.
For above 1 kHz we don't know because the scaling is different and the tweeter might not take much louder levels before the distortion shoots through the roof on the 8361. For a small speaker, that 8361 looks mighty impressive.