Genelec 8361A Review (Powered Monitor)

[srrxr71]

I have an "old" Tact 2.2X digital DAC preamp that has XLR and RCA outputs and digital outputs as well... And it has a physical volume knob... which I also prefer over software volume adjustment...

Ok so the answer to the GLM subwoofer question is that GLM can only integrate Genelec subs. They are very expensive for what they are.

I was going to suggest a Trinnov to integrate other company subs. Can your Tact do this task?

Also i’m not sure you would need a sub for an office situation.

 

[Haskil]

Ok so the answer to the GLM subwoofer question is that GLM can only integrate Genelec subs. They are very expensive for what they are.

I was going to suggest a Trinnov to integrate other company subs. Can your Tact do this task?

Also i’m not sure you would need a sub for an office situation.

My desk is 4m x 7m...and my listening distance will be around 2m to 2.5m and more if i want.

They are annoying with this obligation to use a subwoofer of their brand with GLM. Because their boxes are too expensive, especially their column-shaped model... Really too expensive: 9000 euros...

Yes, my Tact 2.2 can integrate the subwoofers: it has a high and low pass filter adjustable in frequency and slope (from memory up to 350 Hz and 48 dB)... I kept a laptop running XP and RS 232 serial port to make it work...

 

[Pearljam5000]

My desk is 4m x 7m...and my listening distance will be around 2m to 2.5m and more if i want.

They are annoying with this obligation to use a subwoofer of their brand with GLM. Because their boxes are too expensive, especially their column-shaped model... Really too expensive: 9000 euros...

Yes, my Tact 2.2 can integrate the subwoofers: it has a high and low pass filter adjustable in frequency and slope (from memory up to 350 Hz and 48 dB)... I kept a laptop running XP and RS 232 serial port to make it work...

Not sure you'll need subs with 8361

 

[Haskil]

Not sure you'll need subs with 8361

Precisely not the 8361 but certainly the 8341 as specified in message 473 where I echoed the comment of ssrxr71 who has both and said that apart from the bass and spl the sound is the same...

 

[Pearljam5000]

Precisely not the 8361 but certainly the 8341 as specified in message 473 where I echoed the comment of ssrxr71 who has both and said that apart from the bass and spl the sound is the same...

Obviously I'm not disagreeing with ssrxr71 but 8361 sounded bigger to me, could be psychological .
Also with 8361 not extra subs and cables and all of that are needed so it's a cleaner setup especially for an office , IMHO obviously

 

[MAB]

Not sure you'll need subs with 8361

Unless you put them in a room.
The 8361 have great bass extension, your room will bend that bass to it's will, and no EQ will help.
For instance, in-room response, post GLM:

DSP can do nothing about the 90Hz dip produced by the left speaker in the room, or the right speaker's dip at 72Hz. My room isn't that abnormal. Multiple subs are the only way I can get flat bass response. All speakers in my room in the same position have the same notches in response. Speakers with more bass don't overcome dips, in fact they tend to make these cancellations more audible.

 

[srrxr71]

My desk is 4m x 7m...and my listening distance will be around 2m to 2.5m and more if i want.

They are annoying with this obligation to use a subwoofer of their brand with GLM. Because their boxes are too expensive, especially their column-shaped model... Really too expensive: 9000 euros...

Yes, my Tact 2.2 can integrate the subwoofers: it has a high and low pass filter adjustable in frequency and slope (from memory up to 350 Hz and 48 dB)... I kept a laptop running XP and RS 232 serial port to make it work...

The subs are expensive however the column shaped one is probably the best value for all the bass steering tricks it can perform.

 

[srrxr71]

Unless you put them in a room.
The 8361 have great bass extension, your room will bend that bass to it's will, and no EQ will help.
For instance, in-room response, post GLM:
View attachment 354364
DSP can do nothing about the 90Hz dip produced by the left speaker in the room, or the right speaker's dip at 72Hz. My room isn't that abnormal. Multiple subs are the only way I can get flat bass response. All speakers in my room in the same position have the same notches in response. Speakers with more bass don't overcome dips, in fact they tend to make these cancellations more audible.

Yeah I always had some dips like that. Multiple subs is the only way.

 

[SoldOnSoul]

Recently replaced my 8341's with 8361's. After GLM calibration they sound the same in my poorly treated room. Not sure I could say which speaker is playing in a blind test at normal SPL.

I still use a 7370 sub even though in theory its not needed for bass extension or SPL with the 8361's. Main benefit in my room is however that the sub negates room suck outs for the mains like displayed above in MABs post. The sub has a corner placement, with room gain it easily keeps up with the 8361's. No flickering led's any more.

Me personally don't get the constant comments on genelec sub's being expensive. In my mind they are not.
I have been using sub & sat systems since early 90's, starting with the Infinity modulus. All systems have been notoriously difficult or impossible to get a good and consistent integration of sub and sat's. The number of hours spent "integrating" instead of listening...
With GLM that is a thing of the past. Great and consistent integration in 3 min with the push of a button. Simply amazing!
Paying for that tech is a no brainer for me. Well worth the money and not even expensive compared to the time saving.

 

[Joachim Herbert]

I expressed myself badly: I meant can we use GLM with a pair of Genelecs and a subwoofer from a brand other than Genelec?

No, as there is no way for GLM to tell the subwoofer(s) what to do.

 

[FrantzM]

Recently replaced my 8341's with 8361's. After GLM calibration they sound the same in my poorly treated room. Not sure I could say which speaker is playing in a blind test at normal SPL.

I still use a 7370 sub even though in theory its not needed for bass extension or SPL with the 8361's. Main benefit in my room is however that the sub negates room suck outs for the mains like displayed above in MABs post. The sub has a corner placement, with room gain it easily keeps up with the 8361's. No flickering led's any more.

Me personally don't get the constant comments on genelec sub's being expensive. In my mind they are not.
I have been using sub & sat systems since early 90's, starting with the Infinity modulus. All systems have been notoriously difficult or impossible to get a good and consistent integration of sub and sat's. The number of hours spent "integrating" instead of listening...
With GLM that is a thing of the past. Great and consistent integration in 3 min with the push of a button. Simply amazing!
Paying for that tech is a no brainer for me. Well worth the money and not even expensive compared to the time saving.

Very interesting take.
I for one, am part of the chorus about Genelec subwoofers being expensive. Your point about integration is true IMO and IME: It takes time to integrate subwoofers with mains. Lot of time, lot of research and lot of iterations. It took me months to reach that, and even then... I am not a (lucky) Genelec owner. I plan to expereince it in a desktop setting soon.
Questions:
Does GLM works with multiple of course Genelec, subwoofers?
How easy is it to integrate (yes this term ), GLM with a Pre/Pro or an AVR?

Peace.

 

[KaLam1ty]

I know it doesn't apply to every use case, but it's worth mentioning that GLM also incredibly low latency.

Or rather, the digital processing is seemingly "baked" into the smart monitors and adding GLM adds a negligible (if any) amount of latency. Genelec also spec's the delay with/without EPL: https://support.genelec.com/hc/en-u...-of-The-Ones-for-Extended-Phase-Linearity-EPL
Analog input is also a fixed 4ms, which is remarkably low, considering the conversion going on.

When I was doing a bit of comparison between DIRAC (I have an SHD that I use mainly for pre-amp I/O) vs. GLM, there was a small but noticeable difference -- DIRAC processing adding some bit of overhead.

 

[maxijazz]

Very interesting take.
I for one, am part of the chorus about Genelec subwoofers being expensive. Your point about integration is true IMO and IME: It takes time to integrate subwoofers with mains. Lot of time, lot of research and lot of iterations. It took me months to reach that, and even then... I am not a (lucky) Genelec owner. I plan to expereince it in a desktop setting soon.
Questions:
Does GLM works with multiple of course Genelec, subwoofers?
How easy is it to integrate (yes this term ), GLM with a Pre/Pro or an AVR?

Peace.

It is always best to check at source: GLM 5 manual
Manuals for specific subwoofer also give some directions.
In past, when using multiple subs supporting same channel required manual change to gain. It seems with GLM 5 it is automated (see Level-Aligning Multiple Subwoofers Reproducing the Same Signal).

 

[srrxr71]

Very interesting take.
I for one, am part of the chorus about Genelec subwoofers being expensive. Your point about integration is true IMO and IME: It takes time to integrate subwoofers with mains. Lot of time, lot of research and lot of iterations. It took me months to reach that, and even then... I am not a (lucky) Genelec owner. I plan to expereince it in a desktop setting soon.
Questions:
Does GLM works with multiple of course Genelec, subwoofers?
How easy is it to integrate (yes this term ), GLM with a Pre/Pro or an AVR?

Peace.

Easy, calibrate with GLM first and then connect to your AVR and let it do whatever it does. If you even still need it. Maybe Dirac is something that I would apply even to a GLM calibrated system.

Think of GLM making the monitors as perfect to your room as they can be. Now having that you can choose to add whatever you like.

 

[Dgob]

Yes liek cucumber

 

[outfaced]

Dirac is something that I would apply even to a GLM calibrated system.

no benefit ... it makes it even worse
at least in my case

 

[srrxr71]

no benefit ... it makes it even worse
at least in my case

Good to know. Thank you

 

[holdingpants01]

Me personally don't get the constant comments on genelec sub's being expensive.

The mainstream view here is that any subwoofer is just a box with speaker and (sometimes) amp. If you look at them like that - they're expensive, especially for the size. The software side is ignored, but it is what makes them worth the price: integration by means of phase, level, crossover, very good automatic EQ, GLM support with all of it's benefits, digital inputs, built in multichannel bass management etc.

 

[srrxr71]

The view here is that any subwoofer is just a box with speaker and (sometimes) amp. If you look at them like that they're expensive for their size. The software side is ignored, but this is what makes them worth the price: integration by means of phase, level, crossover, very good automatic EQ, GLM support with all of it's benefits, digital inputs, built in bass management etc.

Yeah like rhythmik does it cheaper. But you need other ways to EQ it. Value is in the eye of the purchaser.

 

[outfaced]

in regard to the subs my question are (despite they are going lower... )
- do they deliver equal or better quality of the bass
- do the mains benefit from unloading the lows (quality wise ... not so much about the max SPL)
- is there acoustic audible advantage in putting the lows near the floor
- after all .... is one bigger better then 2 smaller when the lowest F3 is not the main goal (more about room integration and integration with the mains)